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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think its impossible to plan overseas holidays at the moment

42 replies

Edenspirits · 02/07/2021 10:00

Just cancelled a holiday for the end of July to Spain despite everyone saying its going to go green in the next few weeks. It feels impossible to plan anything when every day there is conflicting messaging about quarantine etc.

Is anyone else still hoping to go? I feel so gutted and have held off until the last minute really.

OP posts:
Garraty47 · 02/07/2021 10:08

Got one booked for October, hoping that will go ahead. We'll have both been vaccinated by then.

Why did yours get cancelled?

DappledThings · 02/07/2021 10:10

I haven't bothered because it just wouldn't be any fun. I don't want to go away and not know what the rules are going to be there, having to wear masks potentially a lot of the time, various sites and museums being closed, not knowing what restaurants are open or if they have restricted hours or anything. Just sounds like a lot of stress and not much relaxing.

Original poster
Edenspirits · 02/07/2021 10:12

Too much uncertainty for us to be honest- not knowing if we would need to quarantine or not - amber list countries would invalidate our travel insurance. Will europe ask us to quarantine due to the rise in cases? etc etc. Testing costs a fortune too

OP posts:
Manzanilla55 · 02/07/2021 10:14

I was going to book four days Barcelona for me and ds for next June 2022 but even that far into the future contemplating hanging on a bit longer. Which is a bit grim. Not much to look forward to yet!

backinthebox · 02/07/2021 10:14

I am a pilot. I have a work flight to a green list country this month which my roster shows is cancelled. I also received a mailing list email this week from a booking site offering my actual flight that work have said is cancelled as a cheap flight. From recent experience, there is every possibility that it could be either cancelled or it could go. If I have no idea if I am even going to work or not, I’ve haven’t a clue how anyone would book a holiday. I’m leaving booking mine until a week before we have the days off. In the coming weeks anything could happen!

Original poster
Edenspirits · 02/07/2021 10:14

I have another city break booked for October to Italy as it goes and definitely wondering if that will be OK too!

OP posts:
Softpebbles · 02/07/2021 10:20

To be honest all of us with holidays in this country are all on edge due to children having to isolate all of the time. If my DC needs to isolate in the last week of school that is our UK holiday cancelled.

Planning anything just causes anxiety.

HilaryBriss · 02/07/2021 10:26

I have fingers crossed that I will be able to sneak in a week abroad some time later this year, but similar to a PP, I won't be booking anything until a week or so before we go.

Deadleaf29 · 02/07/2021 10:26

We’re not planning much of anything- I have a few U.K. day trips/weekends away booked that can be cancelled or moved and are no enormous loss if they don’t happen. Too many times I’ve had children spike a random fever or had to isolate as a contact - I’d just be too stressed if I had major plans in the balance or there was any possibility of being stuck abroad.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 02/07/2021 10:28

My head goes back and forth between: look at all the celebs in Greece and Spain surely it will ultimately be fine to being convinced us and our kids would end up quarantined in a hotel room for a wk costing thousands

AnyFucker · 02/07/2021 10:30

Not got anything booked and not going to this year. Too many disappointments, too much uncertainty.

Aprilx · 02/07/2021 10:33

I have cancelled about four trips this year and have given up now. I will book something for 2022 but only if it is flexible / refundable.

2021DNA · 02/07/2021 10:35

I’m supposed to be going to America in October to see friends. We have decided to cancel and do it in 2022 instead. I can’t imagine many countries wanting us to visit anytime soon

ashmts · 02/07/2021 10:36

YANBU. We booked Portugal for August when things were looking positive a couple of months ago. Decided it all got too complicated so was relieved when it got cancelled a week or two ago. I've already got the refund processed.

It is really annoying though, we didn't go abroad last year as felt it was irresponsible but have now been double vaccinated for months (both NHS so we were some of the first to get) and seem to be more restricted than ever. We should have just gone last year when we had the chance. That's what we get for being sensible. My DP's brother has been WFH since March 2020 so swanned off on holiday as isolating isn't an issue. We've both been run ragged all year and can't risk going cos work won't support the risk of quarantine.

AnguaResurgam · 02/07/2021 10:38

We decided quite a long time ago that the hassle was bound to continue, and that even though our house is quite comfortable, we really would not want 10 days isolation as a welcome home present.

So it's a different style of holiday for us this year. Good to have a change!

Also good to buy British - so many businesses have been though a dicey patch and need a good summer season to get themselves onto a sounder footing (even if not totally through bad patches)

Medstudent12 · 02/07/2021 10:41

Pick the time off. Book a few days before. That’s what I’ve done (I’ll let you know if it works out, could end up isolating haha).

PicsInRed · 02/07/2021 10:47

Booked, double vaxxed, going. ✈

DGFB · 02/07/2021 10:53

We’re about to cancel Europe for summer to get our money back, but hoping to book something else just days before we go

TheTurn0fTheScrew · 02/07/2021 10:56

we were really hoping for a short break overseas, but I don't think I CBA with the hassle at the moment. I am a bit of an overthinker, and would find it far too stressful to book somewhere conditional on -ive PCR out and back. We both work outside of the home and can't easily isolate on return.

Dh and I are double vaxxed though, which to my knowledge basically leaves Madeira. I might book the time off and then book the holiday with 48hrs notice, but this would be late August so still too far ahead to think about.

BarbaraofSeville · 02/07/2021 11:06

YANBU. The goalposts are just moving daily.

The green/amber/red lists.

Proof of vaccinations, I read in the last few days that a load of people got denied boarding to Malta because they changed their mind about accepting the NHS app as proof at short notice.

You can go, but they won't let your 12 YO in because they're not vaccinated, but you can't get a 12 YO vaccinated.

And who only knows what will happen when our cases continue to climb, surely more countries are going to ban us?

We've just had a late August holiday cancelled and are in two minds about whether the one we have booked for October will go ahead.

MsTSwift · 02/07/2021 11:11

We had a fantastic holiday last summer (drove there rates were low here and where we went so morally felt ok) we were away 3 weeks Austria and Italy and saw an empty Venice. Magical. This year it’s too hard and with the variants it didn’t feel right so we haven’t even tried and going up north for a week.

newnortherner111 · 02/07/2021 11:11

Even if we had a decent consistent competent government and could be certain of their decisions, that does not account for the host country.

I book nothing I cannot cancel for free.

Original poster
Edenspirits · 02/07/2021 11:16

I think the fact that there were 27,000 cases in the UK yesterday and higher than the whole of Europe combined means that its highly likely we would have to quarantine on entry. It also costs a FORTUNE in tests to travel too!

OP posts:
RaraRachael · 02/07/2021 11:18

Much as we like going abroad, I'm not booking anything. I don't want to risk having to come home early or quarantine on return if a country changes from green at the drop of a hat.

Also, I wouldn't be going anywhere that involves mask wearing and all that shit, so I won't be going abroad again until that's all lifted.

Sometimesonly · 02/07/2021 11:23

I agree. I desperately want to come back to the UK but it just seems too complicated at the moment. We have booked holidays in Italy (where we live) and I'm not 100% sure those will go ahead!