The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
Is now the time to try and bag a summer break?
Whether you want the thrill of a new destination or an old favourite, booking now has its pluses, says Nick Trend
What do we do with our pent-up wanderlust in 2021? I ask because I’m guessing that most of us are feeling more and more frustrated by the unprecedented restrictions on our liberty to travel over the past year or so. Once the shackles are off, we will surely want to make the most of our freedom.
So how do we celebrate? Do we open up our horizons and plan a trip to a new destination we have never seen before, or do we go back to an old favourite to remind ourselves just what we have been missing? And do we book now, or should we wait a while?
I am genuinely torn on the second question. Having been lucky enough to travel widely when I was young, I managed to tick off most of the places that most appealed to me. There are plenty of gaps, of course, but in recent years I have focused much more on going back to the destinations which I enjoyed most, getting to know them better rather than always seeking out the new.
After all, sprinting round the highlights of a city, or even a whole country, has its limitations. You see a lot, but you miss much more. Take Paris, for example. I have been there many times, but each time I go back I still discover sights and parts of the city that are just as appealing as their more famous counterparts. And I also enjoy the familiarity of visiting an old friend again.
Maybe, after being cooped up for so long, I will be tempted to go wider rather than deeper this year – to discover new destinations that I have never been to before. And just at the moment, stuck indoors on a cold grey day, the idea of heat, space and a wide horizon is particularly appealing.
But should we start booking yet? Last week I predicted that, if all goes according to plan with the vaccination programme, we might be able to start travelling more normally again by Easter. But I think there are too many uncertainties to be rushing to book a spring holiday just yet. Even if we are
free to leave the UK, other destinations may not be ready for us by say, April or May. It’s better to wait a few weeks and see how the land lies.
Next summer is a different matter. January is traditionally the busiest time for summer holiday bookings and many tour operators and agents are already trying to tempt us with discounts and special offers. By booking now, you will also get the first choice of peak season holidays – and that is worth something when the best accommodation in the most popular destinations, and flights at peak times, are likely to be booked up over the next few weeks, despite the current uncertainties.
These destinations – the main holiday islands in Greece, the Spanish Costas, the Balearics and the Canaries in particular – are also the safest bets to book because they are most dependent on British holidaymakers and will be keenest to make sure we are welcome. But before you do jump in and commit,
remember that airfares and package holiday prices are not fixed. They vary according to demand. So a “discount” is often set against a notional selling price – it’s a way of seducing you into thinking you are getting a better deal than you really are.
The same is true of “free” added extras or child places. It is better to ignore all these claims, assess the final cost and only book if you genuinely feel that it represents good value.
Finally, in the current climate we all have to accept that certainty is in short supply. Who knows what the situation will be with regard to the pandemic come next summer. So make sure you book with a bonded tour operator, so your money is protected if the company goes out of business. And I would recommend going with an Abta (abta. com) or Aito (aito.co.uk) member – both organisations have a code of conduct and a dispute resolution service if things go wrong.