Coronavirus: Is it safe to pick a sunny destination for a winter holiday?

Q I am thinking about renting a house in Kent or Dorset for Christmas, but would much prefer to go somewhere sunny. Where can we be fairly certain of some sunshine – without having to quarantine on return?

Name supplied

A You are not alone in wanting to plan a Christmas/new year escape at the end of this dreadful year. I estimate that in a normal winter, around 3 million people living in Britain would go abroad – whether for sunshine, skiing or a city break. Many of them will be seeking a UK holiday instead of their usual overseas trip, and that is likely to put pressure on prices and availability for domestic accommodation.

Like you, I am hoping for the chance of a trip abroad in the hope of rather better weather than the usual midwinter gloom in the UK. But I am not yet booking, because there are so many imponderables. At the heart of the matter is the trajectory of coronavirus – and the effect that it will have on travel patterns. In particular, it is impossible to predict how government restrictions will affect where you and I can go. So I am intending to book late, but this is my shortlist of options.

First, if Spain’s islands are “open” – with no restrictions in either direction – then the Canary Islands are an obvious choice. These volcanic fragments are halfway to the equator, and will provide plenty of warmth in every sense. Italy, though, looks a much more sure bet, and I am looking at Naples, Puglia – the southeastern heel of Italy – and Sicily as potential locations.

Ideally, though, I would be in north Africa. The UK government still deems the whole of Africa to be “unacceptably high risk” for British holidaymakers, despite the extremely low case rates in, for example, Egypt. I am holding out some hope that this bizarre policy will change.

Q I am completely confused by guidance on the Common Travel Area and travel corridors. Can I travel from Scotland to Ireland via ferry for a five-day break, staying in County Donegal, without having to self-isolate?

JMcC

A You are by no means the only one confused by the patchwork of rules that currently restrict travel. The short answer is: “Yes, you can travel to Donegal by the means you propose.” But that assertion needs considerable qualification.

First, the Common Travel Area (CTA) is a reasonably straightforward concept. It is a free-movement zone that pre-dates the Schengen borderless travel concept by many decades. The UK, the Republic of Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands have an agreement allowing passport-free travel within the CTA – a reflection of the very close cultural and economic ties between the islands.

Ever since the British government imposed quarantine in early June, travellers arriving from elsewhere in the CTA have been given exemption from 14 days of self-isolation. This is not reciprocal: the Republic of Ireland requires arrivals from Great Britain to quarantine for two weeks. But that rule does not apply to people travelling across the land border from Northern Ireland. Since you can travel freely by ferry from Scotland to Northern Ireland, it follows that you will be able legally to continue on to the beautiful county of Donegal.

Many people whose final destination is in the Republic have used Ulster as a quarantine-avoiding bridge. But before you follow suit, bear in mind that the exemption is a reflection of the Dublin government’s one-Ireland concept rather than a deliberate loophole.

Whether it is reasonable to take a holiday in County Donegal rather depends on what sort of trip you have planned. For example, I would be happy to travel to the Republic via Northern Ireland if I were planning a fairly solitary escape, with plenty of bracing walks along the coast. But of course if you have the slightest indication of any coronavirus symptoms, you should not be travelling anywhere.

Q I’m planning a short break to Prague around Christmas time this year. I understand the restrictions of a UK resident entering the EU from 1 January 2021, but do you think it will affect my return?

Mel P

A It’s strangely uplifting to respond to a question from someone planning, despite the present gloom, to visit the wonderful Czech capital in the deep midwinter – when there is a fair chance the snow may be deep, crisp and even.

Wenceslas Square is the hub of Christmas celebrations. My last December visit was notable for the blue Christmas trees lining the broad avenue at the heart of the city.

Travelling out on Boxing Day could be a smart move: I am currently seeing easyJet fares of £43 return from Gatwick to Prague on 26 December, returning on New Year’s Day. There will be no Brexit-related problems outbound; you will be treated as a European Union citizen until midnight on New Year’s Eve.

Coming back to the UK from 1 January onwards, there should be no problems with your passport – even though it loses its considerable EU powers overnight, it will still continue to function as a British travel document.

The only logistical issue I can see possibly arising will be delays to outbound aircraft from the UK, as a result of the passport changes which will require airline staff to check documentation very closely. Brexit means that on the day a British passport holder travels to most EU countries (as well as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and plucky Liechtenstein), the document must have at least six months left, and it must be issued less than nine years and six months ago. This will not be an issue for you, because the authorities will have better things to do than chase potentially errant existing British visitors. But it might potentially delay departures if many passengers have to be turned away.

What will be of concern for you, if it stays in place, is the UK’s current quarantine rule – which requires anyone returning from the Czech Republic to self-isolate for 14 days.

Q I booked a week in Hydra when Covid-19 looked beaten. I am due to fly to from Athens on 19 October. I’ve paid for return flights with British Airways, and the ferry to Hydra. I can cancel the accommodation without penalty. But I fear mainland Greece being added to the quarantine list either before I go or while I am away.

Name supplied

A An October trip to this gorgeous Greek island looks ideal. I hope, during your stay, you might venture to the Peloponnese and explore this large and fascinating region, or take the hydrofoil to the equally appealing isle of Poros. I am 90 per cent confident that you will not be affected by the British government adding mainland Greece – or, for that matter, the island of Hydra – to the no-go list. If I am wrong, and you decide to cancel, British Airways will give you a credit note.

My relative confidence that your holiday is safe stems from the government’s welcome and surprising decision on Thursday not to make any additions to the long list of countries deemed “unacceptably high risk”. It appears clear that ministers no longer regard it as tenable to pretend that British travellers would be safer staying in the UK than enjoying the outdoor lifestyle – and low coronavirus infection rates – of eastern Mediterranean countries such as Greece.

Furthermore, the tourism season for the islands is almost over, and from a Greek perspective it would appear downright churlish to place any more of the country off limits to English, Welsh and Northern Irish visitors (Scotland has insisted on quarantine for travellers returning from Greece since 1 September).

While you might expect Greece to take action over the extremely high UK infection rates, I predict nothing will happen for the next few weeks besides perhaps increased testing for flights arriving from the UK; since Greek frontiers opened to Brits in July, there has been a certain amount of targeted Covid-19 testing. It could be that restrictions are imposed from November. You must, of course, fill out an online passenger locator form for Greece at least 24 hours before you travel, and the British version before you return.

Email your questions to s@hols.tv or tweet @simoncalder