Coronavirus: The seven quarantine free countries you can still visit, after Turkey travel ban
There are just seven quarantine free countries that English residents can travel to without Covid-19 restrictions at either end of their journeys.
On Thursday Turkey and Poland were added to the UK Government’s “red list” of travel bans whereby arriving passengers must self-isolate at home for 14 days.
These quarantine red lists effectively shut off destinations as viable holiday options because flights are cancelled and most travel insurance becomes invalid.
For those who assess the risks and still want to escape England, these are the European destinations without a travel ban, which are still in play:
- Germany
- Italy
- Greece (Mainland only)
- Sweden
- San Marino
- Gibraltar
- Liechtenstein
Some destinations, such as land-locked Liechtenstein, require you to arrive via a different country, on the UK Government’s quarantine list.
In that case, you would have to declare it upon returning, and still self-isolate.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps announced the changes to the so-called “travel corridors” last night.
Along with Turkey and Poland being declared no-goes, the Caribbean islands of Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba were also added to England’s coronavirus quarantine list
He warned that the government was increasing the fines for those people who did not obey the rules to self-isolate.
Shapps said the maximum fine for repeat offenders has been set at £10,000.
Italy and Mainland Greece were at risk of being added to the list of countries where quarantine is necessary.
However, despite their respective infection rates rising above the crucial 20 per 100,000 inhabitants rate, holiday makers returning from their late summer breaks were spared.
Gibraltar, meanwhile, saw its case rate surge over the summer and still remained on the quarantine-free list for returnees.
But how many Brits returning home say they comply with self-isolation?
An Ipsos-Mori survey published yesterday by the BBC showed that a large majority of Britons were “very likely or certain” that they will follow government guidelines.
Around 70 per cent said they would quarantine if they returned from a country without a “travel corridor”.
The bans had an instant effect on travel company shares on Friday
Easyjet and Ryanair shares dropped as markets opened on Friday morning on the news.