It should have been so different. After two rough summers in which the once-simple concept of an overseas vacation was thwarted by Covid, PCR testing, border restrictions, lockdowns of varying severity, “red lists” and quarantine hotels, 2022 was on the horizon, hailed as the year that would mark it. a return to normalcy. Travel would slip back into the relatively gentle currents it had sailed in 2019, the pandemic’s many obstacles would be removed, and beaches would beckon across Europe. Everyone back to the airport.
It didn’t quite work out that way. While it would be highly inaccurate to state that the sunspots of France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Croatia and Turkey et al. will be unreachable this summer, you may be wondering if you have the patience and determination to reach them.
You have read the headlines. They were impossible to ignore. major airlines cancel flights at short notice. Queues of biblical length for security – in some cases long enough to miss planes. Mountains of undelivered bags piled outside terminals. Industrial action making even the first part of the journey a hurdle to overcome.
Some of these problems are the inevitable result of a planet – and a travel industry – struggling to regain momentum after so long in a tenacious pattern. But while the situation is likely to improve as the clock ticks and the workforce recovers at the check-in counters, security scanners and baggage handling facilities, it can be tempting to look at all the commotion and decide it’s better to stay home.
There is no defeatism here. One of the lessons learned during the pandemic is that the UK can be as wonderful a destination as anywhere else – and if you’re thinking about keeping it British for the next few weeks, you’ll find plenty of options to suit your needs. to relieve wanderlust. You don’t even have to give up the continental vacation you dreamed of in January. Kind of. With a little lateral thinking, you can still have that trip to the Greek island, that wine tasting, that mountain escape, without going through customs. Here are 15 substitutes for itclassic European breaks. You’ll need your sunscreen, your camera, and your most breezy dress. Just not your passport…
French Riviera
Instead of Nice try Hayle Estuary
It can never be an exact replica. For starters, the French south coast enjoys average temperatures of around 26°C in July; the north coast of Cornwall about five degrees lower. But the trick to a great beach vacation is having a nice stretch of coastline and a place to stay that pushes all the right buttons. Look at the Hayle River where it meets the sea – the grand arc of Carbis Bay to the west, the epic sands of Hayle Beach and Mexico Towans Beach to the east – and you won’t think you’re in Cannes. But you won’t care either.
How to do that: A seven-night stay for two at the five-star Carbis Bay Hotel, arriving on August 6, will cost a total of £3,080 (£3,850 with breakfast; 01736 795 311; carbisbayhotel.co.uk).
‘Ancient Rome
Try Hadrian’s Wall instead of the Colosseum
There is, of course, endless historical glory to the Eternal City – and there’s no point in pretending, if you’re dreaming of Roman history in gigantic eye-catching buildings, that Britain has something akin to the largest amphitheatre ever built. And yet, in terms of travel in the Europe of two millennia ago, the formidable dividing line between conquered Britannia and unruly Caledonia offers much more to enjoy – 113 miles of solid masonry, laid down in 122AD, stretching across the peaks and valleys of Northumberland and Cumbria. Reason enough for a multi-day holiday, not just an afternoon of sightseeing.
How to do that: Upper course (01606 369 882; headwater.com) offers “Walking the Best of Hadrian’s Wall” – a six-day self-guided tour through a central portion of the route. From €759 per person.