Splurge or save: 'Green list' holidays for 2021

It’s finally here: the restart of overseas holidays. After a long lockdown, and a lengthy ban on foreign breaks, May 17 tempts with a handful of green-list options.

British holidaymakers who’ve squirrelled away savings may be planning a blow-out trip to the first available destination. Indeed, in our snap poll of 500 Telegraph readers, some 72 per cent said they would splurge on travel this year.

Next week should offer up quarantine-free trips to Gibraltar, Portugal and Iceland (for the fully vaccinated). In the coming months, Caribbean Islands and perhaps even the US could be added into the mix.

Here we suggest green list holidays on which to splurge your cash and alternative, more economical options which pack in plenty of adventure. We also suggest some trips to potential green list additions for further into 2021.

As ever, things can change quickly, so be sure to check the latest advice surrounding travel restrictions before you book.

Portugal

Portugal is the only major European holiday destination on the green list and we are welcome from next week. It confirmed on May 14 that it would be reopening to British holidaymakers from May 17 (while still requiring a negative PCR result for entry). The country is among the favourite destinations of our readers – from the beaches and golf courses of the Algarve to Libson’s seven hills and Tagus views, there’s much to entice.

Ready to make a break for Portugal? Here are two options for this summer.

Splurge: Sail solo

Tempted by a sumptuous solo holiday, with the option to mingle? A river voyage could be the answer. Uniworld (uniworld.com) is launching its new Super Ship São Gabriel in the Douro Valley later this summer. Typically, you’ll pay a premium to have a cabin all to yourself on the cruise, but in this case you could take advantage of a single supplement waiver and pay just £6,799 (including return flights from London Heathrow) for seven-night sailing, departing July 11 staying in one of the most luxurious spots: a Grand Suite. These come with butler service, a living room space, a bathtub and a complimentary bottle of wine on arrival. The sailing explores Porto's historic Ribeira district (home to iconic rabelo boats and a thriving art scene) before heading down river for vineyard hikes and wine tasting, charming quintas and fortified villages.

Save: Rekindle the romance

Now, this isn’t a budget option, but you’ll be squeezing some extra special experiences from what you do pay. This may appeal to couples who've been cooped up, home working for the best part of the last 14 months. Nemo Travel (nemo-travel.com) allows you to piece together your ideal trip, from picking their recommended boutique hotels to adding on extras such as food tours or cooking classes. Wander the valley (three nights at the Douro41 Hotel & Spa), then climb the Serra de Estrella mountains (three nights at Casa de Penhas Douradas). Tack on a wine tour and gourmet picnic. From £980 for two people (flights not included). For more ideas on where to stay, see our complete guide to the best hotels in Portugal.

Gibraltar

A British Overseas Territory on a great hunk of limestone rock may not necessarily be your dream post-lockdown break, but take another look. It offers both Mediterranean temperatures and a hassle-free arrival. Gibraltar is the first place on the green list to have confirmed that UK travellers are welcome without a negative Covid test, proof of vaccination or a period of self-isolation. At just three miles long and 0.75 miles wide, it could fill up far faster than Cornwall. Yet, for the moment, the rocky outpost has plenty of free spots in which to bed down over a long weekend. Go for military history, bird-watching or sandy beaches. Plus it's moved a little closer to normality than the UK, thanks to vaccinating 100 per cent of its adult population.

Splurge: Sleep like the super rich

Sample a few nights on the water without committing to a cruise. Sunborn Gibraltar is a purpose-built yacht with all the onboard amenities you might expect from a cruise vessel, including a spa, pool and live entertainment. Prices with British Airways Holidays (britishairways.com) start from £699pp for selected dates between June 18–June 29 (book by May 19), including return business class flights from London Heathrow.

Save: Check-in for old-time glamour

Enjoy a Gibraltar sojourn for a little less at The Rock Hotel. Once host to Churchill, this property clings “to the Rock’s west face at seagull level” for “spellbinding” views of Africa, according to Belinda Beckett. EasyJet Holidays (easyjet.com) offers three nights here (room only) for £375 per person, including return flights from Gatwick on July 6. For more ideas on where to stay, see our complete guide to the best hotels in Gibraltar.

Iceland

One for fully vaccinated travellers, perhaps. Iceland has waived restrictions for visitors who have had both jabs or who can prove prior recovery from Covid. “We are excited to safely reopen our borders to fully vaccinated British citizens, as well as those who are no longer susceptible to the virus,” Sigridur Dogg Gudmundsdottir, the head of the Visit Iceland tourist board, said in March. It’s not yet the season for Northern Lights, but there’s much to recommend the country in summer – from hiking glorious mountains to immersing yourself in geothermal waters. Here we suggest two alternative takes on an Iceland trip.

Splurge: Take a tour in style

The nine-day Natural Wonders of Iceland trip with Insight Vacations will take you to the largest glacier in Europe in Skaftafell National Park, the luminous blue icebergs of Lake Jökulsárlón, Snæfellsjökull National Park (home to the country’s best-known volcano), as well as the Blue Lagoon and Reykjavik. Embrace your nerdy side with a trip to Iceland’s newest geothermal heat and eclectic power station. Prices start from £3,878 per person sharing from May 23. This includes B&B, private airport transfers and evening meals (insightvacations.com).

Save: Go your own way

Play it safe by booking your accommodation and flights with an operator, then planning a tour through a local provider. The Ice Climbing and Glacier Hiking tour on Sólheimajökull with Iceland Adventure Tours is a full-day trip (lasting around 10 hours) and costs from £230 per person, including transfers and equipment (icelandadventuretours.is). Combine this with whale-watching tours from around £70 per adult and puffin-watching tours from £40 with Elding (elding.is).

EasyJet holidays offers three nights at the 4* CenterHotel Laugavegur, on a bed & breakfast basis for £270 per person including flights and transfers on July 20 (easyjet.com). For more ideas on where to stay, see our complete guide to the best hotels in Iceland.

Bookmark for later: Potential green list additions

Grenada

No Caribbean country is included in the initial green list, despite many having very low infection rates. However, this could change in the next review of the country categories – and Grenada is among the islands in the running. Grenada, and its sister islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, have already fully vaccinated 70 per cent of hotel workers as they prepare to welcome back British tourists. A mountainous and lush interior, ringed by soft-sand beaches, it's just the kind of paradise for which lockdown-weary Britons have yearned.

Splurge: Try social distancing in paradise

A seven-night stay for two people at Sandals Grenada Resort & Spa in a South Seas Grande Rondoval Butler Suite with Private Pool Sanctuary starts from £3,275 per person, departing September 14. Each suite has a private plunge pool and a whirlpool complete with a waterfall, as well as butler service. The price includes return flights with British Airways from London Gatwick (sandals.co.uk).

Save: Enjoy some island time

Less exclusive, but with ample luxury, a room-only stay for seven-nights at the Radisson Grenada Beach Resort with return flights from Gatwick is available for £2,621pp on July 3 with Tui (tui.co.uk). Nigel Tisdall writes of the hotel: “With 400 yards of beach front and lawns dotted with tropical flowers and trees – including some pet goats that help mow the grass – this is a resort that has space to breathe.”

USA

There were hopes the US would be included on the green list, with much chatter around a potential transatlantic travel corridor. That dream may have been temporarily dashed, but there are still signs of a resumption of US holidays this year. The US has lifted its blanket travel ban on the UK bringing fresh hopes of a transatlantic travel corridor. The US Center for Diseases Control moved the UK out of its level four category – which advises travellers against all travel – to level three, which allows certain non-essential travel such as for work or study. Plus, Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, has been talking to his US counterpart Pete Buttigieg about a bilateral agreement to restart transatlantic travel. Here are two options for later in 2021.

Splurge: Find family fun in Orlando

Florida has remained one of the most open states throughout the pandemic and on May 3 Gov. DeSantis signed an executive order that lifted all emergency orders throughout the state, so restrictions such as curfews are unlikely to return.

Meanwhile, hotels are welcoming guests, as are all of the state's most beloved attractions, including LEGOLAND Florida, Universal Orlando and Walt Disney World. Seven-day ultimate tickets for everyday access to Disney World parks, for two adults and two children (aged 3-9) are £1,716 in July. Stay at JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa, which includes nightly views of theme park firework displays. British Airways Holidays offers seven nights from £3,189 for a family of four in July, including return flights from Gatwick (book by May 19; ba.com).

Save: Explore cross-country

For solo travellers, couples or groups of friends an epic trip across the US could be the answer to shaking off the monotony of lockdown. This scenic journey – starting in New York and heading to Chicago on the Lake Shore Limited, then travelling from Chicago to San Francisco on the California Zephyr – can be inexpensive (the 3,000-mile trip can cost less than £200 per person) and tranquil. The Zephyr passes through the Rockies, the Sierra Nevada and the Utah desert. Top and tail your journey with stays in New York and San Francisco. To book the Amtrak-operated Lake Shore Limited and California Zephyr see amtrak.com/lake-shore-limited-train and amtrak.com/california-zephyr-train.

Telegraph Travel's best budget hotels in New York include Sohotel in the regenerated Bowery district complete with a craft beer saloon. In San Francisco, The Inn at Union Square offers boutique charm within the thick of the city’s popular shopping district. Return flights from London Heathrow to New York JFK are available from £448pp in October with KLM (klm.co.uk). Flights from San Francisco to New York are available from $126pp (£89.51) with Alaska Airlines (alaskaair.com) in October.

• Read more: Telegraph Travel's guide to the best hotels in the United States