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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

Pre booked "Amber" list holidays. Are you going?

198 replies

Piptastic · 07/05/2021 23:34

Just that really.

If you have an existing booking for a holiday to an "Amber" country, in the next few months, are you going to go?

I've got one booked and just curious what everyone has decided after todays announcement.

OP posts:
BG2015 · 08/05/2021 06:28

We are booked to go to Kos, last 2 weeks of August.

I expect it to be on the green list by then along with loads of other destinations.

It's with TUI so can cancel or rebook 2 weeks before if it's still amber.

Happy to wait it out

BlueGoblin · 08/05/2021 06:48

Yes, we’re going to a European country that is currently on the amber list, but not until August, and I am sure it will be on the green list by then.

EcoCustard · 08/05/2021 07:02

Booked to go to Egypt in June (rebooked from last Easter). No, we were hoping to amend the date, but the destination isn’t available next year. I expected it to be on red list tbh. Doubt it will change from amber due to data. The 10 days at home quarantine isn’t an option as kids were already missing school and work isn’t doable.

GappyValley · 08/05/2021 07:04

We are due to go for 14 nights
DH has suggested we book an extra return flight home for day 10 for if it stays amber so we can factor in our quarantine and test to release time and be back at work, but keep the day 14 flight for if it’s green by then

I think we will probably do this if we can get a return flight for a not-too-extortionate price

username45231 · 08/05/2021 07:06

Not yet booked but will be booking Florida. If USA let us in then I'm fine with isolating after.

tara66 · 08/05/2021 07:06

I have a June booking for France. Don't really know more than that.

Pearl97 · 08/05/2021 07:07

Do they really think people will isolate?! Are holidays actually going ahead to amber countries?

HarebrightCedarmoon · 08/05/2021 07:07

Hope so. Hope it's green by August. The main bugbear is that you aren't supposed to travel for leisure to amber countries. We wouldn't mind the quarantine at home thing as we can work from home.

AndAllOurYesterdays · 08/05/2021 07:10

We have a half term holiday booked to Majorca (rebooked from last year). Going to contact the companies today and see if we can move it again. It's not the isolation that's the issue per se, it's the week off school that it would mean for my 6 year old.

goodbyestranger · 08/05/2021 07:25

We're booked for France in the last two weeks of June. I'm just hoping very much that France will be green by then, as amber rules the trip out (some of my DC have jobs where isolating on return isn't an option). I can't see anything in the papers about the next tranche though. Do we know what date the next announcement is and when any changes/ additions to the green list will be effective?

goodbyestranger · 08/05/2021 07:27

This holiday has now been rescheduled three times, so my fingers are firmly crossed.

Turmerictolly · 08/05/2021 07:40

@goodbyestranger

We're booked for France in the last two weeks of June. I'm just hoping very much that France will be green by then, as amber rules the trip out (some of my DC have jobs where isolating on return isn't an option). I can't see anything in the papers about the next tranche though. Do we know what date the next announcement is and when any changes/ additions to the green list will be effective?

Think Grant Shapps said decisions were being reviewed every three weeks.

goodbyestranger · 08/05/2021 07:49

Thanks. Yes, I wondered if there was a date set for any review but more crucially, what the lag time will be between announcement and implementation? With yesterday's announcement the lag is ten days but I'm not clear if that's simply because the 17th has been tagged as the start date for foreign travel for a while?

sundaylunday · 08/05/2021 07:49

Is I true they've said that amber destinations are 'not recommended for leisure travel' therefore your insurance won't be valid?

MKCH · 08/05/2021 08:03

We had booked to go to France in the middle of June, but recently (prior to the list announcement, as we were pretty certain it wouldn't be on the green list) cut our losses and got refunds from the Airbnbs we were meant to be staying in... and now going camping in the New Forest instead.
Definitely the same... 😩

Sunnyfreezesushi · 08/05/2021 08:10

We were meant to go away at May half term to my European home country to see family and do some urgent admin there. We will have to move the trip again or my children would have to miss too much school during self isolation. We have both had 2 lots of vaccine etc My DH will have to go though as the urgent admin cannot wait anymore, visa/property/town hall type stuff. My cleaner has just gone to Poland to see her family and child for a week. I suspect those that need to go will go but that the government still want to discourage pure leisure travel. We had a relative who had to come here recently (work related) and had had 2 doses of Pfizer - ended up having so many Covid tests. Before departure, day 2, day 5 and day 8 and then another one to leave. That is 5 Covid tests in just over a week - the cost quickly ramps up for amber countries. Not worth the cost or hassle.

Sunnyfreezesushi · 08/05/2021 08:18

I would also like to add that the day 8 Covid test over the bank holiday did not come back until after the pre departure private Boots test. Taken on a Friday not back until late on Tuesday. So it appears that the system itself is not at all ready for mass holidaying and testing (issues at border, testing delays etc etc) Who knows if this is partly why we are treading cautiously as a country

Okbutnotgreat · 08/05/2021 08:20

If it’s booked with Tui they have funded a deal on the covid tests of £50pp for the amber countries (and £20 for green) which helps a bit. Hopefully places like the Canaries, Malta and Greek Islands will be green at next review anyway. I think as long as you book with one of the big package companies (ie Tui, Jet 2 etc) you’ll be ok.

Remember to clear your cookies on the Internet searches though. Forgot once and it made a big difference for some reason.

hennybeans · 08/05/2021 08:21

We've got Spain booked for early August. I actually think Spain will be green by then. But if not, DC are off school, I'm a sahm, DH works from home- so isolation is possible. I think once we hit school holidays, adults are vaccinated, many more countries will be green.

HelenHywater · 08/05/2021 08:25

I have a holiday booked in Greece (booked in 2019 for last year and then pushed to this year). I'd love to cancel it but my insurance won't pay up while the govt allows travel to these countries. So I either have to go and put up with whatever restrictions there are plus hugely expensive flights (I had to use the, separately booked flights, last year) or roll it over until the next year.

I'm not against going abroad, but I'd really like to cancel and then book something nearer the time when I know what the situation is.

FreeButtonBee · 08/05/2021 08:25

We have a Majorca trip in May term (moved from last May). Can’t go to amber cohntries for leisure and Spain is not open to non citizens. So now have fight to get the flights refunded and move the accommodation

zafferana · 08/05/2021 08:26

Yes, I think we will to the US, even if it's still amber (although by August I'm hoping it will be green). There's 8 days before DS1 is due back at school and 10 for DS2. We can afford to pay for the extra test-to-release Covid test on day 5, so if it comes to it, that's what we'll do as I don't want the DC missing any school, if possible. DH and I will both be fully vaccinated beforehand.

minniemomo · 08/05/2021 08:34

Not booked until September but as it's a road trip could be tricky if the eu is infighting over internal borders. It's 100% refundable and won't book the crossings until August as we have flexibility and not school hols.

minniemomo · 08/05/2021 08:36

We might take a trip in July though and will book with TUI for ease

Zodlebud · 08/05/2021 09:08

Remember though that just because a country is on the green list here, we might not be on their own equivalent list. For example, you actually are not allowed into Australia, Singapore or NZ at the moment unless you are a citizen and then you have to quarantine for very long periods of time when you arrive. I doubt these countries will open their borders for a very long time either.