Holidays are usually all about fun, rest and relaxation - but sometimes life gets in the way of those plans.
Whether you've changed your mind or circumstances mean you won't be able to go on your trip, cancelling a holiday is a disappointing and stressful situation for anyone.
Of course in most cases you'll already have paid for your trip, or even a deposit - and with the rising cost of travel in recent years, it's normal to worry about whether you'll get your money back.
We've put together a guide on your refund rights if you cancel a holiday - and alternatives that could help you avoid losing out on the cash.
In this scenario, we're talking about you choosing to cancel the trip. Your rights are different if it's a travel firm or airline that cancels - we have a separate guide here addressing that situation.
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Cancelling a package holiday
The first thing you'll need to do is check the terms and conditions of your booking. Usually, you'll likely need to pay a cancellation fee, or may not be entitled to a refund.
If you paid a deposit, this is often non-refundable but again, check the terms of your booking.
As for how much it costs to cancel a trip? This depends on many factors.
TUI explains to its customers: "How much it costs to cancel your holiday, or to remove passengers from the booking, varies depending on how much time there is before you're due to travel and which airline you're flying with.
"Our cancellation charges cover the cost of processing your cancellation and to compensate us for the risk that we may not be able to resell your travel arrangements."
You can find out more on the TUI website here, the Jet2 website here and easyJet Holidays here.
Both TUI and Jet2 have 'tiers' of what money you may lose when you cancel - so getting in touch as soon as possible is key if you want to get as much of your cash back as possible.
For example, if you cancel a holiday over 70 days before travel, you'll lose your deposit. Any closer to the holiday and it can range from 30% of the total booking price up to 100% (the latter is usually for cancellations within 14 days of the trip).
It's also worth getting in touch with your travel insurance provider, as you may be able to recoup some of the costs through them.
If you booked a flight and hotel separately
You're going to need to check the T&Cs of your bookings with both the airline and accommodation separately.
For airlines, if you're cancelling a flight you may want to look at rebooking options and using them for a later date - in some cases, get in touch and you may be able to get credit or vouchers instead of losing out on your money.
It's similar for accommodation, but it will be dependent on what the booking conditions are for your hotel or holiday home.
Some hotels do offer free cancellations up to 48 hours before you check-in, so get in touch as soon as possible.
It's also worth getting in touch with your travel insurance provider, as you may be able to recoup some of the costs through them.
Alternative options
It's worth noting that since Covid, a lot of travel firms offer flexible booking policies that allow you to rebook your trip - so if it's a case that you think you'd like to still go on the trip at a later date, this may be one of the easier options for you.
If you're having to cancel because one of your party has Covid, or you're showing symptoms, again there are often new policies in place, so check with your travel firm.
Another alternative can be to transfer your holiday. If you know someone who would be happy to go in your place, some companies do allow you to change the named people on the booking.
However, the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) warns: "You only have the right to transfer your holiday if there’s a serious reason you can’t go. If there’s not a serious reason, it’s the company’s decision whether to let you transfer your holiday."
Usually this process requires you putting in writing (by letter or email) to the firm that you want to transfer the holiday, and give them the other person's details, at least 21 days before the start.
The CAB adds: "You or the person you’re transferring to will have to pay the cost of transferring the booking and any outstanding payments. If the person you’re transferring to doesn’t pay, you’ll have to."
You can find out more about your rights when cancelling a holiday on citizensadvice.org.uk.
