Books

AS MANY as 90 per cent of summer holidays are sold out as UK tour operators warn that bookings are still soaring. Brits opting to stay in the UK for a holiday this year are likely to be left disappointed with little left on the market. The government announced that domestic holidays can start as soon as April 12 as long as cases continue to drop, but this is only for one household, and at self-catered accommodation. From May 17, group holidays can go ahead while hotels will reopen, and June 21 is the earliest that travel restrictions may be fully eased. This has led to surging demand for UK holidays especially in popular destinations such as Cornwall , Devon and Dorset. According to the Telegraph , self-catered accommodation website Unique Homestays has warned that 92 per cent of summer holiday dates are booked up, with Oliver's Travels has just eight per cent of properties still available during the summer season. Last month, Sun Online Travel revealed that … [Read more...] about Up to 90% of UK summer holidays are now sold out following booking boom – here is how to still find a great deal

Is it safe to book a foreign holiday for this summer while we are still in lockdown? Yes, provided you book the right kind. See below. So what type of holiday should I book? Go for a package. In these turbulent corona times, I am recommending buying package holidays from expert travel agents and tour operators to ensure you have the reassurance of UK Civil Aviation Authority ATOL (Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing) protection, which helps you if your travel company or airline goes out of business. This covers both a firm going under while you are away, or a collapse before you travel. Many tour operators also offer specific virus cover if your holiday, or you, are affected. Also, look out for trips with ABTA’s consumer financial protection scheme, which can cover non-flight based holidays, such as coach, cruise or rail. What if I want to book a DIY getaway? I do not recommend this for 2021 but should you prefer to arrange your own travel, buying your own hotel and … [Read more...] about Everything you need to know about booking a holiday abroad this summer

Prince Philip has "slightly improved" and the Royal Family are keeping their fingers crossed, the Duchess of Cornwall has said. The Duke of Edinburgh is being treated at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London for a pre-existing heart condition and an infection. He was moved there by ambulance from the King Edward VII's Hospital on Monday. Camilla was asked by a volunteer about the duke's condition as she visited a vaccination centre in Croydon, south London. She told Anne Sheehan, who works as a receptionist at the centre, that the duke "hurts at moments" but did not give any more details. Advertisement Buckingham Palace said after Philip was moved that the duke was comfortable, adding "doctors will continue to treat him for an infection, as well as undertake testing and observation for a pre-existing heart condition". The 99-year-old has spent 15 nights in hospital now - his longest ever stay. More from Duchess Of Cornwall 'Pure … [Read more...] about Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, has ‘slightly improved’, Camilla says

WHEN Saffron Drewitt-Barlow feels her skin is lacking a bit of glow, she knows exactly what to do – get online and book a first-class plane ticket for her favourite beauty therapist. Money is no object for the 21-year-old, which is why she’s able to splash $10,000 a time arranging for her number one facialist to fly from her home in Brighton to Saffron’s family mansion in Florida. Far from being a rarity, it’s something Saffron does every month or so (Covid permitting)… and it’s just the beginning of her mammoth beauty spend. The daughter of Britain’s first gay dads, ex-couple and multi-millionaires Barrie and Tony Drewitt-Barlow, also forks out over $12,000 a year to keep her hair extensions looking good, has a make-up artist on her books for whenever she needs him and gets her lashes and nails down every couple of weeks. It’s all part of Saffron’s Absolutely Fabulous life , which she’s detailing in her new Fabulous column. She’s already touched on the unusual family … [Read more...] about I spend $200k a year on beauty – I never wash my own hair, jet my facialist in from UK & spend 4 hours a day on make-up

SPAIN is looking at introducing UK travel corridors again this summer for Brits if the vaccine passport scheme doesn't go ahead. Secretary of State for Tourism, Fernando Valdés said if the immunisation certificate does not succeed, Spain is willing to consider bilateral agreements and corridors "with third countries", according to the Spanish press. This would include the UK. He explained: "The way to allow travel in Europe must be decided at the level of the European Union but if those decisions cannot be taken, we will think of other solutions such as corridors, green corridors with third countries that can help us to restart tourist flows." He said that the vaccination rollout in the UK meant that the summer is looking likely for Brits to return . Bookings to Spanish hotspots are already soaring following Boris Johnson's announcement of his roadmap to freedom which could see life return to normal by June 21. Mr. Valdés said decisions on allowing travel must … [Read more...] about Boost for Spanish holidays as country plans ‘green corridors’ for UK travel if vaccine passports don’t go ahead