Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
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:
Zodlebud · 10/05/2021 17:43

@roses2 Just quoting dates my travel agent is working off. First announcement was 7th May. Three weeks later is the 28th May but they may delay to 1st June due to the bank holiday (and to ensure that nobody jets off over half term.......)

NoMoreLimbo · 10/05/2021 18:48

[quote Zodlebud]@roses2 Just quoting dates my travel agent is working off. First announcement was 7th May. Three weeks later is the 28th May but they may delay to 1st June due to the bank holiday (and to ensure that nobody jets off over half term.......)[/quote]
@Zodlebud. Interesting. I was really hoping there would be an announcement at 28th. Would then the changes be implemented by the 4th??
OR... if delayed until the 1st the changes would be implemented on the 8th??

Zodlebud · 10/05/2021 18:58

@NoMoreLimbo Changes effective from 7th / 8th June so you can’t go away at half term.

UberMullet · 10/05/2021 19:26

We're booked for Italy and France in July but I already live in EU. I'm hoping it will be OK but if not it's all fully canceable.

jakeyboy1 · 10/05/2021 19:44

@userxx no flipped it to next year... again!

Debating Madeira now though given I looked at a caravan in a Haven site that was £1300 for 4 days! Also every decent hotel in England seems to be sold out 😬😬😬

GarlicThread · 10/05/2021 21:35

[quote userxx]@GarlicThread have you had to pay cancellation fees ?[/quote]
No we got a full refund for our Air BnB and have got a voucher/credit for the flights to use at a later date.
I've travelled twice for work since January and coming back was horrendous, even with most people not travelling. When everyone starts going on holiday again it will be chaos - I think anyone wanting to join those airport queues with children in tow is absolutely mad!

userxx · 10/05/2021 21:45

@GarlicThread So you can get a voucher for the flights? Do all the airlines do that? The queuing is going to be horrific, definitely not putting myself through that!!

TheTeenageYears · 10/05/2021 22:54

The FCDO advice for some countries was updated before the green list was announced- it was an early indication of which countries would be on the green list.

Battleface will cover trips against FCDO advice worldwide including covid medical cover but none of the usual cancellation/delay etc protections in case of covid.

High risk voyager will also cover worldwide trips for a max of 30 days including against FCDO advice as long as travel is allowed generally so you couldn't get it for a leisure trip today but will be able to from the 17th. I can't remember the ins and outs of their covid cover because the duration was too short for my son's purposes when I investigated but they definitely cover medical related to covid and maybe some cancellation aspects too.

The Staysure extension option is a good one travel within Europe.

EvilTwinsAreHere · 10/05/2021 23:01

Thing is, we want to holiday in a green list country in the summer, probably august and at the moment, we'd have to quarantine under that countries rules when we enter. Plus take tests etc.

No issues with test taking but what's the point in going if we have to isolate. Pretty fed up TBH as this countries vaccination programme is a great success and we will be fully vaccinated.

Going to miss out on seeing family for another year by the looks of it. Already missed a funeral last year due to concerns about the borders closing.

So even if it's green or amber list, it might not be worth going.

Original poster
Piptastic · 10/05/2021 23:16

@TheTeenageYears that's really helpful, thank you. For us though it's just too close to the dates we were supposed to go so we can cancelled tonight and are gutted.

We looked at all the insurance providers and, as we were going for a holiday (leisure) we don't think we we would have been able to get any cover (for outside Europe), and we needed to cancel ASAP to get our money back for the hotel. That's bing arranged now but now need to do battle with BA to try and get a refund on the flights (we don't want a voucher!)

What a shit situation this is for us all. What is the point in this traffic light system....Green countries you can't get into or wouldn't want to go to (holiday to the Falklands anyone?), Amber countries we can't get insurance to travel to even though the travel ban is lifted after 17 May, and Red countries with a total ban. Hardly the news we have all been hanging on for.

So sad for us all. X

OP posts:
Ollinisca · 11/05/2021 02:28

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted

Frazzled2207 · 11/05/2021 09:24

is anyone thinking of trying to go away with young kids?
We are booked for Spain for late august and half hoping it will be become green but the more I think about it the more it's going to be too stressful with the children. What if one of them just gets a regular cold while we're out there for example? Or tests positive? It's just too stressful to think about really isn't it, and then there's the whole queueing at borders thing

NoMoreLimbo · 11/05/2021 09:42

@jakeyboy1 I have also pondered at the Maderia holidays.....although the fact that over half term it may full well be warmer in UK I find of putting enough and the prices have sky rocketed!

roses2 · 11/05/2021 11:34

This is becoming a joke now. They aren't letting us go anywhere!

metro.co.uk/2021/05/11/france-greece-and-spain-to-be-missed-off-next-green-list-update-14556553/

Popular holiday destinations including France, Spain and Greece are likely to be missed off the next safe travel ‘green list’ update. A review of the lists is set for the week leading up to June 7.

YoutubeZoom · 11/05/2021 11:49

The airline has sent out a message to passengers booked on Heathrow-Faro flights next Monday saying: “You can only travel internationally from England for legally permitted reasons.

“This does not include holidays.”

Passengers are also told they must complete a Declaration to Travel form, even though these will be abolished after Sunday.

www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/british-airways-ba-travel-ban-b1845376.html

MsWoolf · 11/05/2021 12:56

@roses2

This is becoming a joke now. They aren't letting us go anywhere!

metro.co.uk/2021/05/11/france-greece-and-spain-to-be-missed-off-next-green-list-update-14556553/

Popular holiday destinations including France, Spain and Greece are likely to be missed off the next safe travel ‘green list’ update. A review of the lists is set for the week leading up to June 7.

Oh god. I was so hopeful for our holiday to Crete at the beginning of July. Absolutely guttered.
chocolatesaltyballs22 · 11/05/2021 17:46

It's all speculation though @MsWoolf - the papers have nothing else to report at the moment. But I agree it's a complete joke if the next review brings nothing extra.

jakeyboy1 · 11/05/2021 19:30

@nomorelimbo

Have booked Madeira! For July. Prices not too bad. Can't say it would be top of my list normally but I'm grateful to go anywhere and it makes a change!

RachelRaven · 11/05/2021 20:38

Flights to the Falklands are very long, so that’s out.

NoMoreLimbo · 12/05/2021 00:21

@jakeyboy1 oh yay! I hope it’s a great trip. I went for a short visit last year September. Amazing food, fruits and wine (if that is of interest).

I’m still scrambling around trying to deal with the trip to Greek island on 29th trip. My insurer says they will cover trip (fcdo does not advise against so they say fine). Would like to move but TUI website crashing and phone line impossible to get through. At this rate I might just go and kids will miss a minimum of a week of school self isolating!

chocolatesaltyballs22 · 12/05/2021 09:13

@NoMoreLimbo I have a Greek isle trip booked too but not til 2nd July. We can isolate if it's still amber but I'm more worried that the tour operators won't run holidays to amber countries for fear of not filling the flights. Is your trip 29th May? And TUI haven't cancelled yet?

Pinchoftums · 12/05/2021 09:16

I've cancelled as I can't be dealing with the tests before and after, delays at airports, the possibility of the status changing when we are there or before. Gutted but relieved as it was stressing me out!

NoMoreLimbo · 12/05/2021 09:51

@chocolatesaltyballs22 Yes a 29th departure with TUI and nope not cancelled.

Flying from one of the airports they have stated that they will carry on flying to in recent statetement and to Rhodes. They are actively still selling holidays on the website for my date (and also to the other Greek islands FCDO has stated as not advising against travelling to).

chocolatesaltyballs22 · 12/05/2021 10:15

Hmmm interesting. I'm booked with Jet2 - will see what happens!

GreatBritishBummertime · 12/05/2021 14:28

Anyone know the dates reviews are happening and when changes will be effective from? We booked a holiday to Rhodes on the 7th of July thinking it should be two reviews away, but if the next review's changes aren't effective until the 7th of June we might be buggered.