Could my trip to Trieste be hit by... you know what?

Q I have been wanting to visit Trieste for years and I was just about to book a Ryanair flight as this is the only carrier that flies directly there from the UK. I then remembered the B-word and wondered what effect it might have on the trip?

I was going to fly out on 29 March and come back a few days later, but wondered whether the flight back could be grounded. There are also flights available at the beginning of April. Maybe the plans wouldn’t take off at all then?

Adrienne B

A Trieste, tucked in beside the Slovenian border, is one of Italy’s great cities. It has a spectacular location at the head of the Adriatic, and a compendium of grand architecture. In spring Trieste is especially appealing: flowers blooming in the many green spaces, while art nouveau coffee houses, chic bars and rustic pizzerias provide warm welcomes on cool evenings. Just outside the city (and conveniently en route to the airport), the castle and gardens of Miramare are captivating.

So your plan sounds excellent. And happily I think the prospect of Brexit-related disruption is negligible.

For many years Ryanair has flown from Stansted to the city’s FVG airport, and it currently has three flights a week each way. I can see no possibility that any of these will be cancelled on legal ground, even in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Talk of flights being grounded centres on additional services planned by UK airlines flying to European Union countries above the levels that pertained in 2018.

Since Ryanair is an Irish airline, there should be no effect. And with anecdotal evidence suggesting a general reluctance to book flights around Brexit time, fares are enticingly low: the current price going out on 29 March and back two days later is just £46 return. The onward journey from the brand-new airport rail station is fast and cheap.

The risk of Brexit causing disruption on the return journey from Trieste is not quite zero: in the event of a no-deal exit from the EU, there may be consequences such as long airport delays and subsequent cancellations. I would book flights with confidence, though there is a risk that sterling may slump further in the next 50 days, pushing up prices when you arrive.

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