WHAT’S GOING ON IN OUR HOLIDAY HOTSPOTS?
As European resorts finally start to reopen...
Travel bubbles, sea bridges, quarantines — no wonder there’s a lot of confusion surrounding holidays as restrictions ease.
The UK’s blanket quarantine on all those coming into the country will be reviewed every three weeks, and could be lifted by early July. Countries across europe are preparing to reopen, too. We look at what your chances are for a summer getaway… SPAIN
Many hotels have reopened, but their pools, gyms and spas are closed. Some restaurants and bars can serve customers in outside spaces, although most will not be fully operational until June. Beaches are expected to reopen on Monday. Tourists may be restricted to four-hour stays at popular ones, including those in the Costa del Sol.
CHANCE OF A SUMMER HOLIDAY: The 14-day quarantine for international arrivals is likely to last only until June 29, when Spain plans to reopen its borders fully. 3.5/5
...AND HERE’S A DEAL: Seven nights’ half board with flights at Hotel rocamarina in Majorca from £452 pp (was £616 pp, tui.co.uk). PORTUGAL reSTaUranTS, cafes, museums and many shops reopened on Monday. Beaches will be open from June 6, but sunbathers will need to keep 1.5 metres apart. They can use an app to see which beaches are full.
Hotels hope to resume business as early as June 1. They can display ‘Clean & Safe’ stamps awarded by tourism officials to prove they have introduced the recommended hygiene and safety procedures. CHANCE OF A SUMMER HOLIDAY: Portugal is not imposing a quarantine rule, and its 1,277 Covid-19 deaths compares favourably with neighbouring Spain’s 28,000, so it’s a prime contender. 4/5 ...AND HERE’S A DEAL: Seven nights’ half board with flights at Hotel Falesia in acoteias from £572 pp (was £705 pp, firstchoice.co.uk). ITALY
BarS, restaurants, shops and churches reopened this week, and the coastline was declared open. Umbrellas are being set 1.5 metres apart on some beaches. Hotels are likely to reopen in early June.
Sicily will subsidise travel for tourists via a £67 million fund. CHANCE OF A SUMMER HOLIDAY: eU tourists can visit from June 3 without self-isolating. Britons can, too, if the UK drops quarantine plans for arrivals from Italy. 4/5
...AND HERE’S A DEAL: Seven nights all-inclusive with flights at the leonardo Da vinci Hotel in limone on lake Garda from £511 pp (was £722 pp, loveholidays.com). GREECE
THe tourist season will begin here on June 15, with hotels gradually opening. International flights will resume two weeks later.
There is a limit of 40 people per 1,000 square metres on beaches. Umbrellas are spaced four metres apart, and some are screened off.
CHANCE OF A SUMMER HOLIDAY: It proposed an ‘air bridge’ to let Britons visit without quarantining, but its tourism minister said the UK was unlikely to be one of the first countries allowed to enter. 3/5
...AND HERE’S A DEAL: Five nights’ half-board with flights at eagles Palace in Halkidiki from £399 pp (was £686 pp, travelzoo.co.uk). FRANCE reSTaUranTS and bars will open from June 2. visitors must present a certificate stating they do not have Covid-19, or quarantine for 14 days. Three-hour slots must be booked on some beaches. Masks are mandatory on publictransport, including the eurostar.
CHANCE OF A SUMMER HOLIDAY: Its Government indicated foreigners will not be able to holiday there until July 24 at the earliest. It will give an update on Monday. 3/5
...AND HERE’S A DEAL: Seven nights’ room-only with flights at the Hotel vacances Bleues le royal in nice from £501 pp (was £738 pp, loveholidays.com). TURKEY
HOTelS and restaurants can get a new safety certificate by doing twice-daily temperature checks on staff, for instance. They will open at the end of the month, along with beaches. Overseas travellers must quarantine for 14 days at present.
CHANCE OF A SUMMER HOLIDAY: Its Government is aiming to welcome tourists by mid- June, and test visitors when they arrive. 4/5
...AND HERE’S A DEAL: Seven nights’ self-catering at agar apartments in Bodrum with flights from £240 pp (was £372 pp, jet2holidays.com). USA
THe U.S. has the highest number of recorded Covid-19 cases, at more than 1.6 million. restrictions are handled by states. Some have plans to restart tourism on June 1, when their hotels and campsites will open at 50 per cent capacity. Britons are banned from entering the U.S from the UK at present. CHANCE OF A SUMMER HOLIDAY: low. autumn is a better bet. 1/5
...AND HERE’S A DEAL: Seven nights’ room-only at rosen Inn in Orlando, with flights, from £795 pp (was £1,052 pp, tui.co.uk). …AND THE UK
CaMPSITeS, holiday parks and self-catering properties are likely to reopen from July 4 at the earliest. Hotels and B&Bs may have to wait longer. restrictions on travel to beaches and national parks were lifted in england this month, but Scotland and Wales have made more modest changes. CHANCE OF A SUMMER HOLIDAY:
Certain, unless there’s a spike in cases or deaths. 5/5 ...AND HERE’S A DEAL: Pitches at Cornish Tipi Holidays near Port Isaac from £18 per night ( cornish tipiholidays.co.uk).