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

[LuckyLouby]

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 our hearts say go but our heads say don't take the risk and take the credit note.

#Panicmode1 - Hi, I'm dyslexic so its very possible I missed something in that report, but Hancock talks about lavish international holidays but doesn't mention France. Equally another news outlet reporting on the same speech/interview specifically said that Ireland and France 'might' be ok. I know I'm clutching straws here - but want to cling a little bit more!

I would have thought you wouldn't be able to get insurance now or, if you have it already it won't be worth the paper it's printed on if things go wrong when you're there and you need to claim. Best to check.

I checked before I bought mine. It covers covid.

Oh no #user1471590586 that flattened it!

Just cancel , take the credit note , we was going to Spain in July cancelled luckily only lost deposit . I really don’t think any holiday is worth it this year with all the restrictions we don’t know how long this is going to go on for , it’s sad but looking after yourself Is much more important

if the company cancels youre entitled to a refund my dh got a refund from easyjet when they cancelled

Similar situation to yourself- we had a French holiday booked For July but have sadly taken the decision to cancel. I really doubt that French tourist attractions, restaurants etc will be fully functioning. Also what if you get infected with COVID while you’re there - do you really want that? I’m paranoid that one of us would get sick in France and isolated in a French hospital. Seriously I don’t think it’s worth the risk. Also I think it’s better to save the money as we are going into a massive economic depression and unemployment is about to go up. When furlough ends there will be massive redundancies in many sectors. Save your money.

I’ve just cancelled my Scottish holiday (am in Scotland already) for August as think is unreasonable to travel anywhere this year

Our trip has been booked since last Autumn. We’re due to go for the school holidays. We travel in our own car, on the Eurotunnel, stay in our own caravan on a marked out pitch and we don’t eat out - we relax, enjoy the weather and cook our own food. The beaches are long and wide and quiet, even in the peak season.

I’ve been quite convinced that we won’t be going this summer - but I’m actually beginning to think that if we (and the French) observe the rules (if we can understand them) over the next couple of months then actually it might still be feasible to go.

There’s a lot of ifs and buts and bridges to cross in the meantime, but if in theory, nearer the time we’re being told it’s safe, and the French want to welcome us, we’ll go.

It’s just too early to say yet

Actually the government have said no travel when talking about driving, they stated very clearly that you can drive, for exercise purposes only, within England but you cannot cross the border.

Whether that will still be in place in July/August who knows,but it’s worth bearing in mind that it’s not only the UK which needs considering here, if the infection rate in France goes up then you should question whether you want to travel there, potentially become infected and bring the virus back to the UK in order to contribute to another peak.

As for Europe getting back to normal, Spain and Germany both have an R rate above one after less than a week of reductions so it’s highly likely there are going to be further peaks and lockdowns over the next year or so.

We booked our holiday last year so well before any of this. We've paid the deposit although the balance isn't due until mid June.
Our ferry booking is wrapped up with our campsite booking.
We did consider cancelling until we discovered that we'd have had to have cancelled 84 days in advance with only losing the deposit - we should have done it when we first discussed it :(
The problem is that we have absolutely no idea of what will be open when we get there. It's a lot of money to be stuck somewhere with nothing to do / nowhere to get food easily .

We have a campsite with Yelloh and easyjet flights booked for end of July.
I suspect it won't happen but I'm not cancelling because I want them so cancel so we can get a refund. However, balance of campsite is due in 4 weeks so will have to make a decision then. Easyjet would let us transfer flights except bookings for next summer not open yet and we can only do school summer hols as teachers.
We stand to lose quite a lot of money unfortunately.

@Knoxinbox you're right. I'd have thought it would be obvious and common sense that holidays won't be happening, whether that's a decision you take yourself or one taken out of your hands but apparently not! I appreciate it must be very disappointing if you've already booked and paid for a holiday but i am a tad jealous of the optimistic people who believe the world will be remedied in 2-3 months.

I feel it depends on where your holiday is booked too . Rural france I would go ,if say New York I wouldn't.... too built up and more risk. I also feel due to less people going on holidays this year it will be less risky as opposed to everyone going next year and their is a big possibility we will still not have any vaccines.

FWIW/to add:

We are French as well as British (my son and I are dual nationals; husband is ‘just’ French though).
I think restrictions will have lifted considerably by the time of travel (late July), especially where we are going (very rural). Even in French towns, restaurants, public transport etc are already reopening, 2 months ahead of summer holidays.
As for “why take the risk”...I think it’s all relative. You’re actually at far greater risk of death every time you get into your car but people don’t seem to want to know that.

I very much hope to be able to go to France in August. But its not a holiday per say it would be to see my parents/family as I am French, and for my (British/French) children to spend time with their grandparents. I expect the situation by then will be much more relaxed and the option will be there.
Would I go on holiday elsewhere? Probably not. Too much hassle.
But I would be travelling to an area in France that is pretty safe and given we are having very little contact with the outside world ourselves at the moment so all in all I would consider it a reasonable decision at that point.

I don’t think you will be able to travel anyway. And if the ferry cancel you are legally entitled to your money back . You do not have to re book.

We've been discussing it this evening. Due to go to France mid August, euro star to Paris, a train to another city, flying home. Fairly complicated, relies on two different hotels and three different transport modes being open. We won't get much, if anything, back if we cancel, and probably only credit notes if we aren't permitted to go.

I can see a scenario where we can go, but not come back, or go, but not have a hotel to stay in... DH will want to go unless we're actively forbidden, I'm more likely to worry about flights back being cancelled and stress the whole time.

I don't think everything will be back to normal in a few months, I think some things will have restarted in a patchy way and that's so much harder to forecast or work out!

Angelil
Restaurants here in France are not opening, only those which were already authorised to do take away.

No, of course not. Won’t be happening anyway but the ferries & queues would be hell if it did.

I was going to book to go in July to Lyon but had not done so, and am glad I hesitated.

If you can afford to, take the credit note and go later on or next year. Some things in France are cancelled beyond August because the French government seem actually to have a clue what to do.

Have paid deposits on campsite and ferry. Getting more and more doubtful that it will happen.

Sorry, but I really don't understand how people are STILL asking about foreign holidays after months of warning and advice that it is not safe to do so. Do you not watch the news, or are you really just that self involved??

I really hate to be blunt (actually no I don't) but nobody is going on holiday until at least 2021.

Dont know the details, caught the tail end on PM report, but I believe the Government has warned people today not to expect to holiday overseas this year.

They were interviewing a travel agent in Colchester, saying how sad it is “that people won’t be able to go this year”.

but it’s worth bearing in mind that it’s not only the UK which needs considering here, if the infection rate in France goes up then you should question whether you want to travel there France has done much better than the UK in almost every respect so far in terms of managing lockdown and suppressing the virus though. Many french are going to be very ware of the comparative shambles in the UK and might not appreciate British holiday makers arriving until there is a very definite green light in terms of the risk they might bring.