London City takes off as a ‘summer-sun’ airport

The east London airport that normally focuses on business flights has launched a range of summer-sun departures.International flights from London City airport, which ended as a result of the coronavirus pandemic 15 weeks ago, have resumed with British Airways departures to Spain and Italy.

Coronavirus: Planes are ‘relatively safe’ due to powerful air filters, says WHO expert

Air travel is “relatively safe” when it comes to the spread of coronavirus, an expert from the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.David Nabarro, WHO special envoy for Covid-19, said this was because of modern aircrafts’ air filtration systems.

Barbados to welcome UK holidaymakers but visitors must prove they are virus-free

Barbados is about to tentatively reopen to tourism, the lifeblood of the country's economy. The first commercial flight, from Canada, arrives this Sunday, July 12, with the first flight from the UK, with British Airways, landing next Saturday, July 18. Barbados is one of the countries on the UK Government's "travel corridor" list – so no requirement to self-isolate on your return – and the Foreign Office is not advising against travel there. The Caribbean island, with a population of around 286,000, has to date had just 98 cases and seven deaths related to Covid-19. To have a holiday there, travellers will need proof they are Covid-19 free. Visitors are being strongly advised to take a Covid-19 PCR test before flying, with testing required to have been done within 72 hours of travel. It will also be possible to have the test on arrival. This can be either at the airport free of charge, or in a more relaxed environment at a satellite hotel for US$150 (£117). Until the result comes through – expected to be within 24 hours – visitors need to remain in designated accommodation: either at a government property for free, or, more likely for tourists, at the hotel where you were tested, at your own expense. The hotels chosen for satellite testing and awaiting results are The Hilton Barbados and The Crane Resort. Travellers arriving from countries deemed low risk, which include most other Caribbean islands, and who have not visited a high-risk country in the previous 21 days are exempted from the testing requirements. The UK is currently identified as medium risk (find more information here: barbadostravelprotocols.com). Paul Cleary, managing director of specialist tour operator, Caribtours, said: "You definitely want to to be tested beforehand. No one in their right mind wants to sit on an eight and a half flight with the uncertainty of whether they'll test positive on arrival. We are in the process of coordinating contacts for regional private clinics in the UK where you can get tested." Tourist accommodation on Barbados is now subject to a very long list of Covid-19 protocols. Among many other things, guests will be encouraged to wear masks in public areas when they are likely to be in close proximity to staff and other guests, congregating at bars will be discouraged, at buffets staff will serve diners, and watersports equipment will be sanitised after each use. If guests want to snorkel, they will need their own equipment. Spas are permitted to operate. Not many hotels will in fact be open next week. As well as the Hilton and Crane, those that will be include Little Good Harbour, a secluded west-coast property offering self-catering only for the next few months, and Little Arches, a boutique hotel on the south coast. Other recommended places to stay that have announced they are opening in the next few weeks include Waves Hotel & Spa and Beach View, excellent for families. Classic, high-end west-coast hotels, such as Cobblers Cove, the Coral Reef Club and Sandpiper, are mostly not reopening until October. This is partly due to late summer/early autumn being peak hurricane season and always very quiet, and therefore a time when some hotels close every year. While Caribtours says it has recently had a few Barbados bookings for August, Elegant Resorts, a tour operator specialising in luxury holidays to the island, says its bookings so far have all been for later in the year. Another option to consider is a villa: along the west coast are some very desirable ones to rent. Blue Sky Luxury (blueskyluxury.com), an agency with a large portfolio of villas that have undergone the rigorous Covid-19 accommodation protocols, has lots of availability this summer. Life on Barbados is moving towards some semblance of new, socially-distanced normality. Shops, bars, restaurants and beaches are open, and the tourist board reassuringly says "visitors will be welcome to participate in all aspects of Barbadian life". To explore, holidaymakers can ride on the buses (face masks necessary) and rent cars. Physical distancing requirements are set at three feet (just under one metre). Flights from the UK are resuming very cautiously. The British Airways flight, from Gatwick, will initially be twice weekly. Virgin Atlantic is starting a weekly service, from Heathrow, on August 1, then increasing to three times a week in October. In pre-Covid times, BA and Virgin operated daily London-Barbados flights. Caledonia Jets is planning to start first-class-only flights on a 100-seater Airbus A340 for £7,500 per person return, weekly from Stansted to Barbados, with pre-departure Covid-19 testing arrangements for £300pp. However, it is waiting Atol approval from the Civil Aviation Authority.

A postcard from Spain's most picture-perfect town

I finally left Seville, from where I sent my last postcard, as Spain entered what the government are calling the new normal. However, passing through Ronda I saw that the people do not necessarily agree. The term ghost town has, by necessity, been vastly overused in these pages, but what else can one say? The lovely old historic restaurants like Hermanos Macías, opposite Spain’s most historic bullring, and the classic Almocabar, named for the gate in the Moorish battlements it sits beyond, are both closed.

‘Covid cover’ offered by Tui, Britain’s biggest holiday company

Britain’s biggest holiday company is seeking to reassure prospective customers by offering cover for passengers against coronavirus-related problems.Tui has announced a “Covid-19 cover scheme” that will be provided with every holiday from the UK for the rest of 2020.

"No queues, crowds or traffic": What Britons can expect now from a visit to Rome

Rome has been slowly awakening from its coronavirus lockdown slumber since June 3, when Italy reopened its borders to international tourism.

As the ghost trains rumble on, it’s time to bring the railways back to life

My journalistic colleagues are a responsible bunch. During an online meeting this week I asked a dozen of them, “Who’s been on a train since March?”None had. Neither has Mark Smith, the international rail guru who founded the Seat61.com website. He told me: “I haven’t been on one for four months, possibly the longest train-free period of my adult life.

Here in Brazil, the lockdown-breaking locals are rooting for herd immunity

Masked up and brimming with excitement, I’m heading for lunch in the Rio neighbourhood of Leblon, eager to enjoy a restaurant meal for the first time in three months – and support a local business at the same time.

Wizz Air says refund-dodging accusations are 'nonsense'

Wizz Air has dismissed critics of its decision to restart its UK flights in May at the peak of the pandemic as “naysayers”. Owain Jones, the low-cost airline’s UK managing director, also said accusations that the carrier resumed services early to avoid paying out refunds for cancelled flights are “nonsense”. The airline was branded “hugely irresponsible” for launching services from London Luton while the UK was still under lockdown. Consumer group Which? said it was a “cynical cash grab” as Wizz would not need to pay out refunds to services that went ahead. “There will always be naysayers,” Jones told Telegraph Travel, adding that Wizz wanted to resume flights as soon as possible to help repatriate stranded foreigners and assist essential workers. He said the accusations that the airline was trying to avoid paying out refunds was “fanciful thinking from people who might not understand how to run a business”. “If you fly an airline to avoid making refunds you would probably quite quickly use all your money up. It’s nonsense,” he said. “What we did was during April, we were looking very much at how we could get things back in the air as soon as possible, that’s what our customers wanted.” The airline has been one of the fastest-growing in Europe in recent years, shifting from its focus on eastern and central Europe to more popular leisure destinations in Spain and Portugal. Jones said Wizz’s early restart meant it became a blueprint for other carriers in Europe. He said his cabin crew and customers have become accustomed to the “new normal” in terms of face masks and social distancing, but he does not believe the guidelines are here to stay. “We are still having hotspots of Covid-19,” he said. “But hopefully when things improve, I’m not sure these things will be required forever after.” While many of the world’s airlines grounded their fleets amid the global lockdown, Wizz Air took the opportunity to recalibrate, grow its network and expand its offering. It has launched 170 new UK routes this year. Jones said despite the crisis, Wizz remained focussed on growth. “Every single country has had some sort of restrictions in place at one point or another,” he said, “the trick is being nimble enough to adjust your capacity to meet the type of demand there.” He said he estimates Wizz will be at 80 per cent of pre-pandemic passenger numbers by the end of the year, adding: “[Demand] will be coming back, in some places it will be quicker than others. We have a very different outlook to any airline saying it will take five years to get back to pre-Covid levels.” While Jones is optimistic for Wizz’s future, he says some airlines may not survive the pandemic. “It’s a tough business,” he said. “It’s one thing to stop your aircraft flying, it’s another to get them back in the air. “You will see some airlines maybe not expanding, and maybe some consolidation in the European market.”

Man faints in front of Prince Charles

Britain's best hotels with fabulous outdoor pools

It has finally happened: outdoor pools in England can officially reopen from July 11, and indoor pools from July 25. Make the most of the warm temperatures sweeping the country and dive straight in - whether that's an exclusive and slinky rooftop pool, or a beautiful clifftop natural pond for a dip with an ocean view. Make a splash in enormous creations on country house estates, or paddle about in family-friendly spots. From Cornwall to the Cotswolds and Hampshire to Hertfordshire, discover the best hotel pools for this summer. Cliveden, Berkshire It's not too often a swimming pool can be partially blamed for bringing down the government. This pool can. In 1963 on a hot summer's day, 19-year-old model Christine Keeler peeled off her clothes and went for a dip. John Profumo (the then Secretary of State for War) spied her naked body, and so began their subsequent affair – resulting in his resignation and further political turmoil. Today, the listed pool is equally as refreshing, and is reopen from Saturday 11 July for residents. The indoor pools are open from July 25 for residents and members, and will open to day guests from September. Read the full review: Cliveden

A ban on cruises? The Government's latest lunatic decision is the last straw

Just as we are told we can visit 75 destinations without needing to self-isolate when we get home, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) goes and gives the cruise industry a kicking, warning against all holidays afloat.

‘Work from home’ at a Kenya safari camp

High-earning City staff who are unable to return to their employers’ premises are switching their remote-working location from the spare bedroom to an African safari camp – using zoom lenses to photograph wildlife before logging in to Zoom meetings.One banker, who wanted to remain anonymous, has been told she cannot return to her office before the New Year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

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.

Florida Disney World set to reopen despite record number of coronavirus deaths

Florida’s Disney World is due to reopen this weekend, despite the state reporting record numbers of Covid-19 deaths on Wednesday.Although Florida is suffering one of the largest coronavirus outbreaks in the US, the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom in Orlando are set to open their gates to visitors with pre-booked reservations from 11 July.

Loss of Eurostar service is the worst thing that could happen to ski holidays right now

Eurostar's decision to cancel its direct service to the slopes next winter has left skiers without their much-loved eco-friendly alternative to flying

Return to Malta: An empty island of baroque treasures awaits British travellers

Malta knows a thing or two about invasions. For more than 7,000 years, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, French and Brits, 14 cultures in all, came, saw and bunkered.

Why would anyone go on a city break in our dystopian post-pandemic world?

It was a trip to Berlin in 2008 that awakened in me a love of the city break. I was 20, on summer holidays from university, and in the German capital for five days with two friends. We did not stop, drinking in everything the city offered us. We split our time between two different hostels, east and west, went to bed with the larks and woke for noon.

Everything you need to know about travelling abroad this summer, following changes to quarantine rules

Holidays abroad are possible this summer, but there might be some changes.

Wales and Northern Ireland announce list of countries exempt from quarantine

Officials in Wales and Northern Ireland have announced their lists of countries exempt from the 14-day quarantine rule.The Stormont Executive and Welsh government have confirmed that the travel corridors with 59 countries recently released in England will also apply to Wales and Northern Ireland.

What to do if you get coronavirus symptoms while on holiday

The government lifting of travel restrictions for 59 countries has been met with enthusiasm by many and relief from within the sector. While travel might be easier now, the risk from Covid-19 has not disappeared. We look at what to do if you develop coronavirus symptoms on holiday.What symptoms should I look out for? According to the NHS, the three main symptoms to look out for are a high temperature, a new continuous cough, or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste.

Travel corridors: Quarantine-free travel starts today from 59 countries

The blanket two-week quarantine applying to all travellers arriving into the UK has now been lifted.From 10 July, inbound arrivals from a number of “travel corridor” countries deemed low-risk are no longer required to self isolate for 14 days.

Quarantine: What are the latest rules and what do they mean for my holiday plans?

As the obligation for all travellers to the UK to self-isolate begins to ease, there is widespread confusion about what the rules mean – and the differences between the nations of the UK.This is the latest picture.

Will I have to quarantine if I go on holiday this summer?

The first signs that the travel industry is gearing up to restart are starting to appear.EasyJet operated its first flight for 11 weeks on 15 June; Spain has announced that its borders will reopen to tourists from 21 June; and many attractions in France, Italy and Spain are now welcoming visitors, including the palace at Versailles, the Doge’s Palace in Venice and the Guggenheim in Bilbao.

Quarantine: Travellers’ confusion as government appears to change stance on new rules

Travellers expected to be released from quarantine obligations at midnight today face confusion after the government appeared to change its stance on completing two weeks of self-isolation.The controversial policy that requires arriving passengers and returning holidaymakers to stay at home for two weeks has been eased from dozens of countries.