It's not a good look. In this of all months, one country began April by imposing a £10 charge on all arriving tourists from Europe. On 2 April, non-Europeans were hit by increased tax on their flights in and out. And within a week, that £10 tariff for arrivals will rise by 60 per cent. Welcome to the United Kingdom, where Tuesday's increase in Air Passenger Duty for intercontinental departures was followed a day later by the requirement for all overseas tourists, except the lucky Irish, to go online and pay for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA). If you know anyone who is determined to come here despite these rising barriers, tip them off to apply by Tuesday to avoid the ETA fee increase to £16. While the UK seems intent on deterring inbound tourists, I have spent the week investigating where your pound will stretch the furthest – or, more accurately, where you will face the lowest tariff for the temerity of being a tourist. Top of the list: those fragments of Britishness that do not levy VAT. The Channel Islands comprise the closest havens for a tax-free holiday, but in my experience Gibraltar is even sunnier – with a wealth of attractions and some decent Mediterranean beaches. Reaching the Rock may cost you £13 in Air Passenger Duty, but conversely you can bring back, free of duty, 42 litres of beer, 18 litres of wine and four litres of spirits. Good luck with that cabin baggage allowance.
Heathrow: what went wrong on 'fail Friday'? – podcast
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Rock steady: Sales tax in Gibraltar is zero |
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| From the Galapagos to Namibia and the Azores, take a walk on the wild side. Read more. |
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| Activities from sky to sea make this island the ideal destination for a dose of adrenaline. Read more. |
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| Even on a tight schedule, there are ways to experience the Big Apple without breaking the bank. Read more. |
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"Make Luxembourg great again" is not a slogan I have heard in the Grand Duchy, which has been quietly getting on with international trade to become Europe's richest nation. But five years ago this spring, Luxembourg took the bold step of reducing the tariff on public transport to zero – in other words, removing fares on trains, trams, buses and even the spectacular cliff-climbing Pfaffenthal-Kirchberg funicular. Last week at Luxembourg Ville railway station, I tracked down the rarest of species: a ticket machine, where if you really must, you can pay a supplement for first class on trains. For the rest of us, whether locals or visitors, just step aboard one of the remarkably reliable conveyances. Meals, drinks and hotels in Luxembourg are not as expensive as you might imagine given the abundant wealth. The nation has the lowest VAT in the EU, at 17 per cent. In another small state, Andorra, tax on goods and services is just 4.5 per cent – or 1 per cent on food and drink. Some locations offer freebies to visitors. At Dubai airport, passport officials hand your travel document back augmented by a free SIM card that gives you 10GB of mobile data – more than enough to see you through a short visit. Across in Taipei, any foreign independent traveller who registers in advance on the "Taiwan the Lucky Land" website is in with a reasonable chance of being handed a voucher worth 5,000 Taiwanese dollars (£115) as soon as they step off the plane – 555 prizes are awarded each day before the scheme closes at the end of June. Back in Luxembourg: I was exploring beyond the pretty village of Schengen (yes, the place after which the Schengen Agreement on passport-free travel is named). Across the Moselle river, Germany rubs up against France. While walking through the vineyards in the latter nation, I saw I was running late for my (doubtless punctual) bus to Luxembourg City. So I hitched. The first car stopped a few metres inside French territory to take me back to Schengen via Germany and set a minor record in the process: three countries in one lift, in just four minutes. No frontiers, no charge. |
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Wild Sri Lanka: 13 Nights from £2199/pp | Travel 01 May - 19 July 2025 |
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Each week, we'll be asking you to choose between two holiday destinations in our exclusive Travel Week poll. Last week's results were decisive, with 73 per cent going for Greece over Mexico. Don't forget to check back next Friday for the results! |
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Adelaide from east or west |
South Australia's capital rarely features on anyone's round-the-world itinerary, but that may soon change. Emirates and Qatar Airways have restored their links via the Gulf to Adelaide. In December, United will launch a thrice-weekly nonstop flight from the city to San Francisco. Adelaide is the heartland of a thriving wine industry and has good access to Kangaroo Island (above) and the nation's the "Red Centre". The new US route means the city could become an Australian touch point on round-the-world flights. Or you could fly in to Perth or Darwin, and board the iconic Indian Pacific or Ghan train respectively to Adelaide before taking off for California. |
Many schools across the UK finish for the Easter holidays today with most planning holidays right through to Easter Monday, 21 April. During the coming 18 days, there will be severe delays on some roads and motorways. The worst delays are predicted for today and tomorrow, with the heaviest traffic on the M6 anywhere north of Birmingham, the M5 southwest from Birmingham to Bristol and Exeter and the M25 around London – particularly between the M23 and M40 junctions to the southwest, and the Dartford Crossing to the east.
Key intercity rail links will be interrupted by planned Network Rail engineering work, especially on the West Coast main line over the Easter weekend. And airlines are warning of the most delayed flights in a quarter-century, as air traffic control centres struggle with staff shortages. Your flight rights |
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Should we steer clear of Turkey? |
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We haven't yet committed to our usual early summer holiday this year. Not having been to Turkey, I am tempted. But given the apparent political turmoil, should we go elsewhere? |
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Turkey's long-time president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has arrested his leading political rival, Istanbul's mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. Last weekend saw mass anti-government protests across Turkey. The Foreign Office currently warns: "Regular demonstrations and protests are currently taking place in Istanbul and other cities across Turkey. Demonstrations may become violent. The police response has included use of tear gas and water cannons. Avoid all demonstrations and leave the area if one develops."
Yet in the course of around a dozen visits to Turkey over the decades, even at times of heightened political tension I have not seen any effect on the Mediterranean tourist resorts. In May, you can expect a warm welcome and a rich experience without the crowds and heat of peak summer. And you will also get a cheap holiday. Perhaps the political climate has dampened demand to Turkey, but this particular early summer holiday prices look absurdly low. For example, Tui is offering a week's package holiday from a range of UK airports in mid-May for under £300 to the cheerful resort of Marmaris – including flights (with baggage), transfers and accommodation, sometimes with breakfast included. Jet2 Holidays will take you to the more culturally rewarding Bodrum Peninsula or Antalya area for under £400 for a week, particularly from Birmingham or Stansted.
At those prices I am sorely tempted, so I may see you there. Holiday living costs should be low, too. The Turkish lira has declined in value by one-fifth against sterling in the past year, though high inflation has eroded some of that gain. |
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| Stay fresh on the go! The Oral-B pro 3 with travel case is reduced to just £35 at Amazon. |
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