To be annoyed with people online saying you were stupid to think holidays abroad in 2021 would even happen.

[katedan]

Like lots of people we booked our summer holiday for 2020 to Europe in December 2019 with no idea what was to happen, we could not obviously go last year so agreed to move to 2021 as we had hoped this would be better by then. Now all I read is how stupid people are for thinking holidays abroad would ever happen in 2021 and it is there own fault they are unlikely to happen. Lots of people like us booked ages before COVID was even heard about. TBH we were stupid to not book a package so cant get our money back but I think it is unfair to assume everyone with holidays booked for this summer booked them in the last couple of months.

I think it only became apparent in December just how badly the UK is screwing it all up and that therefore, all of 2021 and possibly some of 2022 is up the swanny too

During the first lockdown I honestly thought we'd get numbers down and keep them down, having learned from past pandemic patterns, but no. Here we are. Great.

I'm so fed up of seeing A,B,C and Z list celebrities flaunting their holiday pics in the media and on social media.
Or hearing of local people who are just back from their holiday homes abroad or in this country.
Our family are really making an effort to stick by the rules.
It sickens me.

About 40% of those who voted in December 2019 expected a competent Tory government. Then they expected one who would have learnt lessons from being late to respond in March 2020. So not surprising to expect holidays in 2021 could happen, especially as some did happen in July and August 2020.

Even with the experience of Mr Johnson being poor and inattentive as London Mayor and Foreign Secretary, I did not expect his government to be world leaders in incompetence as they have been.

YABU to be annoyed. In early March last year, fair enough that some people thought things would be back to normal by the summer of 2021 - we were all more ignorant then.

But anyone who was booking future holidays by July or August, that was just plain daft. Even in recent govt press conferences people have been asking about whether we'll be able to have summer holidays ffs - NO! Of course not! If there are no new variants which circumvent the current vaccine, and if the vaccine continues to protect for a year or so (in order to allow time for boosters to be rolled out) then maybe by 2022 or 2023 holidays will be back "on".

I've already asked my kids how bad 2 weeks stuck in a crappy hotel room when coming back to England would be, worst comes to the worst. They agreed that as long as they have internet access, it could be fun.

It's far too early to know, but it's not stupid to start planning.

but anyone who was booking future holidays by July or August, that was just plain daft.

why? I was on holiday abroad then! I am glad we did. And many people managed a long haul flight holiday well too.

There's a risk, but if there's a window that opens, who knows, it's worth being ready to jump in it.

I think a lot of people (myself included!) got a bit too optimistic when the vaccine was announced. I was seriously considering booking a holiday for September back in December just to have something to look forward to outside of my own house.

That being said, it’s pretty clear to most now that the vaccine isn’t a magic wand and that travel restrictions are here for a while.

I’m on a Florida Facebook group and there are A LOT of people who still think their May/June/July trip will still be going ahead, and anyone who points out that this may be sliiiightly optimistic is torn apart for “negative comments”.

Many 2021 holidays are rolled over from 2020.

People were able to go abroad on holiday in summer/ early autumn 2020. Despite the current situation, continuing progress in the vacconation programme means that the July-August window still has decent potential. Late spring, autumn less obvious.

Check your conditions carefully. Don't book anything new that you can't afford to lose.

Last April/ May, there was an abundance of people who thought it was insanely optomistic to condider going away in the UK in 2020 (mind you, I would not be rushing to any commitments in Wales or Scotland...)

Not stupid at all , I got a credit note that I’ve still to use . I was going to book for this summer as we have been given a extra 20% off for not getting the refund so if we re book . I’m now starting to think that I should request the money back now and leave it for this year but I really don’t know what to do .the holiday that we had booked for last year that got cancelled was our first holiday abroad in years but now it seams not important.

@toconclude

Calling people 'stupid' in these circs is rude. Unrealistically optimistic, maybe. But I'm a very risk averse person by nature.

Same here

Not stupid but, I would say, too optimistic.

Not stupid, that’s unnecessarily rude, but perhaps overly optimistic. Last year, people with knowledge of viruses/epidemiology etc. were saying here on MN, that it would take at least 18 months to 2 years to sort out. They were burnt at the stake, accused of scaremongering, ridiculed and belittled. I’ve wondered how they feel as this has panned out. I work in aviation, here’s my cautionary advice on booking holidays fwiw: airlines and airports cannot restart operations overnight. Flying is not like driving a car, crees will all need to undergo essential regulated training. Airports have made thousands redundant, they will not be able to deliver a full summer capacity without significant recruitment and that doesn’t happen overnight, especially the security checks that airport workers have to have. Even if the restrictions are lifted in April, there will be nothing like normal Ops for months.

I haven’t heard or seen anybody say it is stupid to book or move a holiday into 2021 and I am on a holiday forum.

Some of us got swayed by the summer 2020 with Eat out to help out and prediction of spike in September, but positivity in the air lol.
Mime were now cancelled too... I am not stupid, I wasn't stupid to book.

I don’t think we know that it won’t be possible yet! But not stupid either way, as most foreign holidays are booked a long way in advance, including before COVID hit.

Personally I think anyone who thought it would be over by summer 2021 is a tad stupid.

History tells us pandemics generally last 2 years.

But I don't think people assuming they would get to travel abroad in 2021 is entirely stupid because we could travel in summer 2020 in a limited way.

I also booked summer 2020 in December 2019. However I chose a refund and not to rebook as I didn't think the pandemic would be over and didn't want to take the risk.

I am reluctant to book abroad for this summer even though there are alteration policies in place and DH and I will both have had two vaccinations by then (NHS staff).
My concern is all the brexit mismanagement and I don't want to have to hand around in border queues, plus green cards, roaming charges, visas etc into everything has settled down

I don't think anyone thought it will be kver. Just bit better🤷🏻

Unfortunately it's all too common and very easy to signal your superior foresight on the internet. I would saying booking was optimistic but not stupid and I applaud people who can maintain a sense of optimism under the current circumstances. I do feel sorry for anyone who will get neither a holiday or their money back.

We were due to go on a big extended family holiday this summer to celebrate a landmark birthday. My in-laws are intent on booking something abroad for August, and have decided to make their decision next month (and are clearly going to go ahead). They will both have been vaccinated and would have no problem paying for and enduring a hotel quarantine. It's already a bit of a battle to get them to engage with the rest of the family, who aren't in their position! Our suggestion is that we need to wait till much nearer the time to see if it's possible but prepare to go next year.

Worst case scenario for them is that none of us can join them this summer, and they end up spending lots of money unecessarily, but we will have tried our best to avoid that - we can't force them to listen.

Well plenty of holidays abroad happened in summer of 2020 so I'm not really sure why you'd be stupid for thinking they would happen in summer of 2021 tbh.

We're still 5 months away from the summer so I wouldn't be at all surprised if holidays abroad are very much a thing this year.

We are in the same boat as you. had holiday booked for summer 2020. Our airline cancelled the flight but the private villa rental said: we are open, its not our fault you cant travel into our country. So, they refused to give back our £800 deposit, but offered to re-book for 2021. so we did. but now we again dont know where we will stand in summer 2021. Good luck to us all x

I must be really stupid then because I'm STILL hoping I might get away in late autumn. If me and my mum are vaccinated by then, and the vaccine shows to be effective, we'll be off.

Even if we aren't vaccinated, I'm still going to try to book a villa in France and drive there just for a change of scenery. I'm desperate for some kind of holiday.

you and me both!

I'd rather be stupid but ready to go, than "clever' and miss the boat and the chance of a holiday.

I think if people are thinking about a February half-term holiday, they do need to resign themselves that it's pretty dead unfortunately!

I'm in the same position. I booked in May 2019 for July 2020. I couldn't get a refund when the balance was due in April 2020, and i didn't want to pay in case it went ahead but the facilities were closed, so moved it to July 2021. Now, I've just moved it to 2022. I would have considered 2023 if the dates were available.

The only stupid thing I've done is not going in July 2019 and going on a UK holiday with my in laws that year instead.