Where should you book a summer holiday to this year?

Are you desperate to get away from the wet, British weather? Has lockdown left you exhausted and in need of a break? If you really cannot cope without a bit of sun, sand and sea, what options do you have to book a summer holiday this year?

Key steps to take before you book a summer holiday

Check whether the country is subject to UK travel quarantine

Start by reading ‘What destinations are safe to fly to this summer?‘ to discover which countries do not impose a UK travel quarantine on your return. Note, situations change rapidly so it is advisable to double check the state of play before you book.

For instance, Serbia was on the initial list of countries you could visit without a mandatory 14 day quarantine on arrival back into the UK. Serbia has since been removed due to a spike in cases. Greece opened its borders to tourists last week and has already seen a new spike. This has lead to rumours of renewed lockdown.

It definitely does not pay to book well in advance at the moment. Leave your booking as late as possible to avoid disappointment and the pain of chasing refunds.

Check whether the country’s borders are open to UK tourists

You will also need to check whether your chosen country allows entry to Uk tourists. If it doesn’t, it is a non starter.

Check whether the country is exempt from all but non essential travel

Check on the FCO website to see if the country is exempt from all but non essential travel. This is more likely to mean you will be able to secure valid travel insurance. If your country is not on this list, you should check with your travel insurance to see if you will still be covered.

Where can you book a summer holiday in the sun?

Once you have checked these three things you will realise that there are few options for those who wish to travel without risk of quarantine on either the outbound or inbound leg. Your options reduce further if you want to avoid countries which are still listed as essential travel only.

The options that tick all these boxes are few especially if you add in the requirement for sun. You essentially have the following five options:

1. Croatia
2. Italy
3. Greece (but note the point above)
4. Spain
5. Turkey

Experience tells us however that circumstances and restrictions can change with little notice so you will run a risk wherever you travel that quarantine may be required on your return.

How prevalent is Covid is in your country of choice?

You may also wish to check the infection rate in the country of your choice. The pandemic is far from over. The number of infections continues to rise at an alarming rate. As at the 11 July 2020, the WHO indicates that there have been 12,322,395 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 556,335 deaths.

Here are the latest infection rates from Euronews for those countries above. As you can see, the UK has the worst death rate per million with Spain close behind.

Country	Number of cases	Number of deaths	Deaths per million
Croatia	3,672	118	29
Italy	242,639	34,938	578
Greece	3732	193	19
Spain	300,988	28,403	607
Turkey	210.,965	5,323	63
United Kingdom	288,133	44,650	658

What are the the other risks?

Of course, other risks, according to the Centres for Disease Control, include transit through the airport and the flight. Both involve coming into contact with others and social distancing may be more difficult. So, whilst you could travel to the above countries, you may need to consider whether you should book a summer holiday to one of these places.

Other options to book a summer holiday

Perhaps a safer option would be visit places in the Uk that you have yet to visit. Perhaps the incredible beaches of Northumberland, Cornwall, Wales or Norfolk? Yes, I know the sun element might be sadly missing but you can take long walks, enjoy pub lunches and minimise costs. You do not need to worry about quarantine or cancellations and refunds. Maybe you should forego the sun and opt for the staycation.

Are you planning to book a summer holiday?

How about you? Are you planning to book a summer holiday to the sun? I would love to know in the comments below.