Dear Reader,

EVERYONE seems to agree that dramatic action in the form of reducing Stamp Duty (and Land and Buildings Transaction Tax in Scotland) has boosted the property market. Yet when it comes to travel, the Government reverts to a rabbit-in-headlights posture.

Testing at airports is the proactive option; a blanket quarantine ruling for those returning from certain countries is the horseshave-already-bolted option.

And if I hear Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, deliver his line one more time about how he, too, was caught out in Spain and had to self-isolate on his return, I may have to put his face on my garage dartboard. He clearly sees the disruption of his family holiday as a badge of honour, an example of how he’s one of the people.

But he’s not one of the people. He’s the person who has presided over a shambolic strategy that’s caused misery for holidaymakers and pushed businesses to the brink. Swathes of London are still dead, with hotels and restaurants closed, as overseas visitors get the message that Britain has shut up shop.

Here at Escape, the Mail’s Get Britain Flying Again campaign has been welcomed by readers, many of whom are baffled about where they can go and what the consequences might be on their return.

Our cover story this week aims to provide the most up-to-date information, while looking on the bright side with suggestions of some thrilling destinations, such as Cyprus, Turkey and Denmark (pictured).

We’ve also been to Hamburg (page 59) in Germany (a country, by the way, that offers free tests for all EU residents arriving from highrisk countries), where The Beatles twisted and shouted 60 years ago and where today we can all let it be for a few days of nostalgia.

Closer to home, Britain’s moors beckon at this time of year, the heather a glorious sight as leaves turn and nights draw in. Our roundup on pages 60-61 might inspire you to head for the hills.

Personally, I was booked for a break in Portugal next weekend; then I wasn’t. Now I am again — but for how long? Certainly, the Government hasn’t a clue.