Italy for £9? Britons willing to travel will find rock-bottom prices
The Government seems determined to dissuade us from heading abroad this summer. Last month, after a spike in cases in the north of Spain, it announced that 600,000 Brits in the country – even those 2,000 miles away in Lanzarote – would have to unexpectedly quarantine for two weeks when they returned to UK soil. Now it is thought to be closely monitoring the situation in France, where cases are also on the rise.
Nevertheless, travellers willing to accept a little risk should be pleased to discover that prices have hit rock bottom, while their pound will stretch considerably further.
The annual Post Office Holiday Money Index revealed that the value of sterling is up against all 20 of its best-selling currencies when compared with last August, with visitors to Turkey finding the biggest savings.
Since a year ago, the pound has risen by 23.9% against the Turkish lira. It has also strengthened significantly against the Icelandic krona (+20%), the Jamaican dollar (+18.1) and the Norwegian krone (+11.4). All four countries are on the Foreign Office’s “travel corridors” list, meaning holidaymakers will not need to self-isolate when they return to Britain. Furthermore, they are all welcoming UK travellers, although Jamaica requires arrivals to undergo a test on arrival and stay at a resort in its designated COVID Resilient Zone.
Visitors to Eurozone countries will find more modest savings, with the pound up 2.9% against the euro since August 2019. It has risen by 2.1% against the Swiss franc, 2.9% against the Danish kroner, 3.1% against the Croatia kuna, 4.8% against the Czech koruna, and 5.1% against the Polish zloty. These five countries, and the majority of those in the eurozone, are on the FCO “green” list.
Travellers willing to take the plunge and head to Europe will also find some remarkable cheap air fares and packages.
New cases remain low in Italy, and flights to Milan next week are available for as little at £9 (one-way) with Wizz Air. Ryanair has one-way fares to Venice in August for £10.
Return fares to Split in Croatia can be found for around £70, and return fares to Corfu start at around £75 – unheard of at short notice during peak season.
As for packages, the comparison website TravelSupermarket reports that average prices for breaks to Italy have fallen by up to 52% since Spain was ejected from the FCO’s quarantine-free list, while holidays to Greece are 28 per cent cheaper.
It said a one-week stay in B&B accommodation in Corfu can currently be booked, through On The Beach, for as little as £103 per person, including flights and transfers. A week in Marmaris, Turkey, in September, is available for £155 per person, it added.
Telegraph Travel’s consumer expert Nick Trend said: “There is no shortage of summer holidays or flights out there at the moment; so it’s quite feasible to book only a few days ahead of travel. Given how fast things are changing, this looks like the best strategy for most travellers right now. You may still get caught out, but the chances reduce the closer to departure you book.”
He also advised booking with a tour operator rather than making independent arrangements, looking for a travel firm that offered flexibility when it comes to cancellations, and checking the small print of your insurance policy carefully.
The Post Office’s report found that sales of the euro, unsurprisingly, have soared since the end of lockdown making it by far its best-selling currency during July. The US dollar was second – despite restrictions currently in place on UK arrivals – followed by the Croatian kuna and the Turkish lira.
