Would we be crazy to book a holiday?

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DD is nine months old, and I'm knackered. I would LOVE a change of scenery, a few days in the sunshine, a wee adventure. Under normal circumstances we would book a week away in October somewhere and I was thinking Crete, or the Canaries, or Cyprus . . . anywhere, really!

However - would it be crazy to do this, in the current state of the world? What would be the worst that could happen? I'm still on maternity leave, and DH has been working from home since lockdown started (and probably will, for the foreseeable future), so if we had to quarantine it would be doable.

Could we? Should we? My brain is too befuddled as to what we can and can't do now

I’d go for it but book as late as you can & it all depends on your particular circumstances.

I’m off to Gibraltar for a week in October (booked ages ago) but I plan on venturing into southern Spain on daytrips - I’m WFH, so quarantine not a problem on return & I’ve already had Covid so pretty sure I’m immune for now at least.

Taking the gamble on Travel Insurance of course, with just my E111 but I don’t fancy staying just in Gibraltar for a full 7 days! Hopefully the gamble pays off.

I would do it! We put our holiday beck till next May so as I have something to look forward to I haven't been too tempted to book but like you we could easily quarantine if needed to.

Just bare in kind that to go to Cyprus the private test is about £150 per person. A friend of mine has just rearranged her holiday there as she didn't want to be forking our another £300+ to get everyone tested before they went.

I bet there are some cracking deals to Turkey and from what I can see from Facebook groups I'm in everything seems to be running smoothly there. Obvs you need to wear masks in our lives but hotels are temperature checking and disinfecting suitcases on arrival. They are also operating below capacity in the larger hotels so it's really easy to get sunbeds etc round the pool. 9 months is a lovely age for a first hol abroad as well

Not crazy at all. I just got back from Greece. I needed a change of scenery so badly

I normally go abroad several times a year but have been stuck at home since March so am desperate to travel. I'm not so much worry about quarantine as I WFH at the moment but what does worry me is the thought of last minute cancellations and also a diminished experience - masks, social distancing, closures, etc - once there.

I'm still hoping to travel - maybe to Italy? - some time in October but I won't book until shortly before I plan to travel. That's a shame in a way as the anticipation is often the best part of travel but seems like a sensible choice in current circumstances.

Obviously as soon as you book get insurance Avanti and Staysure have covid insurance as an add on, don't rely on an existing annual policy.
Enjoy your break, the Canaries are subject to quarantine 14 days at home when you get back at the moment but the government of Tenerife is covering any corona problems if you stay in registered tourist accommodation so not private villas similar.

Personally, I wouldn’t be booking a holiday abroad at this time because the rules can and are changing in the blink of an eye, you could go away somewhere right now and end up having to quarantine when you come back so to be honest, I don’t know if I’d even enjoy the holiday so for me it would be a waste of money.

I can’t go anywhere as I don’t have any time booked off from work, but if I did, I’d choose somewhere locally in the UK like a cottage in the Lake District. It’s beautiful there.

Apparently you CAN get insurance for COVID if you're abroad. I can't remember the company someone had it on here - so you could get insurance but you might have to self-isolate when you get back. Just make sure you order an online shop before you go for when you come back

We are just regrettably thinking of canceling our UK October half term holiday while we are in free cancellation territory. We have been worried that we or the dc might get symptoms, need to self isolate and not be able to travel. But now we are thinking further local or national lockdowns could also mean we lose our holiday and our money. What if you get symptoms and can't go?

I would go to Italy in your shoes

I would go to Italy ASAP. Talk of Europe bringing in a policy they follow as a block. Italy is lovely and their rates currently low. Quick!

We went late August and it was fantastic. Empty beach resort Swimming etcand Venice with most tourists missing. Still on post holiday high a month later. Was empty when we went in August would be awesome now the schools back

Taking the gamble on Travel Insurance of course, with just my E111

I wouldn't just rely on the E111. It won't cover you for covid, and only gets you basic healthcare.

@ScrapThatThen you can get insurance against this. I’ve taken it out to cover the cost of my October holiday if I get track and traced or symptoms and are unable to travel. Cost me £13.

I think it’s unwise to wait tbh. Things aren’t exactly improving are they? We took the chance and went for it this summer so glad we did now. How do we know it won’t get worse?

FWIW I had no issues with my travel insurance - in place with my bank - I called them first just to make sure and I was completely covered. I guess not many people are going to go away and all of a sudden, catch Covid, and end up in hospital so its no skin off their nose really

I wouldn't do that week as half term in many areas...so likely to be busier....could you do the week before? We took dc to an apartment in ibiza about that age ....small area a boat from ibiza town and it was fab...first churros and tapas!
Pick somewhere with good access though so easy to get out if they lock down
I wouldn't risk it as we have health issues..but my neighbours just returned from Greece and says feels transformed...

I wouldn’t do it.

I get it. You’re exhausted and you want a holiday. I’m exhausted too. We’re all exhausted.

This is a global pandemic. Ignoring how shite a holiday would be during a pandemic, there’s a strong moral argument against travel. Travel spreads the virus. We should not be going on international holidays right now.

How would you feel if the country you go to says the day before you fly that they’re imposing a 14-day quarantine on all U.K. arrivals? So you’d have to stay in your hotel room the whole time? Our infection rate is going up now so it’s something to consider. Personally I’d stay in the U.K. right now.

I wouldn’t book anything, what if the country goes into lockdown? Which it looks like it could be on the cards, fairly soon, things have changed quickly without much warning at all, so far.

Personally I won't be booking a holiday abroad just because of the quarantine rules, but that's because my dd is in nursery and I wouldn't want her to have to miss 2 weeks due to quarantining. In your situation I'd probably go, but I'd go now rather than October (as I think things will get worse/stricter then), and I'd only book immediately before, to somewhere that looks like it won't get locked down (though there is the risk that you'd have to quarantine there, coming from the UK).

We've had a couple of UK short breaks, and we're planning another later in the year - good enough for a change of scenery, but it won't be sunny or warm!

As I’m finding out, cover to include Covid curtailment is impossible to get for countries on the FCO advisory list, and rightly so really.

So, winging it on the E111 it is then. On balance, if I hadn’t already had Covid, I probably wouldn’t travel. But I have, so I’ll take the chance.

If the worst comes to the worst, a tent on the beach it is!

@PaddyF0dder

I wouldn’t do it.

I get it. You’re exhausted and you want a holiday. I’m exhausted too. We’re all exhausted.

This is a global pandemic. Ignoring how shite a holiday would be during a pandemic, there’s a strong moral argument against travel. Travel spreads the virus. We should not be going on international holidays right now.

This

So all of you who are happy to take off abroad are okay with the knowledge that you might be spreading it elsewhere?

Dear God. There is no saving us.

I’m happy to go because I caught Covid in March. If you’ve got a problem with that, that is your prerogative, but I’m still going.

This is probably another reason why we need more antibody tests.

MummyPop00 - You aren't guaranteed immunity from catching it again. You do understand that don't you?

Just go somewhere UK based.