How can we get a refund for a mouldy rental property?

Q I have spent three weeks trying to resolve a case of an extremely substandard rental property, with mould and insects in the kitchen (and the wifi didn’t work). We left the property within 15 minutes and found somewhere else to stay, but the host is refusing to give me a refund. They claim they cleaned the property before we arrived. You’d expect the booking agent to help out, right? But Booking.com say it’s nothing to do with them. They have given me a £37 credit on my account. But is there anything I can do to get a full refund?

Mark P

A You may not thank me for saying so but, assuming you paid a non-refundable rate, I’m impressed you got a £37 credit. When you make a booking through Booking.com, you’re not booking with Booking.com. The company says it merely provides a platform “on which service providers can promote and sell their accommodations [sic] – and you can search for, compare and book them”.

The Amsterdam-based company specifies: “When you make a booking, it’s directly with the service provider – we’re not a ‘contractual party’.” It also adds: “With a non-refundable rate, guests pay the full price if they cancel, make changes or don’t show up.”

As Booking.com isn’t involved in the contract, the company is entitled to take the view: “Got a problem? Sort it out with them.”

In reality the firm does offer a 24/7 customer service helpline. But I often hear accounts that it provides limited help. Booking.com is not about to send someone around to rule on the conflicting accounts of you and the property owner. This is a vast and incredibly valuable company (worth almost £100bn) whose expertise is in technology and marketing rather than property management.

I prefer to deal direct with the hotel or property owner. It makes solving problems more straightforward. But in your case, I believe all you can do is consider legal action against the property owner. This used to be easy for claims within the EU, under the European Small Claims Procedure. But since Brexit you would need to engage a local solicitor – requiring further investment, with no guarantee of success. Sorry, I can’t be more optimistic.

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Q My sister and I have booked a cruise around Japan next April. We would like to break the flight of almost 14 hours to Tokyo into two shorter flights, with a day or two of stopovers if necessary. Any suggestions?

Janice P

A Russia’s airspace has been off-limits to Western aircraft since Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Previously, the route from London Heathrow to Tokyo over northern Russia took a relatively swift 11 or 12 hours, but British Airways and Japanese carriers now take around two hours longer. I regard anything up to seven hours as perfectly bearable in an economy seat, but each hour after that becomes progressively more uncomfortable. Last time I flew to Japan it was on Emirates via Dubai. The segment from London – or Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle or Glasgow – takes about seven hours. But the onward leg is nine or 10 hours. The same applies for Qatar Airways via Doha.

Much better, particularly in April, to travel via Istanbul. You can fly to Turkey’s largest city from a wide range of UK departure points. Whether or not you have visited Istanbul before, it is one of the most exciting cities in the world in which to be a tourist – even on a stopover of a day or two. April is a perfect month when you can expect warm spring days.

Furthermore, if you time your journey so that there is a gap of at least 24 hours before arrival and departure, your air passenger duty liability drops from £84 each to just £13. This saving is enough to fund an overnight stay as well as meals in good-value Istanbul. A good travel agent can arrange this.

The first leg from the UK to Istanbul takes four hours or less; the onward journey to Tokyo takes up to 11 hours. But the overall flight time is barely more than the direct trip, and a lot shorter than connecting in the Gulf: the flight path from Istanbul is basically due east over the Caucasus, Caspian Sea, Kazakhstan and China.

To reduce flying to the absolute minimum, choose Air China or China Eastern via Beijing or Shanghai. The flight time from London to either Chinese city is about 10 hours 30 minutes, with another couple of hours to Tokyo. The time saving arises from flying over Russia, which these airlines are allowed to do.

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Q I am trying to find out if there are any ferries to and from the Greek islands of Zakynthos and Kefalonia? I am specifically interested in late May 2025. I have looked on the internet but find conflicting answers. Can you advise?

Sue W

A Fortunately, I was in Zakynthos – also known as Zante – last month and researched this very question. For readers who are unfamiliar with the Ionian islands off the west coast of Greece, barely 10 miles separates Zante and Kefalonia. From the northeast coast of Zante, Kefalonia is usually visible. They are connected in summer – this year from 19 May to 30 September – twice a day by a ferry.

On my trip, the timings were not ideal and in the end I did not sail across from Zante to the largest Ionian island. But I found out the essential details by asking people in the ferry offices in Zante – even though this is not the departure point for ferries to Kefalonia.

The vessel sails from Agios Nikolaos in the far north of Zante to Pessada on the southern shore of Kefalonia. The company is Ionion Pelagos. One sailing is at around 9.45am, the second at 7.45pm. The fare this summer is €11 one way for each passenger, and €35 for a car, but these may change next year.

For anyone with their own vehicle, access to each port is straightforward. But by public transport the timings are challenging: a bus runs early in the morning from Zante town to Agios Nikolaos for the first ferry, but for the evening sailing you are on your own.

If, like most holidaymakers, you are based in the south of Zante, an alternative is to take the frequent ferry from Zante town to Killini on the mainland, and switch there to Poros, the main port on Kefalonia. The journey may involve a couple of hours in Killini but it is a perfectly pleasant place to find some lunch while you wait for your ship to come in.

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