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Worried about holidays abroad

68 replies

Bluemooninmyeyes1 · 19/02/2021 10:41

Sorry to start a negative thread but I’m genuinely worried about this. I know the projections state that we should all be hopefully vaccinated in the uk by autumn/winter but surely it’s going to take a lot longer for the world to be vaccinated, which is what essentially needs to happen before we can travel safely again.

What are peoples thoughts about future holidays? Do you think travelling abroad will become a pastime of the ‘rich’ again like in the 60s and 70s or do you think the holiday companies will need to make holidaying more affordable to entice people to spend money?

I’m also worried that the government (in light of our economy plummeting) will try to keep holidays abroad illegal for as long as possible to encourage people to holiday in this country to spend money/improve the uk economy.

OP posts:
AnyFucker · 19/02/2021 13:33

During last years glorious spring and early summer I was running myself physically and mentally into the ground working on COVID ICU. On rare days off I just crashed. Coming home to the remnants of neighbourhood bbq’s, the teacher next door sat with a glass of wine and a laptop in the garden and having to shut down social media to block out all the lovely times friends were having on furloughed full pay was fucking shit.

This year as my favourite time of year approaches I am once again confined to work and home only.

I need a break. Many people do. I expect the couple of weeks I take off work this summer will have shit weather. I am beyond sick of this situation and I am not alone.

BarbaraofSeville · 19/02/2021 13:38

I expect the couple of weeks I take off work this summer will have shit weather

That's the killer about the UK weather, holidays and anything else planned that happens outside.

You can stare at glorious sunshine while you are at work, but the second you take time off or set a date for a family BBQ, summer fete, or anything else that would be fantastic in good weather and just shit in shit weather, the weather breaks. Every. Fucking. Time. Well not quite, obviously, but it feels like it.

SpudsandGravy · 19/02/2021 13:42

@Compey

Surely there are more important things than holidays abroad? It's no big deal. If you so desperately need a holiday then you can substitute a holiday in the UK.

Not everybody shares your taste in holidays. Some people want to go abroad for guaranteed sunshine, for a start, as well as fabulously interesting foods and places to visit. It's years since I've been abroad, BTW, but it's not hard to understand why many people like to get away.

Alfaix · 19/02/2021 14:30

We have 10 nights in a cottage on Devon booked for July on booking.com £2500Shock
Really hoping to be able to cancel it (7 days before is the cut off) and go to Greece or somewhere instead with vaccine passports. Just wondering what they will do about children- they won’t be vaccinated. DH and I have been very lucky and had one dose already even though we are both healthy 40 somethings. We will have had 2 doses by July.
Devon will be nice but a hot holiday would be amazing!

AntiHop · 19/02/2021 14:36

I don't think this government will stop people from going on holiday for longer than is needed. They will want tourists to come here, and for the airline industry to get up and running again.

I don't think anyone can make any predictions. It depends on how the virus mutates.

user1471528245 · 19/02/2021 14:40

Booked for April (assuming that goes ahead) and September, you have as much chance of catching covid in your local Tesco’s or on your staycation as you have in any other country,

CloudPop · 19/02/2021 15:02

@Fascinationends totally agree with you

NeedToGetOuttaHere · 19/02/2021 15:17

I’ve booked two foreign holidays and one UK holiday. I’m hoping to be able to go on at least one of them. I found the prices for going abroad very similar or slightly cheaper previous years and UK holidays were more expensive.

hollyhope · 19/02/2021 15:28

a teacup museum
Grin

MaudesMum · 19/02/2021 15:28

i'd be very happy just catching up with friends and family throughout the UK over the summer (assuming that we're allowed to stay in other people's houses by then) and I'm pinning my hopes on an early autumn getaway to somewhere in Europe. I want a city break, somewhere interesting with lots of culture and things to look at, and I plan to book a flight reasonably soon, and work on the theory that if its not allowed by then the cost will be refunded.

SPRINGTIMEBLUEBELLS · 19/02/2021 15:31

Wouldn't personally book yet. If airlines don't refund them so be it there has been enough calls to not book yet....

Volcanoexplorer · 19/02/2021 15:47

We’ve booked a holiday cottage in Devon in July and while I’m hopeful we’ll be able to go it’s a poor substitute for a holiday abroad. The weather will probably be shit or mediocre at best, plus we’ll be up spending a fortune on activities to entertain the kids, which isn’t necessary when we go abroad. I’m really longing for some sun.

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 19/02/2021 16:27

Won’t be looking until at least 2022 but yes I expect the prices to remain high. A holiday is a luxury and we want it to be normal again before we go.

Little point going away this year as many places will likely want vaccine passports which rules out children and a lot of adults, rules can change quickly, quarantine, chance of catching and bring back other variants etc. That’s without hoping others apply SD, wear their masks etc.

LadyCatStark · 19/02/2021 16:57

I’ll be beyond furious if some people are heading off abroad with a vaccine passports while the rest of us sit and twiddle our thumbs wheels we wait for a vaccination! Especially as it’s those who we locked down to save that’ll be the ones that are able to head off!

rawalpindithelabrador · 19/02/2021 16:59

Holidays in the UK are becoming staggeringly expensive. But never mind, the xenophobes and cap doffers want the poor in their place.

Redpenbluepen · 19/02/2021 17:02

I dont get the mindset of wanting people who've been vaccinated to sit at home if it's safe for them to go out / go on holiday, etc. Just because you're lower down the vaccination list? Just selfish for the sake of being selfish?

TonTonMacoute · 19/02/2021 17:10

Four years ago people were distraught because Brexit meant that we were all island obsessed little Englanders who didn't see the point of going abroad, and people couldn't easily live and work in EU countries at the drop of a hat any more.

Now a person is some sort of moral degenerate for even thinking about going to another country for a holiday!

peak2021 · 19/02/2021 18:02

If it ends things such as hen and stage weekends in foreign cities, then no bad thing. I don't think it will end holidays abroad but it may be difficult in 2021.

TonTonMacoute · 19/02/2021 18:19

@Volcanoexplorer

We’ve booked a holiday cottage in Devon in July and while I’m hopeful we’ll be able to go it’s a poor substitute for a holiday abroad. The weather will probably be shit or mediocre at best

I live in Cornwall and I have noticed many, many times that we have beautiful weather during May and June and most of July then, as soon as schools break up, the weather turns to shit. It is quite a relief when you don't have to go on holiday during the school holidays anymore!

In the meantime prepare for the worst, hope for the best Smile

amusedbush · 19/02/2021 19:14

@Redpenbluepen

I dont get the mindset of wanting people who've been vaccinated to sit at home if it's safe for them to go out / go on holiday, etc. Just because you're lower down the vaccination list? Just selfish for the sake of being selfish?
It’s not that I want everyone to be miserable while I wait for my vaccine (I’m 30 and healthy, so I’ve a long wait ahead!), I don’t grudge anyone their freedom and rationally I know that every person vaccinated is one person closer to restrictions being lifted.

However, if they bring in the vaccine passport it will be a real kick in the nuts and I can’t help feeling like that. The risk to me from covid is minuscule but I’ve stayed at home for a year so I don’t risk passing it to vulnerable people, and I’ll be stuck at home even longer while I wait for my passport. I’m climbing the walls and feel like this is going to be another write-off year.

freckles20 · 19/02/2021 19:51

I hope the borders remain closed, or tightly controlled for as long as as possible in order to put things back together here.

I'm far more invested in lowering infection rates here so businesses can get going, education can restart, medicine can be practised etc etc than I am in being able to go abroad. We can't save everything at once and I think that industry needs to wait as it's quite obviously a hugely risk in terms of infection rates.

Volcanoexplorer · 19/02/2021 22:45

@TonTonMacoute yes I agree. My mum lives in Dorset and often has fab weather May and June. By the time the school holidays come around and we’re able to visit, the weather has usually turned.

rawalpindithelabrador · 19/02/2021 22:52

@freckles20

I hope the borders remain closed, or tightly controlled for as long as as possible in order to put things back together here.

I'm far more invested in lowering infection rates here so businesses can get going, education can restart, medicine can be practised etc etc than I am in being able to go abroad. We can't save everything at once and I think that industry needs to wait as it's quite obviously a hugely risk in terms of infection rates.

Oh, yeah, because that's so going to happen. Close it all up after we've isolated ourselves (and we don't live in Oz or NZ so fuck those comparisons) with Brexit.

Industry's going to wait and if they can't, fuck 'em.

That's so going to work.

AnImposter · 19/02/2021 22:56

Meh, iv booked one for 2022. 3k which is more than I'd normally pay, but in all honesty even if I lose the money I'd pay it to have something to look forward to for the next 12 months. I spend my nights now on trip advisor, planning, reading reviews, looking at excursions and I love it and to be honest I need a light at the end of the tunnel even if it's temporary.

Damnloginpopup · 19/02/2021 23:58

@Fascinationends

I don't want a holiday in the UK. The unpredictable weather, the fact I am surrounded by the same people, culture, shops...as I am 4 hours down the road. Sitting on a beach in Devon for a week is not my idea of a holiday and I do not give a flying fuck if there are "nice walks" or a teacup museum or bloody chips, I don't like bloody chips or afternoon tea or hills to tramp up. I do not like a British holiday.
This. Totally. And I spend half of my days off in the summer in a beach car park in my campervan.

I loathe winter. I save all my annual leave and go for a few trips between October and march each year. it's what I work for and look forward too, somewhere new and different beach time. A mix of long haul and short haul. Last winter I had a fantastic ten days in Istanbul and three weeks in Vietnam and Cambodia, both with my partner and 5 days in lisbon with my kids. All of that came to around £3k and we did loads...how long of getting ripped off in poor weather would i get for that here?