Greece and UK talking about semi normal summer holidays

[Lemons1571]

Wonder how this will go. Can’t see the point in vaccine passports yet, as people can still get infected and transmit to others without knowing. Although I suppose the government could be pretending that transmission is a risk once vaccinated at the moment, to make all of us continue to follow the rules.

Also can’t see many people signing up to a holiday costing several thousands if it relies on negative tests both ways, huge risk of losing all your money (either on a lost holiday, or on quarantine hotels and a fine).

And what about children, none of who will have had a vaccine by the summer? Can no families go without taking the risk of one of them having a positive test?

I suspect the governments will “come up with something” for holidays to Spain / Greece / France. What do you think?

@newstart1234

Also, I assume the point of holidaying is to visit sights, shows, beaches, bars, pools etc. If this happens then someone in the party will be at quite a good chance of catching Covid, even if vaccinated. The risk is not being allowed to travel home.

Quite a large number of people go for the beach, and there is no evidence of anyone catching Covid on a beach. It was reported on two days ago.

Not a risk I would take. The rules change so frequently, I wouldn't want to be on holiday and find out halfway through that I had to travel home via a quarantine hotel at a cost of £1,750. And the thought of being stuck in a hotel room with me, DH and 2 x DC for 10 days makes my blood run cold.

There is also the problem of flights getting cancelled at short notice if the rules change, trying to co-ordinate new, fully booked, flights with getting tested within timescales, not to mention if you do actually test positive before your flight home and getting stuck, self isolating abroad with all the added cost that entails.

Add in time slots round the pool, queuing up for the beach, having to pre-book bars and restaurants, no long, lazy, hotel buffet breakfasts, social distancing on trips (if there are any), and for me, it just not the fun, relaxing holiday I'm desperate for.

I find it odd that some people vilify foreign travel. It’s possible to behave sensibly abroad and not increase your infection risk. As for variants just as likely to occur in U.K. I’ve travelled a lot over past year and wearing a mask abroad, being sensible etc is just as protective as it is in U.K.

@SpencerGregson

I think my concern would be getting a positive test before the journey home. Then what?

I think you just have to look at it, that you more than likely will be negative as most people (if they indeed catch Covid) would only catch it once in a year. Holidays can be cancelled last minute for all types of reasons. Airlines go bust, young children are always a risk because they could catch chickenpox (was always at the back of my mind with young children).

@edwinbearn that’s not how any hotels I’ve visited are operating. Yes buffet breakfasts are different (but actually better but the buffet is still there just ordered at your table) and don’t you normally make reservations for restaurants in normal times?

If anything travel is more relaxing as many are not travelling so it’s quieter.

I don't think the issue will be at the UK end as most will have been vaccinated.

Sorry just responding to something further up the thread , if you recieve a positive result and you cant travel: there are some travel insurance policies covering this . you just have to make sure you get the right one .
@Lemons1571 I totally get your concerns regarding travel and they are valid . But there's definitely those that feel differently and willing to book travel.

I have a flight to Greece in early June moved from the same time last year. I have all my meals at the hotel and don't intend to do anything other than lie on a sunbed and have a few trips to the odd shop in town. No bars or otherwise crowded activities. My first vaccination is scheduled for tomorrow and my second for May. My only contact outside my home is with my support bubble household. I very much hope that with negative testing in place I'll be able to go, even if I have to quarantine at home on return. I wouldn't pay for a quarantine hotel and would move my trip again if that seemed likely.

European countries lost out on tourism revenue last year, they will be keen to set the rules in place for this year. Greece was one of the last countries that you could holiday, cases were low , only 6k deaths and they actually organised it very well, I was there October half term. I was randomly tested at the airport so they had a process even then. Hotel was amazingly friendly and efficient.

I'd love to go to Greece, but we binned the idea for this year, just too unclear and the tests would add huge costs. If vaccines are all we need and I get one, we'll try last-minute deals.

I am definitely up for a holiday abroad as soon as it's possible to go. I think it'll happen at some point during the summer.

Edwinbear- Add in time slots round the pool, queuing up for the beach, having to pre-book bars and restaurants, no long, lazy, hotel buffet breakfasts, social distancing on trips (if there are any), and for me, it just not the fun, relaxing holiday I'm desperate for.

There was nothing like this
Waiters served you at the buffet and everyone wore masks inside except for when sat at a table.
Don’t know about trips, but we got taxi out to restaurants.

@StarCat2020

Surely there is no point in booking an EU holiday until the ban on UK citizens entering the EU is lifted?

I know what you mean on the ban, certainly for tourism.

But if you wait until travel restrictions lifted, prices will be rocket....and or limited availability
I ve booked a ferry in late june, its a gamble but the ticket can be refunded if Brittany Ferries cancel or moved if i change my mind.

The ferry company has raised prices and premier cabins sold out!

@Veuvestar

Edwinbear- Add in time slots round the pool, queuing up for the beach, having to pre-book bars and restaurants, no long, lazy, hotel buffet breakfasts, social distancing on trips (if there are any), and for me, it just not the fun, relaxing holiday I'm desperate for.

There was nothing like this
Waiters served you at the buffet and everyone wore masks inside except for when sat at a table.
Don’t know about trips, but we got taxi out to restaurants.

Same here. I went away last August and October and didn't queue for a beach ever or book a time slot for a pool. Buffet was a bit different in that we were served stuff rather than self service but that was hardly a problem, and we could take as long as we liked in the restaurant too. Trips were good too, although we tend to book private trips for just the two of us, so no change to what we usually do in that respect.

I would love to go to a nice Greek island this year. However, I know someone who went last year and was selected for a random test at the airport in Greece. She was collected from her luxury hotel the next day and basically put in a manky prison hotel for two weeks as she apparently tested positive. She'd had a negative test two days before she left and hadn't been anywhere in between, to this day she thinks the positive test was a mistake. That alone is putting me off booking for this year.

I can’t wait for a holiday. I don’t give a shit about anything else. I just need to get out of this country.

@yearinyearout

I would love to go to a nice Greek island this year. However, I know someone who went last year and was selected for a random test at the airport in Greece. She was collected from her luxury hotel the next day and basically put in a manky prison hotel for two weeks as she apparently tested positive. She'd had a negative test two days before she left and hadn't been anywhere in between, to this day she thinks the positive test was a mistake. That alone is putting me off booking for this year.

Nightmare

I just want to fly home to see my parents. So many of us are just waiting to be allowed back into our own countries. The news about greece (even if it is focused on holidays) has given me a glimmer of hope.

@Veuvestar

Edwinbear- Add in time slots round the pool, queuing up for the beach, having to pre-book bars and restaurants, no long, lazy, hotel buffet breakfasts, social distancing on trips (if there are any), and for me, it just not the fun, relaxing holiday I'm desperate for.

There was nothing like this
Waiters served you at the buffet and everyone wore masks inside except for when sat at a table.
Don’t know about trips, but we got taxi out to restaurants.

Same, in fact literally the only difference we had last year was having to wear masks in the hotel corridor and temperature taking at the restaurant door. Definitely no time slot nonsense at the pool. We didn’t even have waiters serving the buffet, it was still help yourself.

@Totallyfedup1979

I can’t wait for a holiday. I don’t give a shit about anything else. I just need to get out of this country.

That's exactly how I feel. I know it's not a priority for lots of people but it matters more than any other restrictions easing for me.

@Totallyfedup1979

I can’t wait for a holiday. I don’t give a shit about anything else. I just need to get out of this country.

Me too. I've got a couple of U.K. breaks booked but not too enthused about them, mainly booked for a change of scene (if permitted by then). However, if we can go abroad instead then we will definitely do so. All breaks booked have free cancellation just in case.

We normally travel abroad 5-6 times a year and I miss it like crazy.

But I can't see the point of booking a holiday abroad now. We've booked 3 in the uk all with free cancellation up until the day before.

The problem with all these guarantees offered by travel companies is that they don't cover the unimaginable. A friend thought she was covered but has just had to take a credit note for £10k for a trip of a lifetime in February. The flight still went so they couldn't get a refund but we were in a national lockdown and she didn't want to take the risk of testing positive on the return trip and being stuck there for a few extra weeks at their own cost. When they booked, testing wasn't a thing.

If you were to go to Greece or Spain or wherever and they were added to the 'red list' with little warning you would have to spend 10 days in a dire looking hotel at your own cost with (in our case) 2 kids. My idea of hell.

And who knows what they might think up next. All that said I do think foreign travel will happen this year. It's just too risky and a bit ignorant to prebook before we know more.

Yes, the idea of somewhere being added to the "red list" isn't great at all. I don't want to shell out a fortune to stay in some crappy quarantine hotel! Given that they took several weeks to start the hotel quarantine program I would hope that there would be enough notice to get home in the event that new destinations are added to the red list. But who knows. It'll be interesting to see how it pans out if/when additional countries are put on the list. When I say I am desperate to go abroad, I'm not that desperate!

I haven't booked anywhere abroad as yet but that's because I spent so much time last year dealing with holiday companies and airlines when my many booked holidays all went to shit. I haven't lost out financially from any of them (as yet - for one such doomed holiday I have the option to rebook certain flights at no cost before the end of this year, which I can't see us doing as the country we had planned to go to - last April - is currently on the red list), so in my head I have written that money off but I might end up pleasantly surprised. I wouldn't necessarily have anything against booking stuff abroad with free cancellation but I just can't be arsed at the moment.

we have booked 2 x UK breaks so far, we have the option of free cancellation till pretty late on both of them.