Am I being unrealistic ?

[jb23newmum]

We booked a skiing holiday in January for Xmas 2020 . Family of four to Austria . We went for the first time last year and it was so relaxing not having to worry about visiting /hosting extended family members.
I know it’s a long way off but feeling more and more down about not being able to go this year. What are people’s thoughts on whether we will get to travel this season. ?

It's just so changeable. We booked to go to France in August back in January. As we came out of lockdown, everything was looking promising, and then 10 days before we were due to go, numbers started to climb. Four hours before we left, France went back on the quarantine list. We decided to go ahead as the region we went to had less cases than our county here in the UK, and we're in a position to self isolate now we're home (even though we've come from a safer area, it's daft).

Austria has just gone back on the quarantine list. But it could be off again by Christmas. How do you feel about being surrounded by lots of people in the queues for the lift and sat in the gondola?

I think it's too early to tell and that quarantine rules will be the key factor. I have no doubt ski resorts will be operating with distancing/masks in gondola/sanitiser etc and I'm personally quite happy with that approach. But I'm not so sure that borders will be freely open without a need to quarantine (which would not work for many coming home to quarantine and of course won't work at all going out). Watch and wait 🤞🏼

I too would watch and wait. It's what we did with France and based on being able to quarantine on our return plus local infection rates, decided to go.

But we were booked with Eurocamp who refunded us the complete total of our money in the form of a credit note 12 hours after the decision was announced (and an hour before we arrived on parc and fortunately got it reinstated immediately), so we knew that whatever we chose, we wouldn't be out of pocket.

What do you stand with what you've paid should you either choose not to go, or if Austria is still on the quarantine list?

Thanks for your replies - we were due to go to Disney in May (cancelled - still awaiting refund !) , then France in August (paid for but swapped dates until next year ). We had also a last minute ski holiday booked for March 2020 to Austria - Esprit were very good and refunded quickly
We are booked with Inghams (part of the Esprit group ) and so far only paid a deposit - balance due in October . I think you are right it’s wait and see but are confident we will get our money if necessary - being early in the season I am hoping we should be ok if they are added to the quarantine list !
I am quite happy to have to wear masks etc - being a family there is not a lot of apres ski !!

It's a personal risk assessment, but I would be cautious OP. Not only quarantine, but the virus. Ski resorts like cruise ships are high risk for virus transmission and this virus seems to thrive in cold conditions (spreading in chilly meat packing plants, surviving on frozen foods). A colleague of mine was really ill with it following a ski trip in march. Obviously this was the height of the pandemic, but who knows what will happen with it this winter. Don't commit any money you won't get back. And don't risk your health. But do plan to escape Christmas in the UK if you can.

It's a personal risk assessment, but I would be cautious OP. Not only quarantine, but the virus. Ski resorts like cruise ships are high risk for virus transmission and this virus seems to thrive in cold conditions (spreading in chilly meat packing plants, surviving on frozen foods). A colleague of mine was really ill with it following a ski trip in march. Obviously this was the height of the pandemic, but who knows what will happen with it this winter. Don't commit any money you won't get back. And don't risk your health. But do plan to escape Christmas in the UK if you can.

Think it’s more the thought of being at home playing host that is driving me insane 😜

Why do you need the play host? We're going away for Christmas next year (hopefully!!), but normally spend Christmas in the UK. We just spend it the four of us. We do a nice dinner and all of that, but the day is very low key.

(I'm Koala, forgot to switch my name back for the conversation)

When the children were younger we didn’t but this year it’s the first year my fil is in a home and mil is on her own (we are asking the question whether she can visit him for the day) so feel obliged . I would be the one to cook but seems a lot of effort for basically a Sunday dinner . Last year was the first year it wasn’t an anti climax and we didn’t just eat and flop out on the sofa

OP could have written your post, I booked Christmas week in Austria on 2nd January having hosted non-stop from Christmas Day to New Years Day.

I was feeling very confident that it would go ahead - similarly we're not that bothered about apres-ski being a family, but would eat out at restaurants / have a drink or ice cream coming off the slopes. However, having cancelled our trip to France only days before we were due to go in August, I'm now worried we'll have to do the same. We haven't booked a package (booked flights and an Airbnb) so we probably wouldn't get that back although we do have insurance.

I'll be so gutted if we can't go.

Austria is currently on the quarentine list, so you'd probably stand a good chance of getting a credit note for your flight and probably your AirB&B too, but you'd need to make that decision now.

Alternatively, are you happy to travel, happy to be in gondolas with people and can you self isolate on return?

Could you take the credit note for the flight and drive to Austria to reduce contact?