That strange time of year when air fares go crazy and Cornwall's trains close down

Simon Calder’s Travel Week [SUBSCRIBE]( [SUBSCRIBE: £20 FOR 1 YEAR]( August 25, 2023 [View in browser](   [The Independent]( [The Independent]( If you happen to be flying out of London Heathrow Terminal 4 this morning, you may shudder when you glance up at the departures screen and see the destination of China Southern flight CZ608, due out at 12.55pm: Wuhan... All directions: a signpost in Malaga, from where flights to London this week are hyper-expensive   [Get inspired...]( [Greek island magic]( Seen Santorini? Meh about Mykonos? Swap them for Milos, the more wild, less developed Cycladic island that's bang on trend for your next adventure. [I'm an image]( [Italy hotels]( Our experts have carefully curated the best stays from the tip to the top of the boot, including luxe Florence boutiques and eco-conscious hotels in Lake Como. [I'm an image]( [Culture on the coast]( Combining a seaside jaunt with must-see artsy attractions in East Sussex makes for an idyllic domestic break on the UK's Coastal Culture Trail.   Simon’s dispatches The Airbus jet is departing for a city in the People’s Republic that, four years ago, many people would have never heard of – let alone been able to locate on a map. After a brisk 10-hour flight, mostly over northern Russia, passengers will touch down in the now all-too-familiar capital of Hubei province. The city where the pandemic originated is back in the schedules from Heathrow. The resumption of flights to Wuhan shows aviation, which commercially has endured an extreme case of long Covid, is well on the way to recovery. A wider appraisal comes from the aviation analytics firm, Cirium, which predicted that today will be the busiest day for UK departures since October 2019. With British Airways grounding at least 50 flights to and from Heathrow today, and easyJet cancelling a further 10 at Gatwick, that milestone may not be reached. Even with the airlines at full strength, seats are still 10 per cent down on the corresponding August bank holiday weekend before the pandemic – which helps explain why [fares coming home from the Mediterranean are so extreme](. So desperate are families to make up for lost sunshine that demand is outstripping supply. The cheapest flight from Malaga to Heathrow next Thursday is selling this morning at £784 on BA, one way. For rather less than that, China Southern will fly you on the same day via the People’s Republic to Sydney, and back a fortnight later. Heading to the other side of the world has the merit of avoiding two out of the [next three national rail strikes in England](. A reminder that hostilities between the rail unions, train operators and the government resume tomorrow. Members of the larger rail union, the RMT, walk out on the next two Saturdays, with train drivers belonging to Aslef stopping work next Friday, 1 September. At the heart of the twin disputes: both unions demand decent no-strings increases that take into account months of high inflation. They say they are prepared to discuss reforms, but these must be negotiated separately (and accompanied by commensurate pay boosts). But train operators and ministers say that rail revenue has collapsed; the only way to award even a modest pay rise is to fund it out of efficiency savings. To press their point, the unions understandably aim to cause maximum disruption to festival goers, sports fans and people holidaying at in England. [At exactly the time when families want to return from seaside holidays](, no trains at all will run to, from or within Cornwall on strike days. In this pair of increasingly long and bitter disputes over pay and working arrangements, no talks have taken place since April. Were you to take up that option of a cheap trip to Australia, you might discover the UK is not alone: rail workers in New South Wales chose [the day Australia reopened to foreign tourists]( after its interminable Covid lockdown to strike, triggering transport chaos for those of us hoping to take the train from the airport. You could probably stay for months in Australia and still encounter rail walk-outs when you return. The two sides appear to be engaged in an intractable war of attrition. Caught in the middle: the passenger, and the future of the railway. In three weeks I need to travel from London to Bristol. With no certainty of trains running normally, I have bought a ticket on ever-reliable [FlixBus](.     Tip of the week: Watford to Heathrow coach link revived The coach link between Watford Junction station on the West Coast main line and London Heathrow has been revived this week, making access to the UK's busiest airport easier from locations including Northampton, Rugby, the West Midlands and Stafford. Route RA3 runs roughly hourly from 4am to 9pm. It is scheduled to take 45 minutes between the railway station and Heathrow Terminal 2, and five minutes longer to Terminal 3. For Terminals 4 and 5, you must transfer to the train. Through [RailAir.com]( the one-way fare is £9 for adults, with under-16s travelling free. PICK OF THE WEEK: NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE [Experience Freestyle Cruising: Indulge your taste buds at one of the various dining options, relax in your spacious stateroom then venture out to experience the excursion of your choice.]( tui-uk.7cnq.net/rQOdXQ [Experience Florida with TUI](tui-uk.7cnq.net/rQOdXQ) Save up to £300pp on trips to Florida this Winter [Village Hotels]( Save 10% on room rates for UK destinations   Deal of the week: Rail and sail between GB and Northern Ireland The [Stena Line]( ferry link between Cairnryan in southwest Scotland and Belfast offers excellent buy-on-the-day rail and sail fares from stations in Scotland and northern England. The one-way trip from Glasgow Central to the Northern Ireland capital costs a flat £35; from Carlisle, £43; and from Newcastle, £50. [Our latest Belfast city guide]( 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: A Christmas trip to Colombia? Q Would you recommend a two-week visit to Colombia over Christmas and New Year? If so, where would you go? A Unreservedly. Cartagena, on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, is the most enchanting Spanish city in South America. It is rivalled for grace and beauty only by Havana, and is in rather better shape than the Cuban capital. Cartagena also makes it easy to combine city life with decent beaches, just a couple of miles offshore on the island of Tierra Bomba. You can also add some adventure: travel 140 miles northeast by bus to Santa Marta. which is base camp for the spectacular Tayrona National Natural Park. This park is relatively compact: about half the size of the Isle of Wight, although even more interesting, with a corrugated coastline protecting gorgeous beaches. You can hike on a number of rewarding trails. For an extra dimension, take a side trip to Medellin, 75 minutes away – a high-altitude, high-energy metropolis in the centre of some superb landscapes. [Our latest Colombia travel guide]( STAT OF THE WEEK 26 million [Number of bags misrouted by airlines during 2022](– equivalent to three passengers from every wide-bodied jet flight losing their luggage. What you might have missed... - Pet peeves: [Woman accuses airline of losing her dog at world’s busiest airport]( - Portugal bargain: [Unlimited rail travel for a month for €49]( - Stranded in Africa: [Namibia's main airport evicts ground handlers, causing widespread cancellations]( 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. 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