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As the pandemic hopefully moves into some kind of endgame, more and more countries are announcing plans to reopen to vaccinated tourists. In the last couple of weeks, Cyprus, Greece, and Portugal have all said they will likely accept UK tourists this summer. And, just FYI, we recently saw some awesome flights from London to Santorini and Corfu in June to October for £103 and £75 respectively, a properly good deal.
Meanwhile in Cyprus, the government said last week that if you’ve been fully vaccinated, you can enter the country without restrictions from 1 May, which is great! except, don’t forget you still can’t fly from the UK until 17th of May at the earliest. However, travel agents are already reporting a surge in bookings for June, July and August, so if you have the means, consider booking now, but get some good travel insurance and check our coronavirus guide to see the airlines that offer the most flexibility. The biggest Covid caveat we’ve seen is that some insurance won’t cover governmental changes to the safety status of a country, but lots of other eventualities are covered.
In 2019, around 3.1 million British people visited Greece, 3.3 million picked Portugal and just over a million people went to Cyprus. But if you’re one of the 18 million Brits who went to Spain back in ‘19, you’ll have to wait for some more detail as the country is still considering its options, including a travel corridor with the UK.
So what does this mean in practical can-you-should-you-book-a-holiday terms? Well, there’s obviously still a bunch of what ifs – new variants, where you are in the vaccine queue, what’s happening in the country you want to go to, possible cancellations and subsequent fees – but, theoretically, from June onwards, go for it.
But depending on your situation, you might consider waiting until later in the summer, or even Autumn: things should be (more) settled, you’ll almost definitely have your vaccine, you can swerve the school holidays and there might be more choice in accommodation and travel.
So yeah, things are looking up for sure, but it’s by no means a done deal. If you’re thinking seriously about booking, just make sure you do your due diligence: keep an eye on the government advice, shop around for the best travel insurance, and be prepared for changes/possible disappointment.
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You can’t begrudge anyone trying to make the best of an extremely bad situation. But of all the businesses that have been affected by the pandemic, it’s been the airlines that have had some of the strangest ideas.
BA had a massive online car boot sale and sold stuff from the planes. Singapore Airlines recreated what’s easily one of the crappest bits about flying by parking a plane on a runway and letting people just sort of sit there with some food. Qantas offered a 7-hour flight to nowhere that started and ended in Sydney and sold it out in 10 minutes, and Finnair even sold inflight meals in supermarkets… it got weird.
Now, Qantas is back with a mystery flight package that gives bored Aussies the opportunity to catch an early morning flight to one of three locations on mainland Australia for an undisclosed activity, before flying home again. So for the low low price of just $737 Australian dollars, you could enjoy your very own version of Survivor: Qantas edition.
And it’s not even an original idea. The airline first tried mystery flights back in the 90s, when people could turn up to the airport and pay for an empty seat on a domestic flight and have a nice day out. Air New Zealand has also found success with mystery flights, albeit with the option of an overnight stay.
Some people think the popularity of the mystery flights is down to people wanting a trip, but not really knowing where they can and can’t go. While others have pointed to the fact that pilots need to fly every 45 days to keep their licences, and airline crews would otherwise be out of work. Regardless, some Australian climate campaigners have also raised concerns that in an era when we should all be thinking hard about the way we travel, are novelty flights the answer?
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Cruises are a weird one. The people who love them REALLY love them, and those that hate them do so with a passion. But fans of boat life will be interested in this latest aquatic news...
P&O Cruises and Princess, two of the UKs biggest cruise operators, have cancelled all their overseas trips and will instead be sailing around the British Isles in 2021, which will still offer passengers some world-class scenery for sure. The broader cruise industry also probably has a bit of reputation building to do after some safety concerns at the beginning of the pandemic, and wider questions about the impact the cruise industry is having on the environment. But if you’re cruise-curious but don’t know exactly what you want, we’ve found some interesting alt-options to consider for a future adventure. Fair warning though, cruises are notoriously pricey, so bookmark some of these in your bucket list folder.
Hitch a ride on a cargo ship
Forget cocktails on the balcony, for a truly authentic ocean going experience try a ride on a container ship. The key is flexibility with these, because the cargo comes first, there’s potential for delays and changes to itineraries. But when it all goes well, you’ll find yourself with the run of the ship in between meals with the captain. Depending upon your destination (transatlantic, transpacific etc), your travel costs can be about $100-$150 per person per day with a luggage allowance of approximately 30kg-100kg. Bring a book, though, because there’s no live cabaret on this trip.
£££
Music and mayhem on the high seas
One for the rockers here, 70,000 Tons of Metal is a five day festival/cruise hybrid offering heavy music fans the chance to see up to 120 live performances, hang around with the bands, battle fellow passengers in the karaoke arena, swim, frolic, mosh, and even enjoy a day of shore leave in the Caribbean. It’s obviously not for everyone, but for sun worshipping metal heads, it’s the real deal, with a history of legitimately good line-ups. Prices for the next sailing aren’t live yet, but tickets have previously started at the very on brand price of around $1666. Rock on.
£££
Up and down the Amazon
How about six days steaming up and down the Amazon river in Peru? A totally unique – and pretty comfy – way to view the world’s greatest jungle, these trips take passengers deep into the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve to explore the river’s mysterious looking tributaries. Starting prices are around the $3000 mark though, for which you can enjoy things like ecological lectures, visits to local villages, night excursions to see the other side of jungle wildlife and even the possibility of spotting an elusive pink dolphin.
££££
Cruising on ice
If you’ve harboured (nice) a dream of visiting the Arctic or Antarctic regions, a cruise is one of the easiest ways for non-scientists or explorers to get involved. There are a number of specialist cruise lines that will get you there, and most are far more intimate than the giant cruise ships that lurk elsewhere in the ocean. From the far north of Russia, to the icebergs of the Weddell sea in Antarctica, these trips are properly incredible, but they come at a cost, with entry-level trips starting in the mid-four figure range.
£££££
Get locked down on a British canal
The problem with all the above is that while they sound amazing, you can’t actually do them for the foreseeable future. A canal boat holiday in the UK, however, is infinitely more feasible this year and can easily offer the same romance as you pootle around some gorgeous bits of the UK countryside. Depending on the size of the boat, a week's barging can cost as little as £200-£300 per person, but that doesn’t include food and drink. Other positives include getting to drive/captain the barge yourself (8 knots here we come!), you self-cater, go where you please and if you adjust to the pace of it all, it can be a truly relaxing experience. Once you’ve mastered the locks of course, because they can be a bit stressful tbf.
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