How's France doing now? Is my DH a bit deluded about our holiday going ahead?

[toucantoucaninatree]

We have a campsite booked for the end of July, (rearranged from last year, originally booked in Jan 2020 so pre-pandemic).
DH really thinks we'll be able to go. I think we need to accept we'll be staying in the UK this year because even if (when) travel restrictions are lifted, it seems very unwise to go abroad.

I would really really love to go to France and sip lovely wine in the sunshine. But it ain't going to happen, is it?

Btw we'll both have had two vaccines by then, but our DC's obviously won't have had any)

Not sure why you think it won't happen when there is a lot of encouraging talk about travel at the moment. You'll probably need to have several negative Covid tests but I'd be confident you'll be able to go in July. International travel is opening up very soon, albeit with limited countries on the green list. Even if France is amber in July you can still go if prepared and able to quarantine for 5 days at home (plus additional testing to end quarantine early).

I suspect it may well be legally possible for you to go on holiday to France by the end of July. (Whether it is sensible for the government to allow foreign holidays then is another matter!)

They haven’t released the ‘travel list’ yet so hard to say. Though numbers in France right now are rather high they are looking at easing of there lockdown too.
I’ve already booked a uk holiday as I like to plan and there’s no guarantee of boarders staying open, I’m more worried that the senes from last year and the scramble to get home may repeat themselves.

@TimeForLunch

Not sure why you think it won't happen when there is a lot of encouraging talk about travel at the moment. You'll probably need to have several negative Covid tests but I'd be confident you'll be able to go in July. International travel is opening up very soon, albeit with limited countries on the green list. Even if France is amber in July you can still go if prepared and able to quarantine for 5 days at home (plus additional testing to end quarantine early).

I wouldn't be able to quarantine as I don't work from home. That's one of the reasons that I think it's unlikely we'd be able to go.

@Mum2threejs it's going to be hard to relax knowing that rules could change in both France and the uk without much warning. I think it's much more sensible to accept we'll be in the UK this year but hopefully back to our normal foreign trips next year.

There are still curfews in France at the moment.

You’ll be able to go on holiday legally, but if all the uncertainty would not make it enjoyable for you, then it might be better staying in the UK.

I personally don’t mind the uncertainty at all so I will be travelling all summer, but it’s understandable that others feel differently.

Will you lose the money if you don’t go or is the accommodation/transport refundable? Is your DH worried about that?

you might be able to go but might need to pay for multiple pcr tests for the dc. that can easily add 500£ to your holiday.
holiday insurance might also be more expensive.

It's possible but I would suggest having a plan b. We are booked for Italy and are taking a "if it happens great" approach

I live in France, you'll be allowed out. The big issue is what hoops you have to jump through on returning to the UK.

This might be useful.

I mean allowed out here!

I love the etymology of curfew as couvre-feu (not remotely relevant sorry!)

I think you can’t apply the current situation to July. There will be a vast difference in the % of vaccinated population by then.

TwoBlondes diagram is a handy reference.

"Lockdown" easing a bit w.e.f. today but case & ICU numbers still uncomfortably high IMHO so I hope the relaxation doesn't backfire in a couple of weeks or so....

The government really needs the accelerating vaccination programme to take effect

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/03/covid-vaccine-rollout-rapidly-gathering-pace-across-europe

We have France booked for August, hoping to go but know we might have to pay for tests.

Local airport announced a testing partnership today. Just £110 per test or £175 fast track whatever that is. Lot of extra cash that!

Lots can change in a few months. As we saw last year.

I’m also in France and agree with TwoBlondes, it will be perfectly possible to come to France in July and pretty much everything will be open by then too. It is the stupid and expensive hoops likely to be in place for re-entry into the uk that might prove prohibitive. As the warmer weather returns and the respiratory season comes to an end, numbers are naturally falling and the vaccination program is also gathering pace so that all those who wish to take the vaccine will have had the opportunity by the end of June according to the planned schedule.

Tbh I think whether or not you can go to France will depend more on the U.K. government.
The confinement is gradually being relaxed: we no longer need an attestation to travel further than 10k, things are gradually opening up.
Numbers are still high, but falling.
Vaccination rates are going up, appointments are now opening up to younger people (anyone over 18 after mid June). We had our first jab last week, second booked in for the first week in June. Our neighbours have all been "done" or have an appointment.

So I guess it it boil down to if Doris thinks it more politically advantageous to ban foreign holidays or to allow them. Or to allow them , but with such stringent and expensive restrictions it won't be worth it.

It’s getting back to the UK that will be the bigger problem I think. Mr Johnson seems set on keeping people on GB as much as possible this summer.

Thanks all, especially those living in France. To whoever asked if we'd lose money if we don't go, yes we would (unless the campsite agreed to postpone it till 2022 which is unlikely). But I'm not willing to go just for that reason.
It's also tricky planning ahead re requesting leave from work. It's too late to book a UK break (with cancellation option) for the same weeks as the France holiday. So I have to make a choice in the next fees weeks. I can't really wait till June

We are in exactly the same position - will lose about £500 if we don’t go as the campsite won’t refund the deposit.

We’ve decided that even if we are allowed to go and everything is open in France, it’s not worth the uncertainty. So are cancelling. My biggest worry is getting a positive test just before travelling. And also saying to the dc that they have to stay in the house for 2 weeks when we return.

On the positive side although we’re losing £500 I am trying to think about the £2000 or so we will save by not going!

As several others have pointed out, the issue isn't being allowed into France - which it seems you will.

The problem is the associated costs of pcr testing pre and post holidays, and the 10 day isolation when you get back to the UK.

@TwoBlondes thank you, that's really helpful.

We're booked to go at the end of August - a 2.5 week road trip that was moved from last August. We can't go next year as we're already away for those dates, so we've kept it and will wait and see.
I've also kept the following week free in case we need to quarantine when we get back and both DH and I will have had 2 doses of vaccine too. DS1 has had COVID, so it will just be my 13 and 10 year old unprotected.

What we won't want to do is to quarantine in France....so I still think it's a wait and see.

@underneaththeash no quarantine in France!