We're going where the sun shines brightly

Simon Calder’s Travel Week [SUBSCRIBE]( [SUBSCRIBE: £20 FOR 1 YEAR]( July 21, 2023 [View in browser](   [The Independent]( [The Independent]( Some like it hot – but surely there are limits? This week, southern Europe has experienced a heatwave of extreme intensity. Tourist attractions have closed their gates and the average Mediterranean holiday resembles an endurance test. [Scarper to Scafa? The Sicilian resort has experienced extreme temperatures this week](   [Get inspired...]( [Prague-in-miniature]( Behind its romantic medieval castle and pretty, cobbled lanes, the Czech town of Cesky Krumlov is looking for new ways to make tourism work for everyone. [I'm an image]( //link.e.independent.co.uk/click/32147787.8382/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5kZXBlbmRlbnQuY28udWsvdHJhdmVsL2luZGVwZW5kZW50LXRyYXZlbGxlci9jb2xsZWN0aW9uL3NwYS1ob3RlbHMtaW4tY29ybndhbGw/583d2887487ccd777a8b7489Bb7c1a3a4[Lakeside living]( Warm up and then cool off with a trip to the Italian Lakes. From eco-conscious pads on the shores of Lake Como to a luxe palazzo by Lake Maggiore, here's our pick of the region's best hotels. [I'm an image]( Embrace the staycation]( Holidaying in your own home? Why staying hyper-local is possibly the most relaxing – and cheapest – travel trend making a comeback this summer.   Simon’s dispatches Taking the temperature, as it were, among holidaymakers currently in [Italy, Spain and Greece](, there is a clear divide. A few find the intense heat gruelling: they could avoid the worst of it by doing as the Romans do and staying inside for the hottest hours of the day, but that takes the shine off their trip. Yet the majority appear happy: they expected a hot and sunny holiday and, by any measure, their journey has delivered. No one in the popular resorts of Alcudia and Port de Pollenca on our favourite Spanish island, Mallorca, seemed alarmed that Spain’s state meteorological office [warned of “extreme risk” between 11am and 8pm on Tuesday](, with temperatures reaching 43C (109F). Excessive heat is a particular worry for families with young children, older travellers and those with pre-existing medical conditions. The [holiday companies and airlines I contacted say normal terms and conditions apply](: high temperatures in holiday hotspots are nothing new at this time of year, they argue. Anyone who has buyer’s remorse about a booked holiday has limited options. Perhaps the most useful: under the Package Travel Regulations, a proper flight-plus-accommodation trip can be transferred to someone else for a nominal fee – typically £25 per person. Yet even last-minute travellers are undeterred, according to Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of the Advantage Travel Partnership. She tells me travel agents in her network are taking plenty of late bookings, with no reports of cancellations. “Without question the Met Office’s forecast of rain in the UK has a bigger influence on behaviours,” she says. This is not entirely surprising. British travellers can take sole credit for opening up predominantly winter destinations such as Florida, Egypt and Dubai as peak summer holiday territory. The current demand for going where the sun shines brightly is so strong that the last seat available on any of the six easyJet flights today from Gatwick to Malaga sold last night for £312 one way. Rudyard Kipling is credited with observing: “Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.” That trend seems set to continue. [The great summer getaway: Rail chaos, soaring air fares and long queues on motorways to impact travel plans](     Tip of the week: Be aware of the BA Avios change [British Airways is changing the way travellers earn frequent-flyer points](. No longer will passengers collect Avios, the airline's loyalty currency, according to the length of the flight. BA now says it all depends on the price of the ticket (minus taxes and airport charges, plus ancillaries such as seat selection and baggage). The aim: to align reward with spend. The airline insists that under the new model most passengers will collect either the same or more Avios on their flight. Those of us who choose heavily discounted tickets may find that on some trips it reduces still further the number of Avios awarded. But if you book before 18 October the current arrangements apply – even for a trip taken after that date. Deal of the week: Cheap Sunday travel across Northern Ireland As far as The Independent is aware, Northern Ireland is not expected to experience excessive summer temperatures over the coming weeks. Anyone who is tempted to explore the nation at no risk of heat exhaustion should consider the [Sunday Day Tracker]( – offering unlimited rail travel each Sunday for a flat fare of £9 (£4.50 for under-16s). No need to book in advance – buy from the ticket office or conductor. [Belfast Grand Central Station set to be the biggest transport hub on the island of Ireland]( Enjoy a year of unlimited digital access for just £99 £20 ✓ 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: Can I avoid New York resort fees? Q I’m booking a trip to New York and am alarmed to see a charge for “resort fees” at about $40 per night. Are these fees compulsory, or can I avoid them? A Resort fees are a pernicious scourge of travel to New York City and Las Vegas. They are simply used flatter a hotel’s rates. Finding a decent Manhattan hotel room for under $200 (£153) is a welcome deal – perhaps until you find it costs $40 (£31) extra, possibly with taxes to inflate the cost further still. [The best budget hotels in New York]( The previous US president and current hotelier [Donald Trump loves resort fees](. At his Miami property, for example, the daily charge of $39 is supposedly for wifi, access to the fitness centre, a “daily virtual newspaper” and up to 20 minutes a day of local phone calls. These are services that any civilised hotel will provide as a matter of course, along with hot and cold running water. Were resort fees optional, it would be possible to avoid them; but they are mandatory: those unexpected extras cannot be declined to save cash. Some light at the end of the tunnel: Trump’s successor as president, [Joe Biden, has ordered the Federal Trade Commission to eliminate fees]( that are intended “to confuse or deceive consumers”. But in the short term all you can do is be prepared for unwanted extras in the billing area. STAT OF THE WEEK 24% [Increase in revenue-per-seat for easyJet]( in the spell from April to June 2023, compared with a year earlier. The average fare has risen from £46 to £57. What you might have missed... - Overbooking trick: [Vueing passengers who register in advance could earn €250]( - Train vs plane: [Greenpeace survey shows rail travel is far more expensive than air]( - Night moves: [Don't try this at your 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 Instagram (and also now on Threads) [@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]( [Best men’s summer shoes and sandals, for holidays, weddings and more]( From [sandals]( and [slides]( to [clogs]( and [trainers](, we’ve tested the [best men’s summer shoes](. [Shop now]( Trending: [Best cool bags and ice boxes]( Essential reading [No, ultra heatwaves are not the latest ‘travel trend’ – they will change the way we holiday forever](   Articles available exclusively to subscribers ‘It’s like having your legs broken’: The truth about flying as a disabled traveller](   OTHER NEWSLETTERS YOU MIGHT LIKE [Climate News]( Climate News Every Friday, 12pm (UK time) Written by Louise Boyle [Join now]( [IndyEats]( IndyEats Every Saturday, 7am (UK time) Written by Hannah Twiggs [Join now]( [Climate News] Climate News Every Friday, 12pm (UK time) Written by Louise Boyle [Join now]( [IndyEats] IndyEats Every Saturday, 7am (UK time) Written by Hannah Twiggs [Join now](   The Independent proudly partners with [Refuge]( and the [National Domestic Abuse Helpline](: 0808 2000 247 If you can spare a minute we’d love your [feedback]( on our newsletters. 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