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AIBU?

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Original poster

Shapps says people can start thinking about holidays abroad

92 replies

Tal45 · 09/04/2021 14:06

Shapps says people can start thinking about summer hols abroad and that the cost of the covid test needs to be driven down. Anyone else as excited as me?
Errr no - YABU
Yes I'm excited too - YANBU
www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56682226

OP posts:
ChocOrange1 · 09/04/2021 14:11

All too complicated for me, I will be waiting until next year at the earliest. It took us nearly 8 weeks to get a refund from our holiday which was just a standard trip to Butlins, I can't imagine how complicated it would be to try and get a refund on a foreign holiday if I was unable to go due to covid.

Also with goalposts changing left right and centre its just not worth the hassle in my opinion.

ChiefBabySniffer · 09/04/2021 14:14

I have had 5 holidays postponed or cancelled since corona and so am keeping everything crossed that I can go away in July. I've been fully vaccinated so ready to get on with life. Plus, the place I've got booked has pretty lower rates .

Stuffin · 09/04/2021 14:16

This makes me laugh as if I needed to be told I am allowed to 'think' about going on holiday.

looks around nervously as I have been thinking of holidays for the last year Wink

peak2021 · 09/04/2021 14:20

You can think about it, but the lack of detail as to who might be in the red zone, yellow zone and green zone means you cannot do much more than have a thought as where you would like to go.

A rare instance of my agreement with Easyjet given their comment about the cost of tests.

TheDogsMother · 09/04/2021 14:20

I'm not booking anything in advance as I imagine the green list will change over time. I had to do 14 days quarantine last year after a 10 day trip to Portugal. They took Portugal off the safe list two days before we were due to return so I would like to avoid this experience again if at all possible. We've blocked some time out in our diaries and will see what the rules are at the time. Hopefully by August/September the European vaccination rate will be much better too.

emmathedilemma · 09/04/2021 14:21

No, I'd be happy just to have a date when I go to see family elsewhere in the UK!

TownTalkJewels · 09/04/2021 14:21

@Stuffin

This makes me laugh as if I needed to be told I am allowed to 'think' about going on holiday.

looks around nervously as I have been thinking of holidays for the last year Wink

Aaaahahah such a good point.

What an absurd thing for him to say.

That said, does give me hope.

rookiemere · 09/04/2021 14:24

I'd quite like everything to be open in the UK for a couple of weeks before they start talking about holidays abroad.

Many people- myself included - have foreign bookings carried over from last year, in our case Easyjet flights that can be moved again and a villa that I can hopefully postpone or lose a small deposit. I think anyone booking holidays before August is being a tad enthusiastic, but who knows what things will be like by the start of July. We're in Scotland so any foreign holiday will be delayed and caveated way more than anything in England.

CheerfulBunny · 09/04/2021 14:27

I can't wait, especially to see friends in Europe, but I think I'll be weighing up how much buggering about will be involved in all these things. If there's too much hassle (tests, quarantine, masks all the time, being herded about like an animal and shouted at) I simply won't bother, there's no pleasure in it for me. I don't enjoy flying much so I've got that stress already. If it doesn't bother other folk then great, go for it and have a brilliant time. I'd rather save my money for when it at least relaxes a little bit more but its good news nonetheless.

eddiemairswife · 09/04/2021 14:28

I can't take Grant Shapps and his flags seriously.

5lilducks · 09/04/2021 14:29

I've been thinking and thinking about a holiday since last year tbf, The government minister told us to think but hasn't yet said its okay to book Hmm. With a third wave on the horizon I wouldn't hold my breath. I would worry about going abroad on holiday atm as any given destination could be put on the red list whilst we are there.

Clymene · 09/04/2021 14:29

I can't see the point of going to sit on a beach wearing a mask, not being able to eat out unless you've booked, no tours or trips and having to plan every little thing. It sounds miserable

Original poster
Tal45 · 09/04/2021 14:30

@Stuffin

This makes me laugh as if I needed to be told I am allowed to 'think' about going on holiday.

looks around nervously as I have been thinking of holidays for the last year Wink

Haha I've been thinking...... and then booking the minute there's any positive news. I've got 3 holidays booked abroad this year as a result. Really hoping that something will pan out as I'm desperate to get away.
OP posts:
pepsicolagirl · 09/04/2021 14:32

@Clymene

I can't see the point of going to sit on a beach wearing a mask, not being able to eat out unless you've booked, no tours or trips and having to plan every little thing. It sounds miserable
This. I cannot afford a shit holiday.
billybullshitterz1n · 09/04/2021 14:32

I just want to hopefully see my Husband this year. He's working in a red country. He had to go back after a year at home to honour his contract

idontlikealdi · 09/04/2021 14:34

You can think about whatever you like!

We made the decision a while ago to holiday this year and have cancelled our French Holiday.

This just feels like the shit show that was Christmas all over again.

Original poster
Tal45 · 09/04/2021 14:36

@Clymene

I can't see the point of going to sit on a beach wearing a mask, not being able to eat out unless you've booked, no tours or trips and having to plan every little thing. It sounds miserable
We went to Spain last summer and although you had to wear masks walking around you didn't have to wear them on the beach, all the restaurants were open and there was no need to book and we hired a car so drove around ourselves. I'll happily wear a mask and social distance if I can get away, we had such an amazing trip and appreciated it even more because of the circumstances. I understand that other people would rather just wait till things were normal but as soon as it's legal I'm gone.
OP posts:
Original poster
Tal45 · 09/04/2021 14:38

@billybullshitterz1n

I just want to hopefully see my Husband this year. He's working in a red country. He had to go back after a year at home to honour his contract
So sorry bbs, so many people have been cut off from their family, I really hope you get to see him.
OP posts:
PicsInRed · 09/04/2021 14:39

I've basically taken the same approach as the UK did with vaccines and booked holidays in the hope they'll come good. Cheered me right up, it did. Grin

The big question is how people with school kids, separated parents, or just people with jobs to return to, can deal with quarantine if a destination goes green to orange or God forbid, red? How about school holiday travel - missing a week of school for quarantine?

A HUGE volume of travel customers have limited annual leave, school children and fixed custody arrangements, so there needs to be some work done there or the travel industry won't be even close to fully patronised.

poppycat10 · 09/04/2021 14:41

I would like a few months of normality in the UK before we open the borders. If people want to go to visit relatives they should be able to asap (from 17th May?). Maybe we could reinstate freedom of movement within the UK first though?

Pupster21 · 09/04/2021 14:44

It just all still feels uncertain. We have Portugal rebooked for July from last July. We’re going to cancel I think because DH isn’t yet vaccinated and I can’t afford time off if we need to quarantine on return. I’d also be worried the whole time about testing the children and the government changing their mind whilst we’re out there. Plus I’d be worried about what if one of us got symptoms out there, we’re staying in a villa so wouldn’t have a rep to help out or be able to get room service.

ChristmasFluff · 09/04/2021 14:50

It seems like the entire world (except Australia and New Zealand) is deliberately refusing to see how the virus became a worldwide problem due to air (and other) travel.

This really should be a wake-up call that the way we lived previously is not conducive to the survival of the human species - not just because of vaccines, but because of climate change. But no.

Safety is being sacrificed to corporate finance. And I am by no means opposed to opening up business - but mass travel isn't sensible until/if this virus is controlled.

SimonJT · 09/04/2021 14:56

We have a holiday booked in August (Spain) and a long weekend in Sweden to visit my partners parents. Both trips can be changed so it isn’t the end of the world if we can’t go.

SwimBaby · 09/04/2021 14:59

I feel like just giving up on holidays. I’ve had 4 cancelled and 2 booked that may or may not go ahead. Holidays or lack of are causing are too stressy at the moment.

CeeceeBloomingdale · 09/04/2021 15:02

@Clymene

I can't see the point of going to sit on a beach wearing a mask, not being able to eat out unless you've booked, no tours or trips and having to plan every little thing. It sounds miserable
Completely agree!

We cancelled our holiday last year and lost the deposit. However we would have been able to go but rules changed when we would have been there and we would have needed to quarantine on return which was not possible for work reasons so we made the right decision.

I love holidays, I live for travel and work in the industry but I can't get excited about a trip full of restrictions, uncertainly and without all the things I love about being abroad. It's a complete waste of my money if I can't eat where I choose when I choose, browse local markets, visit the sights etc. Sitting in 30 odd degrees in a mask just sounds depressingly hot.