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Gatwick Airport at 4am
(Cathy Adams)
From today, 17 May, international leisure travel is finally legal again in England.
Jetting off on a foreign holiday is now possible under a traffic light system, with countries classified as green, amber or red and prescribed restrictions to match based on the risk of arrivals importing new Covid-19 infections.
Although holidays are no longer prohibited, there are still myriad hoops travellers must jump through, including pre-departure and post-arrival coronavirus tests taken within a certain timeframe. The government is currently advising that Brits should not be visiting amber or red countries for recreational purposes.
The Independent’s intrepid travel team is engaged in a race to the sun to celebrate the easing of restrictions: travel correspondent Simon Calder is winging his way to Faro, Portugal, while travel editor Cathy Adams is heading for Madeira (two of the few viable “green list” destinations). Deputy editor Helen Coffey, meanwhile, is celebrating the widespread reopening of the UK tourism industry by decamping to a new hotel for the day.
Follow all the latest updates below.
Race to Madeira
Gatwick, almost 4am. Still very quiet, although a surprising number of people checking in early at Tui’s desk for flights to Mahon in Spain, Porto Santo and Madeira (both Portuguese islands) and some Greek islands. Excitement level is low because… It’s still dark outside!
All flights departing from north Terminal.
Tui: next stop, Madeira
(Cathy Adams)
Cathy Adams17 May 2021 08:41
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