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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if you are still going on your France holiday this summer?

153 replies

LuckyLouby · 11/05/2020 20:30

Just that really. We have a family holiday booked to go to France this August and were very much looking forward to it. However, given the situation, we are unsure of whether to go or not. We have booked with Brittany Ferries and they have given us the option of taking a credit note for the deposit we have already paid and using it to rebook at a later date. Alternatively, we can go ahead with the holiday.

The holiday home itself is in rural France but the worry is over taking the crowded ferry to get to France.

Has anyone else booked a similar holiday for this year? What are you planning on doing? We're so confused about what to do Confused our hearts say go but our heads say don't take the risk and take the credit note.

OP posts:
papiermaches · 11/05/2020 20:34

No, and I doubt they’ll let us in anyway.

trilbydoll · 11/05/2020 20:34

We've got a ferry and campsite booked. Logically we are fairly sure we are not going but we can't bear to face reality yet!

Waiting for France to say absolutely not and then I guess we'll move the booking to Aug 2021. We've paid for the ferry in full and a deposit for the campsite.

I can't remember when the campsite want the balance paying, I'm reluctant to pay that without some confirmation that there will be a ferry and the French won't turn us away when we get there!

Bellebelle · 11/05/2020 20:34

We’ve cancelled both our holidays for this summer (USA in July and France in August to visit my sister).

Luckily we have been able to get the majority of what we’d paid back but I know that not everyone can do that.

I think that by the summer we either won’t have the option to travel to other countries (they won’t have opened their borders to us) or at the very least they’ll be insisting on quarantine on entering the country which wouldn’t make for a great holiday!

Disappointed but there will be other holidays in the future I’m sure.

Squigglypig2 · 11/05/2020 20:37

We have flights, a villa for one week and a eurocamp villa booked for second week. I am keeping my fingers crossed but it doesn't seem very hopeful at moment. However I did see that Macron/Boris have apparently agreed no 2 week quarantine for travellers so maybe that's a sign they haven't completely given up hope for tourism each way over the Summer.

jacks11 · 11/05/2020 20:41

I would not risk it, personally. You may end up having the decision taken out of your hands if there is a need to quarantine for 14 days if you’ve returned from abroad (unless you can take an extra 2 weeks holiday after your holiday to quarantine). I also wonder if you may be asked not to travel to rural France- for the same reason rural areas of the uk are asking tourists to stay away- though August is quite a while away and who knows what will be happening by then.

FancyPants20 · 11/05/2020 20:45

As a Frenchie, please don't come over while the virus is still uncontrolled. Sorry, I know it sucks if you've got holidays booked and are looking forward to them, but I also don't want our currently green department to go red because of tourists (tourists from anywhere, not being racist against Ukers).

WobblyLondoner · 11/05/2020 20:47

I just cancelled our holiday accommodation yesterday, 10 days in a lovely cottage by a beach in Ile d'Oleron. Just could not see how we'd be able to do that in late July. Could cancel accommodation without penalty up to early July (Airbnb) but was worried about how we were going to get there (had booked nothing) and how anything I did book now would be covered if we then didn't go. Plus DP really not keen. So sad :(

GlowWine · 11/05/2020 20:48

Same situation as @trilbydoll here, ferry paid in full (because credit card renews in May they took the whole whack when I booked Sad). And deposit paid for gite. Not yet had the courage to check the details when the balance is due. But who knows if France will let us infectious Britons in after the end of their travel restrictions anyway. Thing is, we were meeting in Brittany with family travelling from very south of Germany who think they won't be able to make their journey: even if they were willing to use public transport, flights have disappeared, as have train connections. They are not in a position to consider 2 days driving. So even if we were willing to brave the ferry, they would not come. So now I'm still hanging on to make a decision, and a bit concerned about the ferry voucher, they will issue one for each leg which you then can not both redeem against a single booking? I hope I got the wrong end of the stick there. I assume my gite deposit is a write-off.

ImNotWhoYouThinkIam · 11/05/2020 20:51

We've got Disneyland Paris booked for July. My family are all convinced we will be going
I can't see how it will be even remotely possible.

FlexibleFox · 11/05/2020 20:52

We’ve got similar booked and the Boris / Macron agreement makes it sound as if Brits are going to be let in. Before today I was thinking no way would we be. Our campsite have said we don’t have to pay the balance until nearer the time. But I don’t know if I’d just spend the whole time worrying id get ill

Toomuchgoingon · 11/05/2020 20:53

We also have a gite in rural France in Aug. We have been told that we can defer the booking until next year so think we will do that. We are also booked with Brittany Ferries and they currently aren't taking passengers, just freight. We have to pay full holiday cost on due date though which is a bit annoying.

LaurieMarlow · 11/05/2020 20:54

Hmm, we’ve an air BnB near Toulouse booked for August. I’d love to think it was possible, but I doubt it.

Knoxinbox · 11/05/2020 20:55

What the what??!

Who are all these people with holiday plans???! Haven’t you read or watched the news??

Holidays? Street parties? Travelling all over to beauty spots?

I just dispair Hmm

Greenleavesawash · 11/05/2020 20:56

Yes but not necessarily for a “holiday” but to see parents we’ve not seen since January

ImNotWhoYouThinkIam · 11/05/2020 20:57

@Knoxinbox we booked it over a year ago. Weirdly enough we didn't predict this Confused

RunningNinja79 · 11/05/2020 20:58

We are due in August to be going by Eurostar so still in our car. I was thinking that it wouldn't be possible. Now I'm not so sure.

Depends what both the UK and France say about international travel and if there are any lockdown restrictions in either country. I'm not going if there are too many restrictions. Dont want to go and just make the best of it. Rather stay at home and have the odd day out TBH.

Though luckily for us we have no accommodation to pay for as its family owned.

Squigglypig2 · 11/05/2020 20:59

Well my plans were all made in January, before the full extent was anywhere near being apparent. Believe me, we wouldn't have booked anything if we'd known but as we have and it's late August there's no point cancelling right now.

ScarfLadysBag · 11/05/2020 21:02

@Knoxinbox 'dispair' all you like. Most people will have booked and paid for their summer holidays way before this happened. No one is making new bookings now Hmm

We were due to go to the south of France in July. We haven't cancelled the villa yet - we have another month or so before we have to, but I think we are pretty resigned to not going now Sad

Minesateaorthree · 11/05/2020 21:03

We were supposed to be going to South West France in the summer too. My husband's boss had said she's not allowing any holiday to be taken once the work place re opens after Covid. Really annoyed. Reality was that we'd probably not have travelled that far now anyway but as oldest is off to uni in sept and youngest and I are bound by school holidays looks like our hol on hold. Husband hasn't had any time off / or been furloughed so it's not like he's had a break at all and is looking really drained. He's worked double to cover the load of the furloughed workers in the company, who are gleefully rubbing his nose in it. Anywhere away would be great-ok of course only when and if it's safe and legal. Hmmph!

MrsTravers · 11/05/2020 21:04

Don't think we will. Due to travel with euro camp on 1 Aug, with deposit payable mid June. Although I am comfortable with my children returning to school in June, I think multiple nationalities from different areas of their respective countries all mingling together is a recipe for disaster - the Alps this winter mark 2!

Will ask if they can transfer the deposit to next year but will probably take the hit and not pay the balance if need be.

Daffodil101 · 11/05/2020 21:04

We did cancel our holiday in France. But this.was based on the fact we were due to fly to the south of France.

I was worried about a few different things; macron not letting us in, one leg of the flight not running, getting sick whilst abroad, airports being a nightmare.

However, if I’d been using my own car, taking the ferry and staying further north, I don’t think I’d have cancelled when I did. We could get a full refund up to June 1st. I’d have waited for that.

A secondary reason to cancel when we did (Easter) was to get something booked in the uk.

Samtsirch · 11/05/2020 21:06

@Knoxinbox
I think you need an ‘e’ 😀

LilacTree1 · 11/05/2020 21:06

“ for the same reason rural areas of the uk are asking tourists to stay away”

This isn’t official.

Given the current agreement between England and France, I would have thought France would be a place you can go!

Riverviews · 11/05/2020 21:10

I go to Spain every 5 weeks (family reasons), and I book my flights for the whole year about a year in advance. Since the lockdown started I've had 3 flights cancelled, April, May and June. I imagine July will be cancelled as well, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for September.

My trips are not holidays, but if they were, i would just try to cancel. I don't think any holiday place will be much fun this summer

Shehz21 · 11/05/2020 21:12

Exactly my thoughts @LilacTree1 !

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