How To Fly (Almost) Everywhere
With a handful of exceptions where borders are actually closed, it's possible to fly almost anywhere in the world for a holiday.
Spain? Check. ✓ France? Check. ✓ USA? OK, maybe not the USA right now.
We hear a lot in the news about countries being "open" or "closed". Almost nowhere is closed. Some countries are easier, and yes safer, to travel to than others (and wherever you go, you should take out appropriate insurance). The UK government advises against non-essential travel to some destinations, and we are by no means encouraging people to ignore that advice. But whether your trip is essential is ultimately up to you. Whether you want to bear the risk of travelling somewhere that the FCO advises against, or the inconvenience of quarantining for 14 days when you get back, is up to you too. For everyone who has a trip they consider essential; for everyone who booked a trip and now can't cancel it; for everyone who simply wants to know where it's possible to go...we wrote this guide for you.
The UK's top 12 holiday destinations
Click below for more details on any of our favourite holiday spots.
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Travelling during coronavirus
Everyone has questions about travelling in the new normal. What's changed? What's the same? And what do you have to take to the airport now? For the full run-down on how to travel under the new precautions, see our guide to travelling during coronavirus.
Spain
Open to UK visitors
Quarantine for 14 days on return to the UK Some flights are scheduled but most package holidays have been cancelled You may need specialist travel insurance for a trip to SpainTravelling to Spain
The FCO advises against non-essential travel to the whole of Spain, including the Canary Islands and the Balearics. That means if you do travel to Spain you have to quarantine for 14 days when you get back to the UK, and it means standard travel insurance policies would normally be invalidated, so to cover your trip you may need specialist travel insurance. Package holiday providers generally cancel bookings if the FCO advises against non-essential travel, so it's difficult to find a package holiday to Spain right now. But there are flights leaving from the main UK airports to Spain every day if you need, or choose, to visit.
What next for holidays in Spain?
With the UK's policy on 7th September so that individual islands can be taken on or off the quarantine list, it's possible that the Canaries or Balearics may - in whole or in part - be reinstated soon. Covid-19 cases in Spain are running at over 100 per 100,000, with the UK government's cut-off for the quarantine exemption list just 20, so the FCO is unlikely to put the whole of Spain back on the exemption list any time soon. However, cases in Spain are concentrated in two regions to the north-east of the country around Barcelona. Most of the Canary Islands especially have seen very few cases, and since Tenerife is further from Barcelona (and the epicentre of the latest Spanish outbreak) than London is, hopes are high that the UK and Spanish governments will agree a travel corridor to the Canaries in time for the winter sun season.
Our top guides to Spain
Holiday Extras has visited almost everywhere in Spain, especially the Canary Islands, Balearics and Barcelona. Here are some of our top guides to get the best out of a Spanish holiday.
Travel Insurance - Spain & the Canary Islands
Holiday Extras offers travel insurance policies for countries that the FCO currently advises are suitable for non-essential travel (such as holidays). If you are travelling to a country which has an FCO advisory warning you may need a specialist insurance provider. battleface is a provider of flexible insurance plans for travellers going to unconventional locations, including those under government "essential only" travel advisories.
Check out our video guide to Lanzarote
Italy
Open to UK visitors
No quarantine on return to the UK Flights and holidays operating normally Standard travel insuranceOur guides for a great Italian citybreak
Our reviews team spent the summer of 2017 on a road trip around some of the most popular Italian citybreaks - here's a run-down of what they found.
Travelling to Italy
Italy is open to UK visitors, and included on the FCO's exemption list which means standard travel insurance is available for trips there and there is no need to quarantine either on arrival in Italy or when you come back to the UK. In short, holidays in Italy are running as normal!
What next for holidays in Italy?
Italy looks like one of the very safest bets for a holiday right now. With cases under 15/100,000 over the last 7 days there's no immediate prospect of the UK government closing the travel corridor, and no reason to imagine Italy is about to close its doors either. Holidaymakers who've got back from Venice or Florence say the cities are much quieter (and even cleaner) than they remember, so if you're set on a trip soon Italy may be the place for you.
See our video guide to Venice, shot back in 2017
Greece
Open to UK visitors
Quarantine on return to Scotland; quarantine on return to Wales from Zante, Crete, Mykonos, Lesvos, Paros and Antiparos; quarantine on return from Lesvos, Tinos, Serifos, Mykonos, Crete, Santorini and Zante to the rest of the UK Flights and holidays operating normally except to Zante, where there are some cancellations Standard travel insurance except where the FCO advises against non-essential travel - Lesvos, Timos, Serifos, Mykonos, Crete, Santorini and ZanteTravelling to Greece
Greece is open to UK visitors. Mainland Greece and the vast majority of the country's thousands of islands are included on the FCO's exemption list, but non-essential travel is no longer recommended to the islands of Lesvos, Tinos, Serifos, Mykonos, Crete, Santorini and Zakynthos (Zante), and as of 4am on 9th September vistiros returning from those islands are required to self-isolate. There is no need to quarantine on arrival in Greece, but you will need to quarantine if you return to Scotland from anywhere in Greece or to Englandm Northern Ireland or Wales from selected islands.
What next for holidays in Greece?
Greece is well below the 20/100,000 threshold for the UK government to take it off the list, at time of writing around 14/100,000, but since the UK government is now making policy on an island-by-island basis, individual islands may return to (or be removed from) the FCO's exemption list.
Greek guides
Check out our original video guides for some inspiration for your next Greek holiday.
Ten reasons to visit Santorini.
See our video guide to the Greek islands, shot in summer 2018
USA
Closed to UK visitors
Quarantine for 14 on return to the UK Most holiday flights and packages cancelled You may need specialist travel insurance for a trip to USATravelling to USA
The USA is, sadly, the "almost" in our "how to fly (almost) everywhere". With the borders closed to most visitors, the FCO advising against non-essential travel, one of the worst Covid outbreaks in the world and no sign of significant intervention from the federal government to control the spread, the USA is likely to remain a difficult place to go on holiday. If you have to go, and you're able to get in, you may need specialist travel insurance as a standard policy is unlikely to cover your trip.
What do we mean by...?
FCO: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the branch of the UK government that decides which countries are safe to visit.FCO exemption list (or simply exemption list): Currently, the FCO advises against all non-essential travel to anywhere in the world. Some countries have been exempted from that general advice, so are said to be on the "exemption list". A country on the FCO list, FCO exemption list or exemption list is therefore one where the FCO does not advise against all non-essential travel, which is ordinarily taken to mean the country is relatively safe for holidaymakers taking reasonable precautions.
Non-essential travel: If the FCO believes UK travellers are not ordinarily safe to visit a country, it will "advise against all non-essential travel". The FCO does not define "essential" or "non-essential" travel - it is up to the traveller, and in some circumstances their travel insurance provider, to decide whether a trip is essential. The FCO advising against non-essential travel will normally invalidate standard travel insurance policies, meaning if you visit such a country you may need a specialist travel insurance policy. Covid cases per 100,000: It is generally believed that the FCO removes countries from the exemption list once Covid cases in a country rise above 20 per 100,000 people for seven days. Decisions are generally made on a Thursday afternoon and come into effect on the Saturday. We're therefore tracking those numbers and this article mentions the cases per 100,000 people for most countries.
Portugal
Open to UK visitors, with a Covid test required to enter some islands
Quarantine for 14 days on return to the UK from mainland Portugal Some flights are scheduled. You may need specialist travel insurance for a trip to PortugalTravelling to Portugal
The UK government has removed mainland Portugal (not including Azores and Madeira) from the FCO's travel corridor and advises against non-essential travel to those islands and requires travellers returning from them to self-isolate for 14 days. If you want to visit the islands - Madeira, Porto Santo or the Azores - you currently need to complete a negative Covid test before you go. You might think that an extra hassle, but of course the upside is that everyone else (on your plane, in resort etc) will have done the same, which might give you extra peace of mind.
Check out our video guide to top things to do in the Algarve
What next for holidays in Portugal?
You can still travel to the Portugese islands - Maderia and the Azores. They are a great alternative to the Canary Islands and as all travellers have to provide a negative PCR test you can relax on holiday knowing everyone on the flight will have had to do the same!
Expect a warm welcome in Portugal
Throughout July and August this year we've been asking hundreds of UK holidaymakers, as they returned from trips overseas, what sort welcome they received abroad.
We wanted to know whether the main tourists hotspots were as welcoming to tourists as before the Covid lockdown, or whether fears of infection had spoiled people's trips.
Happily, the overwhelming consensus was that our holidaymakers were greeted more warmly than ever, with more than 75% of returning travellers saying they were greeted either "more warmly" or "just as warmly as ever".
And the single most welcoming destination amongst the 500 UK holidaymakers we surveyed last month?
Portugal.
So if you're planning a trip and hoping for a warm welcome, maybe Portugal should be top of your list.
France
Open to UK visitors
Quarantine for 14 days on return to the UK Some flights are scheduled but most package holidays have been cancelled You may need specialist travel insurance for a trip to FranceTravelling to France
The whole of France is currently under an FCO travel advisory and if you return to the UK from France you must currently quarantine for 14 days. Happily, rumours of a reciprocal quarantine rule for visitors to France from the UK do not seem to have come to anything, so the quarantine is one-way only. Trips to France therefore demand roughly the same precautions and planning as to Spain. If you do go, you'll be travelling against FCO advice; will probably need specialist travel insurance; and it's up to you to decide whether your journey warrants the extea complications that may entail.
Check out our video guide to Paris
Travel Insurance - France
Holiday Extras offers travel insurance policies for countries that the FCO currently advises are suitable for non-essential travel (such as holidays). If you are travelling to a country which has an FCO advisory warning you may need a specialist insurance provider. battleface is a provider of flexible insurance plans for travellers going to unconventional locations, including those under government "essential only" travel advisories.
What next for holidays in France?
Covid cases in France are at more than 50/000 at time of writing, almost twice the threshold to make the FCO exemption list. So for the moment travellers to France are likely to need specialist insurance and be able to self-isolate for 14 days on their return to the UK.
Turkey
Open to UK visitors
No quarantine on return to the UK Flights and holidays operating normally Standard travel insuranceTravelling to Turkey
Travelling to Turkey is even easier than usual - you used to need a visa (costing almost £50 per person), but that's currently waived. Turkey is on the FCO exemption list so you don't need to quarantine when you comme back. The "Turkish riviera" of the southern coast has beach resorts the equal of any in Europe, great weather well into the autumn and at a mere four hours from London a beach break via Izmir, Dalaman or Anatalya is viable late into the season.
Turkey | Travel Guide
Check out our complete guide to a hassle-free trip to Turkey
From east meeting west in the magical capital of Istanbul to a lazy week on a deckchair on Turkey's warm southern coast; from adventures at the bazaar to a drive through the fairy-chimneys of Cappadocia; Turkey has something for every holiday.
What next for holidays in Turkey?
Turkey is a strong choice if you're making long-term holiday plans. Covid cases at time of writing are around 13/100,000 over the last seven days, approximately half the FCO's cut-off point. Turkey is also outside the EU so if you're planning for 2021 and you want a Brexit-proof holiday destination a comfortable plane ride away, Turkey should be top of your list.
Poland
Open to UK visitors
No quarantine on return to the UK Flights and holidays operating normally Standard travel insuranceTravelling to Poland
Poland is open to UK visitors, and included on the FCO's exemption list which means standard travel insurance is available for trips there and there is no need to quarantine either on arrival in Poland or when you come back to the UK. In short, holidays in Poland are running as normal!
What next for holidays in Poland?
Poland and the UK have similar infection rates, both countries want tourism to continue and there's no reason currently to think the situation will change soon. The UK also enjoys the benefits of a substantial Polish diaspora so there's an additional incentive to keep the skies between the two countries open if possible.
Book your holiday extras early
It pays to book your airport parking, airport hotel or your lounge as soon as you book your flights. Prices usually go up nearer the date you fly, and last year Holiday Extras saved our airport parking customers £100 each on average when they pre-booked their airport parking instead of paying on the day.
Book my hotel and parking today
Germany
Open to UK visitors
No quarantine on return to the UK Flights and holidays operating normally Standard travel insuranceTravelling to Germany
Germany is open to UK visitors, and included on the FCO's exemption list which means standard travel insurance is available for trips there and there is no need to quarantine either on arrival in Germany or when you come back to the UK. Like so many other places, holidays in Poland are running as normal!
What next for holidays in Germany?
Germany and the UK have similar infection rates, both countries want tourism to continue and there's no reason currently to think the situation will change soon.
Check out our YouTube guide to Berlin, shot in 2018
Netherlands
Open to UK visitors (with the temporary exception of Aberdeen)
Quarantine for 14 days on return to the UK Some flights are scheduled but fewer than usual You may need specialist travel insurance for a trip to NetherlandsTravelling to Netherlands
The FCO advises against non-essential travel to Netherlands. That means if you do travel to Netherlands you have to quarantine for 14 days when you get back to the UK, and it means standard travel insurance policies would normally be invalidated, so to cover your trip you may need specialist travel insurance.
What next for holidays in Netherlands?
Covid-19 cases in Netherlands are only slightly over 20/100k at time of writing, the FCO's cut-off point for a country being on or off the exemption list. Netherlands was only taken off the FCO list on 15th August but with cases moving back under control it's reasonable to assume holidays to Amsterdam may be back soon.
We last filmed Amsterdam in 2016 - see our guide to the city here
Ireland
Visitors most of the UK should restrict their movements for 14 days on arrival
No quarantine on return to the UK Some flights are scheduled but fewer than usual Standard travel insuranceTravelling to Ireland
Travelling to Ireland from most of the UK is complicated. If you arrive in Ireland from the UK mainland you are required to "restrict your movements" - a very similar regime to quarantine or self-isolation - for 14 days. However, this doesn't apply to anyone arriving from Northern Ireland. Can you, therefore, fly to Belfast and take the relatively short drive down to the republic for a holiday, thus evading the 14-day hiatus? Technically yes, but it's hardly in the spirit of controlling the virus to exploit the loophole and you might find you get a frosty reception if you do. Ireland clearly doesn't want visitors to do this, so we recommend respecting the spirit of the rules and either restricting your movements for 14 days if you do go, or picking somewhere else this time.
What next for holidays in Ireland?
Ireland has a very short "green list" of countries, and if you come from one of those countries to the republic you don't need to restrict your movements. Since some of the countries on that green list now have Covid infection rates as high or higher than the UK (for example Italy or Greece), it's possible we'll be added to the green list soon. For the moment though, Ireland is not keen to have us as visitors and when so many places are, there are other spots we could choose for a holiday.
We were in Dublin in2016 - see our guide to the city here
Cyprus
Open to UK visitors who complete a negative Covid test
No quarantine on return to the UK Flights scheduled Standard travel insuranceTravelling to Cyprus
Cyprus is on the FCO list. To visit, you must complete a negative Covid test 72 hours before you travel. You might think that an extra hassle, but of course the upside is that everyone else (on your plane, in resort etc) will have done the same, which might give you extra peace of mind
What next for holidays in Cyprus?
Cyprus, and especially Paphos, is usually heavily dependent on British and Russian tourism in the summer. With Russia's Covid situation regrettably worse than ours that means the hoteliers of Paphos are very keen to stay open for Brits, and with the infection under close control at the Cyprus end that makes it relatively unlikely we'll see this route closed any time soon.
We were in Cyprus in 2019 - see our guide to the island here
Up Next: Everywhere you go can on holiday
Now you've seen the top 12, check out our guide to everywhere you can fly today
Need some help booking all your holiday extras? Want to talk to someone about other options at the airport? We want to help you travel hassle-free! At the moment the best way to get help with a booking is online, by visiting our help and support page.We're here to help.
