To want to go on holiday in the UK this Summer?

[windygag]

Accepted that our Summer holiday in Europe won't be happening but debating about booking something in the UK.

I have 2 young dc & both DH & I have been wfh since March. DH lost his father recently & I think we could all do with a break & a change of scenery.

I'm worried if we don't book anything then everything will be booked or too expensive but equally if we do book we may lose the deposit.

What are others planning to do?

If you’re willing to lose your money, go ahead and book. If you’re not, don’t.

We had a cottage booked in Devon for July but have just changed the dates to next year. The booking could have gone ahead as was booked after the 4th July but I don’t feel it’s the right thing to do right now. Plus many places will be closed/have restrictions so it seemed a bit daft to pay all that money just to go and sit in someone else’s house!! If it had been booked Sept onwards then we’d have waited to see what situation was like nearer the time but personally July/Aug just seems too soon and a bit irresponsible tbh.

I’d hope off booking. We booked a UK week away in December last year for August. Haven’t a clue if it will go ahead. We don’t go to restaurants because our kids don’t cope (they have Sen) but if beaches are shut or it rains we’ll be stuck. But we’re waiting to see.

I'd be extremely surprised if the restrictions are lifted this much in July/August! So I do think YAB a bit U. We'd all like a change of scenery, so I do empathise. But it is silly and irresponsible to try and book anything at the minute.

I work in hospitality and i know that many places are hoping to be open from July, possible just chalets, cottages, campsites etc where families can be self contained. I expect a lot of the onsite facilities will be affected though.

It could end up being a holiday with a lot of limitations and restrictions

I disagree.. Currently beaches are not shut.. And I cannot see the government wanting the tourist industry in our holiday hotspots to lose the summer season.
They have already lost Easter and may half term.
There will be increasing tensions between the retired, elderly local population in these places and the local businesses owners who may have weathered things so far.. The first group frankly don't want tourists ever and the second have so far felt the risks of covid outweigh the need for income.
Going forward as European resorts open up and flights restart I can see UK tourists going abroad, as many can wfh so can quarentine on return.. And our seaside business owners looking on in anger if they are not allowed to restart their businesses.

Centre parcs are reopening in early June... Most self catering companies taking bookings from beginning of July.
Haven have said they are reopening first of July.

The local residents not dependent on tourists may not like it but if other parts of society are returning to normal so will our UK holiday industry.

I think we will just visit family. MIL lives in north Devon so will probably go stay with her when we are able to mix households again.
My sister lives in Cornwall so again will visit her when able. Likewise they will all probably come up to us in South Wales at some point for a change of scene.

I suppose it Depends What type of holiday,we have a haven holiday booked ,we picked the particular resort because the pool l like good but I can't imagine being allowed in it or if we are we will all have to social distance ,my youngest has severe autism and learning disabilities and he would love the pool ,but I think we will postpone , maybe an isolated cottage holiday would be ok but it wouldn't suit us .

Yes should have made it clear that this is under the assumption that more things will be open as restrictions are lifted.

We did have a UK break booked for next week but have moved that to Easter next yr as it's with other family & friends.

I'd say a self catering self contained property in a beach town should be ok, as long as you don't mind not doing much other than beach and home (and lots of home if it rains)
I've got a camping trip booked for August and plan on going.

We have a holiday house already booked for August dont have to pay till mid July and I am hoping to still go. Its in a remote location where we can have lots of local walks.and a different scenery we wont travel to the local towns at all it has a hot tub pool table dart board and we are going with the inlaws fingers crossed
We will both take a full weeka shopping with us and fully intend to have to cook and eat at the house. No pubs or public places will be attempted but a change of scenery different walk and just the housw itself would be enough.

If we go somewhere it will be Greece, where it is looking like it will be business as usual, though time will tell.

I suspect a local holiday will he pretty restricted, but not discounted, and tourists will be about as popular as a fart in a lift.

It really wont be back to any kind of normal in hotels, pubs, restaurants at any point this year.. And i do wonder if things will ever be the same again.

Buffets wont be happening again. That will affect most breakfasts in hotels. Toby carvery will not be able to operate like they did.

No idea what will happen with celebrations such as weddings etc. That part of my catering business is over.

Im hoping that once lock down is lifted and peoole can go away to holiday lets, i will start to get more of my private chef work, which, if restaurants are not properly operational, I'm hoping that people will hire me to come and cater for them at the property.

I’m holidays are pretty much a dead very I think

Even foreign holidays are looking good

That 14 day isolation rule will be dropped by June I bet

Toby carvery - what’s the issue as people don’t serve themselves so no different to food fine in kitchen?

And i cover the whole of the south west if anyone wants to make a booking!!! 😁

(shameless plug as these are desperate times!!)

I don't see why you can't given hundreds of thousands have arrived at UK airports the past two months. Only around half were British citizens so clearly it's not just repatriations. None are being checked or quarantined. From 8 June they will be asked to self isolate at their destination. Presumably after getting there on public transport. So some people (quite a lot in fact) are travelling around. Given this, it would be strange to not allow at least self contained self catered UK holidays.

Looks lovely @DartmoorChef
I read some pubs are doing takeaway drinks. Perhaps restaurants are or will do that too?

I'd play it by ear till the last minute.

You could book something for July and then there could be a huge second spike about to peak.

@daisymay133 until lockdown toby carvery were all self serve apart from the meat. Breakfast completely self serve. People queuing closely.

Places like pizza hut wont be able to do their buffets either.

Too much risk of passing infection via utensils and cutlery etc.

At my current job we have to serve all food in disposable take away boxes, with single use cutlery. No vending machines, coffee machines, self service, at all in staff canteen. People cannot sit together. And we have screens up across the service counter.

I'd say a self catering self contained property in a beach town should be ok, as long as you don't mind not doing much other than beach and home (and lots of home if it rains)

This really appeals.

I have all of Aug off & need to look at different walls!

Centre parcs are reopening in early June..

Actually, Center Parcs are closed until the 5th of July in the UK (later in Ireland) and their website states currently, we know that the closure period may well extend further. We've got a holiday booked with them in July but I'm not really expecting it to happen. I certainly wouldn't be booking one now.

MIL lives in south Devon so we will go stay with her at some point this year, but we would have done that anyway.
We’ve got a weekend away camping booked with friends at the end of August, I hope that goes ahead.

@DartmoorChef that looks amazing!

We usually go to Scotland for a week late October, self catering in a cottage... I'm desperately hoping things are better by then but so much is unknown at the minute!

@DartmoorChef 😋