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Covid

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Original poster

Teenager in Greece?

25 replies

DontDoThatGeorge · 13/08/2021 11:09

Do I let my 17 year old go to Greece (from the UK) in a couple of weeks? She going with a friend's family, nice villa and pool out of town. No clubbing but probably out for meals.

Her friends are currently dropping like flies, but she's been OK all the way through, despite quite a few close exposures. I suspect she had covid in March 2020, she was quite poorly.

Fears: she tests positive on arrival and misses entire holiday
Has to stay in quarantine hotel alone.
Website says quarantine paid for but 'extras' not, what might these be?
Unlikely she'd be ill enough for hospital but EHIC doesn't cover covid

Tests positive before returning
Quarantine hotel as above
Buying new flights

Greece going amber or red
Unlikely, but may have to pay to get her back early, or she misses 2 weeks of school on return

There are probably other things.

I really don't know what to do. She wants to go but if I say she can't she'll accept it.

OP posts:

MrsSkylerWhite · 13/08/2021 11:10

Do you know the family?

SpringSparrow · 13/08/2021 11:19

You mention the EHIC, but does she have travel insurance? I’d check out what would happen if she tests positive and what the quarantine hotels are like.
Tbh I and my family aren’t travelling abroad this year. I think I would find the worry about testing too stressful to enjoy the holiday.
Do you know the family and how would your dd cope if she had to quarantine and travel back alone?

Katie517 · 13/08/2021 11:22

Let her go, she’s missed out on over a year of being a normal teenager. You are over thinking it plenty of people are on holiday without incident. Greece and Spain won’t go red the government don’t have enough capacity in the isolation hotels for that to happen I also don’t think they would dare to do it when they know so many families would be impacted.

Scottishskifun · 13/08/2021 11:24

Greece is already Amber and she would need a test to fly out anyway unless she has been double vaccinated and the required time for Greece has past.

Most of the places she will be eating is outside so that's not really a risk at all due to ventilation.

If she's prepared to keep herself away from friends and be careful in the lead up plus the testing and gets decent travel insurance for covid of which their are a few then I don't see why not.

Travel isn't going to change requirements for the foreseeable future so we all need to get used to it really. Get her to take LFT in the lead up and with her (she will need to book or take the private test with her anyway to fly back) and book the day 2 and day 8 test.

BiggerBoat1 · 13/08/2021 11:26

That is so tricky. I don't think I'd be happy to let my DD go under those circumstances, but I am a worrier. Have you talked to her about it? Would there be a chance for her to do something similar next year? I feel so sorry for that age group - they have missed out on so much, but a positive test while she's out there could cause so many complications so far from home.

DGFB · 13/08/2021 11:28

Let her go. We’re currently in an amber country and it’s fine, all eating outside, masks on the plane and indoors, we’ve found it easy. Until your daughter gets a vaccine she could pick up Covid anywhere. All your concerns are valid but worst case scenarios. Let her be a teen

DGFB · 13/08/2021 11:30

Also isn’t it strange to “let” a 17yo go anywhere. She’s pretty much an adult now. Time for her to make her own decisions

Abraxan · 13/08/2021 11:40

@DGFB

Also isn’t it strange to “let” a 17yo go anywhere. She’s pretty much an adult now. Time for her to make her own decisions

Most 17y aren't self sufficient and need a lot of parental support when it comes to finances. Technically not an adult and parents still have responsibility for them.

Tbh even at 18y abd legally an adult, few teens are financially independent so would need parental agreement to be going abroad and all the money needed to do so.

chillied · 13/08/2021 12:21

I'd let her go, she will be in the care of a family (ie not just a group of youths). Even in your worst case scenario of isolating in a hotel, I would imagine most teens would cope just fine if they had their phones and Wi-Fi! She also sounds very unlikely to test positive as you suspect she already had it.

ATieLikeRichardGere · 13/08/2021 12:30

A lot of the eating out would be outdoors I imagine, which helps.

She is 17 so could she get one jab before she goes?

Original poster

DontDoThatGeorge · 14/08/2021 10:28

Do I know the family? Not well. Just in a secondary school friend's family way.

She'll have travel insurance if she goes.

She's 17 so don't give me the 'nearly an adult' nonsense. She's not an adult and I'm paying AND advising.

Next year she's planning to spend the summer in Milan as an au pair to friends. So it's not like she'll never travel again.

She went to a party on Weds and many of the kids are now testing positive...

I really don't know what to do for the best, still

OP posts:

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 14/08/2021 10:52

No I wouldn’t. A uk holiday with friends yes, not abroad. Too much scope for things to go pear shaped in the current situation.

MrsSkylerWhite · 14/08/2021 10:55

DontDoThatGeorge

Do I know the family? Not well. Just in a secondary school friend's family way.“
I asked because: if I knew them well and could trust they would take good care of her, yes I would let her go.
In the “no, only in a secondary school family way” I would probably err on the side of caution and say no, not this year.

Original poster

DontDoThatGeorge · 14/08/2021 11:05

The rubbish thing is that she didn't go on a UK holiday with friends as there was a positive case among them earlier this year, because she is good and responsible. All the friends went anyway and didn't isolate... So she's missed out on that too.

This is hard.

OP posts:

Skyla2005 · 14/08/2021 14:51

@DontDoThatGeorge

Do I know the family? Not well. Just in a secondary school friend's family way.

She'll have travel insurance if she goes.

She's 17 so don't give me the 'nearly an adult' nonsense. She's not an adult and I'm paying AND advising.

Next year she's planning to spend the summer in Milan as an au pair to friends. So it's not like she'll never travel again.

She went to a party on Weds and many of the kids are now testing positive...

I really don't know what to do for the best, still

Sounds like you have made up your mind to not let her go so it won't make any difference what people say. She's your child it's your choice. I personally wouldn't stop her from going but thats me

MRex · 14/08/2021 15:07

I'd get her a first jab this week and let her go with ipad and good data allowance in case she ends up stuck in quarantine. Have you checked if they can quarantine in the villa at that should be an option if the family own it? If she's sitting by the pool with ipad, a couple of books and good food deliveries, it's just an extra holiday at that point. The quarantine hotel is more of a concern if she can't room share with her friend, but from a cost perspective it's only food and medical care, as Greece pay the hotel fee: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/greece/coronavirus.
I'd travelled alone or with friends several times and left home at 17, so it's hard to understand the capability gap you seem to perceive; is she really not capable of looking after herself for a couple of weeks with a friend's parents right there and you on the end of the phone?

Blueberry40 · 14/08/2021 15:15

My son (20) is in Greece at the moment and although it was stressful thinking about all the things that could go wrong and expensive for the PCR’s, I’m so glad he went. He’s having an amazing time and says things are very relaxed out there.

However, I did have the reassurance of him having had covid only a month before he left so pretty certain he won’t catch it there. We did the 3 hour PCR test on the day of the flight to be certain that he wouldn’t test positive and have to quarantine on arrival. It was expensive but worth it for peace of mind.

Original poster

DontDoThatGeorge · 14/08/2021 19:14

Problem solved as she's just tested positive 🙄

OP posts:

Porcupineintherough · 14/08/2021 22:40

Aw shit, poor girl. Well I wont burden you w my workdly wisdom re: holidays and COVID then. Instead I recommend that she drinks plenty and rests.

Original poster

DontDoThatGeorge · 14/08/2021 23:01

Thanks. Poor kids. It's been disappointment after disappointment and they've been so good and patient. I'm actually gutted for them. We all had a cry.

OP posts:

Willyoujustbequiet · 15/08/2021 13:10

I wouldn't but that's only because every single person I know in real life who has flown abroad recently has been caught out somehow. Vast majority have just had to isolate from being on the same plane but a few have tested positive while out there and it's been so expensive to sort out new flights etc. Some have had texts whilst on the plane out and then their accommodation wouldnt let them in.

UK yes abroad no. I couldnt afford it. Several in my local town have started go fund me just to deal with the fall out. Granted they were a lot older than your dd.

Willyoujustbequiet · 15/08/2021 13:11

Sorry just saw your last post. I hope she gets well soon

Patapouf · 15/08/2021 13:26

Get her comprehensive travel insurance and let her go and have a nice time.

Abraxan · 15/08/2021 17:40

@DontDoThatGeorge

Problem solved as she's just tested positive 🙄

Oh no; poor girl. Hope she stays well and can have a home based treat perhaps to cheer them up.

user1487194234 · 15/08/2021 19:15

Her decision surely

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