Luckily for us, summer doesn’t end in August

Prospects of overseas travel are looking brighter but there is still uncertainty, so look ahead to September and October

How can we move on from the hand wringing caused by the unpredictability of travel at the moment? I know it is at the forefront of many people’s minds and the uncertainty is very hard to deal with if you have something booked in the next few weeks or if you are constrained by the school holidays.

Yet for many others – those who have booked in the UK instead, or who have simply given up on a summer holiday – the big question is if and when we might be able to look forward to travelling again relatively normally.

We obviously can’t answer that question for sure. Travel during the school holidays looks as uncertain as ever just now. We are at a potential tipping point, with the Government suddenly sounding much more positive about easing travel restrictions. It is hinting strongly at changing the rules so fully vaccinated travellers can return from amber destinations without quarantine.

That positivity from our own Government is tempered by anxiety among others. This week there was a tightening of vaccination and testing rules for British travellers arriving in Spain, Portugal and Malta, and a negative reaction in the US about reopening to UK tourism before September.

Clearly, our own rise in cases, caused by ending the lockdown, is starting to undermine our chances of getting away this summer. After all, it’s not much comfort to European countries that high vaccination levels seem to be moderating the impact of the third wave on the NHS and the mortality rate in Britain. Only when they have caught up with their vaccine rollout, hopefully in the next few weeks, are they likely to relax about the risk posed by visitors from Britain. Yet I think we can be reasonably optimistic that the imbalance of infection and vaccination rates between here and the Continent will stabilise in the next couple of months.

That still leaves us some time. Although the meteorologists will tell you that the British summer ends at the beginning of September, that is not the case in the Mediterranean. You can be pretty certain of long balmy days until the end of that month almost anywhere south of the Alps, and – in some favoured destinations – as late as the end of October.

So, the summer is not yet lost. There will, hopefully, be plenty of opportunities to book and travel this season as and when the situation around Covid stabilises. You may not want to commit just yet, though the flexible booking policies of airlines and operators make this much less risky. But it’s definitely worth adjusting your mindset and to start thinking more positively about a later break. Here are some ideas.

SEPTEMBER

The whole of the Med, from the Costas to Kos, still basks in sunshine. Leave your decision until the beginning of September and book something in the last week or two of the month. It’s also worth keeping our fingers crossed that the US may open to British travellers.

EARLY OCTOBER

The Mediterranean weather usually breaks at some point in October, with a few days of unsettled weather. As a rule, the further south you go, the later that happens. So, to maximise your chances, avoid the Costa Brava and the Cote d’Azur, for example, and think about Sardinia or Sorrento instead.

LATE OCTOBER

This is pushing the boundaries for reliable sun in the Mediterranean, but Cyprus and Sicily are still excellent bets for the autumn half-term holiday. For even more reliable family sun and sand, the Canary Islands are bankers. Pressure on flights is likely to be high for those weeks, however, so it might be worth committing sooner rather than later. Just make sure you can postpone the booking without penalty. Travel prospects may be improving, but we are not out of the woods yet.