HELP - holiday of a lifetime about to be ruined and I don't know what to do.

[TadlowDogIncident]

I don't expect sympathy for this one but am wondering if anyone has any advice.

Ages ago, I booked us an incredibly expensive holiday to mark a special occasion, flying out to Italy and coming home by train. We're travelling next week. I checked when I paid the balance for the train trip that we could get into Italy without Covid tests, which we can as we're fully vaccinated, and obviously there's no requirement to test to come back to the UK. When I booked, the booking conditions said it was our responsibility to make sure we had appropriate passports, visas and vaccination certificates if required. All fine, all in place.

They've emailed today with the tickets, with a covering email saying we have to have a Covid test within the 24 hours before we get on the train. Which would be fine too, except that Italy still has Covid quarantine. So if one of us tests unexpectedly positive, we have to quarantine for at least 7 days and DD will miss the start of school the following week. If I'd had the foggiest clue they were going to do this to me, I wouldn't have paid the balance, but there was no mention of it when i did that 8 weeks ago. No reference on their website either.

I don't know what to do. Insurance not relevant - it doesn't cover disinclination to travel, which I'm sure is how they'd class this. We can all take Covid tests before we go, but that doesn't mean one of us won't catch it while we're there and test positive.

I'm in a flat spin. This was meant to be a lovely celebration trip and I'm now stressed out of my head. Anyone have any suggestions?

You could also get really sick with a virus (not covid) right before your holiday and be so unwell that you aren't able to travel and have to cancel the whole. holiday. This is what just happened to my best friend, and she is not even remotely as upset about her actual trip being canceled as you are about something that most likely won't happen.

Get a bloody grip!

Your perception of risk is all off because you’re stressed out about this.

It will almost certainly be fine, and if it’s not, it will just be moderately un-fine, not terrible.

One option would be to take some LFTs with you and do them in the hotel right before you're about to get the 'official' test. Then at least you'll know the likely outcome and can take steps to avoid quarantine, i.e. fly home.

But if it was me, and the Orient Express, I'd cop the quarantine just so I could still do the train trip a week later, assuming they move your booking if it's positive.

Oh yeah, wing it. If you are really worried get hold of some of those at home tests and test yourselves the day before the pre-train trip test. Then if one of you is positive....erm come on Mumsnet asking people what to do and suggesting just flying home positive so that you can enjoy the tirade of online abuse you would get from that. Hee hee Have a lovely holiday!

You are catastrophising. Stop it! You're ruining your own trip!

Go and enjoy yourself. If you are still worried, wear a mask while you're there.

And yes, the odds of catching it are small, but the consequences are terrible!

You are catastrophizing about a "what if" situation that hasn't happened and most probably won't happen.

Do what my friend did, get one family member to take the test and when it’s negative, get them to take all of them if you’re that flappy about it. It’s literally a box ticking exercise. They don’t really care.

There's a lot of what ifs and catastrophising- which no actual problems. Hate to use a MN trope, but do you usually have this level of health anxiety? You need to do a test we've all done multiple times before which may, and probably won't, be positive, and may but probably won't need to isolate. You're ruining a holiday and contemplating not going for very minimal reasons. I would t be giving it so much head space.

If you test positive, their website suggests you can get a refund, so at least you won’t lose that money:

In the event that a guest tests positive for COVID-19 at any time during the 10 days prior to their scheduled date of arrival with us, we ask that they do not travel and contact us immediately to discuss their options. Guests will be able to change their booking without charge, or cancel without charge and receive a full refund of any amounts paid to Belmond.

That doesn’t show a negative test but an inconclusive test

People are saying the likelyhood of getting covid is low but then why have people been catching it like an outbreak of the common cold. Is covid not as bad as it used to be

So what you rather happen then? You go onto the train full of oldie wonks celebrating their Golden wedding anniversaries and 70th birthdays while you are positive and put others at risk so you don't have a minor inconvenience?

I’ve missed what the drama is? If you catch Covid, you may need to quarantine and you may miss school?

Would it not be better to test before getting so worked up?

No, it would show a negative test. Same as if you ran a pregnancy test under some water.

Well, you may be right, but I don't know how they'd know that given that I booked the trip a year ago and didn't find out about the testing requirement till today.

A year ago no one really knew what was going to happen by Christmas time, there was always a risk of requirements changing.

Also at the time of booking being fully vaccinated would have meant more than it does now, surely most of the protection has worn off by now unless you have only recently been vaccinated.

When you booked there was a requirement to test so no surprises that you have to test.

I'm in the US on holiday right now. We tested to get here. We would have expected to claim on insurance if one of us tested positive. I'd have thought you'd have got similar insurance when you booked because you'd be crazy not to.

I would have lost some money because there's some costs you can't claim back on insurance (like the test costs!)

Anyway all fine and here we are. Probably be the same for you too.

ooh can i go instead always wanted to go on the OE

Stop it ! You are ruining your own trip

You cannot control the situation, so go and enjoy yourselves and IF it happens, it happens. You can't fret about it otherwise you will not enjoy the holiday

With your level of anxiety and catastrophising it may be better not travelling abroad at all.

Your sound far more fraught over this than you should. We can contract covid at any time, anywhere. Unless you never travel again there is no avoiding the minimal risk of some kind of quarantine.

Faking tests is repulsive and people should behave giving that kind of advice.

What kind of test do you have to do?
we've gone to places where you only have to do a lateral flow/RAT test - and they don't ask for any proof - other places ask for PCR or supervised lateral flow or even PCR from specific place?
Also couldn't you just fly back without needing the test- so do a test- if its positive fly (which is not great ethically).
I have been taking my laptop with me everywhere just because of the risk- we also haven't travelled where the 7 days (or more) quarantine requirement would be a problem- so we didn't go to the UK at Xmas because a failed test would leave us stuck in the UK over key deadlines

Whenever you go in holiday there's always a risk something could happen and cause issues. You could fall and break your leg, get ill with something else or all kinds of things. But you need to live life or you would never go anywhere.

You've got insurance.
Go and enjoy yourselves.

I assume you’re booked on the Orient Express hence the cost and your anxiety about not being able to travel? The loss of the train ride in the loss of the holiday right?

I’m sure it will be fine, just be careful. Many of us have now been unmasked on trains, planes and automobiles, been to stadium events and London on a Saturday night and haven’t caught it.

i hope it goes well and you have the best holiday 🚂 💐

Stop stressing. We recently flew into Venice and had to wear an FFP3 mask….but only to get off the plane and go through the airport? Weird, but whatever. Pretty much everything you do in Venice will be outside, so the chances of you catching anything are just tiny. We have traveled as much as possible, within the rules, during the entire covid fiasco, including in 2020 when no one was vaccinated and long haul flights and testing to return. It’s always been totally fine. Go and enjoy yourself

Yes, that’s exactly it.