May newsletter: Britain revisited
WHAT’S going on? Well, whata lotta news we had this month about booking a summer holiday. Yes, we can go to a green list country – the most viable are Portugal, Gibraltar and Iceland – but flights to those destinations are limited and that’s pushing prices through the roof.
If you choose an amber list country – France, Greece or Spain – your travel insurance will be invalid because the Foreign Office trumps the traffic light system and recommends against any travel to these countries. If you do go ahead, you will have to quarantine on your return to the UK for 10 days and take numerous PCR tests.
Some holiday favourites – the Balearic and Canary Islands – might make it on to the green list but that won’t be announced for weeks. If you optimistically book these now, it’s unlikely you will get a refund if they don’t turn green.
We’d all be glad of a break and some time off but in a nutshell it’s going to be Britain revisited for most of us this year — and even as I write many hotspots in deepest Devon and wildest Wiltshire are getting booked up.
It’s an emotional rollercoaster. First, we recommend you go outside and treat yourself to an ice cream. Then for June, stick a pin in a map of the UK and book a few nights in a cute hotel or help our great British coaches by taking a mystery day-trip. When the sun's shining even London looks good with its riverside beaches (above).
To brighten your day we’ve included our usual travel inspiration, below.
Thank you for reading — Natalie Chalk
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Thanks for reading. Have a good month.