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.

@Grumblesigh

Close as I can tell, and prices do vary... it would cost a family of four roughly £240 for the Fit to Fly PCR certs to leave, then another £500ish for the 2x PCR tests required on . A little more if you test to release early. Is that about right?

No - it’s not. TUI will do the package of x4 tests - ie pre departure PCR, return to UK test and days 2 & 8 for £60 when you book with them

FCO advise against all but essential so check your insurance you might get money back

No - it’s not. TUI will do the package of x4 tests - ie pre departure PCR, return to UK test and days 2 & 8 for £60 when you book with them

Unfortunately lots of people don't/can't book package holidays. I need to book all my tests separately. The cheapest I've found for days 2 & 8 is about £140. My pre boarding test is about another £60 and optional test to release is £100. I'm only going one-way so there'd probably be at least one more test in there if I was returning to point of origin.

@FusionChefGeoff

FCO advise against all but essential so check your insurance you might get money back

So with the statement quoted above, it says avoid all but essential travel except to the Greek Islands... we have booked to go to Rhodes, so we should be able to go still?

@HelpMeh

No - it’s not. TUI will do the package of x4 tests - ie pre departure PCR, return to UK test and days 2 & 8 for £60 when you book with them

Unfortunately lots of people don't/can't book package holidays. I need to book all my tests separately. The cheapest I've found for days 2 & 8 is about £140. My pre boarding test is about another £60 and optional test to release is £100. I'm only going one-way so there'd probably be at least one more test in there if I was returning to point of origin.

I have noticed that some airlines are doing discounts on tests, could this be an option for you to save you some money?

I have noticed that some airlines are doing discounts on tests, could this be an option for you to save you some money?

No, sadly not. I'm flying either with KLM or Saudia, neither of whom offer any testing discounts.

Why is everyone so desperate to go abroad?? Most places in Europe haven't rolled out the vaccine programme like the U.K.
Stay at home and be patient!!! We all want a holiday, a break, some R&R but this pandemic is far from over.....

For pcr testing is this not only if you haven't had both vaccinations?

@whattodo2019 I know that foreign travel is not ‘essential’ but for me, planning little trips abroad has been my coping mechanism and escape from dealing with serious and ongoing mental health issues of close family members over the last 5 years. So for me, on darker days, it feels like there’s nothing to look forward to without these trips. Btw I’m just answering your question- don’t particularly expect others to understand!

Our 29 June flight to an amber list Greek island (one which the FCDO suggests is fine for non-essential travel) has just been cancelled. They obv aren’t anticipating things changing at the next traffic light review. So I’d imagine that flights to similar places may also face cancellations late June and July.

@SheriffCallie

Our 29 June flight to an amber list Greek island (one which the FCDO suggests is fine for non-essential travel) has just been cancelled. They obv aren’t anticipating things changing at the next traffic light review. So I’d imagine that flights to similar places may also face cancellations late June and July.

I am sorry that it was cancelled :( which airline were you flying with?

Honestly, no one can tell you what the red, Amber and green lists will be in August. (Or even if we will still have this 3 list system!)

Its hard not being able to plan, but I would make sure you are in a position to go (passports up to date, pet care arranged etc), and then reassess 2 weeks before you are due to fly.

Anything before that is just empty speculation.

@Plantsandwine, it was with wizzair.

@Plantsandwine

But also, I don't know if I would be able to get any money back as I think with Ryanair you can only change the location I didn't think you could change the date. So we would be losing £900 in flights.

According the the press you can only change dates with Ryanair but I changed the departure and arrival points AND dates yesterday

@HelpMeh

I have noticed that some airlines are doing discounts on tests, could this be an option for you to save you some money?

No, sadly not. I'm flying either with KLM or Saudia, neither of whom offer any testing discounts.

You don’t necessarily need to fly with the airline to get the discount - just go on their website, take the discount code and purchase your tests. OK - it’s only 20% off but Brits than nothing (And the base prices tend to be a bit lower)

@MyrtlethePurpleTurtle

Having looked more (we have a trip coming up) - I was pretty much spot on. Four of us travelling and Tui is no use. £60 x 4 for for fit to fly certs and I found £120 x4 for the two tests on reentry to UK. Bit more for test to release. So, yeah, that's just over £700 in tests.

And yes indeed the FCDO does advise against all but essential travel to amber and red countries - though some countries do involve green-listed islands, true enough, if those happen to be the place you're headed.

But I am not going on holiday, the trip is essential, and the tests are expensive.

Plenty of people who need to travel are not looking for package weeks in the Canaries.

[quote Grumblesigh]@MyrtlethePurpleTurtle

Having looked more (we have a trip coming up) - I was pretty much spot on. Four of us travelling and Tui is no use. £60 x 4 for for fit to fly certs and I found £120 x4 for the two tests on reentry to UK. Bit more for test to release. So, yeah, that's just over £700 in tests.

And yes indeed the FCDO does advise against all but essential travel to amber and red countries - though some countries do involve green-listed islands, true enough, if those happen to be the place you're headed.

But I am not going on holiday, the trip is essential, and the tests are expensive.

Plenty of people who need to travel are not looking for package weeks in the Canaries.[/quote]
@Grumblesigh - no idea where you’re getting your figures from. But a family of x4 going to an amber country, courtesy of TUI, would be paying £90 x4 - ie £360.

This covers 1) pre departure PCR, 2) pre return lateral flow, 3) day 2 PCR, 4) day 8 PCR.

So 16 tests for £360 - an average of £22.50 per test.

Appreciate this doesn’t suit everyone but cheap tests are out there. You just have to look, be on travel forums, Martin Lewis etc

Here’s the pricing for the x4 tests required for getting to & from an amber country

And if anyone is interested in the costs of the different testing packages available, here are the lower rung green testing ones

And here the amber £90 one for x4 tests.

Plus ‘top up’ tests if you’re in a green country and it turns amber

I hope this May be off help to those who aren’t @Grumblesigh and who may be looking at non essential travel to amber countries where the FCDO has NOT advised against non essential travel - eg Canaries, some Greek islands

@MyrtlethePurpleTurtle

I hope this May be off help to those who aren’t *@Grumblesigh* and who may be looking at non essential travel to amber countries where the FCDO has NOT advised against non essential travel - eg Canaries, some Greek islands

Thanks that's really helpful!