A midsummer's day special: All downhill from here

Simon Calder’s Travel Week [View in browser]( [The Independent]( [Travel] Simon Calder’s Travel Week [Simon Calder]( Written by Simon Calder | June 21, 2021 You may not wish to thank me for pointing out that from tomorrow onwards, the days start getting shorter. All that talk of "freedom day" in England coinciding with midsummer vanished a week ago, as the Delta variant propelled the UK to the top of the European infection chart. Starting today, [Italy demands five days of self-isolation from people arriving from the UK]( – yet miraculously other countries are still prepared to welcome us. Spain, Greece and Portugal have all concluded that public health depends on public wealth, and that in turn requires a functioning tourism industry. Last week Portugal said it would accept a cheap and quick lateral flow test from British visitors rather than the PCR version. Now Greece has followed suit, easing the testing requirement. The government in Athens allows fully vaccinated arrivals to swerve even that procedure. Imagine: a government accepting that people who have had both jabs present a lesser risk than unvaccinated folk. [I first wrote about the concept early in February;](at last the idea that some concessions should be given to those who have been immunised is being considered by the government here. Flying visit: a 'Flying Dolphin' hydrofoil off the coast of the Peloponnese in southeast Greece While they deliberate, the wilful destruction of what was once the finest travel industry in the world continues. The British Airline Pilots’ Association (Balpa) has analysed the figures from Eurocontrol, which coordinates air traffic across Europe, for 9 June. On that day, air traffic to and from the UK managed only 27 per cent of 2019 levels – significantly worse than Germany in second place at 38 per cent. The list of the worst affected airports in Europe’s top 20 European airports is headed by Gatwick and Manchester, with the other two English airports in the table, Heathrow and Stansted, failing to achieve even one third of previous levels. With Gibraltar and Iceland the only viable destinations, hopes and jobs are being lost by the day. Good old days? Gatwick airport in 1962, when it handled about as many passengers as it does now. Ministers are also contemplating the next round of changes to the “traffic light” categories for international travel, to be revealed on Thursday. It is hard to see how they could punish any further prospective travellers and the industry that depends on them – except by ignoring the glaring truth that you and I would be at far less risk of contracting coronavirus in almost any Mediterranean country. The US Centers for Disease Control is very picky about where Americans can safely go, but insists that Malta, Albania and Morocco present the lowest risk possible. For how much longer can the UK keep swimming against the tide of unlocking travel? Destination of the week: Bergen, Norway Broad daylight: the quayside in Bergen, which enjoys 19 hours of daylight today Norway's second city perches prettily precisely two-thirds of the way from the Equator to the North Pole, which is why the light lasts so deliciously long in summer. The sun rose today at 4.09am in Bergen and will set at 11.11pm. In normal times, visitors can revel in more than 17 hours of daylight, with just seven hours of twilight before the next dawn. All the more opportunity to explore a great harbour city – rich in history, natural beauty and friendly people. It is also the southern terminus of Hurtigruten, the ferry that connects communities all the way along the coast into the Arctic and around to the Russian frontier: one of the world's finest pieces of public transport. Deals of the week - Look upon it as a £16 bet. On Wednesday 23 June you can fly from Stansted to Malta on Ryanair for £8, returning a week later (30 June) for the same fare. When ministers decide the next round of “traffic light” changes on Thursday this week, continuing to refuse to add the island to the green list would be weird and indefensible. That said, there’s no guarantee it will happen. But if Malta does go on the low-risk register, its new, appealing status will probably take effect on Tuesday 29 June, in good time for your return. - On the day that rail "flexi season" tickets go on sale in England, a reminder that other multiple-journey tickets are available. Next week the standard one-way fare on Wightlink from Portsmouth to Ryde rises to £17.10. A book of 10 tickets cuts the price per journey to just £7; buy 60 tickets and the trip cost falls to £5.40. - Finally, not only is it midsummer – The Independent is also bringing you this special edition newsletter to celebrate Amazon Prime Day, which is happening today and tomorrow. My colleagues on the [IndyBest]( desk are keen I let you know about some of the best offers around. So here we go: - After a better TV if you are taking a break but not travelling anywhere? If you’re looking for a screen upgrade, today is the day to grab a bargain from Philips, LG, Sony and more. [Click here for the full IndyBest guide to TV deals.]( - A revamp to the wardrobe for that UK break? [Browse through all the clothing deals by clicking here]( - Or perhaps an Apple device to help you stay connected. [Click here for the full guide to all the Apple offers available.]( - A new coffee machine to help upgrade those days spent at home? [Click here for the full guide to home appliance offers.]( - The IndyBest team have put together a full guide to help you navigate your way around all the deals as well as a live blog to keep you up to speed with what is available and when. [Click here for the full guide]( and [here for the live blog](. Question of the week: Could Turkey 'go amber'? Question: I am due to fly to Turkey on 3 July. What are the chances of it becoming amber by then? Their vaccination rate is so much better now and Covid levels are lower than ours in the UK. Answer: There is a slim possibility that Turkey could be moved from red to amber on 24 June or at some stage in July, but all the signs are that the country will remain in the highest risk category for a while. Like the UAE, it is the location for two big international hub airports (the new Istanbul airport and the older Sabiha Gokcen), which the UK government is known to regard as a red line. So my view is that the obligation for hotel quarantine will continue. Stories you might like [Simon Calder discusses travelling after May 17]( [Simon Calder discusses travelling after May 17]( [Flexible rail season ticket: How much can travellers save?]( Flexible rail season ticket: How much can travellers save?]( More stories [MPs tell government to upgrade e-passport gates to read Covid tests]( MPs tell government to upgrade e-passport gates to read Covid tests]( [All you need to know about flexi season tickets for rail travellers]( All you need to know about flexi season tickets for rail travellers]( Other newsletters you might like [Adam Forrest]( Inside Politics Every weekday, 8am (UK time) Written by Adam Forrest [Join now >]( [Joe Sommerlad]( Daily News Briefing Every weekday, 8am (UK time) Written by Joe Sommerlad [Join now >]( Let me know your thoughts on Twitter [@SimonCalder](. If you can spare a minute we’d love your [feedback]( on our newsletters. 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