Do you reckon Spanish Mainland will be on green list or vaccine passport by mid-August?

[ByrdiPyrdi]

I cannot bear booking a the same 7 day cottage holiday I had last year in Norfolk for double the price (now £3K)
I am desperate to go to Spain where my children have family. The cost is GBP 200 for all our flights return (4) and £900 for 3 bed 10 day villa.
By then me and my husband will be more than 3 weeks after our second vaccine dose.
It looks like mainland Spain is only 23% vaccinated compared to 49% in UK. But that could change by summer and it could look safer.
I am tempted to book on fully flexible basis to go to Mainland Spain and move it if it looks like quarantine is likely or there is variant risk.

What are the chances do you reckon that:

1. Mainland Spain will be on green list
2. Vaccine passports will be in place (we are EU nationals)

Allowing travel to mainland Spain without quarantine?

The alternative is booking Balearic islands but we have no connection to those. BAlearic more likely to be on green list.

If all goes pear shaped its short-notice camping somewhere nearby in a remote field.

I should add by Mid-August

I think the chances of both 1 and 2 are good. Plus, if you book a package that can be moved if needed, why not?

I wouldn't book a cottage for £3k. I mean, Norfolk is nice, but it's not THAT bloody nice. You could pay that extortionate rate and then sit in the pissing rain for a week, so personally I'd take a punt on Spain.

Thanks zafferana I really needed to hear that as it mirrors what I really want and need to do. I am taking that punt!

Yay! We all need something to look forward to @ByrdiPyrdi and actually I think there's a good chance we'll be able to go. There are some destinations that would be madness to book this year (India, Brazil, South Africa, for instance), but Europe IS finally getting its vaccination act together and in another couple of months I reckon they'll be seeing the kinds of drop in infection rates that the UK and Israel have seen recently.

We are booked for spain in the last week of the summer holidays and have been since January. I am optimistic but also know the risks. We have a really good deal on a Eurocamp type stay but this can be moved. Usually I would book something with free cancellation but at £300 for the week it seemed to good a price to risk missing. Flights were under £40 return and can be moved or we can get a credit voucher (BA). I have had cheap flights booked to other destinations that I am prepared to risk loosing the cost of (£10). I would rather this than paying huge increases in price if/when it is announced countries are on the green list and letting us in.

I am vaccinated, hopefully the cost of getting DD tested if still needed will have reduced due to pressure by the travel industry. I also have other things booked in which have moved several times and did manage to get away to places in the travel corridor last Aug and October half term (again at bargain prices).

Like you, no way am I paying thousands for a miserable week in the UK. As lovely as it can be, to me the UK is for short breaks and day trips. It just does not feel like a proper holiday. Also the additional costs of days out and eating out are crazy. And it involved planning and driving and very often is a bit anti-climactic. My childhood was all national trust, castles and museums so I am just underwhelmed by those things now. I want sun, a view, an amazing pool to laze around or to wander aimlessly around little harbours and markets finding local restaurants. And seafood with good wine.

I think so.
Am hoping to go over to Madrid and possibly elsewhere. Am quietly optimistic. (Had both doses of AZ)

I have my doubts and would not bank on it.