Travel

#I - ve booked a holiday in Turkey but news about the threat to Britons from Isis there is worrying. Can I cancel it? News - Advice - Travel - The Independent

Q. On Friday I booked a holiday in Turkey for August through the On the Beach website. On Sunday, my daughters were very scared by a story in a newspaper about the threats to British holidaymakers, so I tried to cancel. But On the Beach said it would cost £1,760 and that we cannot transfer our booking to a different destination. I'm at a total loss as to what we can do and will be so upset if all our money will be lost and we can't go away. Name withheld

A. The story, headlined Terror threat to millions of holidaymakers as Isis target Turkey, has alarmed travellers with bookings to the country this summer. The Foreign Office travel advice for Turkey (bit.ly/TurkTrav ) warns of active terrorist groups throughout the country and says: These include domestic religious extremist and ideological groups, and international groups involved in the conflict in Syria. Attacks could be indiscriminate and could affect places visited by foreigners.

This is broadly as it has been for many months, and is well short of urging Britons to stay away.

I would happily take my family to Turkey this summer. The risks that would concern me the most have nothing to do with terrorism – they are the traffic and the intense sun.

On the Beach is an online travel agent that specifies it is basically a website that helps you to search for flights and hotels, rather than a proper tour operator. Had you booked a package holiday and later decided not to go, then you would be able to transfer the trip to someone else for a modest fee.