Winter sun options open up with latest quarantine changes

Many of the new ‘quarantine-free’ nations do not actually welcome British holidaymakers

Distant dream: the skyline of Bahrain (Charlotte Hindle)

The latest changes to the UK’s quarantine list places most of the the last major Mediterranean country, Greece, on the no-go list. But it opens up longer-haul destinations and four key Middle Eastern hubs.

Most UK residents are not allowed to travel abroad at present, due to lockdown regulations – particularly in England and Wales. But for prospective travellers seeking winter sun, the range of options appears to be expanding.

These are the key questions and answers.

Starting in Europe: what Mediterranean options remain?

Almost none. Gibraltar is still accessible from the UK without restriction in either direction. Note that if a flight diversion takes place to Malaga – as happens fairly frequently – that could trigger a quarantine requirement on your return.

While the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, said that quarantine is not required from the Greek islands of Corfu, Crete, Kos, Rhodes and Zakynthos, he may not have studied the winter flight schedules. There was no point giving them exemption because all direct flights between the UK and these islands appear to have ended. But it may possibly still be relevant in April.

All North African Mediterranean nations, including Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco, remain on the no-go list along with the rest of Africa.

Crucially, though, the Atlantic islands of the Canaries and Madeira are quarantine-free and present the most alluring combination of accessibility, price and the prospect of good weather. Note that a test before departure is required from 14 November for the Canaries.

Where has opened up?

One more Atlantic island has been removed from the no-go list: Iceland.  But it is not known for its sunshine.

For the sunseeker, the new locations likely to be most relevant are the UAE and Qatar – not least because the key hubs of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha will no longer trigger quarantine for travellers in transit through the airports to more distant locations, such as the Maldives, the Seychelles and Mauritius. All of these destinations are on the quarantine-free list.

Bahrain, a less significant hub, is also now quarantine-free.

“This is a significant move to open up long-haul destinations,” said Paul Charles, chief executive of travel analysts The PC Agency.

"It re-connects the UK to Gulf hubs and the world, and enables plans to be made for December travel.

The Gulf is also a key winter sun destination in its own right. But the rules are messy.

Travellers coming from the UK to the UAE are required to take a PCR test in advance within 96 hours (four days) of arrival – except for Dubai, where you can take a test on arrival at the airport.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of Emirates said: “We believe this move will benefit businesses and tourism, and Emirates is ready to reinstate more flight services between Dubai and the UK to serve customer demand.”

While Dubai is doing all it can to attract tourists, other parts of the UAE are trickier. “Depending on your port of entry to the UAE, you may also need to undertake a second test on arrival, to wear a government-provided wristband and to complete a period of self-isolation or quarantine,” says the Foreign Office.

What about Qatar and Bahrain?

British tourists are not admitted to Qatar (though they can transit the airport in Doha); entry its restricted to Qatari nationals, their families, permanent residency holders and Qatar ID holders. This may change if Qatar follows the pattern in other countries and opens up to tourism, but unlike Dubai it not largely tourism-dependent.

Bahrain is a better prospect. You can fly without restriction and get a visa – and a Covid-19 test – on arrival. But you must self-isolate until your test result is received.

On a visit of 10 days or more you must repeat the testing procedure on the 10th day after arrival.

Wherever you travel, you must of course follow local laws. The Foreign Office warns for Qatar: “It is now mandatory to wear a face mask whenever you are outside your home, unless you are alone whilst driving a vehicle or exercising.”

In Bahrain, you must download the contact tracing app, “BeAware”.

Laos and Cambodia?

These beautiful Indochinese nations have done extremely well at tackling coronavirus, and are not taking chances with British visitors.

No tourism visas are being issued, and anyone who gains access through other means – for example work or family – faces extremely rigorous conditions.

In the case of Cambodia, for example, arrivals must undergo a strenuous testing regime before and after travel, pay a $2,000 deposit for medical treatment on arrival and if one person on the aircraft they arrived aboard tests positive, quarantine for two weeks.”

“In case of death, the cremation service charge is US$1,500,” the Foreign Office warns.

The Caribbean?

The Turks & Caicos Islands was removed from the no-go list by the transport secretary, Grant Shapps. From next month, you can reach the islands on British Airways with a stop in Antigua – which is also on the quarantine-free list along with Barbados, Cuba and St Lucia.

The Caribbean is definitely the region with the highest prospect of a reasonably hassle-free winter escape.

Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and St Vincent are also accessible.

Many require pre-departure testing and tests – with several days of quarantine – on arrival.

At least Chile offers one deep south getaway?

Not quite yet. Chile’s borders are still closed to non-residents. But Danny Callaghan, chief executive of the Latin American Travel Association said: “We understand that Chile’s borders will be reopening up to non-residents from 23 November which means that travel to the country can soon resume.

“It is worth noting that many other destinations in Latin America, also have similar (and indeed lower) infection rates so we hope that this is the first step for the region and many other destinations will soon be added.”

The problem for South America, like other long-haul destinations, is avoiding touching down at airports in no-go countries along the way.

Fortunately British Airways has nonstop flights from Heathrow to Santiago de Chile for £966 return, leaving on Saturday 19 December and returning two weeks later.