Summer holidays abroad ‘extremely unlikely’ as third wave hits Europe

I’m genuinely very sorry for those who have family abroad they still can’t see. It must be dreadful.

But if we’re to stand any chance of keeping new variants from taking hold here, I think the rest of us should be patient. Fortunately I don’t even recognise the dismal view of this country portrayed earlier on the thread - it’s a popular tourist destination, not a desolate hellhole. I’m just looking forward for now to a change of scene within the UK, for a trip to the coast. And yes, we will have to pay a bit more. The hospitality industry’s on its knees, it’ll have to recoup what it can.

We love going abroad and have had to change a lot of plans over this past year. But at a time when so many people have lost loved ones and livelihoods, and are now losing sleep wondering how they’re going to pay the bills, having to put off going abroad for a holiday for a while isn’t a big issue.

Bugger. That’s all I have to say.

To be completely honest it suits me. I was running out of excuses not to go abroad!

Not a problem dont even have a passport will look forward to as many uk holidays as we can fit in. Two already booked from last years transfers hopefully back to beautiful Jersey this year as usual.
Only problem with people not being able to go abroad means much busier and hotel rates ramped up

It will be a short break in the U.K. later in the year for us.......if we are unable to book anywhere suitable then it will be a number of day trips. We both feel that it's appropriate to put money back into our own economy............and neither of us is "dying" for a foreign holiday!

We’ve started 2021 with a 14 week lockdown and I really don’t want us to end the year in the same way.
There have been mixed messages regarding travelling abroad for leisure and holiday companies are tempting everyone with adverts on TV.
We’ll be happy to holiday, in July, in the UK.

We’d just started to think about Greece in September, but I’m far from banking on that now. Or anywhere else in Europe, as things look at the moment.

OTOH America would seem to be doing pretty well with its vaccination roll-out so far, so we’re very tentatively thinking of visiting my sister in Cape Cod in September, instead. ??

The first wave of COVID spread to the UK largely from people returning from Italy and Spain in February and March 2020, so it is hard to justify travel abroad at this time while the virus is still at high levels in those countries. Australia and New Zealand kept their levels low with strict border controls, we didn’t. The government has been criticised for this. Now they will be criticised if they do!
I’m glad I’m not the P.M.

Somerset in September for us...love a UK holiday so much to do and see. We would love an abroad holiday but will wait another year till things settle a bit more . Booked in Portugal May 2022. Heres hoping..

Going abroad for a holiday this summer would just mean bringing infection back to UK and could end up with us having to go back into lockdown.

I have family living abroad and I would love to see them, but until this virus is under control I won't be leaving the UK

I'm already having date suggestions from my family and friends for a visit either to them or from them. Looks like it's going to be a busy time. We're planning a strictly room only basis but I will join them for a meal if I fancy what they're having! Dear knows how my lovely kitchen will cope with the invasion. Hey ho.......

I believe it could be possible to visit France now as they’ve lifted their original restrictions on who was eligible but the private testing required comes at a prohibitive cost! Here the cheapest I could find would be £120 each, plus two needed in France on arrival then one to be fit to travel home. I had high hopes of the vaccination opening up overseas travel possibilities.
My DH lives there in a rural area where Covid cases aren’t too numerous and we tend to keep to ourselves when I’m there. We were last together in October, 2020 and I’m wondering when our next reunion will be! Zoom is a life saver! ?

There are lots of fantastic places in the UK to holiday with wonderfully diverse scenery.I cannot understand people who feel they have to go abroad. Of course it is different if you have family abroad. My idea of a holiday from hell would be staying in a concrete hotel, lying next to a pool all day and eating and drinking to excess. Thankfully we are all different!

I thought it was very optimistic about holidays abroad so soon. Like others I don’t know when I’ll see my DC and DGC in Australia again. Not in the foreseeable future if ever.

DD booked last year for flights to see us this July. We had a voucher for a cancellation that they have been able to use for adult GD and plan to come this year. I know DD worries about us but I’d far rather they stayed in more safety in UK.

I agree Smileless. It's common sense.

Agree Ellianne.

I don't think anyone should be able to go abroad this year.

It's hard I know if you have family abroad, our son is in Perth, Australia but this time, we should make the most of the fact that we are an island.

I have a hotel booked on Crete for July, I was supposed to go last year but moved my booking to 2021. But I really don’t know what to do! I am happy to go to Crete, the hotel is small and has plenty of outdoor space and I’d have my own room but I don’t fancy the four hour flight or wait at the airport!

I’ve not booked a flight as I’m waiting to see what happens with cases in Europe, it’s still possible that the restrictions of foreign holidays will still be in place. I will lose my £200 deposit as I don’t expect them to transfer my booking yet again just because of my reluctance to travel. I have until the end of April to decide.

So true Ellianne.

Gagajo that's right about the emotive issues. We are all separated from what we hold dear ..... our families overseas, our second homes, sunshine, wines, beaches, mountains. There is such a feeling of longing and of loss. I'm sure I believe Boris when he says he understands how we all feel on this issue!
What I hope doesn't happen is a tit for tat behaviour whereby if other countries aren't vaccinated enough (their own faults), they will end up being miffed if Brits aren't allowed to travel. Spoiling the economy abroad is not the agenda of our government, saving lives at home has to be.

Makes me cry, knowing I can't fly back to see my grandson. In theory I could, but I won't. I am being sensible.

No more bloody working abroad until covid is better, after this year. The emotional cost is too high.

We have a holiday home in Normandy. We were last there July 2020 and I miss going there so much. We have someone keeping an eye on it, but it has just gone through a whole winter without any heating.

We have a weekend in Norfolk booked for late May and a holiday on the Isle of Man in October, but what I really want to do is go back to my home in France. I was looking at photos of it this afternoon and it almost made me cry.

Hospitality industry has been hit desperately hard by Covid. They'll never recoup their losses. I'm not just meaning hotel chains but BnBs and small private hotels and pubs with rooms etc. There will be no bargains but neither should there be under the circumstances. We'll find somewhere interesting and if its expensive we'll save up for it or go for a shorter time. It'll be a nice change of scene whatever we do.

I'm feeling desperate to see my only DC & family (they live 5000 miles away), whom we haven't seen since summer 2018. But I know that we have to wait, even though we're vaccinated now. Maybe we can go at Christmas.....