Travel news latest: Brexit queues and unexpected tests as international travel resumes 

… Hazel Plush is among the first in the country to enjoy a hotel breakfast this morning. She stayed as a business guest at the Castle Hotel in Windsor last night, and is heading down for a croissant and a coffee as hotel restaurants finally reopen as part of the roadmap out of lockdown.

Throughout the pandemic, while leisure travel has been prohibited, most hotels have closed their doors entirely. However, a select few have continued to host key workers and essential visitors – the people who have no choice but to stay the night away from home. Last night, Hazel Plush was one of them. 

For me, it was a novelty: signing a form to confirm that I’m a key worker, and stepping into an almost empty hotel. I needed to be in Windsor first thing this morning, reporting on the restart of indoor hospitality and tourism. To hit the ground running, I booked a room at The Castle Hotel; in the heart of the town, just steps from Windsor Castle and the Long Walk. I’ve stayed here before, in pre-pandemic times: when the bar and restaurant were busy, and the rooms full.

Last night, it felt very different.  When I checked in (very quiet, though very speedy), I filled in a form to confirm that my visit was indeed essential. Here’s what it looked like:

I ticked ‘journalist’, and checked in with the NHS app. Despite these oddities, the staff were great – warm and welcoming, and apologising for the fact that they couldn’t escort me to my room.

 Other than that, everything felt reassuringly normal – albeit quiet. But this week, I doubt it will stay that way for long. 

After months of closure, hotels have finally reopened. What are the rules?

Here’s everything you need to know, from social distancing to household mingling.

Our man, Mark Stratton, has travelled to green-listed Iceland. He used the NHS app to provide proof of his vaccination status – possibly one of the first times a British person has used the NHS app to gain entry into a country.

Our man in Scotland, Robin McKelvie, has found solitude and palm trees without stepping foot on a flight.

Our writer Emma Featherstone is travelling to Gibraltar today, where 26-degree sun awaits her.

Our adventure correspondent, Simon Parker, is spending the next few weeks cycling the length of the country, starting from the Isles of Scilly.

He says there is excitement, and one or two “cautious hugs” to report.

You can read about Simon’s journey here.

At Heathrow Terminal 5’s Gate A13 the mood is one of celebration and relief for passengers flying for the first time in more than a year. 

Tiggy Duchesne, 21, flying to Lisbon with boyfriend Henry Collins, also 21, said their holiday in Portugal would feel extra-special after the past year of restrictions. 

She said: “We just can’t wait. It’s unbelievable that we’re here really. 

“All my friends have been saying ‘what? You’re going abroad?’ – there is a bit of jealousy there!

“We booked on the off-chance two months ago and we’ve been lucky. Our RyanAir flights were cancelled but luckily we were able to rebook with BA. 

“The form-filling and Covid tests were a bit of an irritation but it’s been worth it.”

There is a risk that the variant first identified in India could be transmitted by people travelling out of the UK, Sir Jeremy Farrar said.

The director of the Wellcome Trust told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Britain is a very connected, and very small country and the chance of local cases becoming regional and then regional becoming national is very clear.

“And it is also connected internationally and I think that’s also a concern not only for importation of new variants coming into the country, but also people travelling out of the country – there is a risk that this variant B.617 could be transmitted from the UK now.

“I think travel should still be very cautious and only when absolutely essential.

“But the only way to stop these variants occurring is to drive down transmission.”

He added: “The biggest risk to countries like the UK – who have done very well with vaccine rollout – is variants arising from anywhere in the world and then spreading around the world when they have a biological advantage.

“So driving down transmission in this country is essential, but so is it in the rest of the world, and that means driving down transmission and making vaccines available globally.”

Our writer, Chris Leadbeater, was at Gatwick Airport at the crack of dawn this morning, before boarding a flight to Madeira.

The calm before the storm, perhaps…

The Balearic Islands is launching a significant push to get onto the UK’s green list.

Iago Negueruela, Minister of Tourism, says the Balearic government has approved a ‘Tourism Reactivation Plan’ – a €11 million initiative to “facilitate the safe reopening to international tourists.”

“As part of the plan, we are launching the ‘Safety Pack’, an updated safety protocol to protect the tourism workers, and showcase the safety in the destination, with various guides aiming at reducing the spread of Covid-19 in the archipelago,” Negueruela said.

The destination will cap the cost of PCR tests for those returning home to €75, and €30 for an antigen test.

“A huge effort is taking place behind the scenes to start once again receiving tourists. We look forward to opening our doors to British visitors very soon.”

Gordon Rayner is off to Lisbon this morning. He describes Heathrow as “not exactly heaving”

You can travel back from the following countries into the UK without quarantine. However, you can only travel to the first three without significant restrictions on arrival.

• Portugal (including the Azores and Madeira)
• Iceland
• Gibraltar
• Australia
• New Zealand
• Singapore
• Brunei
• Faroe Islands
• Falkland Islands
• South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
• Saint Helena, Ascension & Tristan da Cunha
• Israel