Come on in, Europe’s lovely!
We sent nine reporters across the continent to see if your holiday can be saved. Their view from the sun lounger? Yes, you DO have to follow the rules – but the unanimous verdict is...
Finally, the news travel lovers have been waiting to hear for weeks: summer holidays abroad are on.
When the announcement came last week that quarantine-free travel is permitted in 59 countries, tour operators experienced a welcome surge in bookings — with plenty of bargains, as well. Tui, Britain’s largest travel company, was offering discounts of 70 per cent to some of our favourite Mediterranean destinations. and today’s Mail reveals that you can bag a week-long break for less than £100, including flights. But what’s it like to go on holiday during the tail-end of a pandemic? is it all facemasks, plastic gloves and stringent social distancing? is it really worth it?
Come with us to find out on a whistle-stop tour of Europe’s most popular hotspots. FREE BUCKS FIZZ IN SPAIN aFTER a strict lockdown, in Spain hotels, restaurants, bars and beaches are reopening and tourists are very much welcome.
ON ARRIVAL: Everyone must complete a FCS form (a health declaration questionnaire) 48 hours before travel for a confirmation QR code to flash at arrivals. at
airports, some passengers have temperature checks done.
RESTAURANTS, BARS AND BEACHES: Forget a mask at your peril! It’s a faux pas and a legal offence to be without one in public spaces where 1.5m distancing is impossible. This includes shops, streets and transport, with fines of £89. Restaurants and bars can be enjoyed mask-less. At Restaurante Miramar in Lloret de Mar, Costa Brava I’m given hand sanitiser and have to scan a QR code for the menu.
In the Costa Blanca, Benidorm’s party strip is locked-up. ‘I booked the first flight out here. I wanted to get away in case there’s another lockdown,’ says an English tourist at Aromas British Café. At Connolly’s Irish Bar in nearby Calpe, Tvestana, the owner, says: ‘ Bars are dropping prices. Soon you’ll be able to buy a glass of wine for €1.’ One cafe advertises ‘free bucks fizz with breakfast’.
Watch out though: Costa Brava beaches can be overcrowded, with police clearing gatherings. ‘It’s Barcelona day trippers,’ says a bar owner. In Benidorm, the beach has social distanced ‘plots’ (16sqm for up to 5 adults).
GETTING AROUND: Some internal flights available; trains and buses running normally.
GOOD TO KNOW: Masks are mandatory in Catalonia, regardless of distancing.
COSTS: A cappuccino is £2.25; bottle of lager £1.80; glass of wine £2.20; litre bottle of water £2.50; three-course meal for two with wine £31.
WHAT WE SAY: There are great deals and few crowds. Keep an eye on local outbreaks/lockdowns, currently in Segria, Catalonia and La Marina, Galicia.