If lockdown has left you with a craving for adventure in 2020, the good news is that there are plenty of places in the world to which you can still travel. Let us have a look at the options available to you.
Quarantine
Let’s start at the beginning - the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is advising against all but essential international travel. Anyone arriving into the UK from a foreign country, is required to self-isolate (quarantine) for 14 days. However, on 4th July, exceptions where made for certain countries.
FCO Travel Corridors
The list of exemptions for England can be found here. Links are available for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, where the rules may differ slightly.
All the countries listed are exempt from the 14-day quarantine. However, more importantly, government is not advising against all but essential travel, therefore your travel insurance is valid whilst you are away. If advice changes before you travel, you’ll be uninsured.
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands are popular with British tourists all year round. Being part of Spain, the FCO is currently advising against all but essential travel, despite Tenerife being further from Barcelona, than Barcelona is from London.
However, the Government of the Canary Islands has signed an insurance policy with AXA which will cover the cost of medical treatment, any additional stay due to quarantine and repatriation for any tourists who contract coronavirus whist visiting the islands. The only requirement is that you don’t knowingly arrive in the Canaries with COVID-19.
The insurance is in force from 1st August for one year. This insurance, combined with an EHIC card, will provide you with reasonable medical assistance whilst travelling. However, significant risks still exist if you travel without insurance, such as repatriation in the event of illness or injury not related to Covid-19, cancellation cover and lost baggage cover, to name a few.
You’ll also be required to quarantine for 14 days on arrival back to the UK.
Emirates
Emirates Airline has become the first airline to offer global cover for COVID-19 health expenses. Fly with Emirates, anywhere in the network, until 31st October and you’ll receive, at no extra cost, cover for medical expenses up to €150,000 and quarantine cover of €100 for up to 14 days.
Whilst this provides you with COVID-19 cover anywhere in the world, if you travel outside the EU, you’ll have no access to the EHIC card and will have to foot your own medical bills should you need to seek medical advice. Something as simple as tripping over and breaking your wrist could potentially cost thousands.
Avoid disappointment
Travel advice is changing every week. If you want to get away, the best plan is to remain flexible, book accommodation which can be cancelled, and leave booking anything which can’t be cancelled (e.g. flights) as late as possible.
Get some travel insurance which has COVID-19 cover, which will cover the cost of your trip should you get coronavirus in the 14-days before you are meant to travel. For more information on this, see our recent blog Covid-19 Cancellation Cover - All You Need To Know
For more information, call a member of our team on 01243 784000.
