The article below is an excerpt from Simon Calder’s travel newsletter. To get the latest from Simon delivered straight to your inbox, simply enter your email address in the box above.
Along with ornithology and Morris dancing, I have never quite seen the appeal of a poolside sunbed. If you find yourself beneath clear skies, the best option is to explore the location while it basks in sunshine. And while I recognise the enticement of relaxing by the water, surely that is what the sea is for? With notable exceptions – such as wonderful Luxor in Egypt – holiday destinations tend to be located beside attractive coastlines. Take a towel, take a swim. Then take a break out of the sun.
I accept, though, that many people love nothing more than lounging beside the pool. The verdict of a court case in Germany indicates access to a sunbed should now be regarded as a basic human right. A holidaymaker in Greece claimed he had woken at 6am and spent 20 minutes vainly trying to find sunloungers for his family of four – only to find that earlier risers had placed towels on the hotel’s entire stock of the coveted couches, thereby staking an irrevocable territorial claim. He was duly awarded £850 in compensation.
Fortunately for all future sunbed seekers, I have come up with the answer: harness 21st technology to map and then sell the available horizontal hotspots. Drop a virtual towel on your chosen sunbed – either at the moment you book your holiday, or once you are in the resort, through a brand-new app. It’s so brand new, I haven’t yet constructed it. But after workshopping some names, including Divine Recline, Flat Out and SunSpot, the clear winner is TowelWizard. You’re welcome.
So that’s sunbed wars dealt with. Now for the Middle East…
Reasons to be cheerful this summer
“Come cry with me”, warned Wednesday’s front page headline in The Sun. With 13,000 flights grounded in May, the newspaper claimed “looming jet fuel shortages” have “forced airlines to tear up busy half-term schedules”. The conclusion: “Hols chaos over fuel shortages.”
The key fact is correct: globally, 13,000 flights scheduled for May were cancelled during April. But here’s a more helpful and accurate headline: “No hols chaos over fuel shortages.” On the average day in May, 110,000 flights are scheduled. If you happen to be a Lufthansa passenger booked to fly from Glasgow to Frankfurt, the German airline has probably already told you that the flight is grounded. The reason: to save money.
The high price of aviation fuel caused by the conflict in the Middle East has turned many marginally profitable routes into outright loss-makers. But for the average British traveller, the consequences are unlikely to be more extreme than catching a bus from Glasgow to Edinburgh (at the airline’s expense) to fly to the Lufthansa hub.
My message remains: make the most of now. As of this morning, you can book a week’s holiday with Tui to beautiful Thassos in Greece from Gatwick, starting on Sunday, for £1 per hour: £168 per person based on two sharing, including flights with checked luggage, transfers (with a fun ferry crossing) and accommodation. That kind of price will not be around next summer.
Worrisome travellers may also be concerned about cruising and the Canary Islands, after the tragic and unfolding story of MV Hondius – currently off the coast of Mauritania and due to dock in Tenerife tomorrow. Hantavirus has claimed three lives and will require around 150 passengers and crew aboard the expedition ship to isolate for weeks. Unlike the common cruise ship hazards of Covid and gastric illness, hantavirus is not easily transmissible. Expect to see medical staff clad head-to-toe in hazmat gear as they deal with the disembarkation. But I shall see you aboard my summer cruise. The best protection against seaborne bugs: keep washing your hands, as demonstrated by Lady Macbeth. To lose your holiday would be a tragedy.
Sign up for Travel Insider
Travel Insider is The Independent’s twice-weekly travel newsletter, packed with insight, inspiration and trusted advice to help you explore better.
It is your guide to planning smarter journeys: from finding the best low-impact ways to get around to choosing destinations that benefit local communities.
Each Friday and Sunday, you’ll receive a curated digest of the biggest developments in travel, along with unbeatable deals, destination ideas, and expert tips on where, when and how to go.
To sign up, simply enter your email address in the box at the top of this article.
You can also head to our newsletter preference centre to sign up for the email.
