So it looks like some holidays could be back on. Will you still go?

[Teddypops]

We have a 2 week holiday booked in La Rochelle in August. Staying in an Airbnb. We didn't think that the French would let us is, but it looks like they will.

Obviously we need to wait and see if our accommodation is still available, i'm not 100% its not someone else's home for the majority of the year rather than a holiday home. So they may still cancel.

I think I still want to go. I don't feel like I need a break anymore, but I suppose I will by then.

Well yes and some people will choose that. Cos the money is gone anyway.

I guess it depends what holiday means to you. We basically do lockdown on holiday under normal circumstances and go to be in a quiet, peaceful environment. If we can get to France this summer we will - I don't mind being in a queue outside Waitrose or Carrefore!

@ineedaholidaynow don't know about other countries but for Turkey you have to download an app so that if someone tests positive others in the proximity will be notified and told to isolate. Turkey have said they will hear the costs of isolating any tourists.

Agree, it depends what type of holiday you want. We were supposed to be going to France - first week in a big campsite, second in a rural cottage. We've cancelled the campsite as the main reason for going was the pools and for the DC to have lots of other kids to play with. We may still go to the cottage though and do our normal things there - walking, bike riding, sitting in the garden enjoying the peace and quiet. We don't really eat out much and the local supermarket does click and collect. Still undecided at the moment.

I guess it depends what holiday means to you. We basically do lockdown on holiday under normal circumstances and go to be in a quiet, peaceful environment.

Yes, we'd have to adjust our holiday slightly, but not so much as to be pointless going. We normally self cater with perhaps a couple of meals out over a week so we'd just cut that down. We're don't stay on complexes so no lack of pool/entertainment etc. to consider. We generally go on long walks in the day so that shouldn't be an issue.

I talked to one of the restaurant owners today after reading another similar thread today. They said Brits and other non-French would be extremely welcome. Also kids friends are staying in the local campsite so clearly that's open too. Lycées here are on a very part time/optional schedule here.

Thanks @Wallywobbles this is all sounding increasingly reassuring. Like many others here we mainly self cater but had booked this particular gite for its proximity to a small town and beach having gone deeply rural last few years and we had been looking forward to not always doing all the cooking.

We’ve moved ours (Crete) to next year. The cost, plus spending money totals £5k and I don’t want to be limited in what we do and how we do it over there.

Does anyone when the FCO advice will be reviewed? Will this be done inline with the quarantine review? It looks like Portugal won't be given an air bridge but we're happy to go anyway and quarantine on return, but don't want to go if it is against FCO advice, but haven't seen any mention of a review on this. We're meant to go in 3 weeks!

@usernotfound0000 what's the situation with regards to insurance if FCO says don't go unless essential? Will insurance still be in force or does a 'don't go' FCO stance invalidate automatically?

smogsville I assumed it wouldn't cover anything, in which case we wouldn't go but it would cover emergency medical costs, which does make our decision a bit more grey rather than a black or white decision.

I’m in the same boat of not knowing what to do! I’ve found a lovely rural gîte in France for end of July and we’d get the shuttle so it feels fairly safe - happy to self cater the whole time. Just worried it we go into lockdown again before then - we would lose the gite money. But we have had such a rough few months as a family that we are desperate for a get away. Argh - I just can’t decide!!

Gite owner has said we can just pay deposit and not pay rest until we know for sure we can go - even if that’s a day before travel. Argh - don’t know!

I've changed mine to next year , we were supposed to go early July and I think it would have been open but I don't see much point . It won't be the same and I don't want to get stuck there or in a room etc .

Mine has just been cancelled Tenerife with Tui 17 July. Relieved to be honest.

We’ve booked. It’s all refundable so thought it was worth it and we can see what’s happening end of July. Going on the ferry to France then staying in a rural gîte. It’s lovely to have something to look forward to, even if we end up not going!

@usernotfound0000 and @ellie2201

it's in today's Times that FCO will change advice on 6th July meaning insurance will work. We'll take our EHIC cards to cover the corona element which is likely to be excluded but it's looking good. Just got to hope DS's new passport gets here in time now

@Wallywobbles - can I ask you about the situation with cash in France? We have just paid the balance for our August campsite holiday booked at Christmas. We normally take quite a lot of cash to use in the boulangerie, campsite shop etc. In the UK many places are not accepting cash and I wonder if you're finding that is the case in France?

For anyone worried about travel insurance there is a new policy with Trailfinders that covers Covid, including cancellation if you catch it or if you have to isolate eg if you were called by track and trace a week before departure and couldn't go. Not sure if anyone else offers that yet but worth knowing as that would be my big worry about having a holiday booked.

I've cancelled our holiday end of July/beginning of August and have been pleasantly surprised that I have managed to get almost all of our money refunded to date.

We will have to suck up the loss on our flights if they go ahead

I feel relief to be honest - my heart sinks when I see those crowded beaches. Like the majority of people, we've avoided crowded places since the end of March so there is no way at the moment that I would personally jeopardise our health or other people's by potentially increasing the rate of transmission.

Yes, the global economy needs restarting and I'll contribute to that by spending closer to home this year/next year.

Holidays abroad is a luxury and I love travelling so it's very much a personal sacrifice. Feb half term travel caused an veritable explosion of transmission - it's not hard to anticipate what Jul/Aug holidays will bring in Sept/Oct as a result.

Individual responsibility is key here. You do what you feel is right...

Schools go back in Sept right after thousands if not millions have been travelling throughout Europe in July & August....the perfect () storm!

@Alwaysfrank - cash doesn’t seem to be an issue although to be honest I’m not keen to touch it either so always pay with my phone (Apple Pay) or my card. Another option for foreign travelers might be a TransferWise account (you choose any currency you want for your account) and credit card. It’s what I often use in reverse.
Very quick to set up and you can do the transfer at the moment you can get the best exchange rate.

@Alwaysfrank what a good question! Agree rural French boulangeries are usually cash only affairs but much easier to just use cards. We use a revolute card generally. Thanks @Wallywobbles for response.

I’ve just been looking at EasyJet holidays for late August. I was originally happy to wait until Christmas when we go to New York but I’m bored shitless working from home with DP out the house for 14 hours a day and September to December is when he gets even more busy so I’m planning to persuade him to take a few days off in August. Not sure about cancellation policy so need to check that but 4 nights in a very nice hotel in Barcelona plus flights and bags for less than £250 each is a no brainier when we’ve got no health conditions or kids to worry about

Well it's all gone a bit quiet on the air bridges, does anyone know when they are likely to be announced? I'm hoping the delay might be good news for Portugal in that it might give them longer to fight their case.