Travel
British holidaymakers to be allowed to travel to ‘75 countries with no quarantine’
Big update for anyone going on holiday…
Brits will be able to go on holiday to a new list of 75 countries without needing to quarantine when they return to the UK, according to new reports.
The news comes following the government ditching the plans to create ‘air bridges’, which were going to make travelling between two countries which have similarly low levels of coronavirus easier.
The full list of countries will be published by the government today or tomorrow, and will see the lifting of the Foreign Office’s ban on non-essential travel to nearly all EU destinations plus many others.
The 75 countries listed have been deemed sufficiently low-risk destinations for holidaymakers based on their COVID-19 levels, a declining infection rate and that their data can be trusted.
From Monday, travellers to 75 countries will no longer have to quarantine for 14 days when they return to the UK.
Instead, the air bridges will be replaced with a traffic light system which will decide which nations are safe, a move which has been massively welcomed by the travel and aviation industry.
‘Green’ or ‘Amber’ countries will not require 14 days isolation on returning to the UK, but ‘Red’ countries will.
Many popular holiday destinations will be found on the list, such as Croatia, Turkey, France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Greece, Switzerland, Belgium, Ireland, Iceland, Poland, Malta, Cyprus, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Slovenia, Slovakia and Germany.
However, Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s First Minister, has this week she reserved the right to quarantine English visitors. Likewise, Ireland is expected to publish its own ‘Green’ list of countries and has already indicated that Britons could be forced to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival.
Some countries like Australia and New Zealand are expected to retain border controls and impose quarantine until the end of the year.
The USA, Russia and Brazil are among the list of ‘Red’ countries where non-essential travel will continue to be banned.
Sweden, which tops the tables in the EU for coronavirus cases, is expected to be classed as Red, as with Portugal due to a recent outbreak in and around the capital, Lisbon.
Despite this being welcomed by the travel industry, some government officials have claimed creating a specific list of countries exempt from quarantine poses a ‘diplomatic nightmare’ and could open ‘legal challenges’, according to The Telegraph.
These officials have proposed a list that expands on the Foreign Office’s travel advice to include high-risk countries where Britons should refrain from travelling to instead.
Henry Smith, chair of the cross-party Future of Aviation group, said: “This has been done in a very piecemeal way and with a degree of uncertainty. I still think the introduction of quarantine was not the right decision but we are where we are.
“We need to get a set of criteria and subsequent list of countries published. Every day of uncertainty translates into more jobs lost.”
What do you think, are you planning on travelling or waiting a little longer?
Travel
Passport fees are rising tomorrow for second time in 14 months
Things are getting more expensive, again…
In bad news for holidaymakers, the cost of getting a new passport is set to rise once again.
The Home Office has confirmed that passport fees are set to rise by more than 7% from tomorrow, under new proposals.
This means the cost of online applications within the UK, for anyone aged 16 and over, will increase from £82.50 to £88.50.
Mikey / Flickr
Children under 16 will also see an increase in passport costs, with the price rising to £57.50 from £53.50.
Overseas and postal applications will also rise at a similar level, with postal increasing to £100 for adults and £69 for children, and an online overseas application rising to £101 for adults and £65.50 for children.
The new charges will officially be in place from tomorrow, Thursday April 11th.
Last year passport fees increased by around 9%, back in February 2023.
Ethan Wilkinson / Unsplash
The Home Office said in a statement: “The new fees will help ensure that income from these applications better meets the cost of delivering passport and associated operations, reducing reliance on funding from general taxation.
“The Government does not make any profit from the cost of passport applications.
“The fees contribute to the cost of processing passport applications, consular support overseas including for lost or stolen passports, and the cost of processing British citizens at UK borders.
“The increase will also help enable the Government to continue improving its services.”
Travel
Passport fees to rise within weeks as Home Office confirms new prices
Things are getting more expensive, again…
In bad news for holidaymakers, the cost of getting a new passport is set to rise once again.
The Home Office has confirmed that passport fees are set to rise by more than 7% next month, under new proposals.
This means the cost of online applications within the UK, for anyone aged 16 and over, will increase from £82.50 to £88.50.
Mikey / Flickr
Children under 16 will also see an increase in passport costs, with the price rising to £57.50 from £53.50.
Overseas and postal applications will also rise at a similar level, with postal increasing to £100 for adults and £69 for children, and an online overseas application rising to £101 for adults and £65.50 for children.
While the changes are still subject to parliamentary approval, if passed they will be in place from April 11th.
Last year passport fees increased by around 9%, back in February 2023.
Ethan Wilkinson / Unsplash
The Home Office said in a statement: “The new fees will help ensure that income from these applications better meets the cost of delivering passport and associated operations, reducing reliance on funding from general taxation.
“The Government does not make any profit from the cost of passport applications.
“The fees contribute to the cost of processing passport applications, consular support overseas including for lost or stolen passports, and the cost of processing British citizens at UK borders.
“The increase will also help enable the Government to continue improving its services.”
Travel
Wizz Air launch mystery holiday deal where you find out destination when you land
Enter the competition to win a ticket
If you’re dreaming of catching a jet plane to just about anywhere, well Wizz Air have launched a holiday deal where the mystery location isn’t revealed until you land.
The Hungarian airline will take a plane full of holiday hopefuls from London Gatwick for a four-day mystery getaway as part of its #LetsGetLostwithWIZZ campaign.
Those who win a ticket to the unknown location, will turn up to London Gatwick on March 7th to board a Wizz Air flight for ‘four days of fun, including cultural, culinary and adventure activities’ – it could turn out to be the trip of a lifetime!
To be in with a chance of winning a seat on the flight, UK residents can visit the Wizz Air’s Instagram page and follow the prompts on the Let’s Get Lost London pinned post.
“Entries close on February 22nd at 00.01am”, the low-cost airline says.
The lucky chosen ones will be able to bring a plus one on the trip and winners will be contacted via Instagram.
In a post shared to its official Instagram page, the airline put: “It’s time to get onboard our latest venture to the unknown with Let’s Get Lost London, departing from London Gatwick to…
“Do this by the 22nd February and you could be in with a chance of departing with us on an exciting flight to the unknown.
“The trip will take place between 7th – 10th March. Open to UK residents only, please make sure you’re following WIZZ on Instagram and that your profile is public.”
If you’re wondering whether you’ll need your bathing suit, suncream, hiking boots, rain coat or winter woollies, don’t worry, the 35 lucky winners will be told the climate to pack for a few days before the trip.
No other clues will be given away until touch down in the unknown destination.
UK Wizz Air Managing Director, Marion Geoffroy said: “We love connecting our passengers to new countries, allowing them to meet new people and try new experiences.
“Going on a flight to an unknown destination is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and we are pleased to be able to offer this to lucky winners here in the UK.
“Let’s Get Lost is our way of saying ‘thank you’ to our British passengers and we hope to continue serving them as they travel the world and make new memories.”
Wizz Air flies to more than 70 destinations from the UK. Last year, the most popular destinations among Brits included Morocco, Cyprus, Greece, Turkey and Spain.
It is unclear whether the airline will jet the 35 lucky ticket holders and plus ones off to one of its more popular destination choices, or whether it will choose to take them somewhere a little more alternative and secluded.
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