Is Prague safe to visit in light of the coronavirus risk?

Simon Calder answers your questions about current health concerns, changes to flights and whether a Cuba passport stamp means trouble for a US visit

For visitors to the Czech capital, Covid-19 is not a significant threat (Getty)

Q My partner and I were thinking of travelling to Prague for the weekend at the end of May for our anniversary. However, would it be safe to do so regarding the coronavirus risk?

Matt C

A The Foreign Office is currently warning visitors to Prague about a wide range of risks. Before you even get there, beware of the amount of “pickpocketing on flights from the UK”. On arrival, take care on the city streets, not least because of the danger of being hit by a tram. And be warned of ”bogus plain-clothes policemen, who may ask to see your foreign currency and passport”. No genuine officer can demand to see your money.

The US State Department picks up the risk baton, saying: “Criminals operate in professional, highly organised groups and may be armed with simple weapons, so avoid direct confrontation.

“High-risk areas include public transportation, the city centre, crowded areas and outdoor cafes.” It adds: “Victims of sexual assault report being drugged with rohypnol and other ‘date rape’ drugs.”

So, there are plenty of dangers to bear in mind. But the coronavirus known as Covid-19 is not a significant threat. The chances of being anywhere near someone with this unpleasant virus are vanishingly low. The likelihood of picking it up diminishes sharply if you simply keep washing your hands thoroughly and avoid people who look unwell.

But if you worry that the unpleasant virus may become a hazard, just book nearer the time; there should be plenty of availability at reasonable prices.

TUI says quoted flight times ‘are for guidance only’ (Getty)

Q I’ve just got an email from TUI with our holiday details on. Luckily I checked them carefully, as the flight times have changed by more than nine hours. I’m not impressed as that means late flights and impacts car parking. I picked flights carefully to meet the needs of the family. What can I do?

Name supplied

A The number of complaints I get about changed flight times with TUI suggests customers should regard the original schedule as merely a vague intention rather than any kind of promise.

Europe’s biggest holiday company says that the times quoted at the time you booked “are for guidance only”.

Experience suggests you should certainly not book extras such as car parking or airport hotels until shortly before departure – certainly not until you have the email with flight tickets attached.

“Your actual times will be shown on your e-ticket,” says TUI. “Check that carefully when you receive it.”

You granted TUI this flexibility when you booked, and also agreed that a change in flight time of 12 hours or less is only a “minor” change to your trip.

I caution against anyone who does not want very early or late flights booking with TUI, because the firm can easily switch your noon departure to a pre-dawn flight, or your 5pm home arrival to after midnight. This is particularly acute for families with young children, or simply people who have to get to work next day.

However, there is one possible remedy: a complaint to Abta. The travel association’s code of conduct says: “For holidays of fewer than 14 days, a change of less than 12 hours can still be a significant change.

“A change of five hours is unlikely to be significant if it moves the flight from 8am to 1pm, but may well be significant if it moves it from 10am to 5am.”

The code of conduct says that if the change involves a very early check-in or very late arrival in resort, the need to take additional time off work at the start or end of the holiday, or additional expenses such as an airport hotel, then it may be significant.

Were Abta to decide in your favour, you would be able to cancel for a full refund or choose a different and more time-friendly holiday.

UK tourists travelling to Cuba via the US are unlikely to be affected (Getty)

Q We are travelling to Los Angeles for a family holiday in April this year. My husband has a Cuban stamp in his passport from a previous family holiday in 2015 to Cayo Coco. Would this be a problem travelling to the US as a British citizen?

Claire B

A Washington DC is obsessive about Cuba, with strict laws on visits to the communist island by US citizens.

Barack Obama realised that, after nearly six decades of a failed economic embargo, it was time to try something different. So he opened up Cuba to American visitors. But President Trump has reversed all the good work, and in some respects made the rules even tougher than they were before reforms began.

No doubt some in the administration would like to punish foreign citizens who have had the temerity to visit Cuba. Thankfully, though, British travellers fall within American jurisdiction only in one specific case: when they travel from the US direct to the island and breach the strict rules which allow visits only for specific purposes, such as family visits, religious activities or humanitarian projects.

Since your husband presumably went as a tourist direct from Britain, he will clearly not have broken the law.

The Foreign Office still advises: “You may wish to take supporting documents about the purpose of your trip to Cuba in case you’re questioned by US immigration officials at the port of entry on arrival.”

But assuming it was a straightforward package holiday, I would not bother searching out the tour operator’s confirmation nor the airline boarding pass. While US Customs and Border Protection officials like to examine stamps in the passports of foreign visitors, and sometimes ask questions about specific trips, they are mainly focused on states regarded as harbouring terrorists, including Syria, Yemen and Libya.

So don’t give the Cuba visit a second thought, and instead focus on the pleasures that await such as the Warner Bros backstage tour, Santa Monica pier and the original Disneyland. LA is a fabulous family destination, and April is an excellent month to be there.

Email your question to s@hols.tv or tweet @simoncalder