I have fucked up holiday

[Youagain2025]

I booked a holiday in tunisa. I have never been abroad before as an adult. I did not know tunisa is not a safe place to go. I didn't even know you could look it up. I just thought that if its not safe that all flights to that area stop . But that's not the case . I tried changing it but they told me I can't because airline operator do not go to the area I want . Its with tunisa airlines so basically it only gos to tunisa? . So i can't go change to a different destination. But unless I pay a load of money I can't cancel either.

Just to add . I do have learning difficulties. Which is probably why I did not realise all of this . I'm so pissed of

It's 3 children 2 adults

Have you flown before? If not, it might be worth finding out what it involves and what support is available for you.

If you have only paid £300 i would cancel it.

When if you don't mind saying

You can buy cheap kaftans from anywhere and all you have to do is throw it on if you are walking about. It’s nothing to worry about.

I loose this amount. So not just 300

we went to Tunisia 15yrs ago, when kids were little. I wore the same as i’d wear on any holiday. And so did most. As it was a beach resort. There was a lot of unwanted male attention, but I ignored. I wouldn’t go now due to the situation there, but in reality yes London / Uk is also a risk. Just we have a lot if intelligence / tracking here. I think if you went; it would probably be fine, but it’s a risk if travel insurance won’t cover you.

The resorts are quite insular OP. You and the children will absolutely love it, honestly don’t be put off.

If you’re going off resort just wear maxi dresses with sleeves etc, but I imagine if you’ve booked all inclusive you may not want to venture out, so you’ll be fine, the beach is normally part of the resort so don’t worry. You can’t normally go into restaurants in swimwear anywhere to be fair so just take a cover up. You’ll notice what everyone else is wearing when you get there, you’ll sharp get the hang of it. Make sure you have travel insurance.

have the best time! 😊

OP, gently, I think you should flag up to your adult son who is travelling with you that you are having issues with some of the logistics and get him to take over some of the organisation.

Looks fine to me - where did you see it’s unsafe ?

what was the total cost ?

I have been to Tunisia twice and I've went out and about in shorts. I had a blast both times to be honest and I would go back, I stayed in the same area

Me again. A few more hints. Ignore the mad MNrs who are saying cancel and taking about the 'situation'... What situation? There isn't one. Certainly not in Hammermet! Yes, if you seek out a big demo in Tunis then that might be challenging, but they keep their resort towns clean and safe. In the hotel, there will be an 'animation' team. If you're feeling at all worried, tell them and they will keep an eye on you all. They love kids, so will be all over making sure you have a good time. The inevitable mini disco for the kids usual starts at 7/8pm and they have a blast. You can get money out at the airport and change there. They are all about the same so don't stress too much. There's about three dinar to the pound. I usually change one to two hundred pounds and it lasts for ages. The hotel can then change money too and there's bank machines. One word or warning... Do not buy anything at the airport. Enfida is all tourists and the prices are due watering... Like £25 for two sandwiches and some water! Wait till the hotel or take some from the UK. Even if you're arriving late the hotels usually have a bit of supper up for grabs. And book your airport hotel transfers before you go. The taxi drivers at the airport know they have a captive audience and it's no fun haggling when you arrive. They can ask £50 each way and it's very close. We use this service and they have always been good and reliable with good quality cars. https://www.hoppa.com/en/tunisia/enfidhahammamet-intl-airport

You will be fine, I had a family member work in Tunisia for 3 years from 2021, I went to Sousse on holiday and all fine, just drink bottled water!

There is a shuttle fron the airport to the hotel. So i think we are ok for that

Is anyone else getting second-hand anxiety just by reading this thread?!!!

Assuming it is real (considering it's MN so anything is possible), the level of ill-preparedness is disturbing. Why go on an overseas holiday when you don't understand currency conversions? Why go to a third world country where nobody speaks english? OP admitted to learning difficulties and struggled with tasks in english (bookings, refunds, travel research etc) so going to a country where you can't read a single sign seems like madness.

Some other considerations, and not attempting to be a downer, but these are realistic situations that everyone must be prepared for on a holiday. Worth delegating to DS if necessary.

Do you know how to get internet there? Will you be using your phone and if so, which apps and how many GB of data?

What happens if you lose your passport and/or money? Do you have digital copies of your passport saved to a Cloud device or a physical scan of it elsewhere? Do you know where the British embassy/consulate is in case of emergencies?

Do you have medical travel insurance? What if someone gets seriously ill or in a car accident and needs hospital treatment? Does the insurance cover repatriation flights back home in case of a serious incident?

Do you know the rules of eating and drinking in a third world country? Things like avoiding ice cubes, anything prepared with tap water or raw dairy (salads, dips, cream, cakes etc), using bottled water for teeth washing and rinsing your toothbrush?

Do you have the payment methods available in case of travel disruption? If someone gets food poisoning or if there's an accident at Heathrow (eg today) or if you miss your flight due to traffic, can you purchase alternate flights from a foreign country and possibly without a laptop? If you only take cash, you may not have enough for an additional flight or accommodation.

Tunisia is not a great country and whereas you can lower the chances of getting mugged by staying in the hotel, the chances of food poisoning or travel disruption are always present.

Never mind all of that - what about the passports?

You can use the link below to check what the exchange rate is from Pounds Sterling (GBP) to Tunisian Dinar (TD). Exchange rates change daily - today you will get 3.999TD for 1GBP. So, if you were travelling to Tunisia today and took £50 in cash with you, you could exchange it for 199.963TD (you may get a little less as Bureaux de Change and hotels will charge commission for changing your currency).
https://wise.com/gb/currency-converter/gbp-to-tnd-rate/history
On the page the above link takes you to, you just need to change the GBP amount in the top left hand box and the date in the bottom left hand box and the Dinar exchange rate will be shown in the right hand box.
Also, PLEASE ignore daft posters telling you to cancel - there's absolutely no need from a safety point of view and I'm sure you and your family will have a lovely time. Just read @SammyTales 's post five posts above this one (and her earlier one) - she knows what she's talking about! 😊

@JellyCupcake Crikey, for someone who's "not attempting to be a downer" you sure achieved it! 😂

According to another of the OP’s threads she doesn’t yet have the passports, but her DD was going to help her to order them.

I know Tunisia gets a bad rap on mumsnet, but I have been many times and never had a problem. Tunisians, like all Arabs, love families and kids. The Foreign office is advising against travel to areas near the Algerian and Libyan borders, not Hammamet. In all likelihood you will be fine and have a great time. Just be careful in crowded places with your wallet/ handbag/ personal possessions and dress sensibly ie avoid miniskirt/ shorts/ cleavage when outside the resort.

Can you get one of the other two adults to take over logistics? Have either of them traveled abroad?

Anyone that unselfconsciously uses the term “third world country” is not someone I would take any advice from.

@JellyCupcake many Tunisians speak English. There is a large middle class there who are educated many of whom have studied in France. There is good healthcare which you could access if needed via your health insurance. In case of emergencies, there is the British embassy. Some people on here are making it sound like the OP is planning on holidaying in Kabul!

Yes but good lord. OP started another thread a few days ago asking whether you can fly without passports because she hasn't sorted them out yet. She has 3 children with special needs and one (just turned) adult son at the time of this trip. I do not think an 18 year-old who has not had any international travel experience at all would be capable of organising a family holiday to Africa.

The strangest part is the OP seems least concerned about flying with three SEN kids. That alone would scare off most people with unlimited budgets and travel experience. She has not been to an airport in her adult life and feels it would be doable with three small children? She has also not flown with any of them before or can predict how they will behave cooped up on a 3+ hour flight. She doesn't know if one or more might get travel sick. Or if they may get sick at the hotel and how to cope with that if completely alone and unable to speak the language.

You don’t have passports, op?!