So have we all given up on our Easter holiday bookings?

[worldsworststepfordwife]

Haven’t had a holiday in so long and this Easter’s trip to Denmark has been booked since last Summer, I’m reluctantly coming to terms that we’re not going if things carry on as they are and stupidly because the country is so expensive we booked a non refundable hotel room to save money, that’ll teach us we’ve already been in touch with hotel and they’ve confirmed there’s nothing they’ll do regardless of the situation at the time

Definitely go! I’m on holiday in Vietnam at the moment and was agonising about it beforehand because it’s so close to China. But I feel far less likely to get it here - there are 10x less cases than in the UK for one thing, and the government is cracking down on it v hard - eg a woman brought the virus over from the UK on a plane and within 4 hours everyone on that flight had been quaranteened in their rooms. I guess it depends on a) what level the virus is at in Denmark and b) how big a deal it would be for you to be stuck in a hotel room there for 2 weeks. For me, that risk was preferable to losing £6k so I went

I’m only there less than a week so can’t go if there’s a risk I could spend whole time in the hotel

We're expecting our trip to be cancelled but it hasn't as of yet given what's happening currently there. Our Insurance will cover us if we're unable to go so long as it's a No no by a body such as fco or a quarantine is in place etc but otherwise not if we just chose not to go.

I went to Denmark a couple of weeks ago it was honestly completely fine, I would still go, just take sensible precautions.

My friends have just cancelled. They were going to Europe. They aren't worried about the virus but are concerned they could end up quarantined over there and don't want to risk it. Another friend is still planning on going but she works in a hospital and has been told leave may be cancelled.

I'm certainly not wealthy and I'd rather loose 6K than be stuck in a hotel/hospital in a foreign country feeling very unwell, possibly separated from my dc and unable to come home.

Off to Spain next week.
All paid for and no intention of cancelling.
Taking gloves, hand wash and lots of paracetamol.

We're going to Mallorca the week before Easter.

We're out. We were supposed to be going to Madrid and Gran Canaria from the 29th to the 8th, but Spain now has over 1000 cases and the UAE government requires 14 days of self quarantine for countries with over 1000 cases and I am not giving up 14 days of annual leave.

Luckily I booked free cancellation on the hotels and Emirates airlines is allowing passengers to re-book for another date without penalty. We've probably lost our Ryanair tickets though...

Good thing it wasn’t lots of people coming back from Italy with the virus that gave us most of the UK’s cases, or it would look like people insisting on their holidays were being pretty gung-ho about other people’s health.

Nothing of the sort. Unless the foreign office say not to travel then you won’t get anything back from your insurance company.

A letter from a doctor saying you shouldn't travel also counts

We're off to a caravan park. We'll still go but will probably avoid the communal facilities as much as possible and visit the beach and country parks.

@HulksPurplePanties Does the quarantine rule apply to anyone coming into the UAE from a country with over 1000 cases? We are due to travel to Abu Dhabi (from the U.K.) on 31 March so I am trying to find out the latest information.

Good thing it wasn’t lots of people coming back from Italy with the virus that gave us most of the UK’s cases, or it would look like people insisting on their holidays were being pretty gung-ho about other people’s health. hmm

I know what you’re saying. But also that there is going to be economic repercussions if we all cancel. I can’t help feeling like some of these holiday places aren’t as privileged as in the UK; they really don’t need brits going inevitably taking the virus with them and filling their hospitals. Then we don’t need the carriers bringing it back and flooding communities with it.

Off to Spain next week.
All paid for and no intention of cancelling.
Taking gloves, hand wash and lots of paracetamol

It’s not so much if you catch while you are there, it’s if you take it with you and spread it around. And need medical help from already stretched services. And then get quarantined or bring it back. You are adding to the problem but if you don’t go the economy suffers.

It’s really difficult, but I think maybe we should all think twice about going. If you do go, make sure you have the best insurance you can afford so you don’t become a pain in the arse to either country to look after you.

At some point quarantine will apply, so be prepared to get stuck.

I was supposed to be going to Italy in May but that looks very unlikely now! Waiting to hear from the airline whether I can change my flight to Athens instead, but who knows, by the end of May that might not be a wise place to travel to either. Keeping my fingers crossed that by May things are improving, or at least clearer about where is / isn't safe to travel.

I'm due to go to Poland in 2 weeks. Keeping an eye on the situation for now, but it looks like Poland have now shut all museums across the country. So there's not much point in going if we can't visit the things we want to see.

I'm also concerned that Poland might not want us there - we have more cases in the UK than they do, and likely to have a lot more within 2 weeks.

We have refundable accommodation but we would lose money on our flights. Sad about missing our long awaited for mini break but I think it may be inevitable now.

Wait until the FCO says no travel, or only essential travel (holiday does not = essential travel) to that location, then put in your claim.

If you are put in isolation, or our whole country goes into lockdown like Italy, or the country in question bans travellers from the UK, those are probably also valid reasons. Keep an eye on the news, and take screenshots of any announcements by that country, or news articles, dated, to add as evidence to a claim.

We have a non refundable trip coming up to Canaries in May and plan on going 100%.

I was meant to be going to a long-planned holiday in Turkey in 3 weeks with 3 DC under 5. Not sure if we're going to go now. Things I'm worried about:

1. 1 case has been confirmed there but some in media saying Turkey 'hiding' true figures. Turkey borders Iran...
2. Kids won't wear a mask so even if show no symptoms, they could be carriers. One is a thumb sucker 🙈
3. Dirty airports and plane (planning to wear n99 mask and disposable gloves then bin)
4. Confined space in plane with circulating air condition, potentially an asymptomatic carrier could be on it.
5. Open buffets and shared facilities (we booked all inclusive). I plan to take disinfectant wipes, spray and hand gel.
6. If we catch the virus, we'll be stuck there in quarantine.
7. Staying in a well known chain of hotel but means there'll be hundreds of other international tourists, some from affected countries.

I keep flipping from wanting to cancel and lose money we saved a long time for and then thinking that I'm overreacting. Really don't know what to do.

I need to decide soon whether to book flights to Spain for Easter
I think I probably will. As long as we are allowed to travel I see no more danger in being there than here. I’m fact we are probably better off there as we live in a large multicultural town with a large Uni but where we plan to go is pretty rural andnot very touristy
Also, if we are not allowed to go We will only lose the cost of the flights (assuming we aren’t refunded) as it’s our own property

@whiskybysidedoor you make some very good points there

The selfishness of so many people is so disheartening. It's not just about YOU, whether YOU are more likely to catch the virus when abroad. It's about whether travelling from country to country potentially spreading the virus to vulnerable (sick, elderly, poor) people is a responsible thing to do. The government won't restrict travel or bring in other measures that will damage the economy unless they really have to.

I’m fact we are probably better off there as we live in a large multicultural town with a large Uni but where we plan to go is pretty rural andnot very touristy

And what if you take it to them, hopping.

I’m not sure that your two weeks spend in a supermarket and a few meals out is saving the economy when you risk bringing infection to a whole area that might otherwise be free of it.

The selfishness of so many people is so disheartening. It's not just about YOU, whether YOU are more likely to catch the virus when abroad. It's about whether travelling from country to country potentially spreading the virus to vulnerable (sick, elderly, poor) people is a responsible thing to do

This is what I’ve said to my husband about our upcoming trip. His train of thought is that he’ll be fine so what’s the problem?

His employer has told him that if he goes on holiday then he will have to self isolate when he gets home for two weeks. Husband is now very excited about that and is making plans about what he will do during his “time off”.

I said that isolation is exactly that, isolating yourself from others.

He said “there’s no point in doing that as you and the kids won’t be self isolating so we’ll be spreading stuff around anyway”.

It’s such a mess.

We are supposed to be flying to Verona for a week over Easter. We're not going now.

I think many people still see holidays to other destinations as fine and will do unless it kicks off in the same way it has in Italy.

People can also be selfish. A woman I know has flown to Spain today. Yesterday her brother was tested for CV but the results take 48 hours - so she went anyway.