Covid uncertainty means holiday bookings are a risk - 19 need-to-knows to cut costs and protect your pocket in the UK and abroad

But while it's no longer illegal to leave the country for a holiday, for most that'll need wait a month or two in practice. So whether you're hoping for fish and chips in Biarritz or moules-frites in Blackpool, here are our mammoth travel need-to-knows.

This article was originally written by MoneySavingExpert (MSE) founder Martin Lewis for our weekly email on Wednesday 12 May. It's been updated by the MSE team on Tuesday 25 May to reflect a few, small fact changes. 

First... 11 tips for those dreaming of holidays ABROAD

While some restrictions on overseas holidays have been eased, it's still impractical for most to go abroad. Yet many are considering BOOKING now for late summer or autumn trips, or for further ahead. So below, we run through what to consider.

The info on the rules below were written based on those for England, though similar now applies in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales too. We've highlighted any differences throughout.

1. There are only 12 'green list' destinations (it'll be reviewed every three weeks), but most won't actually let holidaying Brits in yet 

The Government has divided the world into traffic lights and the system will be updated every three weeks (or sooner in emergencies).

• 43 RED destinations: 10-day hotel quarantine on return (£1,750 for a solo traveller), basically a no-go. Includes India and Turkey.

• 170+ AMBER destinations: Up to 10 days' self-isolation at home on return. Includes most of EU and USA.

• 12 GREEN destinations: No need to self-isolate on return. Includes Portugal and Israel.

Yet permission to go doesn't mean they'll let Brits in. Most green destinations have stringent entry requirements. See our list of the top 15 holiday destinations' entry requirements.

Do also check Foreign Office country advice, which is about safety when away, so slightly different from the green list.

2. The best bets to book for future are likely to be the USA, Europe and other developed countries

The Government's traffic light list is based on four factors - vaccinations, infection rates, variant prevalence, and how reliable the scientific data is.

No one has a crystal ball to predict future green destinations, but in my (non-scientist's) view, it's likely developed countries will fare better, as they are ahead in the vaccination timetable, which will hopefully feed into other factors too - though variants can happen anywhere. If you're booking for future months, the World Health Organisation's country vaccinations stats gives a decent, but not foolproof, view.

Again though, UK rules are only half the story - you also need to consider if you'll be allowed in. Some countries with consistently low cases have used tight borders as a part of it, and may continue to.

3. Travel insurance is crucial, but WON'T cover cancellations due to future UK or foreign govt no-travel rules

No mainstream policies that we know of cover cancellations due to official Covid travel restrictions or a need to quarantine at your destination or on return, which means in reality you can't go. Nor will they cover you for cancelling if rules will let you travel, but you don't feel safe.

Though many (not all) will cover cancellations if you catch Covid pre-travel or are told by the NHS to self-isolate, and will cover medical treatment for Covid abroad.

Yet frankly all the normal reasons to get travel insurance still apply, especially if you're ill while away (Covid is just one health risk). So get it ASAB - as soon as you book. Full options in Cheap Travel Insurance - in brief though, MSE's top no-frills picks (ie, those that meet our min cover levels, but we can't vouch for the service) are...

• Annual policies: These cover all of a year's trips, within reason. Try Coverwise (Bronze)* and Axa (Silver). Prices range from £12 for a 30-yr-old in Europe to about £71 for a family worldwide.

• Single trips: Try Coverwise (Bronze)* and CoverForYou (Bronze)* as they tend to come up cheapest, eg, from £8.95 for seven days in Europe to £31.43 for a week's family worldwide cover.

• Over 65 or had a past medical issue? Check our Over-65s' Travel Insurance or Pre-Existing Conditions Travel Insurance guides.

And do note, if you get insurance and your claim is unfairly rejected, you can take the provider to the free Financial Ombudsman.

4. As travel insurance won't protect you for Covid cancellations, bookings with flexibility are key

Look for those that let you easily change your mind or the date, or cancel.

a) Package holidays are cheap and give extra protection. This is where you pay for two or more travel services as one thing (ie, flight + hotel, or flight + car rental) via a travel agent / firm. For how to find the top deals, see Cheap Package Holidays.

Under the Package Travel Regulations, you're legally due a refund if the travel agent / firm or an airline / hotel / car firm etc goes bust. That also applies if you can't go because your destination has closed its borders to Brits, or you don't get the holiday you paid for.

This is strong protection, worth having, though not all firms have offered the swiftest remedy, so check our firm-by-firm travel refunds survey (December 2020) info to see how past customers feel they've been dealt with.

Do note you're not due a refund if you're unable to go because you'd need to self-isolate on your return. So an extra step is to look for firms that offer free changes or easy cancellation when booking.

b) Many cheap flights now offer free date changes. Our full How to bag cheap flights guide takes you through ways to get cheap deals. You've a legal right to a full refund if the flight's cancelled, yet many airlines now offer flexibility if YOU choose to change too.

For example, Easyjet and BA let you make changes for free, nearly up to the last minute (though you'll pay the difference if it's to a more expensive flight). See airline-by-airline cancellation policies.

c) Hotels, even cheap ones, often give free cancellation until a couple of days before. Many give you until 24-48 hours before your booking to change your mind - some don't require payment until then too. Even forgetting Covid, this is useful as if you find the same room cheaper just before you go, check availability, rebook, and then cancel. See Cheap Hotel Tips for full info.

d) Self-catering is getting more flexible too. If you're booking your own accommodation, Airbnb for example now offers free cancellation up to 24hrs before on many properties (though do check). Far more help in Cheap Self-Catering Accommodation.

5. Flexible-booking protection may be useless if a firm goes bust, so pay via plastic for extra protection

Paying by credit card offers the strongest protection, as Section 75 refund rules mean the card provider is jointly liable for items costing £100+. So using a credit card (repaid IN FULL of course, so there's no interest) is best practice, and also helps if the travel firm were to go bust.

All credit cards, as well as debit cards, also get the lesser protection of the chargeback refund rules. So this is also a decent protection if you don't pay on a credit card, or if you do but go via a travel agent (when Section 75 rules don't usually count).

6. Holiday abroad and you'll need Covid PCR tests - these can add £1,000 to a family trip, but some can get them from £20

Head abroad and you will need at least one full PCR test - not the quick lateral flow ones used in schools etc. Here's a summary of the rules:

You can't use the Government 'Test and Trace' system for the tests needed in the UK if you're holidaying, so you'll need to use a private test firm.

These can be costly and in Scotland and Wales you can only use one provider. Our new Cheapest Covid Tests guide takes you through the options, which in England and Northern Ireland includes travel firm discounts (eg, Tui is offering all tests for £20 to some customers), special airport prices and a comparison of private test firms. 

I am worried though, that once overseas travel really opens up, I'll be writing here about a lack of private testing capacity, and people unable to get tests. There's currently less capacity than people who (pre-Covid) went abroad.

7. Check if you've a valid EHIC or GHIC. If not, get one FREE

If you plan to travel to the EU, these cards give you access to state-run hospitals or GPs at the same price as a local. So if it's free for them, it's free for you. Important right now.

If you have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), do check it is still valid - 6.4 million expire this year alone. If not, or if you don't have one, since Brexit it's been replaced for new applicants by the Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) and you can get one of these free.

8. Does your passport have at least six months left?

Since Brexit, many EU countries have joined those requiring you to have at least six months of passport validity left (in some cases more) to be allowed in. So check yours now, as the Passport Office has warned of possible applications backlogs. See Passport rules and renewals.

9. The CHEAPEST way to spend abroad is on the right plastic - apply now

And breathe... I'm relaxing writing this bit, it's like the old pre-Covid days. As I've said many times before, the easiest and cheapest way to spend abroad is on the top specialist travel cards - you get the same near-perfect rates the banks do, smashing bureaux de change.

If you can't get a top credit or debit card, or prefer cash, our travel money comparison tool compares 14+ bureaux to show the best rates. This is fewer providers than usual, as many travel money services are paused - we'll add them back when they resume.

10. Vaccinated? Download the free NHS app (separate from the Test and Trace one)

The Government says holidaymakers registered with a GP in England can use the existing NHS health app to show their vaccination status when abroad – though it's best to check your destination will accept this before travelling. Alternatively, you can request paper validation. Elsewhere around the UK:  

• In Scotland, you can view your vaccination record online or request a copy via the Covid-19 Status Helpline.

• In Wales, you can request a certificate if your travel is 'urgent' and the certificate is the only way to meet your destination's entry requirements (the Welsh government says it's working on delivering digital certification).

• In Northern Ireland, the government says it's working on solutions to enable proof of vaccination but notes that neither GP practices or other organisations are able to issue letters for travel purposes – so it's unclear what travellers can do in the meantime. We've asked and we'll update this story when we know more. 

11. You CAN still roam like at home in the EU, but check your allowance

The legal guarantee of free mobile roaming in the EU ended with Brexit in January, but 10 of the biggest providers have told us they've no current plans to bring charges back. Travel outside Europe and costs rocket though - see Cheap Mobile and Data Roaming help.

PS: Also read our Cheap Car Hire | Cheap Airport Parking | 65+ Overseas Travel Tips.

Now... 8 more tips for UK holidays and day trips

Travel is back across much of the UK. For example, in England, you're allowed to go to hotels, and stay at friends' homes (max six people, or more if it's only two households in one home - see full UK nations' travel rules).

So whether you plan a UK holiday or to stay at home and do days out, here are some tips for you:

1. Booking a stay away? Flexible terms are key

We all hope, possibly pray, that 'no more lockdowns' comes true. Yet there is sadly always the risk of a vicious variant, and change.

So, much like with travelling abroad, hedge towards bookings which, in order of preference:

• Allow free cancellation (preferably with no or low deposit)

• Allow cancellation for a low fee, or loss of small deposit

• Allow free change of booking to a different date

The competition watchdog says providers should give refunds for cancellations where you're legally unable to travel, but that's untested in court, and not all firms are following it.

2. But flexible-booking protection can be useless if a firm goes bust, so pay via plastic for extra protection

No apology that this is exactly the same as we've written for travelling abroad, as it's a crucial tip... Paying by credit card offers the strongest protection as Section 75 refund rules mean the card provider is jointly liable for items costing over £100. So using a credit card (repaid IN FULL of course, so there's no interest) is best practice, and helps if the travel firm were to go bust.

All credit cards, as well as debit cards, also get the lesser protection of the chargeback refund rules. So this is also a decent protection if you don't pay on a credit card, or if you do but go via a travel agent (when Section 75 rules don't usually count).

3. How to find cheap UK hotels

We take you through it in our full 24 Cheap UK Hotel Tips guide. Here's just a taste...

Speedily use a comparison site to benchmark the best price. The same hotel room can be sold at a huge range of different prices, so check via Skyscanner*, Kayak* and TripAdvisor*.

Then call 'em up to see if you can beat that by booking direct with the hotel - it may offer you a better deal because it doesn't need to pay commission. Also check if you can get cashback, possibly of 10%, booking via hotel cashback deals.

And a final thought: don't think of hostels as dirty, think dirt-cheap - you could stay in a 19th century shooting lodge from £29/night. See MoneySavers' top UK hostel picks.

4. Premier Inn and Travelodge - 2m+ rooms, £29

For stays up to 14 Oct 2021 at Premier Inn, including Edinburgh, Manchester, Gatwick Airport and more. Or for stays up to 14 March 2022 at Travelodge, including coastal destinations, such as Cornwall, Brighton and Great Yarmouth. See more hotel deals.

5. Want to go self-catered? How to find 'em and keep costs down - eg, £400/wk cottage in Cornwall

Holiday rental sites have seen a surge in UK bookings this year, and it's harder to nab a peak school holiday bargain on the coast or in the country (cities are easier). Yet using the tips in our Cheap Holiday Rentals guide, this month we found a two-bed cottage in north Cornwall for £402/wk for a mid-June stay.

6. Days-out discounts - 2for1, kids go free and more

If you're day tripping, our Cheap Days Out listing has latest deals including: 

• 2for1 on theme parks - eg, Alton Towers, Legoland

• Tesco Clubcard 3x value at Eden Project, Longleat Safari etc

• Free tennis coaching sessions for ages 12+

• Edinburgh Zoo kids go free with ScotRail

7. You can get cheap UK travel insurance from £8/wk - but is it worth bothering? 

With many more people booking longer holidays in the UK this year, this has become a more common question. Full info is in our UK Travel Insurance guide, but briefly:

- What does UK travel insurance cover? It's usually for booked stays of 2+ nights at least 25 miles away from home. Though unlike foreign holidays, medical treatments in the UK are free as we have the NHS (or private medical cover), so medical cover, which is the key consideration when travelling abroad, is less of an issue.

- Are you covered for Covid cancellations? In a nutshell... yes if it's personal, even Covid personal, no if you need to cancel due to a lockdown. More details in UK Travel Insurance.

- OK, OK, just tell me if I should get it. Er, well, there's no right answer, but as many push us on this, let us tell you what we'd do. If it's a cheap weekend away, travelling without any valuables, with easy cancellation, we probably wouldn't bother. Yet if we'd booked a week away, as a full holiday - especially with excursions - and we could get some cheap peace of mind, we likely would.

- Already got an annual overseas policy? You're covered. It likely already includes UK travel (do check) - so you're set. If not and you may go abroad within the next year too, use our Cheap Annual (UK & Abroad) Travel Insurance guide to find yourself some cover.

- Cheapest no-frills UK single-trip policies from £8/wk. The full MSE top picks are in our Cheap UK Insurance guide. But in brief, for no-frills (ie, those providers that meet our min cover levels, but we can't vouch for the service) there's no one cheapest, so try Coverwise*, LV* and Allianz Assistance*. If you're over 65, add in Tesco Bank. Also see our cheapest UK cover for those with pre-existing conditions.

And do note - if you get insurance and your claim is unfairly rejected you can take the provider to the free Financial Ombudsman.

8. How kids can earn a Blue Peter badge to get FREE entry to zoos, castles, aquariums etc. 

They can get free access to 200+ UK attractions via a Blue Peter badge. Find out how to earn one in time for summer and how it compares with other deals.

PS: As you've got to get there too, see Cheap Train Tickets | 50+ Motoring MoneySaving Tips | Cheap Breakdown Cover.