AIBU - Summer Holidays

[DadAManger]

I know I can expect sensible and erudite comments here, as opposed to my local paper forum...

AIBU to think that this year, we are just going to go without our annual summer holidays? Cases - including of newer and more unknown variants - are up all across Europe. I love travelling as much as the next person and have family that would love to get away. But given the advantages we have gained here in recent months due to so many of us getting vaccinated and dealing with the lockdown, are we opening the floodgates to stepping back to another lockdown? I have friends that are almost psychotic at any mention of their 2 weeks in Spain, Turkey, Germany potentially being blocked this year. AIBU?

I will happily forego a foreign holiday to make sure that never again do children and students stay out of education.

I love travel, I love the sun, I love a summer holiday abroad.

But I had a blissfully happy childhood going places only reachable in a clapped out Vauxhall Viva on a tight budget, and am lucky enough to enjoy camping, walking, the outdoors in most weather conditions.

Maybe because of the Vauxhall Viva Vacations

Can’t stand the stress of ‘will we / won’t we go / get a refund / get home’ booking, or arriving to find that I am holidaying in a local lockdown or a pit of infection.

YANBU!

I’ve booked a holiday in the UK which will hopefully go as planned in August.

I don’t understand why anyone would want to go abroad right now!

I will happily forego a foreign holiday to make sure that never again do children and students stay out of education.

Very noble but the U.K. beaches and tourist towns are going to be absolutely heaving this year so what are people going to do about that?
You only have to look at scenes on beaches from last year to realise that people find ways to crowd together no matter what.
Parks are the same.

It depends on factors outside of our control but I personally am booked for two overseas holidays, a third pencilled in. I'm already vaccinated and will have the second dose 3 weeks before the first trip. If we have to reschedule so be it

@gallbladderpain

We have listened, followed the rules, my DD's mental health has been screwed due to this and she's had to drop out of education, I'm very aware ... but I've had enough of being the one to follow the rules, I want to see my adult DD's for starters

We've totally given up on going abroad - it would be a big surprise if it did happen IMO. We've booked a couple of cottage holidays this year instead

I agree @RainingBatsAndFrogs I don't see the rush, and the uncertainty about it all would not make for a relaxing break. I want a holiday from Covid, not faffing about with masks/social distancing and quarantining, I'll wait.

We ‘lucked’ in last year and had two one week holidays

We have no plans for this year mainly because we would feel guilty going when our young adult children can’t go on their own holiday

There are other covid related reasons as well

We won't be going abroad this year because we don't want to hassle of queues and quarantine. I do think that foreign travel will be possible in some form this summer, and some people will be willing to jump through all the accompanying hoops to go, but not me!

We moved last years holiday to this year (booked way before the pandemic). Annoyingly it’s the 3rd July so outside the current window for moving/changing for free.

Balance is due on Friday. I really don’t know what to do. We absolutely don’t want to go, but I don’t know whether to just cancel now and lose deposit or gamble on it being cancelled and get all our money back.

I personally think holidays will be on this year albeit with some restrictions.
We had them last year without vaccines so this year should be promising despite the current scaremongering.
Perhaps not to certain destinations though such as Australia.

@SpringtimeSummertime

I will happily forego a foreign holiday to make sure that never again do children and students stay out of education.

Very noble but the U.K. beaches and tourist towns are going to be absolutely heaving this year so what are people going to do about that?
You only have to look at scenes on beaches from last year to realise that people find ways to crowd together no matter what.
Parks are the same.

I thought that there was little evidence that outdoor transmission was a serious risk?

It was only specific ‘beauty spots’ popular as day-out visits that were ridiculously crowded.

And we can avoid airports, planes, bringing variants from other countries (where places are equally likely to be ‘heaving’) .

I assure my wish to avoid education being home based again is not wholly selfless and noble

I have no skin in the game, my kids don't have passports so we wouldn't be going abroad anyway. But I think its crazy that travel is likely to be restricted this year when it wasn't last year.

There must be a halfway between "£2k for hotel quarantine" and "go home on the tube and quarantine if you can be bothered", which would let people go on holiday if they wanted.

I do think vaccine passports for travel is not a bad idea, although I am opposed to them for day to day life.

@ChocOrange1 it is crazy, at this rate we'll never be allowed to leave the country again as the new variants will always always make their way to the UK.

@musicalfrog

Shock horror, some of us don't go abroad for a holiday anyway!

Unfortunately everyone staying in the uk has pushed up prices for all of us, so I'm a bit peeved about that.

Yes this is a bit annoying. We managed to get a Sun holiday which was really good value as we are able to go outside of school holidays (preschool aged kids) but inside the holidays the prices are sky high. I think we will just go camping in my parents garden instead 😂

I know I can expect sensible and erudite comments here

Ha ha ha!

@SpringtimeSummertime

I will happily forego a foreign holiday to make sure that never again do children and students stay out of education.

Very noble but the U.K. beaches and tourist towns are going to be absolutely heaving this year so what are people going to do about that?
You only have to look at scenes on beaches from last year to realise that people find ways to crowd together no matter what.
Parks are the same.

Outdoor transmission is basically nil. No outbreaks linked to beaches last summer. Obviously different to a crowded airport or public transport.

Booked to The States. Currently expecting to go. I do understand why some would like to stay locked up. However, things are as good as theyll likely be for years.

We have good vaccine rollout, likely all adults by summer. Some countries will never get full vaccine coverage in the next 5 years. They'll be winter boosters for years to come and no doubt deaths on a par with other infections.

But unless you aim for global eradication might as well crack on now. Get a vaccine and get on with life.

@MoreW1ne this is 100%. Thinking that the great national sacrifices made during lockdown will somehow be sealed forever by foregoing a foreign holiday this year borders on delusional.

@TheClaws Only if you are stupid or lazy. They don't add countries on Red list without any notice, there is always at least 2-3 days, so you can alter your plans; so check before you fly. Also choose wisely where you fly to and how you will come back. Only lazy person won't work it out.

I really don't feel 'locked up' at all. just happy to wait until things are more settled however long that is, I'm in no rush.. I've had the first vaccine.

I feel for people who don't even want holidays, just to see their families that are a plane flight away.

The red list at the moment doesn't include many typical summer holiday destinations - a few, like the Seychelles, but mainly it's places like Oman, Bangladesh, etc. Quarantine from Europe is likely to be in your own home not in a hotel, if it does happen. I think it's likely that holidays will be possible like they were last summer, from around June onwards, with either a negative test or vaccination.

We have a holiday to Crete booked in august and I’m feeling quite hopeful. The vaccinations should have increased enormously by then and we are already fully vaccinated.

I'd be nervous about booking anything at the moment, but as soon as I think it will be possible to travel without too much hassle or fear of cancellations, I'll be doing to.

As for the finger wagging 'selfish' brigade, they can do one. I'll bet that the same people chastising others for being 'selfish' enough to travel abroad, were whining about 'idiots flocking to beaches' in Cornwall last summer. And just wait and see, they'll be doing the same thing this year too.

I’m more fascinated by how many people can afford to go abroad every year, it blows my mind!
I don’t see why some people are so cross about missing a holiday or two, it’s a privilege not an entitlement and there’s bigger issues to focus on right now.