When Will it be Safe to Travel Again?

...and where you might want to go

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The Algarve, Portugal

As spring approaches, a hint of positivity is filling the air, with cases of Covid declining for the first time in months. So, when will it be safe to travel again? Well, it depends to whom you talk (or, rather, listen). Some suggest that the vaccine rollout means we can start moving again as early as March 2021 for nearby destinations. That means that if you live in the UK, you should be able to resume your holidays in the likes of Italy, Spain and Greece in no time, so get booking. Nothing is certain, but we will refund you if:

  • You’re living in an area where travel is not permitted

  • You’re travelling to an area where travel is not permitted

  • You’ve tested positive for Covid before your trip and will be self-isolating at the time of your booking

As for long-haul flights, we seem to be looking at mid-to-late summer, with the travel realm hopefully back to its best by this time next year. Travel companies are reporting many destinations fully-booked for the summer of 2021, so people are certainly feeling optimistic. So, here is our look at a few places you might want to visit as soon as you can. Trust our extensive Plum Guide research, and put the pandemic behind you in style.

Book a post-Covid trip to Berlin

Some experts are hoping that restaurants and bars will open before too long, which makes Berlin a great destination for your first post-Covid holiday. While you might not be quite hip enough to pass the bouncers at Bergheim and KitKatClub, the city’s famous nightlife will certainly feel like a baptism of fire following more than a year of nothingness. Head to some of the bars and restaurants around the Charlottenburg district, which has an upscale and exclusive feel. Don Camillo, Heising and Belmondo Restaurant are among the big hitters. You’ll also find the Kaufhaus des Westens (KdW) shopping centre, which is lined with luxury stores that’ll feel like a different world after lockdown. For something a little more ‘real’, head down to Friedrichshain (just don’t try to pronounce it), stopping in at some of the many Vietnamese and Thai restaurants for which the area is famed. Nearby, you’ll find the Wall Museum and the East Side Gallery, where beautiful works of art grace the vestiges of the Berlin Wall. Oh, and make sure you also see the Brandenburg Gate, the adjacent Reichstag Building and Checkpoint Charlie. You may not know when it will be safe to travel again, but these plans will set you off perfectly when it is.

A bar in Friedrichshain, Berlin

A bar in Friedrichshain, Berlin

Loft Your Game, Plum Guide home in Berlin

Loft Your Game, Plum Guide home in Berlin

Travel to sunny Tel Aviv

What’s great about Tel Aviv is that you’ll get all the culture (museums, restaurants and bars) of other big cities, but with gorgeous beaches, pools and other such holiday fun things. So, that means you can hang out at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art and the Eretz Israel Museum and dine at such high-class joints as OCD Restaurant, the West Side or the Kitchen Market, before popping on some trunks and heading down to the famous Mezizim Beach. Other top sandy destinations include the Gordon Beach and the Frishman Beach. If you’re looking for something a little more chaotic and even daring, might we say, given the circumstances, delve into the Carmel Market. It’ll give you a sense of the typical Middle Eastern bazaar and will make for a disorientating (in a good way) experience, now that you’re finally free from the shackles of social distancing.

Relaxing at the beach in Tel Aviv, Israel

Relaxing at the beach in Tel Aviv, Israel

Fishing for Compliments, Plum Guide home in Tel Aviv

Fishing for Compliments, Plum Guide home in Tel Aviv

Savour the historic sights of Tuscany

Where better than Tuscany to simply get away from it all? First, we’ll presume you’re a wine connoisseur/euse, and that you will very much enjoy a countryside trip exploring some of the best vineyards amid the hills and valleys of northern Italy. You could also do the whole thing on horseback because for some reason, everything is more romantic when sitting on a big animal. If you really want to show everyone back home that you got past lockdown the fastest, then nothing compares to the Leaning Tower of Pisa when it comes to show-off photos. Other big highlights include the Piazzale Michelangelo, the Duomo di Siena and the Gallerie degli Uffizi. Get away from city life, with a trip to the coast, where you might enjoy the beaches of the Costiera di Calafuria.

The leaning tower of Pisa, Tuscany, Italy

The leaning tower of Pisa, Tuscany, Italy

Little Hills, Plum Guide home in Tuscany, Italy

Little Hills, Plum Guide home in Tuscany, Italy

Enjoy beach days in The Algarve

This one is a favourite for Brits. The Algarve comprises the southern portion of Portugal, which is basically just endless sandy beaches. Take a boat trip out on the Ria Formosa to reach idyllic islands that’ll take your mind about as far as is humanly possible from the living room. Among the top beach destinations are the Praia Sao Rafael, the Ponta da Piedade and the Ilha Deserta.

Fisherman's Villa, Plum Guide home in The Algarve, Portugal

Fisherman's Villa, Plum Guide home in The Algarve, Portugal

Get away from it all in Andalusia

Spain is one of those places that almost every avid holidayer has visited at least once, and with good reason. You can see the world-renowned architecture of Gaudi in Barcelona, watch Real Madrid play football in the capital, and soak up the sun on the beaches of Malaga. Or you can just get away from everything, and where better to do that than your own Plum Guide home in Andalusia? Visit the south coast to catch up on all the sun you've missed out on in the past year, and leave the urbanity of life behind. Discover your sense of adventure and explore the historical sites of Real Alcazar de Sevilla and the Cueva de Nerja caves. Or visit Bioparc and befriend the lemurs as you wonder why you ever bothered with humans in the first place.

The Real Alcazar of Seville, Spain

The Real Alcazar of Seville, Spain

Rent a private villa in Greece

Greece can offer just about anything you could hope for on your first post-pandemic voyage. Come face to face with the history of Greece by visiting the Acropolis of Athens, or discover the cultural hub of Santorini. Take a cruise on the calm waters of the Aegean Sea or simply stay put, embracing the sun in one of our luxury Plum Guide villas. You may not be entirely comfortable with the idea of mingling with others again yet, so take in the views from Guilty Secret's private infinity pool. Then enjoy an al fresco dinner (cooked by the chef of course) before retiring to the cinema room to watch Mamma Mia (you are in Greece after all).

Amphitheatre at the Acropolis with a view over the city, Athens, Greece

Amphitheatre at the Acropolis with a view over the city, Athens, Greece

Guilty Secret, Plum Guide home in Greece

Guilty Secret, Plum Guide home in Greece

When will it be safe to travel again? Nobody is absolutely sure, but it can't be too long now. Make sure you are prepared for when your shackles are removed, and book your trip with Plum Guide today.

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