I don't know what to do about our holiday to Greece!!

[Plantsandwine]

I have booked flights with Ryanair to Greece with my husband and two toddlers. We booked it last summer assuming everything would be fine by now.
I have looked at the guidance and it says it is not illegal but you shouldn't go... I am so confused by this.
We are both teachers so we can both isolate as it is summer holidays. I am so confused if we are allowed to go, and if we should. My husband has had both vaccines and I have just had one if that makes any difference. We desperately want a holiday and are happy to isolate on arrival back to the UK.

We're in a similar position with Greece, although we didn't book anew, our holiday was rolled over after it was cancelled last year. If it stays amber, we won't be going, because travel to those countries is only meant to be for essential reasons, like visiting family because of a bereavement. It's annoying not to go, but this is why travel is so chaotic now and why the costs of PCR tests are so prohibitive, plus there's the risk that it could be shunted onto red if cases rise because of all the tourists flocking there.

The unfortunate consequence is that we'll have left it too late to book here instead. I was online checking last night and one company is charging £1400 for a week in a cramped caravan on the Essex coast. But hey ho, we'll find something to do to fill the time!

@JoanOgden

When actually is it? The situation will probably have improved by July/August.

I'm not sure it will – it feels like the scientists are latching onto to any hint of a variant to keep us in or put us back into stricter lockdown measures beyond June 21. There's no actual data on how bad the Nepal variant is yet, but that's what they based yesterday's travel decision on.

Definitely wait and see. Who knows, maybe Greece will be green by August?

Also, Ryanair will probably change at least one of your flight times (they seem to combine/cancel flights as people cancel or fail to book) at which point you can choose to accept the new time or receive a full refund. This has happened to me three times now.

You know perfectly well what the answer is. You shouldn't go. I'm a bit concerned that two degree educated teachers are finding the guidance confusing.

Our holiday for Greece was rolled over from last year after two weeks of arguing with tui (they didn’t want to reschedule it).
We’re July so will wait and see.

I ve heard about people being turned away at the airport as they don't have a valid reason to go. A holiday is not a valid reason. This is what will make me cancel unless it's green.

When are you due to go OP ? As you say you won't get a refund from Ryanair unless they cancel the flights, also check insurance for cover if you go.
If it's more than a couple of weeks away I'd avoid making any decisions for now. Personally I'd avoid going to an Amber country as it feels like a pricey nightmare if anything goes wrong.

What - SINCE 21st May?!

Another teacher, here. We’ve got a holiday to Greece booked. We will be going unless it incurs a fine. We booked it several months ago on a flexible basis. We have factored in possible quarantine/ start of term issue.

I think easyJet will allow us to move our booking to another time or location if pushed but I’d rather stick to my original booking as we have fantastic accommodation booked.

There was a fantastic post on another thread that echoes my views about the government’s ever shifting promises on getting back to normal/ reinstating foreign travel, within the context of the inevitable appearance of more and more new Covid variants.

The way things are going, the decision will probably be taken out of your hands anyway OP. We lost money on our flights, at the start of the first lockdown, Ryan air too. Lucky for us they were cheap flights, made the decision then that we would not book again with RA and holidays abroad in general until no restrictions are in place. Too much messing about. Good luck.

I would carry out my own risk assessment and see what I can book that I could cancel without undue financial penalty.

It’s not confusing at all . It’s not illegal to travel to Greece but you should only go if you have to , dying relative etc . If you do go then when you return you should isolate for 10days . What they are saying is that you shouldn’t go for a trivial reason .

The bit that may be confusing is your holiday booking terms .

Being vaccinated makes no difference, in terms of advice or for any regulations. I'm mildly surprised that anyone still thinks it does, as there has never been anything for which it does, and all written and spoken advice (including when you get the jab, if they follow the script) is that you make no changes whatsoever based on vaccination status.

If you decide to go (despite advice to avoid amber areas for leisure) then you must quarantine for 10 days on return.

Are you all able to do that? Proper, full isolation. No shopping. No trips out with the toddlers. No popping round anywhere.

Do think about what that'll really be like -- anything you get from the holiday is likeoymto be more than cancelled out by 10 days like that.

@MyrtlethePurpleTurtle

(FCDO advice differs in this regard£

Oh how does the advice differ? I mean it should do because the islands (particularly the smaller ones will surely differ in terms of risk). But I can’t find any information.

Holidays are going be fecking extortionate when we are eventually allowed to travel. So much pent up demand.

OP, just ignore headintheproverbial. The fact is that Britain is taking a tougher / different/ less logical stance to many other European countries, when it comes to holidays in Europe. It is quite obviously not a simple question of being clever enough to realise that we should avoid holidays.

And what about FCO policy? That is definitely very confusing and ambiguous when considered alongside other sources:
www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/greece

Op, it’s too soon to know how things will play out in July/ August but as I say, I’ll be going unless fines are involved.

X post Missy and Myrtle

I was meant to be flying to Spain next week with Ryanair, I cancelled as it's amber, luckily for me they also cancelled the flight on the same day so I was refunded. I'd postpone until next year if possible or just hope the flight doesn't go ahead due to decreased demand.

FCDO travel advice for Greece which begins with a large box stating coronavirus restrictions (and linking pages with the regs and guidance)

And then at the start of the advice, it has in bold "The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises against all but essential travel to Greece, except for the islands of Rhodes, Kos, Zakynthos, Corfu and Crete, based on the current assessment of COVID-19 risks"

@MissyB1 ooo I love Skopolos! Alonnisos is beautiful too - well worth a day trip if you fancy it!

I'm booked for a Greek Island in August - unless it goes red or my flight is cancelled I'm going. Isolate in the summer holidays (booked dates with 2 weeks before term starts) and start the new school year with something approximating a relaxed state.

@Plantsandwine, apologies, hotel quarantine only applies to red list countries. However, there doesn't seem to be much notice of countries moving onto different lists, so I still don't think I would risk it.

Oh how does the advice differ? I mean it should do because the islands (particularly the smaller ones will surely differ in terms of risk). But I can’t find any information

@MissyB1

www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/greece

Here you go:

I think wait and see is the best policy for now. There will be a lot of pressure on the government to try and make summer holidays possible. It's too soon to tell with the Delta variant. We're also booked for Greece in August and I'm not cancelling yet.

This is why we've booked a package holiday - if it's not green at the time we are due to travel then they'll cancel and we'll get the money back. We've only paid a deposit so far.

@MyrtlethePurpleTurtle ah ok I had missed that. Hmm it only mentions a few islands. Sigh... tricky ... well we are booked for July 6th so will just hang on another couple of weeks.