Family holiday to the Algarve

When international travel opened up on 17th May we took advantage and booked a holiday for Whit week. It had been 18 months since we were last abroad and for someone that lives and breathes travel it seemed a lifetime ago. With the introduction of the traffic light system, Portugal was the most easily accessible country to visit, plus they were accepting UK travellers. The perfect place for a post-lockdown holiday

The biggest question is was it worth the hassle? I can confidently say that yes, it is!

Being prepared for what you need before you travel though is essential. In our case it was a PCR test for entry into Portugal, a pre-departure test (lateral flow) 2 days before you return to the UK plus a PCR test on return to the UK. It can be an expensive affair especially for families. Hopefully the government will work over summer to bring down the cost down, making it more accessible to everyone.

Manchester airport was quiet and we walked straight through security from check-in to the gate in under 3 minutes! The excitement was palpable. The flight wasn’t particularly busy and people were adhering to wearing masks and staying in their seats. I felt safe in the knowledge that every traveller had to have a negative PCR test to travel and were wearing masks and keeping their distance at the airports.

We hired a car, the pick-up couldn’t have been easier, reached via a covered walkway just a 2 min walk from arrivals.

We stayed in the delightful Tivoli hotel located in Carvoerio, Algarve just a 45 minute drive from Faro airport. The hotel was beautiful and set right on the cliffside overlooking the ocean. Although they were at their maximum capacity the hotel didn’t seem full and there was space to socially distance without realising you were actually making an effort. Breakfast was a different affair as it was buffet and therefore no self-service. You had to wear a mask when not sat at your table . There were orderly queues for food, which was served by a small army of staff, all wearing masks and who were super polite. We always like to go bed and breakfast so you can have choice to sample the local restaurants and bars of which we did and thoroughly enjoyed especially the Cataplana!

We spent the day at ‘Slide and Splash’ the amazing water park, highly recommended for kids or the big kid in anyone. We drove East to the charming little town of Tavira and west to the town of Sagres, right on the south western tip. We loved the small town of Burgau and Falesia beach located between Albufeira and Vilamoura. Another highlight was a zodiac boat trip to see Benagil Cave, which is a beautiful sight, as sunlight streams through a hole in the top down on the beach below.

Overall we loved our trip, made even better by the lack of crowds and the weather was perfect. Yes, you can have a great stay-cation in the UK but you can’t guarantee or control the weather or the crowds. I always say that a nice day abroad always beats a nice day in the UK. The culture, the people, the food, the smells, sights and sounds all renew your senses somehow.

With many new rules and regulations around travel, and these rules are subject to change at little or no notice, the value of travel agents has never been greater. Clients need the reassurance of expert guidance through the process of booking a holiday.