Simon Calder answers your questions on wildfires, easyJet cancellations and post-Brexit summer holidays

Will Spain extend visa-free stays for Brits? Can you cancel a trip to Rhodes next week? And which are the best companies offering flight-free holidays? The Independent’s travel team answered readers’ most pressing questions in a free online event

As summers go, this one has arguably been beset by as many problems as 2022 when it comes to travellers looking to get away on holiday, whether at home or abroad.

On the domestic front, a month of disappointing weather and ongoing rail strikes could take the spring out of the most chipper holidaymaker’s step. Further afield, mass flight cancellations from easyJet, Air Traffic Control strikes, uncomfortably sweltering temperatures of 40C+ and raging wildfires have added up to another chaotic summer for the tourism industry.

And all this is compounded by soaring flight prices and post-Brexit travel border rules that some travellers are only now encountering for the first time.

Faced with the above, The Independent’s readers understandably had a lot of questions to ask about their future travel plans; and our travel team attempted to answer as many of them as possible in an hour-long online “Summer Getaway” event.

Facilitated by travel editor Helen Coffey and joined by The Independent’s renowned travel correspondent Simon Calder and deputy travel editor Ben Parker, the event tackled queries ranging from whether Spain might waive the 90 in 180 day entry rule for Brits (unlikely, said Simon) to what passengers are entitled to if their flight gets axed last minute (check out our consumer rights guide).

Our experts also gave their top tips on everything from the best flight-free travel companies (Byway, recommends Helen), to where to head for a week-long solo trip (eastern Europe is Simon’s pick), to what time of year is best for whale watching in Canada (August, according to Ben).

Watch the event in full to see more of your travel questions answered.