When amber turns green ... at least for some

Simon Calder’s Travel Week [View in browser]( [The Independent]( [Travel] Simon Calder’s Travel Week [Simon Calder]( Written by Simon Calder | July 16, 2021 The year 2021 started 196 days ago. It will be another three days before the government allows a significant number of us to travel to a wide range of locations abroad – without, on return, having to spend days "in a well ventilated room with an outside window that can be opened, separate from other people in your home" on return. But at 4am on Monday 19 July, "amber" becomes "green". [Anyone with the good fortune to have been vaccinated by the NHS]( no longer needs to self-isolate when coming home from France, Spain, Italy, Greece and dozens of other splendid nations. The move creates a troubling two-class society: the jabbed and the jabbed-nots. And it raises practical questions, such as: which amber list countries take the least effort to visit? It's been so long since I was abroad, I fear my passport may have run out. The UK's complex tangle of restrictions is only part of the jigsaw. You must, of course, follow the rules that each nation sets for us – as well as any stipulations for a country you are visiting along the way. Many alluring amber locations, from the US to China, really don't want to see us right now – though as Friday dawns it appears [President Biden may shortly announce an end to the proclamation banning Brits](. Elsewhere, mandatory quarantine is required by a number of countries even if you are vaccinated. Yes, I'm thinking of you, Italy. La dolce vita has been scuppered, alliteratively, by the delta variant. Until 30 July at the earliest, arrivals to Italy from the UK must quarantine for five days. [Malta deserves special mention]( for its blanket ban on anyone aged 12 or over who has not been doubly jabbed, with Germany also taking a hard line against the unvaccinated. France's policy is "jab plus test," while for Spain and Portugal it is an either/or: if you don't have a vaccination certificate, then prepare for the expense, discomfort and hassle of a test. Distant dream: the shore of Lake Ohrid in North Macedonia, with the mountains of Albania in the haze Where can anyone go, regardless of vaccination status and with no need to test or quarantine on arrival? I must direct you to the southwest Balkans. Albania and neighbouring North Macedonia happen to be two of my favourite small countries. These fragments in the European mosaic share a magnificent lake, Ohrid, implausibly welcoming people and the distinction that they demand nothing more from a UK visitor than a valid passport and a smile. Destination of the week: Tullie House, Carlisle Every frock tells a story: The Costume Collection at Tullie House in Carlisle, which opened yesterday Small is often beautiful, both for countries and museums. The Tullie House compresses Roman history and pre-Raphaelite art into a petite and ornate complex in a corner of Carlisle. It also offers a garden decorated with flowers and Roman remnants – and, as of yesterday, a new and permanent Costume Collection. More than 40 outfits and accessories tell the stories of some of the women who have lived and worked in Carlisle, from factory workers and nurses to aristocrats and artists. "They range from the rare and beautiful to the practical and familiar but each one gives us an insight into the life and identity of the person they belonged to," says the curator, Melanie Gardner. Deals of the week: Greece and Wales - Despite the financial carnage of the coronavirus pandemic, Ryanair is sticking to the knitting. Its mantra is "load factor active, yield passive". In English, that means: we will cut fares to whatever level we need to in order to fill our planes. Just as the evacuation from Mallorca gets under way for the great unjabbed, heading in the other direction is extraordinary value. Manchester to Palma tomorrow, returning a week later, is £30 return. - Summer in the city is the message for the UK right now, with metropolitan hotel rates low – and the Central Scotland Rail Rover is the ideal adjunct if you are staying in Edinburgh or Glasgow. It gives you three consecutive days of travel on ScotRail trains between both cities and extensions to Fife (across the Forth Bridge), south to Lanark and even unlimited use of the Glasgow underground. You can buy the pass for £55 from any station – no need to plan in advance – and usual railcard discounts apply. Question of the week: how long do I self-isolate? Question: I am due to return to the UK from France on 18 July and have been fully vaccinated by the NHS. Amber list quarantine for people like me ends at 4am on 19 July. Can I just self-isolate overnight? Answer: No. If you arrive from France (or any other amber list location) before 4am on Monday you must quarantine at home for 10 days. Once self-isolation after travel has started, it must be completed. The only ways to finish ahead of the 10 days: leave the country again or (in England) test to release after five days. A much better plan is to delay your return to the UK by a day. Prices on trains, ferries and aircraft from France are reasonable, and probably less than the cost of the additional (day eight) PCR test you would need if you do return on 18 July. 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