Airbnb/Covid conundrum

[Catabogus]

I’m going on holiday in the UK with DH and DC next month. We’re staying in an Airbnb and travelling by train (long journey, multiple changes). It’s just occurred to me rather belatedly: what happens if one of us gets Covid while we’re away? We won’t be able to get home via public transport, we don’t drive, we won’t be able to stay in the Airbnb as new guests will be coming in, I doubt we’ll be able to find alternative accommodation in a busy tourist spot....how do we self-isolate?!

Obviously this is all theoretical at the moment, and we’ll try our best not to get Covid - I’m just trying to plan out our options in advance. Thanks very much for any thoughts.

Pretty ridiculous they expect you to pay the accommodation!

Why is that ridiculous? Hosts could just as easily spin it and say it would be ridiculous for guests to expect them to cover their guests extra accommodation costs AND refund the guests they've had to cancel while your stuck there.

The accommodation shpuld have insurance

So should the guests? In the case of Airbnb, host's insurance costs are largely covered by Airbnb, they take a cut of the money the guest pays for this. Tbh though - I suspect this is why they haven't broached this scenario with their hosts, they have been rubbish throughout the pandemic - they refused to allow guests a penalty free refund when the guidance changed from National to local last year, leaving hosts to have to make up the shortfall.

But even if OP did drive, Covid might floor them and they may not be up to driving 400 miles anyway.

We are going to an Airbnb and do drive, but I have thought about what happens if we are ill, so have been looking at insurance.

There was a thread on here from a woman whose 'friend' had let their house to a family who'd tested positive, but they'd gone home instead of isolating.

Could you get a friend or family member to come and collect you all and take you home to isolate there?
The kind driver would also then need to isolate for 10 days.
But, aren't they stopping the isolation of contacts in August?

if they're double jabbed.

August 16th contact isolation goes.
When's your holiday?

All travel comes with a risk now - if you tested positive abroad you'd be expected to quarantine before being allowed to travel back. I cannot see how domestic travel would be different especially if you're unable to use own transport to return... and yes I imagine it may involve further costs :( if you're worried check with the Airbnb host what they'd do in this hypothetical scenario - it would vary between places I think, some would allow you to stay longer others wouldn't. it is not a very likely scenario though, so fingers crossed it won't come to that.

I've just read an article on PASC (self-catering trade body) on this.

If you test positive the hierarchy of actions are:

Return home in private transport. If you can't do that (don't drive/too ill):

Self-isolate in your holiday accommodation (you would need to pay for this). If that's not possible (if the owner has future bookings/you can't afford to pay):

Contact Public Health (via NHS) for advice (it wasn't specified but I guess Public Health might have powers to commandeer your holiday accommodation (and pay for it), provide private transport home or to alternative accommodation).

I can't imagine that the airbnb owner wouldn't 'have to let you stay' - many owners rent out their own homes; where would that leave them?!

Covid with isolation is longer than many illnesses, but there has always been a chance of becoming unwell on holiday and being unable to travel. What would you do if you had norovirus and were vomiting everywhere on the day you're due to leave?

1. inform property owner
2. recompense them for the extra time you spent in the property unwell / possibly get moved to a different place nearby
3. claim on insurance. Meanwhile the owner would
4. set up alternative rooms or call the tourist board and other places to try to sort something out for other booked-in guests / you, and
5. instigate special cleaning when you leave. The only difference is that isolation makes the length of time longer.

@Catabogus

Thanks for the reply. I can’t imagine it being ok to get on a train with Covid symptoms! Trains are likely to be busy too I would think, so I’d be worried we’d infect others, and I don’t think even a Travelodge would be available in peak tourist season in a prime holiday spot.

I don’t know how this issue didn’t occur to me until today - I booked this holiday 9 months ago!

I think there’s likely to be a lot of people cancelling accommodation last minute for the same reason! I agree it’s a difficult position potentially. Ideally you’d find alternative accommodation but otherwise maybe public transport at the quietest time (it tells you this on the train booking sites usually) and sit away from others

@Wingedharpy

August 16th contact isolation goes. When's your holiday?

Only if you’re 14 days after your second vaccination or under 18!

*If you test positive the hierarchy of actions are:

Return home in private transport. If you can't do that (don't drive/too ill):

Self-isolate in your holiday accommodation (you would need to pay for this). If that's not possible (if the owner has future bookings/you can't afford to pay):

Contact Public Health (via NHS) for advice (it wasn't specified but I guess Public Health might have powers to commandeer your holiday accommodation (and pay for it), provide private transport home or to alternative accommodation).*

This. I imagine in reality it’d be a combination of 2 & 3 if you can’t drive - stay where you are until PHE can find a private ambulance/hospital transport unit/etc to get you home, or find you room in a quarantine hotel that’s nearest to where you are.

You need travel insurance to cover this

We are about to go away. We gave travel insurance from Staysure to cover additional taxi fare and accommodation costs

TakeYourFinalPosition - I imagine ... if you can’t drive - stay where you are until PHE can find a private ambulance/hospital transport unit/etc to get you home, or find you room in a quarantine hotel that’s nearest to where you are."

This sounds right.

Just don't do a test while you're away 🤷‍♂️

@Whammyyammy

Just don't do a test while you're away 🤷‍♂️

But that’s no good if we’re all coughing and ill! We can’t just get the train anyway. Obviously I won’t be giving us all routine LF tests, but if we become ill then I don’t know what to do.