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There are loads of reasons you might not want to go abroad right now, but one of the big ones is that you might have to quarantine for a fortnight, either on arrival or on your return home (or, if you’re really unlucky, both). Even if the UK quarantine is reduced to five days, that would still be a downer on your holiday.
So what if you could all but guarantee avoiding having to self-isolate on either side? Step forward, a new holiday package from Virgin Atlantic Holidays that promises to help you do just that.
The ‘Escape Pass’ will let British holidaymakers spend up to 14 days on a ‘mystery’ Caribbean island. All travellers have to do is choose the length of their stay (one week or two), the hotel rating and flight class. Virgin staff will handle the rest and you’ll find out where you’re going two weeks before you leave. Exciting, right?
Potential destinations currently include Barbados, Grenada, Antigua and Tobago. Other islands, such as Jamaica, will likely join them once they are added to the UK’s list of travel corridors – meaning you don’t have to quarantine on your return home.
Of course, once everything is booked and you know where you going, there’s always the possibility the UK government may still take your particular destination off the ‘corridor’ list before your flight. The good news is that if a quarantine is introduced on either side before you leave, Virgin says you’ll get a full refund within 14 days.
If new travel restrictions are reintroduced while you’re actually out there, then there’s not much you can do about it – but you’d be pretty unlucky, as Virgin says it will choose destinations that are unlikely to be removed.
For a week or two by the beach – with a very high likelihood of actually being able to relax on it – that sounds like a risk worth taking.
Flights run between January and April. Find out more about the package here.
Here’s everything you need to know about travelling abroad after lockdown lifts on December 2.
These are all the countries Brits can currently visit without having to quarantine on either side.