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 still have to wear ffp2 masks indoors anywhere i believe in Italy.

We are just across the border, still have to wear FfP2 even to get a pint of milk. We have all avoided covid so far as I know, and I don’t really know many people at all who have had covid the last 2 years.

so I very much doubt it’s a very high case of catching in Italy. Wear FfP2 inside shops and stores, museums etc. Eat outside when possible in restaurants. It’s fine

I don't know why everyone is making out like the OP is being hysterical here.
The chance of being quarantined is still putting us off going abroad.
It would be extremely stressful to be stuck abroad and have to let our employers down - and waste our money on a crappy quarantine hotel.
We've currently got several friends, all fit and healthy with few symptoms, who have tested positive for covid. The chances of testing positive are still relatively high.

yeah that's a pain. But I think you should just go and face it if it happens. Child missing school is not that tragic - nothing can be done about it. The school were annoyed when your child had time off because of covid this year - well tough!! What do they want? Her in school spreading it?

Do you think the train company is making people test so that once on board you don't have to wear FFP2 masks? Because Italy still has the rule in place that FFP2 masks have to be worn on public transport.

Just go and enjoy the trip, do the test. If it's a self-administered test under observation (as opposed to one carried out by a staff member at the centre) it's very very unlikely to detect omicron, even if you do have it.

There’s some very weird and dismissive responses on this thread. I understand where the OP is coming from. The train trip is the main part of the holiday. The chances of the OP or her family catching Covid is not necessarily tiny at all.

I get your concern OP, this constant rules changes have stopped us going abroad since Covid hit, our main concern is one of us testing positive and having to quarantine when we need to get home etc. For me the stress of the arrangements would prevent me from relaxing. But your trip is booked so try not to worry and enjoy your holiday, the chances are it will be fine. Good luck.

Lucky you. I expect all the families whose relatives have died will be delighted to know that you are ok and are so very cavalier about other people's health

Your holiday is not ruined and I think you are getting your self in a tizz about nothing. Yes it will be a pain if you tested positive but you could also get many other illnesses on holiday and been unfit to travel, none of which you seem to be paniking about. For example, if you break a limb in the week before you fly, you won't be able to fly.

Not a helpful comment from me, but this reminds me of all the complaints from people travelling during a pandemic..

We’re going to Italy next week. You can do
a test or show proof of vaccination. If you are vaccinated, there’s nothing to stress about.

Book an online supervised test with email certificate with someone like DocHQ. They’ll post you the tests, take them with you to Italy and then take the test in your hotel room over webcam. If positive, you won’t be able to get on the train but assume either insurance or the train line will refund given it’s a condition of travel. You can then decide on whether you inform anyone in Italy of your positive test or if you get on the next flight home. Becomes a moral dilemma for you as to whether you’d get on a plane with a known positive result.

If one of us actually gets ill or breaks a limb, that’s what insurance is for. It’s the extra complication that we might all be perfectly well and then one of us tests positive that I’m stressed about, especially given the quarantine requirement - you don’t have to be in quarantine abroad if you break a limb.

That might be worth a look - I need to check what’s acceptable to the train company.

I too am also wondering the same thing..... too early for me maybe

Oh the drama! Just chill and enjoy your holiday.

@TadlowDogIncident if you're only away 3 nights and worried you'll catch covid there ... it won't turn up on an lft in 3 days (highly unlikely). If you definitely don't have it when you leave you won't be symptomatic that quickly even if you do catch it on the plane

YOU are going to ruin your holiday on yourself by fretting constantly, you have to work the country And trains current requirements. You are spiralling on the basis of whatifs. Take control of the situation and break it down into manageable chunks. Don't ruin today on the basis of what may or may not happen in the future. try and ground yourself. Do you suffer from anxiety in general?

I don’t know why all these people are saying the risk of catching covid is really small?!

it’s still a really prevalent virus!

they must be on glue. Or in denial. Either way.

I totally understand you OP, it adds an additional layer of stress you weren’t anticipating.

@RausageSoul

Oh that’s fine they all get away with it. 😁

Think about how many days covid has been around for…. And how many days you’ve been covid free. The odds are stacked in your favour.

do the tests, take as many sensible precautions as you can. Enjoy your holiday

Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, via Paris Gare de l'Est, goes from several Italian cities to and from London, for those asking. There may be other providers.

Exactly @Choufleurfromage 🙄🙄

Calm down. You’re worse than me honest to god

Thanks to everyone who’s given constructive advice. I’ve been tied up at work all day but tomorrow will call the train company and the insurer to explore options. Still livid they didn’t tell me about this as I wouldn’t have booked, but I’ll see what I can salvage.

What do you mean salvage? You’ve lost nothing, your holiday isn’t ruined. Try to calm yourself down. If In the worst case one of you gets Covid there is many many easy ways to get back to the uk. You don’t have to quarantine

js there a back story here in terms of your reactions?

Are you always this flaky OP ? I've just found out I've got cancer and I'm lying in a hospital bed wondering if I'll get to see my daughter married in a few weeks.

Get a bloody grip and enjoy your holiday, trust me, there are many worse things that can interrupt your life.