Where to travel to after Corona?
The Corona crisis has the world firmly in its grip at the moment. The travel industry is particularly hard hit and many people are wondering when travel will be possible again as it was before the pandemic. Unfortunately, no one can answer this question at the moment, but you can at least dream a little bit and think about where to travel to after Corona or at least as soon as travel is allowed and possible again.
Since the desire for crowds and crowded beaches will probably be subdued for a long time, why not choose a destination off the beaten track? You don’t even have to fly very far to get there. In Europe, you can find many great places that are wonderfully suitable for “social distancing” after the crisis.
Pilion/Greece
The Pelion peninsula is the Greece imagined by people who have never been to Greece. Famous among fans of Greek mythology as the home of the centaurs, the Pelion is nowadays known among ABBA devotees as an important filming location of the “Mamma Mia” movie (2008). Pelion is incredibly rich in vegetation, olive, cherry and apple trees as far as the eye can see. Old mansions have been converted into pretty boutique hotels and stand as if painted in the green hills.
In contrast to many Greek classics such as Rhodes and Kos, the island is still very pristine and hardly developed for tourism. If you are looking for genuine Greek hospitality and want to eat typical Greek food, you are in good hands here – and at fair prices. If you like it even simpler, book a cozy B&B on the beach and go in the evening to eat in one of the family taverns.
The best time to travel: It is not scorching hot in the Pilion even in midsummer, so you can travel well in July and August for beach vacations. For hiking and getting to know the area I recommend June and September. For your information: The season is quite short there, in the middle of September the first hotels and restaurants already close.
Arrival: by flight via Thessaloniki or Volos or by ferry e.g.: from Skiathos.
Corsica/France
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea that belongs to France and is known for its long sandy beaches, turquoise waters, high mountains and beautiful hiking trails. The island is ideal for active vacations, as well as for lazy days on the beach. In addition to numerous historical sights, Corsica offers natural beauties such as the Fango Rivers and the Balagne wine region.
Corsica is also a wonderful place for hiking with various degrees of difficulty and has the GR20, the most demanding long-distance hiking trail in Europe. If you are on vacation in Corsica, you should definitely take a rental car for a few days to drive around the island. The rock city of Bonifacio in the south of the island and the picturesque old town of Corte offer great photo opportunities.
The best time to go is May, when the maquis is in bloom. June and September are also suitable for tours. For a pure beach vacation I recommend July to early September.
How to get there: by car and ferry via Livorno, Nice, Genoa or Savona or by plane from many airports in German-speaking countries.
Calabria/Italy
Calabria is the southernmost tip of Italy, right next to Sicily. The region is still little developed for tourism and still offers some very nice hotels and fantastic restaurants with regional cuisine. Especially the area around the “Capo Vaticano” trumps with beautiful beaches with crystal clear water.
Cities such as Tropea and Pizzo let you dive deep into the history of Italy and offer fantastic photo opportunities.
Also in Calabria it is recommended to take a rental car for a few days to explore the interior. Picturesque villages, family restaurants and wonderful views e.g.: on the always smoking Stromboli, the only active volcano in Europe.
The best time to travel: to relax, to eat and to get to know the area e.g.: with a rental car is May to end of June and beginning of September to beginning of October recommendable. For a pure bathing vacation I recommend July to the beginning of August. The rest of August you should avoid because of the many Italian guests.
Arrival: by car once across Italy or easier by flight to Lamezia Terme from many airports from German-speaking countries.
Slovenia
The perfect vacation destination for those who want to spend their vacations a little differently. Slovenia offers a combination of mountains, coasts, natural beauty and cultural attractions. The country is bordered by very little sea, but there are numerous beautiful lakes where you can cool off.
Slovenia is perfect for active vacationers. Thousands of caves, grottos, gorges and waterfalls invite you to go hiking, canyoning and rafting.
Numerous hiking trails lead past pastoral settlements and old castles. For gourmets, Slovenia is a fantastic wine-growing region and produces many award-winning wines every year. And if that’s not reason enough to spend a vacation in Slovenia, the country has numerous hot thermal springs and natural spas, which makes it a great place to spend a few days enjoying a spa.
The best time to travel: for hiking and exploring, May to mid-June and mid-September to late October are particularly suitable. For bathing vacations we recommend the beginning of June until the end of September.
How to get there: by car from German-speaking countries or by cheap flight to Ljubljana and then by rental car.
Porto Santo/Portugal
Porto Santo is a charming Portuguese island in the Atlantic Ocean. In contrast to the neighboring island of Madeira, Porto Santo offers a beautiful 9 km long sandy beach and is therefore also called the “golden island”. The sand not only shines and gleams golden, but is also said to be very healthy due to iodine, calcium and magnesium enrichments. For this reason, most vacationers lie down directly in the sand instead of on a lounger.
If you want to move a bit during your vacation, you will find mostly quite easy hiking trails on Porto Santo in the coastal region, in the center of the island the bizarre volcanic landscape also offers more challenging routes. Alternatively, the island can also be wonderfully explored by bicycle.
Due to the Atlantic winds, the island offers ideal conditions for water sports such as surfing and kiting. But there is also a lot to see under water, which is why divers and snorkelers will also get their money’s worth.
The best time to travel: if you like it really quiet, travel to Porto Santo in May and June. The warmest months are July to October. In August Porto Santo is also quite crowded.
How to get there: by plane via Madeira or directly or by ferry from Funchal in about 2 hours.
