20 perfect holidays for our post-lockdown world
So, finally, we can hit the road again. The unexpectedly broad – if inconsistent – removal of quarantine and Foreign Office restrictions for more than 70 destinations (including most of Europe and as far afield as Australia) last week transformed the world of travel at a stroke.
Exciting though that is, for the foreseeable future, it will of course be a radically different, unfamiliar world of masks and visors, caution and social distancing. Any unfamiliarity will be tempered both by the release and relief of being able to travel again, but also by the lack of crowds and by the sense that we are witnessing a moment in history. It will surely be extraordinary and memorable to see the world as it slowly emerges from lockdown.
But let’s not delude ourselves. Uncertainty remains. We will have to live with the risk of last-minute changes and cancellations caused by the unpredictability of government policy and spikes in infection rates in the UK or abroad. An upsurge of cases in Portugal and Spain, and the local lockdown in Leicester, are clear-cut examples of the sort of complications we may face.
So we will have to prepare for difference and we will have to be flexible – prepared either to travel or cancel at short notice; prepared even to choose our destination at the last minute according to where is looking safest and most secure. But, paradoxically, while it’s a good time to be adaptable and leave things late, we will also have to plan. Gone, temporarily, are the days of spontaneity. To make sure we get a table at a restaurant or a ticket to a museum or sight, we will need to book at least a few days in advance.
Overall though, the news is positive. There will be some amazing deals and unique experiences; we will just need to navigate a little more carefully. And to help you do that, here is our travellers’ guide to the rest of the year, whether you are looking for a family holiday in the Med, a city break or cultural tour in the autumn, or are thinking ahead to the winter.
Prices are per person for seven nights with return flights included, unless stated otherwise.
Summer sun
The secret for those who want to travel before the end of August is to leave things as late as possible, and remain flexible about where you want to travel. While we can’t rule out new lockdowns and setbacks later in the year, the next few weeks are surely likely to be the most uncertain, so booking even only a week or two before departure will at least reduce the risk of getting caught out. Also, the later in summer you travel, the more you will know how the situation has settled down, which destinations are looking most dependable and how we are faring in this country.
Probably the safest, most predictable and most reliable bet – assuming you live within reasonable striking distance of a Channel port – is to take your own car to France and rent a villa, tent or other self-catering accommodation. That way you are largely in control of your own transport and in a protected space for much of your trip. But if you are up for flying, the key Mediterranean sun and sand destinations are probably also good bets and there is an excellent chance of finding a discounted deal.
1. Cottage in Normandy
Brittany Ferries (brittany-ferries.co.uk) offers a vast collection of affordable, mid-range gîtes and cottages in France, Spain and Portugal, some with pools. From £1,253 for an August week at a four-bedroom gîte in Muneville-sur-Mer, Normandy (Ref: NM6055) including return sailings for a car and up to five passengers.
2. Villa in Tuscany
Simpson Travel (simpsontravel.com) has a selection of large villas for extended families and groups of friends with availability in the peak months. An August week costs from £5,185 for Casa al Colle, a spacious 18th-century house sleeping 10 with private pool, olive grove and views of the Garfagnana mountains of northern Tuscany.
3. Algarve hotel
Assuming Portugal is cleared for visitors from the UK, which it surely will be before long, Classic Collection Holidays (classic-collection.co.uk) can organise luxurious stays in the Algarve. Seven nights on half board basis at the five-star Vale d’Oliveiras Quinta Resort and Spa, overlooking the Monchique Hills near Carvoeiro, based on a one-bedroom apartment, departing Aug 20, costs from £1,378.
4. Family hotel in Mallorca
Tui (tui.com) offers a range of child-focused hotels with kids’ zones and family fun. From £830 full board at the 4T Tui Blue Grupotel Mallorca Mar in the island’s east coast resort of Cala Bona, based on two adults and two children, departing Aug 18 from Birmingham.
Summer in the city
With the exception of the northern capitals like Berlin, Copenhagen and Oslo, I wouldn’t normally suggest going to major cities in summer. The heat combined with the sheer weight of visitors can make them pretty unpleasant places to be. But this year is obviously an unprecedented one. There will be no cruise ships disgorging thousands of tourists at a time, no tour groups, no North or South Americans, and very few visitors from Asia and Australasia. It is a unique opportunity to visit some of the most famous and popular cultural towns and cities in relative peace.
Two stand out for me. Tiny Dubrovnik – so pretty, yet usually so rammed with cruise passengers – will surely never be as quiet and serene in summer again. What a chance it will be to see the city at its best. And talking of serenity, Venice too will surely have visitor numbers closer to those it gets in midwinter, and yet will be basking in the summer sun. And below, I’ve also included two of Europe’s other most popular destinations, Amsterdam and Barcelona, both of which have been suffering more and more from overtourism but will be free of that curse for the coming months. Amsterdam of course also has the advantage that you can now get there on a direct Eurostar service.
5. Dubrovnik stay
British Airways has regular peak-season flights to Dubrovnik (ba.com/dubrovnik). A three-night stay at the five-star Hilton Imperial, near the city gates and Old Town, costs from £539 for room only, departing between Aug 2 and 24. Book by July 12.
6. Venice escape
Kirker Holidays (kirkerholidays.com) features nearly a dozen hotels in Venice, ranging from small, family-run guesthouses to grand palazzi. Three nights cost from £699 B&B at the four-star Hotel Palazzo Sant’Angelo, near the Rialto Bridge. Includes return water taxi transfers and entrance to the Doge’s Palace; departing in August.
7. Amsterdam by train
Eurostar (eurostar.com) takes just under four hours from London and can offer three nights from £239 per person at the four-star Urban Lodge Hotel in the Westpoort district of the city, close to the Vondelpark and Herengracht Canal, including return train fares. Based on August departures.
8. Break in Barcelona
EasyJet Holidays (easyjet.com/holidays) is offering a three-night stay at the four-star Barcelona Universal hotel, with rooftop pool and terrace bar, on Parallel Avenue, from £219 room only; departs Gatwick on Aug 19.
Autumn sun
There has been some talk in the travel industry about extending the summer season to try to persuade some of the millions of holidaymakers who missed out earlier in the year to take a break. Some villa companies have already announced that they will offer rentals into November, for example.
But – if you want to enjoy some warmth and decent sun – you need to be careful. The weather in the northern Med in particular can break at any time from mid-October onwards, and you could end up spending the week looking out of the window as the rain beats down on the sun loungers.
Head well south. I’ve picked out four destinations – Sicily, Cyprus, the Canaries and Crete – where it stays reliably warm (by that I mean over 20C/68F) and sunny into early November and often for longer than that.
The evenings will be cool, and obviously the days much shorter. The resorts will also be very quiet. But at least you will, after all, be able to soak up some sun during the day and, if you are brave, the sea will still be warm enough for a dip.
9. Villa in Greece
Pure Crete (purecrete.com) has a good selection of villas on the largest Greek island, with availability and flights throughout October. £1,105 (villa only) for three-bedroom Villa Diktamo, on the northwest coast, with a private pool and a 10-minute drive from the sandy beaches of Kalives.
10. Half board in Sicily
Citalia (citalia.com) can organise stays at up to 30 hotels throughout Sicily and the Aeolian islands. From £789 half board at Hotel Excelsior Palace in Taormina (saving £225). Based on Nov 3 departure.
11 . B&B in Cyprus
Many of Sunvil’s large range of family-run Cypriot properties lie off the beaten track in peaceful, rural locations (sunvil.co.uk). From £628 at 25-room Linos Inn Hotel in Kakopetria, in the foothills of the Troodos Mountains, with sauna, bar and traditional restaurant. Price includes car hire.
12. Self-catering in La Gomera
Cachet Travel (cachet-travel.co.uk) offers affordable hotels and apartments throughout the Canary Islands. Prices start from £847 for a seven-night stay at the Casas del Lomo, a cluster of six self-catering cottages near San Sebastian, the capital of La Gomera. Includes ferry crossings to the island and car hire, departing in early November.
Autumn breaks
September can be a golden month to visit Paris, but it is also the hardest time to find a good hotel at a reasonable price. Usually, a whole series of fairs and conventions – including Paris Fashion Week – dominates the scene. This year, however, numbers are certain to be lower and it is a wonderful opportunity to visit the French capital, and maybe even see the Mona Lisa without having to queue.
Rome, too, looks like a good option, the summer heat is passed and visiting the Colosseum, the Forum and the Sistine Chapel free from crowds will be a whole new experience. But this is also a great time to consider a walking or cycling holiday, or perhaps even catch one of the first cultural tours to get up and running again, so that you can see both the sights crowd-free and enjoy the insights of an expert guide.
13. Boutique hotel in Paris
Newly opened in December, the three-star Simon’s Paris Boutique Hotel in Montmartre has 68 rooms (including interconnecting rooms for families), rooftop terrace and ice bar. Prices start at £229 per person for a three-night break in October including Eurostar return (eurostar.com).
14. City break in Rome
Kuoni (kuoni.co.uk) has discounts of up to 30 per cent on October departures to the Italian capital. From £599 B&B for a three-night stay at four-star Hotel Dei Borgia in Rione Monti, close to the Colosseum, Forum and shopping streets, with on-site spa. Departing Gatwick Oct 5, 12 and 21.
15. Cultural tour in Spain
Martin Randall Travel (martinrandall.com) is restarting a series of small-group, expert-led tours departing in the autumn months, including a nine-night itinerary in southern Spain. “Essential Andalucia – Spain’s southern province” includes three-night stays in Granada, Córdoba and Seville and visits the Renaissance towns of Úbeda and Baeza. From £3,690, Oct 19-29.
16. Walking in France
Headwater’s self-guided walking itineraries in southern France depart weekly throughout October (headwater.com). The “Dramatic Vistas of the Tarn” break, based at four-star Grand Hotel de la Muse et du Rozier on the banks of the River Tarn, starts at £1,199 B&B, including car hire, walking maps and one evening meal.
Looking ahead to winter
Fingers crossed, we will have started to wake up from the coronavirus nightmare by the time winter sets in. No doubt all of us would welcome a holiday, especially if we missed out this summer. So should we be booking a winter sun break now?
My view is that it is probably better to hang on a bit longer until the airlines and travel industry have begun to re-establish themselves and we know more about the progress of Covid-19.
But, there are some good discounts and deals available if you do book in the next few weeks for a winter departure. Here are some examples in Barbados, Antigua, the Maldives and Tenerife.
17. Luxury for less in Barbados
Caribtours (caribtours.co.uk) has discounts of up to 35 per cent on winter stays in Barbados. From £1,675 B&B at the four-star Colony Club by Elegant Hotels on the island’s west coast, based on Dec 9 departure (book by Aug 31).
18. Discounts to Antigua
Trailfinders (trailfinders.com) is currently offering money-saving deals on departures to top Caribbean hotels for winter travel, including stays at five-star Carlisle Bay on Antigua. Save £1,400 on a holiday that starts at £1,929 including complimentary half-board for selected December departures.
19. Maldives upgrade
January is an expensive time to go to the Maldives, but Travelbag (travelbag.co.uk) is offering complimentary meal upgrades and transfer discounts on holidays booked by July 30. From £2,119 at five-star Sun Siyam Iru Fushi, in the Noonu Atoll, including complimentary half-board upgrade and transfers, a saving of up to £375 per person, for travel between Jan 15-30.
20. All-inclusive in Tenerife
Expect no extras on holidays with First Choice (firstchoice.co.uk) to the Canary Islands. From £702 per person at the 4Sun+ Bahia Principe Sunlight Tenerife hotel in Playa Paraiso on the island’s west coast, including all meals, based on a Jan 9 2021 departure.
Booking strategy and checklist
Before you book, be sure you have thought through the risks and that you are happy with them. For example, what if you fell ill with the virus while you were away? You may be denied boarding on the return flight and have to stay in isolation at the destination until you have recovered enough to book a new flight home. Few insurance policies will pay for this eventuality (see below). You could probably mitigate that risk if you were travelling in your own car rather than flying.
Sort out your insurance. Very few policies bought after mid-March cover the costs associated with cancellation. And while many do cover medical treatment if you catch coronavirus while you are away, some don’t. Be sure you know what cover you have. Remember that if you travel within the EU before the end of the year you are entitled to use the local public health service by showing an EHIC card.
Just for once, read the small print about cancellations and alterations. Look for an operator that will allow you to make changes cheaply, or at no cost, in case something happens which means you want to postpone your trip or abandon it altogether. Both BA Holidays and Tui, for example, have introduced more flexible policies.
Think hard before you make independent arrangements. You might find a flight so cheap that it wouldn’t matter so much if you had to abandon it, but make sure you can cancel your hotel or villa without paying a high penalty.
Keep an eye on the local situation at your destination. Until this week’s change, Foreign Office advice (gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice) has been next to useless because of its blanket ban on travel. But now it is incumbent on the FCO to keep an eye on what is happening locally, so hopefully it will be the best source of information, though it is also worth keeping an eye on the news for the latest bulletins on coronavirus.
Book restaurants and site visits. Many restaurants, museums and attractions are operating at reduced capacity and you will need to book your table or entry time in advance.
