Should I risk booking a holiday now?

The mood music around the possibilities of travelling this summer is beginning to feel more upbeat. If, after weeks in lockdown, your wanderlust is starting to get the better of you, you might even feel tempted to book something.

Wizz Air is gearing up its operations, Ryanair is promising rock bottom prices. In Italy, foreign tourism is planned to resume from this Wednesday and Cyprus from next week. In Portugal, the Algarve is reopening its beaches from Friday and 75 per cent of its hotels will open their doors this month. And on Sunday Greece announced that British visitors would be allowed to visit from the middle of June.

France and Spain are being more cautious. Restrictions won’t be lifted across the Channel until at least July 24, and for British visitors it may be August before we can holiday on the Costas. But it’s perfectly possible to book flights and holidays after those dates.

So, should you be tempted to jump in and book now – to bag one of the early deals? The short answer is quite straightforward. Unless you are planning well ahead for, say, October onwards, be very very wary of making a commitment just yet. A better strategy I think, is to keep alert and be ready to jump in as soon as some of the key uncertainties have cleared up. Here is a six-point checklist.

1. What is the FCO advice?

Currently the FCO continues to advise against all but essential foreign travel and there is no end date to the advice. Until this changes, you would be unwise to leave the country – partly because you would be unable to arrange travel insurance to cover you while you are away

2. Are there any quarantine rules?

The government has announced that, as of June 8, and with very few exceptions, anyone arriving in the UK from abroad will have to self-quarantine. This means returning home and remaining in isolation for 14 days, with a fine of up to £1,000 for transgressors.

You may feel you have got quite used to being stuck at home, but for many two weeks isolation is a pretty onerous requirement in return for an overseas holiday. Quite how long these restrictions will last is uncertain. The rules have attracted widespread criticism and will be reviewed every three weeks. They may well soon be watered down with the introduction of air or sea “bridges” – reciprocal arrangements with other countries which will avoid the need for quarantine. But it is still something to be borne in mind before booking.

3. Are we welcome?

This, of course, is also critical. While some countries may well be opening soon for British tourists, others – including the US for example – aren’t. And you don’t want to land at an airport and then be told that you aren’t allowed into the country. Even if the news is good for the country you want to visit now, there is also no guarantee that it will stay that way: entry restrictions can be imposed overnight.

Incidentally, there has been talk that some countries may require visitors from overseas to present health certificates on arrival, but it is not yet clear how, when, where or if this will happen.

4. Is the virus under control?

As things stand, things still look distinctly uncertain in the UK, with some scientists warning that the easing of the lockdown is finely balanced. If cases or deaths started to rise again, we could find ourselves under another strict national regime. The government has also said that secondary flare ups could mean that more local restrictions were imposed.

In either case, it is highly unlikely that you would be allowed to travel abroad. And of course, exactly the same thing could happen in the destination you were planning to visit. So it is probably better all round to allow a little more time to confirm that Covid really is in retreat.

5. Should I book independent or package?

It’s all very well being tempted by a cheap Ryanair or EasyJet flight, but you should do so with your eyes open. As the whole coronavirus crisis has demonstrated, travellers who book independently have far less protection than those who book a package holiday. A tour operator which has sold you a flight plus your accommodation as a package has a duty of care to look after you or to refund you if the FCO advises against travel. An airline or hotel booked separately does not have the same legal responsibilities. There are some mitigations. EasyJet, for example, is currently pledging that you can switch your flights up to 14 days before departure without a change fee “for as long as travel restrictions remain”.

6. Any exceptions?

Having said all this, another strategy – if you find an amazingly cheap flight for example – is book it and take a risk. If all goes well and you can travel it seems unlikely that you will have much trouble finding somewhere to stay. And if you decide not to or can’t travel, you won’t have lost much money.