Four strikes and you're not out

Simon Calder’s Travel Week [SUBSCRIBE]( [SUBSCRIBE: £1 FOR 3 MONTHS]( May 05, 2023 [View in browser](   [The Independent]( [The Independent]( “As full of spirit as the month of May,” wrote Shakespeare. But many travellers are feeling low-spirited about the level of strife in what is supposed to be the industry of human happiness. A Bulgarian train on the route of the Orient Express to Istanbul   [Get inspired...]( Green Gozo]( When it comes to sustainability, Malta’s smaller sister is blazing ahead as it aims to become a carbon-free ‘eco island’. Here's [how to experience its rugged charm]( [I'm an image]( [Island life]( The [best places to stay in the Greek isles]( make the most of the Aegean sea air on Mykonos, Santorini, Crete and more with these hand-picked hotels [I'm an image]( [Liverpool beyond Eurovision]( The city of music is stepping into the spotlight as host of the ultimate song contest this month, but [there's plenty more it has to offer]( on a UK city break   Simon’s dispatches On May Day itself, [hundreds of flights were cancelled due to a strike by French air-traffic controllers](: passengers flying from the UK to Spain, Switzerland and Italy found their planes grounded because workers in France are unhappy about President Macron’s decision to raise the pension age from 62 to 64. By Tuesday, it was the turn of [1,000 staff at HM Passport Office to join a strike]( that had already been running for four weeks: additional workers, including interview officers, walked out as part of a Civil Service-wide dispute over pay, pensions and jobs. “The number of appointments has been slashed and the amount of passports issued greatly reduced,” says their union, the PCS. “New applications have been left unprocessed.” An HM Passport Office spokesperson countered that the organisation “remains well-positioned to deal with this industrial action”. My spirits sank further on Wednesday after talking to Mick Whelan, the affable and effective general secretary of the train drivers’ union, Aslef. His members will walk out next Friday for the first of three days of the latest bout of industrial action, halting many thousands of trains. [Might the national rail strikes drag on through the summer of ’23?]( “I believe so,” he told me. “These are government-led strikes, government-driven strikes, government-organised strikes.” The government, unsurprisingly, disagrees. A Department for Transport spokesperson called Mr Whelan’s assertions “completely false” and said: “The secretary of state [Mark Harper] and the rail minister [Huw Merriman] have positively changed the tone and facilitated negotiations, including meeting Mick Whelan on a number of occasions.” Both those ministers are likeable and capable – making it all the more dispiriting that agreement seems no closer than when the first national rail strikes since the 1980s began almost a year ago. As Thursday morning dawned, I was at [London Heathrow’s Terminal 5 as the next round of strikes by security staff began](. Going to an airport other than to fly somewhere lovely is rarely joyful. While all was reasonably quiet on Heathrow’s western front, the words of the Unite union’s general secretary, Sharon Graham, stayed with me: “This dispute is bound to escalate with more workers being balloted and disruption set to continue throughout the summer.” The current strike ends tomorrow, with more action next Tuesday and Wednesday as well as 25-27 May. The fundamental aims of all these groups of workers is to facilitate, not flummox, travellers’ plans. To get you and me on our holidays requires a boggling number of well-intentioned individuals collaborating to get trains, planes and travel documents away. Understandably, those who feel their needs are going unrecognised will seek to exercise their industrial muscle. Caught in the middle: the traveller. “Gorgeous as the sun at midsummer,” is the next line in Henry IV, Part I. Perhaps by 21 June – the anniversary of the first 21st-century national rail strikes – some peace, love and understanding will break out. Meanwhile, you might find some inspiration in [the inaugural Trans-European Race from London to Istanbul]( – following, approximately, the route of the Orient Express. See you at the start on 5 August, strikes or not. [Listen to Trans-European Race organiser Dylan Harris](     Tip of the week: Slate, yoga and brunch in southern Cumbria Holker Hall, the stately home in southern Cumbria, has a new attraction: a vast slate structure created by the artist Julie Brook. The heavenly stairway of raw and finished rock takes pride of place in the Deer Park – contrasting sharply with the hall’s formality and offering splendid views from the top. On Sunday 7 May, [you can enjoy the new sight along with Yoga and Brunch](, which is being served up at 9am. [Read our latest Lake District guide]( PICK OF THE WEEK: AMBASSADOR CRUISE LINE [Our new 2024/25 Season is here! We are Ambassador. The premium value no-fly cruise line offering the warmest welcome at sea. Sailing to over 120 ports, over 30 countries and over 148,000 nautical miles – who is joining?]( Deal of the week: Coronation Day flights Demand for flights on Saturday, Coronation Day, has dwindled to the point where airlines are almost giving tickets away. [Ryanair]( will fly you from Bournemouth to Bergerac in southwest France for £11 one-way, according to research conducted on Thursday afternoon. Edinburgh to the Icelandic capital, Reykjavik, is £42. [Our travel guide to Iceland in summer]( £99 £20 for 1 year ✓ Full access to Premium news analysis ✓ Advert-free reading across web and app ✓ The Independent Daily Edition newspaper ✓ Puzzles, virtual event tickets and more [SUBSCRIBE NOW](   Question of the week: I have not been vaccinated against Covid. Can I book a US trip now? Q I know restrictions are being lifted for unvaccinated people to travel to the US from 12 May. But can I book a holiday now, so long as I actually travel after the rules are eased for people who aren’t vaccinated? A The international Covid rules that matter are those in force on the day you travel. America’s “Covid-19 public health emergency” is coming to an end on 11 May. The White House says that from the following day, Friday 12 May,[international travellers to the US will no longer need to demonstrate that they have received Covid jabs](. It will be the first time for 38 months that unvaccinated British holidaymakers have been allowed to visit the US. Anyone, regardless of vaccination status, can make plans to travel to America from 12 May. But I ask you not to do so until your application for an Esta (the fairly swift and easy online permit to visit the US) is successful. There is, regrettably, a steady stream of people whose applications are rejected [as a result of a previous visit to Cuba]( (since 12 January 2021) or because your name and/or other personal data are similar to those of someone on an official watchlist. [Which countries still have Covid restrictions?]( STAT OF THE WEEK 228 Number of tonnes of sewage sludge required to make one tonne of sustainable aviation fuel, according to Luton-based Wizz Air]( What you might have missed... - Bali high: [Indonesian island contemplates tourist tax]( - Window pain: [Ryanair trolls honeymoon couple over view from their seats](//link.e.independent.co.uk/click/31384581.1392/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5kZXBlbmRlbnQuY28udWsvdHJhdmVsL25ld3MtYW5kLWFkdmljZS9ibHVlLWFpci1yb21hbmlhLWZsaWdodHMtc3VzcGVuZGVkLWIyMTYxNTY1Lmh0bWw/583d2887487ccd777a8b7489B4615d80b - Room disservice: [Woman finds hidden camera in Airbnb]( SIMON'S DIARY Every day from Monday to Friday I tackle a top travel story, or explore a topic in more detail than usual in ‘Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast’ – available free on [Spotify](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Pocket Casts]( or [Acast](. Every day from Monday to Friday I tackle a top travel story, or explore a topic in more detail than usual in ‘Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast’ – available free on [Spotify](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Pocket Casts]( or [Acast](. I find the easiest way to rush out stories is to tweet them. It’s also an easy way to contact me. My direct messages are open and I read all DMs, though regrettably I can’t respond to every one. Let me know your thoughts [@SimonCalder]( I find the easiest way to rush out stories is to tweet them. It’s also an easy way to contact me. My direct messages are open and I read all DMs, though regrettably I can’t respond to every one. Let me know your thoughts [@SimonCalder]( Each Saturday and Sunday I take questions live at 5.30pm British time on Instagram Live – from wherever I happen to be in the world – so please do come and say hello. Follow me on [@Simon_Calder]( Each Saturday and Sunday I take questions live at 5.30pm British time on Instagram Live – from wherever I happen to be in the world – so please do come and say hello. Follow me on [@Simon_Calder]( Or you can find me on TikTok. Come and have a look at what I have been up to as I bring you top travel topics and report on the latest changes in a minute or less via [@caldertravel]( Or you can find me on TikTok. Come and have a look at what I have been up to as I bring you top travel topics and report on the latest changes in a minute or less via [@caldertravel]( [INDYBEST]( / [BEST TRAVEL BUYS]( [8 best backpacks for hiking, the gym and work commutes]( A trusty [rucksack]( is essential for travelling [Shop now]( Trending: [TikTok-viral Stanley Quenchers are available in the UK]( Essential reading What do I need to travel to Spain? 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