Travelling to the UK for Christmas?

[Velocity]

We have travel booked back to the uk for Christmas. By that point it will be one year since I've seen my parents, brothers, nephews and nieces. If you normally travel to the uk for Christmas/ New Year is this still your plan or have you already given up hope?

Depends where from I guess. From Australia, impossible. We are held against our will.

My timeshare In the UK offered me early December in exchange for my April week. The place was closed so it was free of charge. I also changed our flights FOC.
However DH is making negative noises (more for the current situation in the UK than the barely under control one here in Italy) and another member of the party has pulled out over completely justified public transport and infection/self isolation concerns.

So it’s looking doubtful...

I think we will. We'd drive from Spain and go via eurotunnel, and stay with the ILs making us 6 people, having to quarantine while there. But only because we've booked a "on the way home" family at a theme park!

It's good to know that a few of us are still attempting and grateful that some us us at least have the chance to think about it.

We have booked flights from the US. I bitterly regret not going in the summer. By the time we decided it would be ok the flights were too expensive to make it possible. So we bought Christmas flights because I’d rather have them and then for whatever reason the trip get cancelled than be in the same position as this summer. It will have been a year since I saw my parents and my brother and a year and a half since I saw everyone else. Have never gone this long without my family

We aren’t travelling but family always visit us from the uk. At the moment if they are willing to risk travel we are expecting 14 day quarantine. I’m trying not to think about it yet....

Home country is Ireland but I don’t think we’ll be able to get home. We’re in France and living in a red zone so it would mean 14 day quarantine. We wouldn’t want to go for that long because we also need to go to DH’s home country to see his family. It’s easier to stay put.

No way - I'm in Japan, and we can now officially leave and come back (they wouldn't let foreign residents back in over the summer so I missed my dad's funeral), but immigration require evidence of a negative PCR test 72 hours before departure from the overseas destination. I am not confident that testing centres in the UK would be open and operating over Xmas/NY.
I wouldn't have to quarantine going TO the UK, but would have 14 days quarantine coming back to Japan.
In any case, the situation in the UK is just too risky in terms of infection cases and I would not want to pick up the virus on the plane or at an airport and then potentially pass it on to my elderly mother.
I'm going to wait until next summer at least before even thinking about getting on a long haul flight

Would like to but if the rule of 6 is still there couldn't stay with my sister and her family which would have been a big reason to go

Also as living in Europe and will be travelling with kids don't want to be in the first groups of people dealing with post Brexit travelling . . .

We’ve decided seeing as quarantine rules state you can stay with relatives it’s worth us going to just be with my parents for the 2 weeks

We were going to go back this year - it’s my Mum’s 80th birthday just after Christmas, but we’re in Australia, so have given up any hope of getting there, and I’m not too sure I really want to go with the way things are there anyway. I’m not too positive that my DD (an Australian Citizen who lives in Europe) will get here by then either, unless we shell out $10k+.
I’m still holding out some hope of getting to the UK by the end of April for my parents 60th wedding anniversary...

We would normally have gone back in June and if not then, for Xmas, but we are also in Australia so we’re just waiting for the Qld border to open and we’ll book a holiday there instead.

Impossible for us unfortunately- Thailand

Our plan is to drive back from mainland Europe to avoid planes but I’m slowly losing hope. It’s DS’s first Christmas and I really wanted to spend it with family, especially as they’ve barely/never met him. We’ve decided we won’t go if we would have to quarantine on either side of our journey and currently it would be both.

There are a lot of expats where we live who are in the same position and we’ve already agreed to share the day with friends if we stay here.

I don't think it's going to happen unfortunately.

DH will travel back to UK - the DC and I moved back this summer and he’s still working in ME. He’ll have to quarantine but the rest of us don’t so it’s fine really. He’s also coming back next week for a visit, it’s been tough being apart so just hanging out at home will be lovely!

I’ve given up hope. I’m desperate to see my children and my parents, but like @TanteRose above, I need a negative test less than 48 hours before arriving back in UAE and I’m not confident that I could get that from the U.K. testing centres.

We're in Scotland, family all in NI........ no chance we're going anywhere.

@AgentProvocateur

I’ve given up hope. I’m desperate to see my children and my parents, but like *@TanteRose* above, I need a negative test less than 48 hours before arriving back in UAE and I’m not confident that I could get that from the U.K. testing centres.

So I've had some colleagues who just got back into KSA from the UK and they have had terrible trouble getting a c19 certificate to get back in. The stress of it has really put me off. That and the rising numbers in the UK.

In Korea, family in UK.

I am still in vain hope I will get back from the 10th to the 17th the quarantine for 2 weeks before the school term starts again. However with cases going up here they are getting stricter about people travelling (Not being mainland means have to do internal flights and if they stop that or change rules 2 weeks in very basic government facilities). Also parents live on a hard to get to part of the UK so maybe impossible to get there the way the UK is going. Also the thought of 4 Covid tests puts me off. However the thought of any more time away from family slightly breaks me.

Where from?

I wouldn't usually go at Xmas anyway (too cold!) but am hoping for a trip in May 2021, assuming Australia have opened the international border by then...

We have booked flights and an Air BnB (going from Dubai to London) but I’m not allowing myself to get too excited about it as know it may not happen.

For us I think the biggest issue is the 14 days quarantine on arrival in the UK. Feels a bit pointless to travel all that way and then not go out or see anyone. Am praying that restriction is lifted by December although realize that’s quite doubtful.

@Kayakinggirl

Yes here in Japan, we can't use any public transport once we land at the first destination airport - including domestic connections to other airports in Japan.
So people are having to quarantine for 14 days at hotels or other accommodation near the airport. Or they are hiring a car (which is permitted) or even hiring a private car with a driver to take them to their final destination (but of course that's not possible for far-flung final destinations that can't be reached by car or islands, like Okinawa).
I live within driving distance of both Tokyo airports so I would hire a car if I were to travel, but I'm not planning to until at least summer next year...

We just decided against it. We are a family of six, we would have to drive across Europe, and then up to the NE. Plus quarantine when we get there and from today, quarantine when we get back.

So we will be at home this year.