A rewarding time for all on your half-term holiday

For many familes the week-long break at the end of October is the best chance for sun, sea and sand this year. But where to go? Nick Trend assesses the options

Missed out on a family holiday this year? You couldn’t make the most of the lockdown sunshine; your summer trip to the Med was cancelled; your staycation break was blown away by the August gales. Now schools are back, so you have one last chance for an escape to the beach – the autumn half term.

At the best of times you have to be selective about your destination – late October it’s a tricky time weatherwise. And the current Covid world of quarantine and cancellations and the unpredictability of the “air corridor” arrangements is going to make things even more complicated. You are going to have to tread very carefully and be prepared for last-minute changes. But don’t give up. We’ve put together a guide to help you navigate the uncertainties and maximise your chances of getting away.

WHEN SHOULD I BOOK?

As you have surely noticed, the Government has been changing its advice on which countries are “safe” to travel to – the “green list” – each week. We have seen major destinations such as Spain and France removed from the list, and others, such as Portugal given a reprieve (though for how long?). An announcement is usually made on a Thursday or Friday, and less than 48 hours notice may be given on the change. If a country is taken off the list, then returning travellers have to self-isolate for 14 days and tour operators invariably cancel packages to the country. Usually, airlines also drastically reduce the number of flights.

The Government normally decides to take a country off its green list if cases there exceed 20 per 100,000 people over the previous week. (The rate in the UK is currently about 14). But there are exceptions – this week, the Scottish government removed Greece from its own green list because of a surge of infection in holidaymakers returning from the islands. And the infection rate can rise very quickly. The figure for Greece was just four cases per 100,000 people a month ago, now it is about 15.

What all this means, quite simply, is that you should book late – maybe a week or two before departure – and check the current infection rate before you commit.

WILL MY MONEY BE SAFE?

Many travel firms are struggling and we may well see a rush of financial failures before long. But as long as you book with an Atol-bonded tour operator, or – in most cases – pay for your holiday with a credit card, you will get a refund in the event of insolvency. Package holiday providers also have a legal responsibility for your safety, so they won’t take you to a destination that the FCO advises against, and they are legally obliged to refund you for a cancellation – though many have been taking weeks or months to do so.

WHAT ABOUT INSURANCE?

Many travel insurance companies have now started to sell policies again and nearly all will cover you if get ill. Relatively few offer Covid-related cancellation cover. Exceptions are AllClear (allcleartravel.co.uk), CoverforYou (coverforyou.com), Staysure (staysure. co.uk) and Trailfinders (trailfinders. com). One of the very few companies that can arrange insurance if you travel against FCO advice is Campbell Irvine (campbellirvinedirect.com).

WHAT ABOUT A UK LOCKDOWN? Another key thing to consider, of course, is whether your plans might be scuppered by what happens in the UK. Even if your chosen destination stays open, an uptick in coronavirus cases in your area might mean that you are subjected to another lockdown. So, before booking, you need to check explicitly the policy of the operator or airline you are dealing with and whether they will allow you to cancel without penalty.

WHERE SHOULD I GO?

The million-dollar question. Here are eight destinations that are all good options for decent weather in late October and indications of how likely they are to keep, or have regained, green status for travellers.

The risk: Cyprus is currently enjoying a fall in its infection rate, down from about 11 in early August, to below five currently. The risk is whether the island will continue to welcome us if our own rate increases. The UK is in Cyprus’s “Category B” for these purposes: this means that tourists are permitted to enter, but must provide a negative Covid-19 test on arrival. This must have been obtained less than 72 hours before travel. Children under 12 years old do not require a test.

The reward: Nowhere in the Med does the summer warmth cling on more reliably than in Cyprus, which still gets nine hours of sunshine a day and temperatures peaking at 77F (25C) in October. Paphos is the most attractive of the south coast resorts.

Getting there: Flights are looking quite expensive (£400-£500). Tui (tui. co.uk) has plenty of package deals.

The risk: After a nightmare start to the pandemic, Italy has managed its second wave more successfully and it remains on the green list. That could change, of course – the infection rate has risen from about four per 100,000 at the beginning of August to just over 15 a month later. But it does look like one of the most stable bets for October travel. The reward: Sicily offers a wonderful combination of historical sights – from the ancient Greeks, to the Normans and the 18th-century baroque, a spectacular coastline, some lovely resorts and a warm autumn. At this time of year it’s a great destination either for the beach or some sightseeing, or a combination of both.

Getting there: BA (ba.com) has returns to Catania from about £200. The Thinking Traveller (thethinking traveller.com) has great villas.

The reward:

Getting

there: