Summer holidays abroad?

[TheRedBalloon]

I've just been reading that various Sage members have said international travel is unlikely this Summer.
We booked our holiday for the end of July to the Canaries (booked it last Summer.) Just wondering has anyone else booked for abroad and still expects to go, or is it more likely to be cancelled? DH and I have both had our first jabs and will have had both in May/June. We booked through TUI so I know we'll get a refund but the thought of going away has kept me going through lockdown!

(I know this is trivial compared with the illnesses / deaths due to the pandemic)

Guaranteed sun? Irrelevant to others, you included, very very important to me.

But it isn't irrelevant to me, I'd love a nice sunny day, but if I don't get one I'll have a nice time anyway.

Yes I've holidays booked, yes I am going, we managed to get away last year a few times, this year is no different, am I guilty about going? Am I fuck? I've done 12 months in Covid jail and I'm going, boris says British citizens not to travel, I've an Irish passport so I'm off!

@fightingirish

Yes I've holidays booked, yes I am going, we managed to get away last year a few times, this year is no different, am I guilty about going? Am I fuck? I've done 12 months in Covid jail and I'm going, boris says British citizens not to travel, I've an Irish passport so I'm off!

It won't be Boris, it'll be whether the country you want to go to is allowing tourists!

I'm surprised there's people still thinking it's a good idea and their holidays are a priority right now.

Mine got cancelled last year and I took a refund. It never even occurred to me it would be a good idea to try and travel this year.

The risks are high and it's not worth it. All those lucky enough to afford a road this year could be responsible towards another lockdown and all those who can't afford it and have struggled suffering even more.

Holiday in the UK if you must go away.

@Jayparrot

Guaranteed sun? Irrelevant to others, you included, very very important to me.

But it isn't irrelevant to me, I'd love a nice sunny day, but if I don't get one I'll have a nice time anyway.

And i am please me for you.

However I wouldn’t.

And whilst my children ate pretty hardy and love a run around in pissing rain, not for two weeks! They are swimmers and for them, it’s all about hours and hours of swimming, diving, water sports.... in glorious sun!

I am not sneering, I do go abroad, but the fact of the matter is that it is essential that people stop doing it so frequently, or, again, it is our children who will face the consequences

Well if you have children to be concerned about, you're not in a position to comment about the impact of travelling abroad as you'd have to be flying long haul on a monthly basis to get anywhere near the environmental impact of having even one child.

Lentil my ds is a swimmer. As in training for Olympic standard. It really is the crappest excuse for needing to go abroad because they like to swim.

This pandemic will be over quicker if people don't think their 'need' for a holiday trunks others needs for the UK economy to be open.

I don't think people are in denial generally. It sounds like mostly people are just upset and frustrated. That's not hard to understand.

My children have been used to going abroad each summer holiday but last year we went to Devon instead. The best days were the drizzly days as the waves were so better for surfing. They’re looking forward to doing the same this year

Sounds brilliant if your family’s outdoorsy, and I’m glad you had such a lovely time. But we like novelty, exploring cities, culture, exotic food and wine... and sunshine. And the U.K. just isn’t cutting it.

Love a bit of nature too, but more an Alpine forest hike in the sunshine than a grey and drizzly British beach (I hate beaches at the best of times).

@itsgettingwierd

Lentil my ds is a swimmer. As in training for Olympic standard. It really is the crappest excuse for needing to go abroad because they like to swim.

This pandemic will be over quicker if people don't think their 'need' for a holiday trunks others needs for the UK economy to be open.

Oh I don’t need an excuse!

Even if they didn’t love that aspect.... I would still be crossing everything that we get to go on our foreign holiday this year!!!

@Reachersloveinterest Yeah, I think it could be a massive faff to go away. I'm waiting to hear if my holiday in June will be cancelled, I'm really hoping it is to be honest.

I am delaying booking our usual French holiday because of the reasons I mentioned earlier, but also delaying booking anything in the U.K. because of the prices!
I priced up yesterday 18 nights in France, and 12 nights in South Wales. Caravan, so both would be self catering, take our own accommodation. South Wales was several hundred pounds more, and involves no ferries! Ridiculous.

Some of you are vastly lacking in imagination and don't know much about your own country. I moved to Suffolk and it is where my DH is from. He took me to all the beaches along the coast and then to Norfolk and I couldn't believe how beautiful it was, even better than Devon and Cornwall. We had a week there last year and it was fabulous. We are staying in the UK this year and have a great road trip organised which is jam-packed with things to do.

I will never go on a package holiday to Greece or Spain again. They are just crap. Last year there were people on here who were begging for the summer to end in Aug and Autumn to begin early as it was too hot. The weather in the UK has got significantly drier and the summers are quite hot.

Some of you may end up really disappointed. Overseas travel may not happen and then there will be nothing left in the UK to book.

My children have been used to going abroad each summer holiday but last year we went to Devon instead

Likewise, but Cornwall. My DC have been on road trips in Australia, around Iceland for 10 days, and had loads of holidays in Thailand, but Cornwall was their favourite. We went to Stonehenge on the way, followed the King Aurthur trail, went to St. Michaels Mount, The Eden Project, ate in great restaurants and did a survey of the best icecream, went surfing, went out on a boat, visited fishing villages, sunbathed on beaches and on the way back went to see the Magna Carta in Sailsbury Cathedral.

Hardly a sh!t holiday was it?

We had a holiday booked for October half term but sat down a week or so go ago & decided to suck up the cost & move it to next summer. I don't think it would have felt like a holiday for us or the children. The original holiday was actually booked in 2019 for summer last year, I'm really hoping it can go ahead next year! We'll focus on days out & catching up with family this year I think.

@MercyBooth

As long as those of us who never go abroad arent expected to give up our main event which is Christmas. I dont think it will go down well with those who cant afford to go abroad if they do all this and then counter it with another Christmas lockdown. 1986 was the last time i was abroad.

I wouldn’t ‘expect’ anything.

But it does seem that you expect me to put my life on hold so as not to disrupt yours? Even if that came at my own expense?

My holiday is 6 weeks travelling across the US. It’s a very special and very expensive holiday to celebrate my 40th, my husbands 40th, our son’s 16th and our wedding anniversary.

If I get to go, I’ll go. I’d have to be a world class idiot to say, no, let’s stay home in this shit hole for yet another summer.

I’ll test on return and isolate for 10 days if it’s necessary. So my holiday shouldn’t impact on your Christmas.

@SoundOfFalsetto

Great, I’m glad you enjoyed East Anglia so much. I’ve never been on a package holiday - we are very much independent travellers - and have explored the U.K. extensively in the past. Much of it is very pleasant and scenic, if not especially exciting.

We anticipated the issues with foreign travel at the start of the year and have booked two U.K. holidays for this summer. Have agreed upthread that this is probably the most sensible thing to do. But doesn’t mean we have to be happy about it.

Such snobbery on her about people who prefer foreign holidays. As if you're somehow superior if you holiday in the UK.

Notice that 'news' has completely disappeared from the headlines today.

@TempsPerdu We’re not beach people at all; normally it’s European city breaks or lakes and mountains for us, and the U.K. is massively overpriced and just doesn’t offer us what we want scenery, accommodation or adventure wise

I do have to say the scenery in the Lakes, Welsh or Scottish mountains is every bit as beautiful. City breaks in Bath, Chester, York & Edinburgh are every bit as interesting. Even in this country you can sample local cuisine that is new to you. Totally agree it’s the weather that is not guaranteed. I look forward to packing a suitcase full of summer clothes only and jetting off to somewhere that warms our bones. My kids loved our UK holiday last year just as much as our holidays abroad. Booked a holiday in UK this year too - somewhere I’ve always wanted to take the children but haven’t as we’ve gone abroad instead. Like you I never went abroad as a child so I think I feel it’s more special to go abroad than my children do!

As much as a week on a Greek island sounds like bliss, that is a want not a necessity this year for my family. But I need my children to be in school and not end up homeschooling again! The scientists are telling us that international travel could endanger our recovery/reopening in the UK & we need to listen.

@SoundOfFalsetto

Some of you are vastly lacking in imagination and don't know much about your own country. I moved to Suffolk and it is where my DH is from. He took me to all the beaches along the coast and then to Norfolk and I couldn't believe how beautiful it was, even better than Devon and Cornwall. We had a week there last year and it was fabulous. We are staying in the UK this year and have a great road trip organised which is jam-packed with things to do.

I will never go on a package holiday to Greece or Spain again. They are just crap. Last year there were people on here who were begging for the summer to end in Aug and Autumn to begin early as it was too hot. The weather in the UK has got significantly drier and the summers are quite hot.

Some of you may end up really disappointed. Overseas travel may not happen and then there will be nothing left in the UK to book.

And some people are really lacking in imagination if they think that people who holiday abroad are only going on package holidays to drink in the sun and lay on the beach.

Foreign holidays involve just as much sporting and cultural activities as UK holidays, or often more so.

I think anyone booked to go abroad this year is a bit silly. You could wait and get last minute if everything opens but to book now is just silly.

I actually think there is a massive sneering overtone in general from those who are frequent travellers that those of us who remain here to holiday are uncultured, dull philistines who know nothing of other cultures.

In my case, I'm the daughter of refugees and I grew up here, but in another culture. The country my parents came from is now suffering immensely from the effects of climate change but generally speaking those from richer countries are happy to swan around depleting the earth's natural resources because "they need a sunny holiday".

To whoever made the overpopulation reference up thread, yes I do have a child and I totally take your point as it is a fair one. However, having children is necessary for the continuance of humanity (if you care about that - you may not!). & all species have natural instincts to reproduce. I don't think it's a case that if you have a child (and I only have the one) you can't have an opinion on the impact of foreign travel. We have to have these conversations.

Everyone has different priorities in life and for dh and me it’s travel. Not being able to travel has impacted my mental health and I say that as someone who has never had mh issues, I’m struggling right now. Work is constant and not being able to get away has been hard then add in not being able to see family (all across the world) and it’s even harder. So yes, right now I would sacrifice Christmas to see my brother from Canada and my auntie in Florida and hope db can come here and I can go to Florida as planned. Life without travel is pretty empty for me I think it’s more the lack of ability to travel and look forward to a holiday. I love showing dc new places. Italy was the plan for summer 2022 for my big birthday because it’s my favourite place for architecture but even that isn’t certain. On the plus side, if Florida doesn’t happen I’ll use the money to get my kitchen done sooner but I’m not really excited about stuff so it’s not the same.

@Zig4zag I think most of us have holidays carried over from last summer. I wouldn’t book now personally but I guess you can check the refund policy and go for it.

I hope I’m not coming across sneery - people have different priorities. Apparently my car doesn’t match my income... it works and is nice to drive but it’s 10 years old and a Ford. I don’t understand the love of BMWs or Audis in my office but that’s just because it’s not my priority. Some people are home birds and that’s not an insult.

@Jayparrot

Why is it ok to sneer at those who are upset at having their travel choices restricted?

I am not sneering, I do go abroad, but the fact of the matter is that it is essential that people stop doing it so frequently, or, again, it is our children who will face the consequences.

I really think people are in denial about this one tbh.

I fucking hate hypocrisy.

I can have a child; a phone; a computer; a car; packaged and processed food items; gas and electric etc

But because I’m thinking of the environment
YOU shouldn’t have a holiday.

Fuck that. I only get one life and I’ve done my part by having only one child. That’s my contribution to the environment done as far as I’m concerned.