No holidays until August

I'm hoping it is postponed again, neither of us is keen to fly this summer.
We have a booking for Lanzarote that was delayed from last year, we're currently due to fly out on June 20th.
If it's official that we can't go, Jet2 will refund our flights which will suit us ?

Sorry that all sounds a bit selfish. We're due to be taking my Dad (90) and mother-in-law (93) which is focussing our minds about not being happy to fly.
They're disappointed as they say they don't know how many more years they'll have to travel, so we feel a bit mean if it's purely our decision not to go. Much easier to explain if it's a government rule.

I also meant to say that I have every sympathy with people who have family abroad and won't be able to travel safely yet ?

My DiL is an Australian living in the UK and normally has a sunshine holiday in the winter to cheer her up after a year of british weather.
I expect a lot of people, especially if they have dull jobs, feel that their sunny holiday keeps them going for the year.

Having friends who live in Spain, and France, and hearing first hand about the situations there, I can't understand why anyone would want to travel there for a holiday under the current circumstances. Just because the UK is doing a good job with their vaccination programme, it won't give anyone 100% immunity, and with these other countries not doing so well with getting their vaccines underway, I'd rather put my holiday on hold, until they sort themselves out.

I'm really no longer bothered about 'going on holiday' per se ... I'd just love to be able to visit my daughter, and my son/DiL, and granddaughter, who all live in different countries. It's been 15 long months since we've seen them. But I know we're going to have to be patient for a while to come.

I'm sure that some of us are in the position of having holidays postponed from last year, and for which the balance is now, or will soon be due. We have a holiday booked for 30June, which we won't be going on, but now have to make a decision of whether to postpone again and take it forward to next year( although that will cost us £750 more. )We could cancel altogether and lose the deposit, or try to hold off paying the balance for now! An early decision from the government would help!

Going to be manic holidays in uk will be lucky to get booked, can’t wait to go abroad

I think that UK holidays are financially beyond the reach of the majority of UK families, even if they could find something. Cheaper holidays abroad offered a good deal for them, especially with all inclusive packages.
I feel sorry for them as they must be in desperate need of a getaway.
Yes I agree that we need to wait to go abroad, and I'm in no hurry to go anywhere, but we need to spare a thought for all those families who won't be going anywhere.

We’re hoping to go to one of the Greek Islands in late September. We haven’t booked yet, we’re watching developments. We flew to Kefalonia last year in late September and felt very safe. EasyJet disinfect their planes every 24 hours with a long lasting (24 hours) disinfectant and they have medical grade HEPA filters. We stayed in a small block of six apartments, we were the only ones there. We were outside almost all of the time. When we ate in restaurants, it was always outside. We met up with one of our sons and his wife who were there at the same time but staying in different apartments. We didn’t hug or kiss them, but we didn’t socially distance from them either. They’re going again in September hopefully and we hope to go too. We’ll all be vaccinated and myself and my husband have already had Covid. We’re watching the numbers in Greece and hopefully we’ll be able to go.

August does sound a long way off but given their performance so far, I am not at all optimistic that European countries will have vaccinated a sufficient number of their populations to make it a viable holiday option for us.

Supposing their vaccination programme stalls? British people could find themselves having to quarantine in a hotel here upon their return.

Of course Europe isn’t the only holiday destination.
Maybe countries further afield could be possible.

Devon, Cornwall, Lake District etc are going to be overbooked and no-go areas this summer. Best to look for more remote places to holiday - and there are plenty in this country. Away from the main hotspots the B&Bs are cheaper too.

TBH I wasn’t expecting anything else - not holidays abroad, anyway.

We still have tentative hopes for September - we were thinking of Greece, which has long been a September favourite (lovely warm sea and the worst of the crowds gone) - but if anything now it’s more likely to be America, to see my sister who lives on Cape Cod. America is doing really well with rolling out the vaccine so far, much better than the EU (who on earth would have thought it??) though cases are still high in many areas, so who knows?
We’re not counting on anything, though, so if it comes off that’ll be a plus.

Santana

I think that UK holidays are financially beyond the reach of the majority of UK families, even if they could find something. Cheaper holidays abroad offered a good deal for them, especially with all inclusive packages.
I feel sorry for them as they must be in desperate need of a getaway.
Yes I agree that we need to wait to go abroad, and I'm in no hurry to go anywhere, but we need to spare a thought for all those families who won't be going anywhere.

Whilst foreign holidays might provide better value (especially if the weather is good and you don't have to spend money on entertainment), I don't believe that it is actually cheaper for a family to travel abroad and stay in accommodation there than to stay in the UK.

GrandmaKT

Santana

I think that UK holidays are financially beyond the reach of the majority of UK families, even if they could find something. Cheaper holidays abroad offered a good deal for them, especially with all inclusive packages.
I feel sorry for them as they must be in desperate need of a getaway.
Yes I agree that we need to wait to go abroad, and I'm in no hurry to go anywhere, but we need to spare a thought for all those families who won't be going anywhere.

Whilst foreign holidays might provide better value (especially if the weather is good and you don't have to spend money on entertainment), I don't believe that it is actually cheaper for a family to travel abroad and stay in accommodation there than to stay in the UK.

I don't understand your post. You seem to be contradicting yourself.

DD1 has been going camping in the U.K. with a group of other families that they’ve known for years. Only had one bad experience with the weather in ten years. They pick sites with space around them and electrical hook ups!

The children spend the time playing with their friends or the wider group and having the odd day out. Their tents are like mini bungalows.

They’ve also been going to Thailand and other far flung places most years. Rather curtailed anyway this year as GS1 is sitting GCSEs.

I am hoping to go away this summer and looking at Northumberland and possibly one of the Canaries in the autumn if the powers that be get their act together and the EU gets a vaccination programme rolled out. No plans to book anything yet.

I think we should feel lucky for our blessed lives in this country. There are people across the world who can't get a roof over their head or a daily meal and here we are, moaning about not being allowed a holiday abroad. I know people have families abroad and I have a certain amount of empathy but we still remain very lucky.

Go abroad if you want to, but please don’t bring Covid back to the UK.

Can think of nothing worse this year than going on holiday to one of the popular holiday countries. The holiday fever will cause mayhem at airports alone never mind in the resorts. Inhibitions are usually lost when alcohol is consumed and for many that will be a major element of holidaying even before getting on a plane. Will be holidaying in UK this year.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

I never have been a great one for foreign holidays but now you wouldn’t get me up in a plane for a kings ransom ...

growstuff

GrandmaKT

Santana

I think that UK holidays are financially beyond the reach of the majority of UK families, even if they could find something. Cheaper holidays abroad offered a good deal for them, especially with all inclusive packages.
I feel sorry for them as they must be in desperate need of a getaway.
Yes I agree that we need to wait to go abroad, and I'm in no hurry to go anywhere, but we need to spare a thought for all those families who won't be going anywhere.

Whilst foreign holidays might provide better value (especially if the weather is good and you don't have to spend money on entertainment), I don't believe that it is actually cheaper for a family to travel abroad and stay in accommodation there than to stay in the UK.

I don't understand your post. You seem to be contradicting yourself.

Hi, Santana was saying that families could afford to go abroad on holiday but couldn't afford to have a holiday in the UK. I was questioning this.

As I realised I would not be going abroad this Summer, I decided to treat myself this weekend.
I have bought a luxurious sun lounger and side table for myself.
I will be found lounging on it at every sunny opportunity.

Whereabouts in Italy is your daughter? My daughter and her family live in the north east, near Ferrara, where she is a teacher. She, too, has had her first vaccination.

That post was for Thoro.

There are so many beautiful places to go to in the UK. I think people should be spending their money here....hospitality badly needs your money.

For many people IMO it’s not just a question of not having to work, Jillybird, it’s a question of reliable sun and for many, including me and dh, warm Vitamin Sea.

Though having said that, we found just that at a Worthing beach last summer! For just one afternoon, and people were very well spread out, in case anyone assumes all beaches were full of Covid-spreading hordes - they most certainly weren’t.

We’ll need another heatwave for a repeat though.