Where IS safe to go on holiday as Iran blasts Turkey with missiles, issues fresh threats to Dubai, and war edges closer to Sri Lanka
There are few things more disappointing than having to cancel holiday plans, as anyone with a trip booked to Dubai, Abu Dhabi – or anywhere in the Middle East in the next few weeks, will know.
But the upside is that, now spring has firmly sprung, there are plenty of places closer to home that offer the same heady mix of warm sunshine, sumptuous hotels and that much needed, end-of-winter sense of escape.
Whether you're looking ahead to the Easter holidays, or are looking to get away in the next week, here are the top choices for a sunkissed break - without the threat of of hasty retreat.
We've also included all of the latest advice from the FCDO on where British nationals have been advised not to travel, as well as advice from Travel Mail's Holiday Guru on what to do next should you need to cancel your planned holiday.
Where can I travel for sun – and safety?
Tunis, Tunisia
The Residence, Tunis' grande dame hotel, has a private beach and pool terrace so vast that you never have to fight for a lounger
A forced change of plans can mean an opportunity to try somewhere new, and Tunis is a vibrant, fascinating city with a medina that comes with far less of the hassle factor than its Moroccan equivalents.
Soak up the sun with a coffee on the rooftop terrace at Dar el Jeld, and pick up spices and scents in the labyrinthine souks, before a long lunch at one of the superb fish restaurants in the La Marsa neighbourhood.
Stay at The Residence, Tunis' grande dame hotel, with a private beach and pool terrace so vast, you never have to fight for a lounger.
BOOK IT: A four-night break costs from £898pp B&B, including flights and private transfers.
A four-night break costs from £898pp B&B, including flights and private transfers (kirkerholidays.com).
Seville, Spain
A spring visit to Seville means that you can visit the Plaza de Espana while avoiding the crowds
Pick this Andalucian classic and you might find yourself basking in the warmest temperatures in Europe; the mercury often hits 21C (70F) in March, with highs of up to 24C (75F) in April.
A spring visit also means less queues for the big draws, such as the Royal Alcazar palace, with its dreamy gardens, the soaring Giralda tower, and the vast Plaza de Espana.
Throw in plenty of tapas (Calle Sierpes is a great street for bar hopping), cocktails at the Setas de Sevilla – a vast, four-story 'mushroom' that's the biggest wooden structure in the world – and a hit of Dubai glitz at the 180-metre high Eurostar Torre Sevilla, with hotel rooms on the top nineteen floors.
BOOK IT: A three-night break from £392pp room-only, including flights.
A three-night break from £392pp room-only, including flights (easyjetholidays.com).
Marrakech, Morocco
A view of the Old Medina in Marrakech. Temperatures can reach 25C in March and 27C in April
Forget air-conditioned malls, there are few better places to shop than Marrakech's frenetic, fascinating medina; expect cashmere shawls, hand-made jewellery, antiques, ceramics, spices at unbeatable prices – just be ready to barter.
The leafy Jardin Majorelle is a nice counterpoint to the hectic souks, and a peppermint tea at La Grand Balcon café offers a birds-eye view of the city's extraordinary main square, Le Jemaa el Fnaa.
Temperatures in Marrakech can hit 25C (77F) in March and 27C (80F) in April, so it's essential to book a hotel with a pool; the Jardins de la Medina, with plant-packed courtyards and coolly elegant rooms – is a great choice.
BOOK IT: A three-night B&B stay at Jardins de la Medina through Fleewinter starts from £645 per person (based on two sharing), including return transfers and flights.
A three-night B&B stay at Jardins de la Medina through Fleewinter starts from £645 per person (based on two sharing), including return transfers and flights.
Las Palmas, Gran Canaria
Sundrenched beaches, duty-free shopping and a nightlife that buzzes all year round, Las Palmas offers urban pleasures in spades, along with one of the best city beaches in the whole of Europe, sandy Playa de las Canteras.
Mix days exploring the historic district of Vegueta – perfect for exploring on foot – with sunlit evenings by the beach; the Mercado del Puerto is a great spot for tapas and drinks as the sun sets.
Just five minutes' stroll from Las Palmas' buzzy marina, the Hotel Catalina, a gorgeous, 19th-century hotel that once hosted Winston Churchill and the Spanish royal family, remains one of the most stylish places to stay in town.
BOOK IT: A week at the Hotel Catalina costs from £444pp, room-only, including flights and transfers (tui.co.uk).
A week at the Hotel Catalina costs from £444pp, room-only, including flights and transfers (tui.co.uk).
Nice, France
If one of the draws with Dubai is its city-beach combination, then Nice is a good substitute; the Promenade des Anglais sweeps along a seven kilometre stretch of sunkissed seafront, dotted with open-air bars and restaurants.
Behind it, the Old Town is a picturesque maze of medieval streets, perfect for a spot of shopping.
Pop to the Gare de Sud – a former station, now a cultural hub – to visit both the newly-opened Leonardo da Vinci exhibition and the Liberation Market, crammed with gourmet goodies.
Save some euros by staying at super-affordable Mama Shelter, leaving all the more for sunset cocktails at Movida (movida.today).
BOOK IT: Doubles at Mama Shelter from £92 room-only (mamashelter.com). Easyjet flies to Nice from £35.98 return (easyjet.com).
Doubles at Mama Shelter from £92 room-only (mamashelter.com). Easyjet flies to Nice from £35.98 return (easyjet.com).
Athens, Greece
Spring starts early in the sun-baked Greek capital, when the historic district of Plaka blazes with jasmine blossom and purple bougainvillea, and the Acropolis is blissfully crowd-free.
Take advantage of cooler temperatures to hike up Lycabettus Hill for spectacular city views or, if the mercury climbs, the blistering beach at Glyfada is just half an hour away by bus.
Stay at the St George Lycabettus, where dinner at the rooftop restaurant comes with spectacular views of the Acropolis, floodlit warm gold against the night sky.
BOOK IT: A three-night B&B break at the St George Lycabettus costs from £964, including flights (jet2holidays.com).
A three-night B&B break at the St George Lycabettus costs from £964, including flights (jet2holidays.com).
Where does the FCDO currently advise against travelling?
Bahrain
Due to reported missile attacks in the region, the FCDO is advising against all but essential travel to Bahrain, as regional escalation poses a serious safety threat and disruption. Travel insurance may be invalidated for those who choose to do so.
The Bahrain airspace remains closed for commercial traffic until further notice.
Egypt
As of March 4, the FCDO advises against all travel to within 20km of the Egypt-Libya border, with the exception of El Salloum, where all but essential travel is advised against.
Israel & Palestine
The FCDO has advised against all travel to Israel and Palestine. The Israeli airspace is now officially closed.
Iran
The FCDO currently advises against all travel to Iran, as current regional escalation poses significant security risks to British travellers to the region. Both British and British-Iranian nationals are at risk of arrest, questioning or even detention.
The Iranian airspace remains closed.
Iraq
The FCDO currently advises against all travel to Federal Iraq, as well as the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. There has already been significant escalation in the region, with risk of significant further disruption and violence.
The Iraqi airspace will remain closed until Wednesday, March 4 at 12:00pm. The measure will be subject to further review.
Jordan
At current, the FCDO has issued both a warning against all travel within three kilometres of Jordan's border with Syria. For other areas within the region, warnings have been issued for all but essential travel.
As of March 2, Jordan's Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission announced a partial closure of the Jordanian airspace to all inbound, outbound and transit flights.
Kuwait
Due to reported missile attacks, the FCDO advises against all but essential travel to Kuwait. The airspace itself remains open, but the corridor between Israel and Iran remains high risk.
Lebanon
The FCDO advises against all travel to some areas of Beirut and its southern suburbs and Mount Lebanon Governorate, excluding Route 51, and from central Beirut, to and past Rafic International Airport.
Oman
Brits already in city of Duqm have been urged to 'shelter in place', with any currently visiting Salalah, or within 100km of the region, advised to leave as soon as commercial means allow.
Qatar
The FCDO now advises against all but essential travel to Qatar. For those British nationals already in the region, the advice is to remain sheltered in place due to reports of missile attacks.
Saudi Arabia
The FCDO advises against all travel to within 10km of the Saudi border with Yemen, and all but essential travel between 10km and 80km from the Yemeni border.
British nationals currently in Saudi Arabia have been advised to remain inside and 'exercise increased caution' due to reports of missile and drone attacks in the area.
Sri Lanka
While currently no warnings have been issued by the FCDO against travel to Sri Lanka, on March 4, the US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, confirmed that an Iranian warship was torpedoed by an American submarine in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Sri Lanka, with nearly 150 sailors currently missing at sea.
Sri Lankan authorities have confirmed that at least 80 have been killed.
Syria
Given the region's unpredictable security conditions and the threat of terrorist attack, the FCDO advises against all travel to Syria.
United Arab Emirates
Due to regional escalation, the FCDO now advises against all but essential travel to the region. British nationals currently in the UAE should immediately shelter in place, due to reported missile attacks on the area.
Turkey
The FCDO currently advises against all but essential travel to within 10km of Turkey's border with Syria, due to fighting and a heightened risk of terrorist attack.
According to Reuters, as of March 4, Turkey reported that a ballistic missile, fired from Iran, was destroyed by NATO air defences as it headed into the Turkish airspace.
While it remains unclear where the missile was intended to reach, a NATO spokesperson has said it stands firmly with all allies and that the trans-Atlantic defence bloc condemns Iran's targeting of Turkey.
Cyprus
A suspected drone attack at RAF Akrotiri was reported by the Sovereign Base Areas Administration on March 2, and several airlines have now cancelled flights to Cyprus.
Although the FCDO has not currently issued warnings against travelling to the region, British nationals should take sensible precautions before choosing to do so.
Rory Boland, Editor of consumer champion Which? Travel issued the following statement: 'If you have a holiday booked to Cyprus, it is important not to cancel the booking yourself as it is unlikely you will be able to claim a refund.
'We advise travellers to monitor updates from their airline and follow advice from the UK Foreign Office.'
'I've already booked my holiday... What should I do now?': Advice from Travel Mail's Holiday Guru
When events are fast-moving with countries under attack, airports closing, flights being cancelled and widespread travel disruption, it is best to go 'back to basics' with regards to passenger/holidaymaker rights covering major upheavals.
If you have booked your trip 'DIY' – i.e., not through a package tour company – the two elements of the booking (the flight and accommodation) need to be considered separately.
If you have purchased a plane ticket to transport you from A to B, and the airline is unable to provide this service for whatever reason – for example, the closure of an airport such as Dubai International - where all flights were grounded after the Iranian drone attack last weekend – then you are due either a refund or replacement flight. You choose which.
However, the tricky scenario is when it is possible to go, but you do not want to. This is considered a 'disinclination to travel'. Carriers will argue that you could board the plane but have simply decided not to do so – and that's your problem, not theirs.
Likewise, a hotel/B&B/holiday let company is under no obligation to offer a refund if you do not go. You would simply be a 'no show' in their eyes, although many providers are lenient, allowing postponement to a later date.
So your rights are quite limited, and entirely dependent on a mixture of circumstances as well as approach taken by airlines and hoteliers.
This, as harsh as this may sound, is the case even if the Foreign Office says your destination is unsafe. An airline can still argue that not flying is your choice.
Bear in mind that it is foolhardy to go anywhere if the Foreign Office advises against 'all but essential travel' (see gov.uk), as travel insurance is invalidated, meaning you would be going at great potential financial risk.
If you had travel insurance booked at the time of buying your flights/hotel, it is feasible your policy may provide cover. This, however, varies according to insurer. Some are more 'understanding' than others.
It is worth pointing out here that major disruptions of this kind highlight the benefits of package holidays.
If you have booked with a holiday provider, you will be due a refund under the Package Travel Regulations in a situation where a country is considered no-go by the Foreign Office, as is the current status of the United Arab Emirates.
