Holidays are illegal

maddyone

jaxjacky I agree that a hefty fine at the airport would deter many travellers, especially those like the two women who went to Brazil that a couple of posters have mentioned. I’m seriously not convinced that so many people desperately need to travel as are actually travelling at the moment, I can’t see why urgent business can’t be done via Zoom or other internet communications. Good grief, my son is a barrister and he’s doing trials by Zoom, I’m sure business could be. No need to travel at all. How are New Zealand, Canada, Australia and other countries that have locked their borders managing?

We are allowed to travel within NZ and many have used their "overseas holiday" money here instead which shows by the number of large campers out and about,.I do wish the government would close our borders to ALL from infectious countries because we are still getting cases in the MIQ hotels.

Incidentally we don’t book anything using a travel agent or organisation, I’m not sure why anyone does really. We book everything independently and have done for years. No need to use a middle man/woman/person.

winterwhite - And the Kent variant was already in full swing in December. It can't be said that the govt didn't know about that.

Very true - that's why almost 1/3 of ALL patients with Covid-19 were taken in to hospital last month.
A direct consequence of Boris Johnson’s decision on Christmas mingling.

I just want to walk on a beach. Any beach. Anywhere. Essex is fine.

Like you steves we are not booking a holiday yet. We are hoping to go away, but we’re waiting to see how the land lies later on in the year. I can look forward to a holiday even though it isn’t booked and we don’t even know where it will be yet. If it turns out that we can’t travel, then the disappointment will be less by not having actually booked.
As I said up thread, we went away to Kefalonia last September, all booked and sorted out in only three weeks, flights and accommodation. By waiting we were sure it was legal to travel, and we were able at assess which destination would be safer. We avoided any destination that required quarantine on return, not that we objected to needing to quarantine, but it seemed likely that if no quarantine was required, it indicated a safer destination.
We had already cancelled three holidays last year, and we didn’t want to be in that situation again. Likewise this year, so we have not booked anything yet. Well book when and if we know we can go.

4allweKnow you wrote:

USA is on the list of countries we can still travel to and from without isolation!

Why is that? Is there a lot of money flying around between airlines and UK authorities?

We are in the top 4 infectious countries in world - so why would anyone choose to come here for a holiday. I can understand for family reasons, but we have some of the most lax controls and restrictions, and a chaotic track and trace system in the world. Coming to the UK now is a massive risk.

Last year's postponed holidays are doubling up into this year's. If this year's are not allowed either much of the domestic holiday industry may fail to survive leading to nowhere for us to book in advance next year.

The sense of hope in the early messages has vanished. Back in December, when the first vaccines were on the point of approval, we were told that things would quickly get better and that life could start getting back to normal when the R number was down. And the Kent variant was already in full swing in December. It can't be said that the govt didn't know about that.

Yet here we are two months later with vaccinations going better than expected, numbers of new cases falling fast, the R number down, and still no prospect of lockdown being lifted. I can't blame anyone who finds this always jam tomorrow attitude hard to understand.

We have a holiday booked well over a year ago for June this year ! In this country and we are very much hoping it will go ahead, 11 of us going, all close family Fingers crossed

We have tentatively arranged a home swap later in the year, in this country. We've done several home swaps before and it is great! A whole house to stay in, no deposit and no rent to pay - and no problems! But we have agreed only to actually do the home swap if by then it is allowed - we will not go ahead if the rules don't allow it when the time comes. So no problems over deposits and a hope to be able to get away somewhere different and attractive later on.

Yep holidays are illegal at the moment but if you are so desperate (I’m not and happy to wait) then do as Simon Calder, the travel expert, says - book a proper package holiday and the terms. Most will let you pay a deposit and then if things are still iffy/illegal just transfer it to a holiday later or next year. I don’t understand why everybody can’t use common sense. It’s illegal to go now, not illegal to book and go if it’s allowed then . They weren’t contradicting each other- Grant Schapps said don’t book, Boris said it’s illegal (now) and Matt Hancock has booked which is up to him if he’s prepared to risk a loss. It all comes down to how much risk you are prepared to take that it may not be allowed when the time comes. I personally am happy to wait but if things continue to improve I may pay a deposit knowing it may have to be changed!

I find all this emphasis on whether or not holidays can or cannot be booked, insensitive and distasteful. People have died and are still dying in their thousands, many have lost jobs and any prospect of any future job. Lives have been ruined and thrown into chaos. For those who have lost jobs and their only source of income, I would think a holiday is pie in the sky.

The issue isn't so much holidays but the fact people can fly in and out of the UK involving countries where there is still high a level of Covid. Okay a test is required but we all know how unreliable these are and that there are fake certificates on the market all over the world. USA is on the list of countries we can still travel to and from without isolation! All travel should be exempt both in and out unless permission granted to individual as essential. All the isolation facilities should mean isolation, not the farce of just being put into a hotel and being allowed to wonder about the buildings and go out for a cigarette. Imagine that being applied in a hospital you go into an isolation unit but just pop out to see others along the corridor, keeping social distance of course! The UK is a joke, holidays can wait, the vitus won't.

Some of the posters here today seem obsessed with "booking" a holiday not being illegal.

Of course it isn't - I have booked my trip to the moon when Branson gets his act together - so that's a plan too.

If you book a holiday, pay a deposit up front, but then find you are unable to go, at least you've created work for the travel agent/organisation repaying, or rebooking your holiday.

I have a son and 2 GD living in Houston and had 2 pre booked flights cancelled last year. I won't travel until the government say we are ok to do so otherwise my medical insurance won't be valid. 2 years ago my husband had a Cardiac Arrest when we were in Houston (luckily my son Did CPR and after 10 days in intensive care hubby pulled through and is fine now)...the cost of his treatment was over £150,000 so good job we did have insurance in place. Desperate to see my 2 Grandaughters the youngest is only 18 months old so I have only had 1 week with her when she was born. She thinks I live in the computer ?

The point here is that it is not illegal to book a holiday, it is just illegal to go on one! Personally I’m not booking anything to save the disappointment of having to cancel/rebook

I think that the confusion might stem from a senior government minister boasting about booking a holiday in Cornwall? Bit of a cummings eh?

maddyone - you're absolutely right. Nobody can possibly claim to be confused about holidays.

However - there still seem to be people who think our Government is doing a good job - the best under the circumstances.

They are clearly very confused. With the worst, and most harmful government we have had in many years, they still seem to think they are "doing their best". If this is their best, I'd hate to see what happens when they're not up to their best!

But Maddyone, these people arent making them not knowing that for certain, we are all just hoping for the best, especially as theres a bit more hope due to vaccine- if no one made a booking on that basis then these businesses would be struggling anyway, due to NO bookings at all!?

Oh dear, the covid police strike again.God forbid people should have something to look forward too! Its not illegal to book an holiday.lts wether you can actually go thats the problem.
People rain your neck in for goodness sake!

Obviously people who moved their holidays from last year to this year booked with the hope it would be safe to travel this year, they’re not messing proprietors about as last year many cottage owners offered the change to people who had booked. It was probably short sighted of us all to think the pandemic would be over by this year.

I'm getting confused now. Peasblossom's comment has been interpretated twice now in different ways. Was it a sarcastic comment, only one poster saw it as encouragement to get away from the UK to somewhere safer?

It's not illegal to book a holiday, although one would be wise to only book something with a guaranteed Covid-19 related refund policy!

It’s not just about it being illegal or not is it. There is no way I want to be cooped up with lots of strangers we should just use common sense. They make it illegal to stop people being stupid. When it is legal it doesn’t mean it is wise or that you should go! Like you OP I’m not confused

M0nica- you are right.many had to move their holiday from last year, ive just moved my (staycation) holiday for 2nd time-(and a lot of dates this year are booked already) to autumn 2021, but if its not allowed, or unsafe, ill move or cancel it.No laws broken.?

The OP (myself) is not confused in the slightest about legality. It is illegal to go away on holiday at the moment, either in this country or abroad. It is also illegal to travel. It is also illegal to stay in a second home. It is not illegal to book a holiday. It seems a little unfair to me though to book a holiday cottage knowing full well you may not be able to travel there and stay there. Our businesses are struggling as it is, without people making bookings they know there is every chance they may not be able to keep.