Where to go on holiday after Brexit

Now Britain has voted its way out of Europe, things have got a lot more complicated for the holidaymaker.
Gibraltar - ShutterstockGibraltar - Shutterstock
Gibraltar - Shutterstock

Our former friends in Spain, Portugal and Italy may no longer be as welcoming as we cross our name off future EU budgets.

And our “special relationship” with the US might not be much help to travellers whose pounds suddenly don’t go very far.

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But fear not – there are still plenty of places for British sunseekers to visit.

Hot-air balloons over Cappadocia, TurkeyHot-air balloons over Cappadocia, Turkey
Hot-air balloons over Cappadocia, Turkey

Gibraltar

It’s like Spain but it’s not Spain. Gibraltar is a little bit of Britain in the Mediterranean. There will be plenty of sun, and the locals will have no problems taking your sterling – it’s the local currency, too. Flights start from as little as £25 in the off season, with Monarch and British Airways both running the three-hour route. Perfect, if you don’t mind the marauding monkeys that are the real rulers of the Rock.

Turkey

We didn’t want to be part of any club that would have Turkey as a member, but now we’re both on the outside looking in, maybe we can reconsider. Turkey is relatively cheap compared to European Mediterranean destinations and has plenty on offer, from the history of bustle of Istanbul, once the centre of the civilised world, to seaside nightlife in Kusadasi.

Lake Debar, MacedoniaLake Debar, Macedonia
Lake Debar, Macedonia

FYR Macedonia

Most of the more obvious tourist spots in the former Yugoslavia are off the cards – Croatia is in the EU, and picturesque Montenegro is close to joining. But Macedonia, which is tucked between Albania and Bulgaria, is still a possibility. It’s landlocked, so don’t expect sand between your toes, but it does have other charms. Byzantine, Ottoman and communist history combine on the streets of Skopje.

Iceland

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It’s cold and forbidding, but it’s also outside the EU and, since the financial meltdown, not as expensive as it once was. There are direct flights from several UK cities, and the former fanciers of fermented shark now provide quite an exciting holiday experience. There are geothermal baths, otherworldly landscapes, and even a chance of seeing the Northern Lights. Just remember it’s called Iceland for a reason. Temperatures normally hover around 12C in July.

Reykjavik, in IcelandReykjavik, in Iceland
Reykjavik, in Iceland

The Falkland Islands

It might be remote, but it’s British. The Falklands, in the middle of the South Atlantic, is a nightmare to get to: the options are going from Chile for upwards of £600 or taking a non-commercial military plane from Oxfordshire for more than £2,000. Once there, go fishing or penguin-spotting: there are king penguins, gentoo penguins, rockhoppers and Macaronis, along with many other types of sea bird. Again, though, no sun: 9C is a good day in the summer.