Greece or Devon

[michaelmosleyisagod]

Like many others, we are in a quandary - what would you do?

Holiday A booked at beginning of August (currently cancellable) in Devon for a week

Holiday B booked at end of August (also cancellable apart from flights, which we can move) in Greece for two weeks

Need to make a decision this week. Completely torn.

Anyone else in similar position? What decision have you made?

Would add - hot over here (37 degrees yesterday) but lovely sea breezes so
not at all unbearable (we're in Zante). Bliss really; just seeing that clear blue sea is good for the soul.

Greece. Let's face it, you could face a self-isolation stint affecting the start of school anywhere.

Thanks all. Made the decision a few days ago to cancel Devon - and the place we cancelled let again immediately for double the price we were going to pay. Taking a risk on Greece - fingers crossed

If it were me and dh only and we double jabbed Greece. With teens Devon. Covid is ripping through teens here 2 friends teens have it. Idea if quarantine with resentful teens is not worth the risk

I live in Devon and just dont get the appeal ( yes it's pretty, I do get that but traffic is chaos and beaches are packed. I went to the beach once last year and not at all this year!)
, I'd much rather be in Greece, Portugal Spain etc etc. If good weather is important the med is your best bet.

Yes we have friends with teens in Devon who've had to isolate for the 3rd time this month. Its rife here.

3 families in our group isolating as teens positive they ain’t going anywhere 🙁

We in south west too in tourist area our rates extremely high way higher than average in England

As a small business owner in the hospitality/ tourism trade it shouldn’t surprise me but I’m still shocked that people think it’s acceptable to book and then just cancel a holiday with such short notice. With no thought to the people’s business’s & livelihoods

The OP says the holiday home was re-let for twice the price. So the small business owner can be just as hard-nosed when profiting from people’s desperation.

I guess, we try to run our business with honesty and respect so to see business’s doing that and then can’t argue with you, but we have had so much experience of last minute cancellations it’s pretty soul destroying . Hope you have a fab time away and certainly don’t blame you for choosing Greece ( probably just jealous really )

@Greeceplease what’s Zante like at the moment? We’re booked into a hotel in Tsilivi in 2 weeks and wondering if we need to pre book restaurants in advance or whether it’s quite quiet

I am also in Zante at the moment and we haven’t had to prebook restaurants. It’s our first time here, it feels quite quiet out and about but our hotel itself is full.

Just back from Greece (Crete), zero regrets, had an amazing time!

Jesus, I use the free cancellation option on booking.com all the time, particularly at the moment when plans are subject to so much change. Why offer it if you don't want people to use it? Presumably you have a choice as not all listings offer free cancellation.

Enjoy Greece OP!

@Frenchfancy

Selfish booking of holidays you don't intend to take will eventually end up in some companies going out of business and prices going up for everyone.

A lot of people are doing this right now. Its the only way. At least OP has booked something.

A lot of people may be doing it but that doesn't make it right. I confess I may be over sensitive given that I run a tourism business that we are closing down because of covid.

We have been in business for 19 years, only ever had 2 cancellations, book year round. The past 18 months have been catastrophic. If people cancel well in advance we can rebook, but cancel with only 6 or 7 weeks to go and it's a big problem. Devon or Cornwall may rebook but we normally book up a year in advance so people can organise travel. Last minute bookings are rare.

I can see your point. But for hotels and trains prices always go up for Bank hol! Do you feel sorry for the customer then? Its a business and its not to say someone else won't take that slot or pay that price. I've had to book a train /Hotel and a holiday abroad just in case as I won't be able to afford the hotel and trains last min.