You can actually be fined for going to amber country if it isn’t essential travel I think.

You think wrong. You can be fined if you break quarantine rules and don't have one of the series of tests that are required (unless you are exempt) on your return to the UK. The UK Gov ring you daily on your return to remind you of the rules but other than that I don't see how they can stop you breaking your quarantine and therefore not sure how they can fine you (unless someone reports you and then they'd have to prove it).

The bit that is potentially stopping people from going to amber countries currently is the cost of all the private tests you have to take. Can add up to £££ and could cost more than the holiday itself.

Wrong again @Flower8919. I really suggest, if you're going to go around giving people advice, that you inform yourself, because this is just getting embarrassing.

Travel is legal to any country as long as you abide by the traffic light rules and test/quarantine as per the UK govt's rules on return.

You can only be fined if you do not comply with the rules around testing and quarantine. Before 17th May you could be fined for travelling for leisure, as it was banned, but that ban was lifted more than a month ago now.

Hence why people have been interviewed on TV quite publicly departing from/arriving at British airports having visited countries like Portugal and Greece, which are on the amber list.

FYI, you can also fly here from red list countries if you are a British citizen/permanent resident returning home, but you must pay to quarantine in a govt approved hotel for 10 days.

The UK Gov ring you daily on your return to remind you of the rules but other than that I don't see how they can stop you breaking your quarantine

They do ring most days, however it's also not unknown to have officials (police officers in one case I know of) knocking on the door of the place you nominated as your place of quarantine on your inbound paper (the Passenger Locator Form or PLF).

Yes I've heard that too @loginfail re the doorstep visits but I don't intend to dodge quarantine so it won't be a problem for me

I haven't had any officials knocking on my door but I have had a daily call from the UK Gov saying exactly the same thing each time for 10 days.

@Flower8919 but we are not legally bound to stay in the UK. If you have double vax then you don't need an essential reason to travel into France.

@Flower8919 why did you join this thread? you clearly don't know what you're talking about!

Some useful info here thanks (and some not so useful!)

We have a holiday booked in 2019 for 2020 which is postponed until 1st August this year. So for those saying why book holidays - it was done before we even heard of covid. We HAVE to make a decision to either go or postpone (or lose 2.5k deposit). I wish we weren't in this position but we are. Balance is due to be paid in the next 10 days.

This is a holiday for 14 people (family), travelling by car via eurotunnel, staying in our own house. So I think it is perfectly safe and will definitely go if we can.

But the concern is the teens. Adults will be double vaxxed and happy to meet all requirements (plus possibility that quarantine will be dropped by August?). But France is saying that everyone over 11 must be double jabbed, and we have 5 teens who won't have been.

I believe there is a ministerial meeting on travel tomorrow, and another meeting on Monday.

There's due to be a travel announcement on Thursday I'd see what comes from that. I don't think there will be anything definitive about quarantine or testing requirements, but if any additional countries turn Green will indicate thought process regarding holidays.

Unfortunately based on the number of teenagers, I'd be tempted to not go. Testing- even if Green - is quite expensive and fraught with issues if anyone is positive.

The testing isn't actually that bad cost wise if you shop around. I have found a deal for day 2 & 8 tests for £86 with Randox. And for the return to UK test I can arrange that in resort for around €50. Appreciate that all adds up for a big group but better than losing all of that money in deposits.

Thanks @rookiemere Yes it will add up but its my fathers 80th birthday and the teenagers are getting older so I am more worried about who out of the 14 will still want to or be able to go next year.

TBH I can't see it happening, its a lot of stress.

I sympathise @chocolatesaltyballs22 .

We're meant to be going away with another family to Spain in August. It's turned into a nightmare as I just want to cancel because of all the potential risks, whereas our friends want to wait until the last possible moment to see what the situation is - but of course even if its fine 30 days before travel when the balance for the villa is due, there's no guarantees that will be the same when we travel and it's the weekend before they are due back at school.

Yeah, slightly more complicated if you're taking kids and there is the potential to have to isolate. We are two adults travelling without kids, able to WFH on return so not too much of an issue for us.

fraught with issues if anyone is positive.

It's the risk of getting a positive especially on the way back and being unable to travel that mostly puts me off the whole idea.

Even a false positive would wreck your travel plans.

Think announcement due on Monday regarding amber quarantine. Will exclude kids apparently. That’s what media are reporting

Mind you if as @DGFB they take away quarantine from DCs as a requirement it suddenly becomes a lot more doable.

It's all so exhausting, I do remember the halycon days of 2019 when you could just go on a city break without all these mental gymnastics, I'm beginning to wonder if we'll ever get back to that position.

We’re going DH and I soon. Double vaxed exit tests from Randox will order return tests if required then.

We have a place in France which we really are missing. Tunnel booking has been moved almost monthly since last summer. Planning on staying a good few weeks maybe a longer depending what restrictions are going forward. Have travel health insurance covering amber and green countries.
France will give you a FOC return to UK covid test.
Some talk on here is so much rubbish without backing it up.

Driving in France you do NOT need an IDP, it is a permit not a license, this is from GOVUK site

^Driving in Europe
You do not need an IDP to drive in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein if you have a photocard driving licence issued in the UK.
You might need an IDP to drive in some EU countries and Norway if you have either:
a paper driving licence
a licence issued in Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man^

Do we know if Macron has officially changed the quarantine rules in France (to along the lines of what he and Merkel were saying earlier today)?

Going to a gite in the French countryside is less risk than going to one of the U.K. holiday spots. Go and have a lovely holiday!

I really hope it will be fine for you, but I do get an increasing sense that France might well bring back the quarantine for all UK travellers. Merkel is certainly pushing hard that way. But it would at least mean your cancellation insurance would hopefully work.

I recently made a trip and started planning with about three weeks to go and the rules changed so often!

As someone has mentioned, if you got a positive test when trying to return to the UK, I don't think they'd let you travel back, so worth giving some thought as to what you might do then.

But if the rules allow it at the time, I would definitely go.

Do children over 11 just need to PCR or to be vaxxed too?

They can enter with pcr but still have to isolate for 7 days

Basically anyone unvaccinated with kids can’t go to france currently unless they want to isolate