Am I mad to arrange a trip of a lifetime for next summer?

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

I think I'd be mad to. The teenage sons think differently of course. As does DH. None of those 3 arrange any of our family holidays so haven't a clue about the planning, prep and hassle involved but they all want to go as DH is 50 next spring, and DSs have A-levels and GCSEs. It's a California road trip.

We do have some money saved up to spend on it so it doesn't particularly have to be budget orientated. But if I'm going to be spending 15k plus on a holiday I don't want to lose the lot if one of us tests positive 2 days before travel.

What the hell are people doing about big trips and the threat of testing positive just before you go or when you're there? It doesn't seem like there are a lot of insurance policies that cover this.

Honestly I wouldn't risk it. It looks as if we're in a pattern of things opening up every summer but I really don't think that's entirely predictable yet

I'd try to find a company with a good refund policy and book through them. Summer should be ok, but it's so hard to have any certainty any more.

I don’t think it’ll settle until 2023 I’m afraid.

I'm in exactly the same position. Trip to the US planned but don't dare commit money to it, was due to be a celebration for end of GCSEs. Suspect we will do a last minute cheap and cheerful European holiday instead if we can and see how things pan out. Took so long to get flights refunded from April 2020 I have no wish to go through the same rigmarole with a lot more money involved.

I wouldn't book anything involving foreign travel, let alone a trip of a lifetime. My brother has had his silver wedding anniversary cruise cancelled an re-scheduled 4 times now as it's kept getting cancelled as the covid rules (UK and destinations) keep changing.

I wouldn’t commit unless you have a failsafe cancellation policy.

Can you provisionally plan it, but not actually book anything until nearer the time?

I am really risk averse. We had a similar road trip planned for next year but I am holding off for another 12 months at least before booking.

You see, you're all the voice of reason (i.e. seasoned family holiday planners).

Riverlee, I will be booking all our hotels independently and they're fine to cancel up to 48 hours before I think. It's the flights that would be the main expense. I have no idea whether if I leave it a few months that there would be any choice. We are severely restricted date wise. I work in a school and we have to be back for A-level results day. And we're going for 3 weeks, so leaves hardly any leeway really.

I was planning a back packing trip with DS in Europe in the summer.

Have decided to leave it until 2023 & just go camping as many weekends as we can in this country instead.

Too worried about losing money/ building up DS’/ planning and booking leave, only for it to go tits at the last minute. Which I think it could well do this summer- it’s only 6 months away, so reckon we’ll only be a few months out of this “wave”, & too soon to know how it’s going to go.

Anyone got children who are students at uni? DS1 is hoping to do engineering and tells me he might need to get a placement during the summer holidays the first year he's at uni so he'd be even more restricted in 2023.....what a pain in the ass....

I don’t think I’d risk it this year, no. It’s grimmies and ridiculous that we’re still in this situation two years later - but all the more reason I’d still be cautious this year

Nope I wouldn't risk this year and I'd be getting them to do an awful lot of the planning to a fixed budget that you could review and book.

That's a lot of work.

Why not have a chat with these guys here. We went away with them a couple of years ago before Covid - they were really helpful in planning the trip.

I think if you do it then I would almost self quarantine before going away for 10 days so you don't pick anything up from anyone else!

Alas no optional self-quarantine for us - DH and I both work FT, DH is so busy that he's going to have to work 7 days a week after any holiday we take, so there's no way he could add 10 days on top. I work in a school, so no option for me to do that either before we go.

I've seen that company before and they do look decent but COVID has basically changed everything travel-related so while I appreciate your helpfulness I think what I really need is to hear from anyone who's gone away on a big trip during the pandemic, or who goes regularly and is planning to go in the next few months so knows what's changed from before.

Put the money aside, book the annual leave and wing it maybe? Book relatively last minute and do what the rules allow at the time?

I feel like the travel insurance I’ve seen covers you for cancellations due to illness and also due to changing govt requirements?

Toots, you mean the cover you've seen includes COVID illnesss?

We've had two summer US trips cancelled. Aargh. But we didn't lose any money. We booked our flights on British Airways, admittedly on airmiles but you can cancel up to 24 hours before for a £35 fee per person. From memory, their book with confidence policy covers normal cash flights up to 31 August 2022 under which you can cancel flights and receive a travel voucher.

We found that the various US hotels and car hire firms allowed cancellation up to 2-3 days before which gave us time to cancel penalty free. I'd say go for it if you can leave it all flexible.

Also our travel insurance covers cancellation for covid. Which we've sadly just had to claim on as my son tested positive 5 days before we were due to fly to Switzerland for a Christmas ski holiday.

Staysure travel insurance definitely covers if you test positive for Covid, don't think it covers you for lockdowns though.

one reason I'm holding back is that insurance won't include disinclination to travel. I'm imagining a scenario where travel to the destination is permitted, but everything we want to do when there is limited (eg restaurants shut, museums and theatres closed). we were actually facing this situation for a holiday booked to East Asia for March 2020 - we were allowed to travel, by both the UK and the destination country, but we'd have just been sat in our (non-resort) hotel. The UK lockdown saved us from this situation by a week.

I'm now more inclined to book time off work, make plans, get passports/visas etc, but not actually book until two weeks before departure.

Also, getting money back from our March 2020 holiday was a massive ball-ache taking bazillions of emails with travel agent/airline each insisting it was the other's responsibility to sort.

I booked a big holiday for Easter - it was only £200 deposit with BA and we can cancel until 3 weeks before. I think that promise now goes to august but it's 4 week timeline.

@CurlyhairedAssassin

Toots, you mean the cover you've seen includes COVID illnesss?

Barclays insurance seems to cover:

• if there is a lockdown in the UK so you can’t travel
• if country goes to red list or fcdo advises against travel
• if you test positive before and can’t travel
• if you test positive when there
• if country puts quarantine restrictions on arrivals
• if you have to cancel because Uk puts quarantine restrictions on returning people

To be honest I figure most countries will be desperate to have visitors in the summer so Europe in particular will try really hard to keep things open for us and hopefully this omicron will have burnt out by next summer. We have booked a trip with my parents for the summer and the accommodation is not refundable but I really need something to look forward to!

Our holiday is basically pretty self contained so if everything is closed when we get there we’ll still be ok. But I don’t think Greek islands will survive without restaurants opening in the summer so think we will be ok.

Don’t book independently book with a Travel Agent