Summer Holidays - Right and Wrong?

[DadAManger]

Back in May I posted a thread saying we would probably not be able to go away again this summer (most of us anyway). This was before the Indian Variant/Open Sky Border cock-up.

At the time, I got a lot of messages of the `’you do you, I’ll do me”, “I’m going, no matter what they say”, “i have two trips to the US and two to Spain booked and I am GOING” variety and others that accused me of throwing those that worked in travel under the bus for even asking. String views, but understandable.

What are people doing now? Still going away and dealing with tests and quarantine in return? Been away already? Cancelled the lot because of Government rules? What’s happening?

@Honey12346

It just took me about 5 minutes to get through security. The lack of queues and waiting at the airport right now are the only positive thing about these restrictions. I recommend anyone who can go on holiday to go because who knows how long will this shit show last. When I went on holidays last summer I was called selfish and told I only have to wait until next summer to be able to go... Well look how that worked out...

Agree 100%. Hope you have a great time!

I love a holiday but no.
Is it really that necessary

Still going. Am a dual national as are my kids. Have probate affairs that need to be settled in person by August. Going to see mates in another part of the UK in a couple of weeks, still going.

Some of the countries on the amber list - Germany for example - currently have much lower infection rates than the UK so the chance of getting Covid in Munich is far less than in Manchester.

Sadly they do not currently welcome visitors from UK and treat them as they do visitors from India - 14 days compulsory quarantine, though this can be done at a private home. So that’s our hiliday plans scuppered.

Staying UK based this year. We always planned to. We are using the opportunity to see friends and family who’ve we’ve missed out on seeing over the last 18months. Some visiting us, some we are visiting. We couldn’t quarantine for 10 days as both work in frontline services and don’t get enough leave at once to do that. The risk of an amber country going red also worries me and I wouldn’t want to do hotel quarantine with a toddler, let alone the added cost.

@Honey12346

It just took me about 5 minutes to get through security. The lack of queues and waiting at the airport right now are the only positive thing about these restrictions. I recommend anyone who can go on holiday to go because who knows how long will this shit show last. When I went on holidays last summer I was called selfish and told I only have to wait until next summer to be able to go... Well look how that worked out...

Great to hear about the short queue!!! That's encouraging.

Just to add. I do think it is different for those with families abroad, dual nationality etc. I think individual circumstances are a factor. My family are UK based so for me I’m not in a rush to get abroad but for others I can see why they want to.

I wouldn't travel against FO advice.

We had a holiday booked to Italy last June, it got moved to this June and then in March we moved it to June 22.

We are desperate to go to America - Dh hasn't seen his Dad for 4 years, we were supposed to go last year, then hoped for this year but obviously that won't happen. His Dad will be 90 next year, is very deaf so phone calls are almost impossible, and doesn't do video calls. So contact is very limited. Dh really wants to see him, I think he's mindful that time is not on his dad's side. I'm.just hoping it goes green at some point soon

@oystercatcher44

Germany has only just got its infection rate under control. And whilst the alliteration of Munich and Manchester is catchy - Manchester is part of the ongoing variant hotspots so not representative of the entire UK.
If you compare Liverpool it's rates are lower than Munich and Wandsworth London on a par.

It's true to say other countries are concerned about the Delta variant but less true got imply their overall infection rates are much better than the UK.

We won’t be going abroad. Another thing key workers who have worked throughout cannot do is take extended leave to cover a quarantine.

We could really do with going to see PIL in Spain as soon as we can. They seem to be deteriorating rapidly and it is really frustrating not being able to help. If a miracle happens and we can go in August, we will. If it goes amber while we are there so be it. Both of us WFH and I have the remains of my Brexit stores to keep us going while we self isolate at home.

We also have Sicily pencilled in for September. Would only book a few days in advance when we have a better idea of the stats.

Not planning to go abroad. DD's father and grandparents live in France and usually we'd go and spend a week or two with them. But they're not in a prime tourist place so not sure flights will be running as normal. Then add in the cost of all the tests etc. And I don't want to risk us having to quarantine on return and missing work/school etc. So for me personally it's not worth the hassle yet. DD is young enough that she's happy with day trips to the beach/parks/theme parks etc. We might try a few nights in the UK somewhere.

@herethereandeverywhere here: I believe the current rate in Germany is 26.3/100000 v 35.0 in UK. And Germany is on a downward path while the UK s infections are rocketing up. Though I guess the German rates will rise now they are opening up more. Still difficult to understand why arrivals to UK from Germany have to quarantine for 10 days.

I am starting to wonder whether some of the amber list decisions are based on the difficulty the Border force has in processing arrivals in a timely manner and the inability of some of the test providers to meet demand. A number of the test providers on the approved UK list were refusing orders this week as they had reached capacity. Take the brakes off and the system will collapse completely.

We're not going abroad this year and have had one holiday in the UK with a couple more booked (not sure if that's frowned upon here, I know it was last year!). After a week's holiday in the UK in the pissing rain last month I'm desperate to get away next year and I'm hoping we don't have to postpone going to Orlando. If we can't go there I'll be seeing if there's anywhere else that's open!

We have very reluctantly moved our holiday to France forward to next Summer. Due in part to it being Amber and the risk of 10 days isolation (although an LFT everyday seems sufficient for the Cabinet!!!) for members of our travelling party. If not for that I'd have gone as I work in a school so able to isolate (or LFT!!) on my return. Not going anywhere now except to family as I refused to be ripped off for a substandard holiday in this country.

Still planning on going to the continent in August.
Happy to quarantine at home on my return.
Have investigated travel insurance to cover me travelling against FCDO advice - it's £50. A bargain.
So long as the country is amber list and they let us in, I'm going.

We have a holiday to the US booked for October/November that was moved from last year.

If the US lets us in we're going, we'll get any required tests done and if necessary we'll quarantine when we get back.

If the US still won't allow UK visitors we'll just move it again to 2022 🤷🏻‍♀️

Still planning on going home to see my family. It will have been 2 years in July, so as long as they are not red I will go and deal with the quarantine etc. I really cannot wait any longer. I want to see my parents before it is too late.

I wonder what will happen if a lot more countries get the Delta virus due to travellers

I have a channel tunnel booked for the first week of the school summer holidays. When France put us on the quarantine list, we booked child into a stage school thing for that same week, but parents in law have offered to come and stay here to take her to that every day so we can go to France alone. If we can.

We'll both be double vaccinated, which is now on their list for 'not needing a compelling reason' to go. Which would be ace.

Can't see why driving to Scotland is OK from a moral perspective, but driving a shorter distance to somewhere in France for nicer food and weather, is not OK. We'll go if we can.

If we can't, if rules change again, then I'll just lose the money. It was a mental health improving gamble when I booked it in January.

I’ve got a holiday booked to the USA. I was fully aware when we booked it that it may not happen (so we haven’t told the kids).
I’ve never been furloughed or worked from home. I’m tired and stressed, and have started having panic attacks. I’ve tried taking some time off at home, but it didn’t help - still had to deal with day to day tedium, fed up with bloody walks in the countryside and the weather was shit.
If I can go abroad this summer I will, because I want to sit by a pool in the sunshine and an expensive August week in the British rain might just tip me over the edge.

I am the same - we had our UK holiday cancelled on us in December when the last full national lockdown happened so now we will look at another holiday here. We have a nice garden we can use, so it is different I know.

I have to travel to Europe for work but this has been scuppered by the Indian Variant/Delta entry. I think everyone here and that I know from home is dealing with it in a really calm and sensible way - maybe we have all just become ‘punch-drunk’ from the last 15 months!

I am on the way to the airport now. Tests and isolating isn't a problem for me. If I was not able to isolate I would not book a trip as it is too risky

It's not just being able to do the isolating though, it's about being able to do the isolating at an extortionate cost in a hotel.

I know a boy who is currently on his gap year in Costa Rica (I know, hugely privileged but he's still an anxious 18 year old boy). Flew out early January just before full lockdown, due back next week. Red listed overnight, no warning. He certainly hasn't got that amount of money lying around. His parents possibly do but it's a stretch. But he could be stuck out there indefinitely with no money and nowhere to stay if he doesn't return. It's a mess!

So, no, I wouldn't risk it. I have a big family and hotel quarantine costs would cripple us. We're going to Scotland.

We’ve got a trip booked to London in August. Really hoping we can still go, haven’t booked the train yet, can cancel up to 28 days before so we’ll see what the next few weeks bring.

I wouldn’t have even entertained going abroad but that’s just me, I’d be too stressed about the tests, green, red or amber status, risk of quarantine etc etc

@Hoppinggreen

I’m going to Spain in a couple of weeks. There are several practical reasons why I need to but to be honest it’s about 80% a holiday. We will test before coming home and do a release test on day 5. Both wfh and dc are off school so we can quarantine. I don’t really care if anyone thinks I shouldn’t go, unless it’s illegal I am going

I am very jealous. We would be able to do the same so I am tempted to look.