Christmas 2020 Skiing Likely To Be Cancelled?

[NinnyNewName]

We booked back in January (we have been xmas skiing for the lsat 8 years).

Going with Esprit, to France.

Not likely to happen is it?

@NinnyNewName yes - I agree, but I'm wondering what to do as have chalet, return flight, car hire, ski passes & lessons still all booked in.... Do I rebook the outbound flight on the off chance it goes ahead (I'm thinking at best 5% chance of it going ahead)...or what...

@Bakeachocolatecaketoday I think there is less chance of skiing in the week commencing 12th December going ahead. I think if resorts open for Christmas it is more likely restrictions will be eased for 19th December. I would not book an alternative flight for now and be prepared to drive if it turns out that your holiday can go ahead. Hopefully the french government will give an indication of the likely opening date for ski resorts in the next week or so.

Our chalet operator has just gone into administration. I think there's a good chance our trip will be cancelled this year.

Ah VIP? So gutted to hear about them, nice people

I know, I like them a lot.

We had whistler booked for Christmas
Then changed it to France when became clear several months ago that Canada would not let us in.
Now cancelled France.. Can't do quarentining on return
Re booked for Easter next Yr... Won't be hopeful though...

@grenidines
We had peak retreats booked for march.. Was first week of our lockdown.
They refunded all bar 20% which is on hold for deposit for 2021
I spoke to them about Easter booking.. They were upbeat... But I work in front line clinical work so hoping to have vaccination by then.. They were more positive when I told them that...

The pre-xmas week we had booked has now gone. Resort has pushed opening to 19th Dec. Not hopeful though as not looking like quarrentine will be lifted AND no restaurants open anyway.

@Bakeachocolatecaketoday I think the UK inbound quarantine will possibly be reduced to 5 days plus a test from December but I don't think the government has confirmed it yet.

It appears the French gov is still deciding when resorts will open:
www.connexionfrance.com/French-news/France-s-ski-season-remains-in-doubt-due-to-Covid

@Theredjellybean Hope you manage to get away at Easter. I think Easter looks the most likely option at the moment. We are keeping hold of our early season booking just in case resorts open and we are allowed to travel.

@grenadines we are due to go to 3 valleys on 19th Dec and had pretty much decided it wasn’t going to happen. After the news about 5 day quarantine we are hanging on to a tiny bit of hope that we might go. It’s self catering accommodation and driving and we have until 11th Dec to cancel without penalty

French Tv news last night had a segment on the ski season. The government will announce the decision on whether the resorts will be open and what it will be like at some point over the next 9 days. There are 120,000 people who work in the French ski industry so I really think lifts etc. will be open but restaurants/bars are obviously more problematic..

@graywall

French Tv news last night had a segment on the ski season. The government will announce the decision on whether the resorts will be open and what it will be like at some point over the next 9 days. There are 120,000 people who work in the French ski industry so I really think lifts etc. will be open but restaurants/bars are obviously more problematic..

I can see them being open for the French, but will they want the borders open? I doubt it.

Macron said last night that it was unlikely that the French resorts would be open for Christmas - but the decision is still to be made this week or next after consultation with European partners. Borders will be open (as they are now in lockdown for essential travel) but the UK quarantine is probably still the bigger issue for most people.

Then you have the Bavarian leader pushing for a Europe wide coordination of closures
www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-germanys-bavaria-urges-ski-slopes-to-close-across-europe-poland-allows-locals-only-345150

And the Italians. But it won’t happen. The Swiss will stay open regardless!

Reports today that French restaurants will not open until January 15th, so I guess ski resorts will see a huge impact from that, if they do get to open for Christmas and New Year ! Also heard from a friend the French may open, but numbers will be limited to those with annual ski pass.

Some Swiss resorts are open already but restaurants are closed.

Doesn't look promising for a ski holiday so far.

So French Prime Minister has just announced that whilst the French ski resorts will be open in the holidays, the lifts etc. will not be working so no skiing in France this Christmas/New Year.

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/26/austrians-and-swiss-go-off-piste-in-christmas-skiing-covid-row.

Swiss saying they will open, how wise is that considering Switzerland is trying to cope with the highest number of cases in Europe.

Not wise at all. Would be so much better all round if they had a coordinated approach otherwise you're going to have situations where you can ski down one side of a mountain and not another. And will end up with people traveling further!

It’s looking very positive for jan onwards with vaccine and change of isolation rules

5 days is doable for many

Most countries will want to salvage some of the season I’m sure

I don’t think Jan is looking positive myself at all. The vaccine has to be administered to a lot of NHS workers before they can start on care homes and then the healthy elderly and those with medical conditions. Everything I have read in the press and on skiing sites suggests Easter/spring is more likely for restrictions to start to ease. Even if you are happy to quarantine getting back to the UK what happens if the child next to yours at school or your work colleague tests positive a week or two before you are due to travel? I think until social restrictions ease it will be a big gamble for those of us not living locally.

I’m only booking 2 days before so I’ll take them out after that and basically not answer the phone!

I spoke to Inghams and they reckon mid jan as do most providers

The ministers of many eu countries have also suggested mid jan to be fair as travel is permitted in all 3 tiers and they’ve confirmed tiers will stay now and not lockdowns so actually going will be fine and insurance covers tracks and trace if it come to that

In work we we 2m apart so I’d never be a contact

Ah work and at home

DH

By allowing travel abroad in tier 3 I think they’ve signalled that we have to live with it now

Travel abroad is not explicitly banned under the Tier system but if there is no travel corridor in place (and very few remain) then you are travelling against FCDO advice. Most policies will not cover you in this event unless you go to a specialist. If you do, ensure it covers you for mountain rescue and winter sports.
The rates are still very high in many winter sports areas so I cannot see travel corridors being back for some time.

Even if there is no quarantine on arrival at your skiing destination, if no travel corridor, there will be 14 days on return. This might just be ok at Xmas and Easter but you have to take a view on children missing school after half term (unless something changes by then which seems unlikely). Also the risk you develop symptoms and have to quarantine when at your destination, or cases surge and local restrictions apply.

Soon, you should be able to test out of quarantine after 5 days under the proposed new regime. This will cost 100-120pp. Skiing is expensive anyway, so I'm not keen to incur extra charges.

We've been told that some European ski countries may adopt pre flight testing as a prerequisite (I believe Italy, Greece already have this in place). That's another 100-120pp if your destination decides you need a negative test to go there.

Track and trace (particularly in the school environment) can throw up surprising results. You may not think someone is a close contact of you or your child but your personal view is not determinative! You may choose to stay home, pull kids out of school, and ignore the phone having booked 2 days before, but that's not "back to normal" is it? Also councils are now checking up on people meant to be self isolating and the fines are hefty.

Anyone may accept these risks, be lucky and get their ski holiday and none of this happens, but my point is that we are a long way from back to normal. The middle of Jan is when the French government will hopefully allow the ski lifts to open. It doesn't mitigate the risks of all the above unless something else changes. And the best estimate of us getting back to normal according to ministers and scientists is spring/Easter when the vaccine rollout is well underway.