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

I could have written your post, maddyone. I just want my life back too.

Then I hear my mother’s voice, as I did so often as a child. I want never gets.

But we’ll get there.

I didnt have the opportunity to travel until four years ago. I'm counting my blessings that I managed not only to tick off all my dream places but do it pre covid.
I wouldnt even consider travelling abroad this year. I too have total sympathy with those who have loved ones abroad,it must be awful.
I'm lucky in that I have space and a garden and live in a lovely part of the UK.
For me an immediate goal is hoping for a garden visit in the summer from my eldest daughter and grandchilderen whom I havent seen since last August. We plan to celebrate Christmas,Easter and Birthdays that we have missed and may miss this year.
For me personally I'm wary of us going down the same route as last year. Scientists and medics are not optimistic. Vaccines are not a guarantee, variants could be a real problem. Covid is still there but the odds of overwhelming the NHS and deaths have been reduced not eliminated.
A free for all like last summer will more than likely result in a repeat of this winter.
For me it's an individual and global responsibility, until we get that right Covid is going to keep hitting us over the head. Some of it is beyond our control and we can only hope governments make the right choices.
For what it's worth my opinion is that,especially with regard to high risk and vulnerable groups, the vaccination has reduced your odds of death. I think for those groups forms of social distancing etc be necessary for the foreseeable.
We need to learn lessons, especially from last year. Just because you can do something doesnt mean you should.

I'm secretly quite pleased to have an excuse not to go abroad. Never bought in to lounging on beaches drinking sangria (or whatever) and getting too old for sightseeing. I have completed my bucket list (Northern Lights - Pyramids etc.) and feel happy poddling about our beautiful Country,which is not filthy btw.

I agree totally Maddyone. I think we are all totally fed up with the situation. The vaccines have given us hope but so much depends on uptake,supply etc.
It's almost beyond belief that a year on so much is uncertain.
That's why I think we need to make as much of this summer in as safe a way as possible.
Sadly I think the old normal may be out of reach for quite a while yet. We can still plan and dream. Myself and my daughters are planning a long weekend somewhere abroad,not this year and maybe not even next year but it's good to plan and dream of better times ahead.

I have a holiday booked rolled over from last year. It has already been cancelled twice. Will be upset if we are not allowed to travel but with the infection increasing across Europe and International travel an issue I can’t see me going :-(

maddyone I can relate to your post, the last year has been about surviving not living.

It makes more sense to holiday in the UK this year. Our tourism industry needs support and why risk all the sacrifices we have made just to fly abroad to places which may not be safe? It's a no-brainer, surely.

It's beyond me why anyone would go abroad at the moment unless they have family there.
No one is more fed up than anyone else, if that makes sense. The thought of sitting on an aeroplane wearing a mask with a lot of strangers fills me with horror. Apart from the risk of bringing more variants into the country and possibly having to isolate on return. Why would anyone do that?

Well we just went mad and booked a mini break at a small hotel we love. It's in the UK of course. It's a date in the diary and something to look forward to.
I was pleased to find that they are already pretty fully booked. It's the kind of place that will have really suffered. Bills to pay to heat the place over the winter as well as general maintenance. It's the only local employer and buys all it's supplies from local suppliers. It's such a pleasure to have this booking for so many reasons.
Not till September though.

Agree Kate same here!

Well Kate and Bluesky I’d like to go abroad as I’ve not seen my son for more than two years. Nothing to do with lying on a beach etc.

The latest in the Telegraph:

“Plans to give police "the most draconian detention powers in modern British legal history” for another six months have been condemned by Conservative MPs.

Boris Johnson is expected on Thursday to push through extensions to coronavirus legislation that give far-reaching lockdown powers to close ports, ban protests and detain citizens to late September, despite being "hopeful" there will be a lifting coronavirus restrictions on June 21.”

It’s dispiriting isn’t it?

Many people will be wondering about accepting the vaccine if it won't restore our liberties. We've done all the gov has asked us for a year, tolerated house arrest, been incredibly compliant, stayed at home to protect the NHS etc.

Our sacrifice, our obedience must count. We want our lives back. Normality by Spring is what we were promised if we all took the vaccine!

You're lucky to have had the vaccine. There are a lot that haven't.

Think of others that you could come home and infect.

Were retired GagaJo and so we’d be happy to voluntarily quarantine once home. Then we’d be the same risk as everyone else.

Lucca

Well Kate and Bluesky I’d like to go abroad as I’ve not seen my son for more than two years. Nothing to do with lying on a beach etc.

Lucca my sons and grandchildren are in Australia and I don’t now when I’ll see them again in the flesh!

Yes Lucca I do understand. My post did say 'unless they have family there'.

I'm on the exact same page as Urmston flights booked for June, a short break in Scotland in May, tickets for a summer gig. It is dispiriting to think we have toed the line and all for a "perhaps". On the other hand, thankful for our health and family close by. Would love to know we could all be together to celebrate my significant birthday in July instead of choosing who to celebrate it with!

Urmstongran my recollection is different from yours, I don’t recall the latest guidance being normality by Spring, rather the roadmap, which is conditional. Neither did I expect my vaccinations to restore my ‘liberties’, rather reduce my chance of being seriously ill, especially not needing to be hospitalised. I’m fully expecting a slow unlocking, to not, in the near future, go back to what life was like in 2019. Don’t get me wrong, I vehemently dislike the last year, have had/having treatment for extreme anxiety, missing my family and friends heart wrenchingly. But I’ve lowered my expectations to hopefully be surprised and joyful.

Oh I’ve lowered mine too Jaxjacky no doubt about it. I just pinned my hopes on the original date of 17 May onwards for flights. EasyJet, Ryanair etc all taking bookings. We’ve got June flights for Ibiza and early July flights for Malaga.

Oh well, if we can’t go, we can’t go and for Ibiza we can get a refund or kick the can down the road in the hope we go later in the year.

We just have to see what unfolds.

I would dearly love to be able to go home. I am locked into a small apartment, a room really and have just lived through an infection that has run through the staff and students in my school.

Despite being desperate to see family I am staying put. Because the British regs require it. And because it isn't safe to travel. It has to be a joint effort. All of the effort is wasted when a few make light of the rules.

I know of one Brit who has selfishly travelled overseas for a holiday. I think she is very lucky not to have been reported.

British regulations have restrictions in place at the moment. When it’s deemed safe enough, they’ll be lifted and we will be allowed to fly again.

My friends in Spain have been going to their hairdressers for weeks now, bars and cafes have been open for weeks - they’ve been meeting up in groups of up to six people. Walks along the paseo by the sparkling Mediterranean. Bookshops open, florists, bakeries for bread, cake and cafe con leche. All this and not a vaccination for anyone they know. All of my friends are over 65y. One is 85y. They are enjoying life with very few restrictions - curfew for example at 7pm. I think even that is to be extended to 10pm from tomorrow!

Are we just frightening ourselves here in the UK? We will have had second vaccinations by the end of April or so.

I for one can’t wait to go over.

I’ve already had my first vaccine, like many of you. But prior to having my vaccine I followed all the rules very carefully. I washed my hands, sanitised, wore a mask although for the first lockdown I never went anywhere near a shop or public building, I socially distanced although I rarely saw anyone to socially distance from. The first four weeks of the first lockdown I never left my house. When things relaxed we still played it by the book. And where did it all get me? In hospital! That’s where it got me. I was in a perfectly legal support bubble with my elderly mother, who had a fall, was admitted to hospital with a head injury, picked up Covid in the hospital and was discharged and we were told she was Covid free. She wasn’t, and we got it. I was hospitalised for twelve days and was extremely ill. I could easily have died, that’s how ill I was.
So you will understand why I’m sick of it all. I did everything right, and that was the end result. So I want my life back because all my privations did zilch for me.

Totally get that maddyone. My daughter as the same. She, her husband and 2 children followed all the rules. To the letter. They too were super-cautious. Last summer didn’t go anywhere during the school summer holidays. Not even the local park. The children stayed in their back garden and played on the trampoline and in the paddling pool. They went to the beach twice, travelled by car, took a picnic and sat mikes from anyone. Come September she returned to work, a full time teacher, no PPE allowed in the classroom as she teaches Early Years. So sat face to face in small groups teaching them how to do their letters etc. She caught covid. Gave it a few days later to her husband. He went back to work after 3 weeks. She was poorly with long covid for 9 weeks. It was an awful time for them, both ill with covid at home, playing tag trying to mind two little jumping beans in quarantine.

I wanted to go to Crete as well. I don't think that will be happening now though. I think we just have to wait until 2022. The Spanish flu lasted for two years and I think this will be about the same. I know we have the vaccine and I am so grateful to now be double jabbed, but we're not safe until we're all vaccinated which will take time.