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

Want to go and see family in Dubai! Daughter and her family including baby twins who we have yet to meet! We need our freedom and to be able to live our own lives! We have been vaccinated and so have they!

I agree to a point coastalgran, I live in a tourist area as well (Brecon Beacons), and tourism is great for the local economy. It comes at a cost to locals though, we were inundated last summer with people who probably normally go abroad but as they couldn’t thought a walking holiday was a good idea, but didn’t use common sense, resulting in trashed holiday lets, gates left open, lots of accidents because they didn’t respect narrow country roads or wear suitable gear when walking, or understand poor weather , and there was litter everywhere. We usually have lots of European tourists in this area, mainly Dutch (not sure why), and they are much more respectful of the environment. I really dread to think what some British people behave like when they go on holiday abroad, and the ‘noisy/drunk’ element you describe will be somewhere in the UK holidaying this year.

I agree!

I have no desire to holiday in the UK this summer, will instead stay in my own sunny back garden, have friends around to sit in it and catch up over a glass or two of something sparkling and frequent local pubs and restaurants with a garden to have lunch, supporting local business. My idea of hell is self catering in the uk; pay £800 a week to cook in someone else's kitchen? No thanks. I would imagine that anywhere half decent will be packed full of people desperate to have a break, and I don't blame them, but having to book for dinner rather than eat on impulse/drive around looking for a parking space/try to find somewhere not rammed with others? Nope.

Why go abroad and give money to a foreign country's GDP, is it not better to stay within the UK, Channel Islands, Isles of Scilly and boost the economies in these places. As the comedian Billy Connolly says "there is no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothing." There is so much to see and do at home. I live on the coast in Scotland, we have fab beaches, castles, food, music and lots more. No passport needed, no long queue at the airport, noisy/drunk travellers sitting near you on a hot aircraft that is hours late taking off. The Queen has always had her hols in Scotland.

Why would anyone want to go to countries which have a higher case rate than here? Don’t want to go abroad these days but I’m sorry others can’t as it means U.K. holiday places will be inundated!

Keeper I’m the one that’s speaking of civil liberties. I’ve already been seriously ill with Covid, as I described up thread. Civil liberties mean you should, now the numbers are dropping, but more so because 50% of the adult population have had their first vaccination, you should be able to see your family, and go on holiday from the designated date, which is May 17th. There should be no more talk of extending the lockdown. If you want to lock yourself down Keeper, no one is stopping you. You can stay locked down for the rest of your life if you want to, and so can all the rest of those who want to curtail everyone else’s activities. But please leave me alone to go on holiday if I want to. I’ve had the virus, I was extremely ill, I got it from my mother who got it in hospital after a fall. I was in a support bubble with her so simply followed the rules, but I still got bad Covid. Now I’ve done everything I was told to do for a year, I want to go on holiday. I don’t live in a dictatorship, and therefore the right to free travel is important to me and to many others.
For everyone who doesn’t want to travel, or who wants to remain locked down, no one is stopping you. Please respect my choice to travel if I want to.

Now I can’t

I may be getting on a bit but I have not had a lifetime of travel. I couldn’t afford to but now I can only I can because of the pandemic.

I am concerned when people talk about losing their civil liberties. Are they saying they want to be free to be seriously ill perhaps die or to cause that in others what about my rights to be protected? I want to see my children and grandchildren I want to travel to far flung places but I want us all to be safe far more.

We had a long September weekend in Poole last year, b&b, it was great, ate out, boat trips all open, no booking issues. I’ve booked in an hotel in Weston-super-Mare, again for September, four days mid week, we go to places we’ve not been to before and it’s something to look forward to.

I have accepted that a holiday abroad won’t happen this summer. I do agree about the disadvantages of UK holidays. Yes we do have some beautiful countryside and coastal areas but, judging from my experience last year, it’s not an ideal situation. We visited Devon and Cornwall outside school holidays. Everywhere was crowded and some shops and restaurants were closed. It was hard to find tables without booking several days in advance and many places were not obeying the social distance rules. Food was expensive and of variable quality. In the hotels there were a number of understandable restrictions which made them uncomfortable places to be. I’m not sure I would wish to repeat that experience this year. As for self catering, well it’s not for me. I do enough cooking already!

Another point worthy of consideration is that the possibility of a holiday abroad may act as an incentive to younger people to get a vaccination when their turn arrives. If younger people see no advantage in getting a vaccination, some may simply not bother. Remember how many didn't ‘bother’ to vote in the EU referendum?

I might book a cottage in Somerset, not in the school holidays. There are plenty available on Booking.com. We don’t use holiday companies, we always do it ourselves. I don’t want to be anywhere near the hordes, to be honest, we never do. Then I shall hope to book for Greece in September.

I tried to book my granddaughter's favourite "campervan" (a static caravan) as soon as the roadmap was announced. Totally fully booked for the whole of the school holidays.

I suspect this will be the case around the country, with everyone being desperate to see any part of the country other than the one they live in, let alone attempting to go abroad.

Looks like we will be having an actual staycation this year (as I understand it, a staycation is where you stay at home and just have days out).

Having seen the state that the popular places were left in last year despite being in lockdowns, I'm not sure I want to be mixing with the hoardes this year.

The government was criticised and rightly so for not closing our borders a lot sooner than it did. We should not be allowing people to go abroad while there's a third wave hitting Europe, and while vast numbers of people haven't been vaccinated.

I for one, having followed the strict guidelines for a year like so many others, will question whether or not I'll be willing to do so if we go into another lock down because people were allowed to travel abroad.

IMO the Government should announce that there wont be any holidays abroad this summer.

I do feel for those who are feeling low and restricted and holidays will happen again next year if not later this year.
A holiday is not a right, it is a privilege.
For now it’s more important to keep covid at bay so if that means staycations or garden camping for the greater good, so be it.
It’s not a police state, it’s a country trying to protect its citizens.
‘If lawyers are worried we should all be worried’. Thanks for the revered status but I can’t agree. Lawyers are as diverse in their thoughts and beliefs as any other walk of life.
Civil rights lawyers will mainly be rubbing their hands with glee if some start to demand their right to a holiday on mental health grounds.

Anyone else fed up with this?
Retired husband who doesn’t garden, diy, housework, food shop, cook, wash up (we have dishwasher but that’s another issue!) empty bins, .. the list seems endless!! Spends hours on computer and watching tv, planning his golf and painting in his art studio but often complains no time to exercise!! My ‘retirement’ just seems to be an unremitting repetition of the last 40 years - with child care replaced by husband care
Sorry for rant!! I need a rethink when this Covid caper over!!

Holidaying in the UK will be a nightmare. You only have to look at the hoards of daytrippers when the last lockdown was lifted. any decent holiday resort will be packed ot. how on earth is that going to be safe? Take a look at the extortionate prices that are already showing for Easter through to the end of the Summer, then try looking at the availability. I'm afraid that many of us will be unable to go anywhere in the UK

Surely it's a case of relative risk? What are the facts about the likelihood of vaccinated people catching and passing on the infection? Presumably if exactly the same as for unvaccinated people infection rates wouldn't be dropping, which they are.?
Being told to behave for the foreseeable future as though we have not been vacccinated at all, is probably not the best way to encourage the vaccine hesitant.?

I know of no one contemplating a 'mindless jolly'.

Yes indeed Grannygangan. It’s truly fantastic news.

Jane it really is . Mind you, I had the Pfizer, but I believe it will be just as good. They were saying 95% for Pfizer ages ago.

JaneJudge

maddyone

Just announced on the BBC, AZ is 100% at preventing serious illness.

Well isn't that wonderful news

It is indeed.

No deaths and no hospitalisations

Our young people have made many sacrifices during Covid for the benefit of us older people.

Health I’m so pleased you recognise this, because it is so true. There is another thread about this where it shows that many older people people do not recognise this. Have a look.

maddyone

Just announced on the BBC, AZ is 100% at preventing serious illness.

Well isn't that wonderful news

I just hope all the extra uk holiday makers take their litter home. That's what the fines should be for as well as fly tipping which is rife in my area at the moment.