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

My 25 year old daughter was longing to go to Greece or the Canaries this year seeing as she missed out last year.

However she's read the news, knows what's happening in Europe and has accepted she'll not be going abroad this year either.

The thing about vaccines is not everyone will have got immunity, despite having the vaccine.

So even if they've had covid and had the vaccine they could still be putting others at risk.

It was announced by a travel agent that there were cruise liners heading for the UK so that we could have a “stay cruise”, presumably stopping off at ports in the UK.
I’m not sure it would suit me but each to their own.

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

Miss chateline - please check the facts. I have a holiday cottage just started last year (great timing!) and it’s booked through a cottage website, prices have not increased by much from last year and every guest we’ve had so far have loved it and 8/10 are returning so don’t assume all holidaymakers need sun and sand, I personally hate the beach and too much sun! Best of luck to all of those with holiday lets in the UK it’s a beautiful country and we should appreciate what we have rather than jetting off to countries where the risk is still high.

We have provisionally booked for a hotel in Salisbury and a Warner Hotel in Hayling Island with free cancellation just in case we have to change our plans.

Riverwalk you’re right in assuming I’m not influenced by extreme right wing MPs or anyone else really. My lawyer son is left wing. No, politicians haven’t influenced my way of thinking. In the beginning I was totally behind the lockdown, in fact I thought it came a bit late. But it’s been a year, and despite all precautions I got a bad dose of Covid. I think that’s influenced my thinking more than anything. What did I suffer that terrible illness for if I still can’t have the freedom to choose for myself what is safe, or not safe? Especially now I’m vaccinated, and expecting the second dose soon. I’m in my sixties, not my eighties, and I understand much older people being more cautious. I went to Kefalonia perfectly safely last year, pre vaccination and pre my dose of Covid. We stayed in an apartment complex of only six apartments, and we were the only people there, all the other apartments were vacant. We went late September as we would this year. There aren’t so many people about. Or son and his wife were there at the same time, in different apartments, and we met up with them a few times. This year I’ve found a little complex of three quite distanced houses with a shared swimming pool in Zakinthos. It’s not in a town, it’s in the countryside. I judge it to be safe. I want to make my own decisions and not have my civil liberties removed. Incidentally, I’ve supported the schools reopening since last year, and have written extensively on this on another thread, so won’t repeat on here.

I would love to abroad this year, either , Spain, Portugal or Cyprus, but I realise that isn't really a good idea until other countries have got their vaccinations sorted out. I have booked a couple of weekends away near the end of May and in August. Hopefully my daughter can come up from London the last weekend of May and we might be able to go away in June.

The vaccine doesn’t stop the spread nor does it stop you catching it. It’s irresponsible to travel to countries where the variants are rife and vaccination programmes stalling. We’d all love a foreign holiday after such a lousy year but common sense needs to prevail. I’d hate to think I brought back the variant and started an outbreak in the uk on my return, regardless of having had the vaccine. Other certain countries need to get their variant outbreaks under control before we think about mindlessly having a jolly and putting family and friends at risk..

The road out of lockdown was laid down by the government, and it must be stuck to. I don’t want to live in a police state.

Maddyone I'm as fed-up as the next person but we really do need to keep our nerve at this stage.

I'm certainly no fan of this government and the PM but the roadmap is not writ in stone and at this stage I'm still inclined to follow the science, as is the PM. I'm not about to be influenced by a bunch or rightwing Tory backbenchers - not saying that you are. The rightwing press seem to think they have the monopoly on championing freedom (ha bloody ha).

Vaccine is not yet proven to give 100% protection/transmission effects not quantified and unlikely that hugs will be safe until we see how the progress rolls out. You may have had your vaccination, but if you could still infect your loved ones who haven’t had theirs, would you want to take that risk?

I'm so hoping the Gvt change tack on this and allow travel abroad with vaccination certificates. We have a holiday home in a tiny village in the mountains. Last year they hadn't one single case of Covid and I believe it's much the same presently. We drove down, using the tunnel and stayed in two overnight hotels whose attention to keeping residents safe were exemplary. We so need to go. We need to check on the property and no doubt face a lot of hard work tidying up the outside space. I would dread holidaying in the UK this year. It would be pandemonium and no doubt, a complete rip off with over inflated prices.

I think we are all at a bit of a low ebb at the moment and the thought of no holiday or seeing their family abroad is a particularly bitter pill. However, I think as Britain opens up, we are able to see people here, the weather gets better, etc, we will start to feel more able to cope again. Europe will get it's vaccinations and be able to roll out their program so we will have hope that things will change. We just need to hold our nerve for a little longer so we don't end up in lockdown again when this one finishes.
For those who are not travelling abroad at the earliest opportunity, I thank you. I do have family abroad with 2 babies I have never seen but I am sure that we will get to catch up in time and it will be all the more sweet for the time we have missed.

Pammie you don’t need to worry, I’m not about to go on any protests. I think the way these things descend to the level of malicious damage is disgraceful. I agree in principle with protests, peaceful protests. But this discussion is for another thread really.

Laura I’m not about to flit around the world. But I don’t want to lose the right to take a break in Greece, as I did perfectly safely last year. I didn’t get Covid in Greece, or bring it back, I got Covid from my 93 year old mother, who got it in hospital after she fell. Amazingly she wasn’t very ill, that was me!

GillT57 thank you for understanding. I’ve had Covid, I’ve had my first vaccine, I’ve lived my life according to what the government said for an entire year, but this curtailment of civil liberties worries me. My son is a barrister, and it worries him. When lawyers are concerned, then so should we be. I don’t think I can carry on like this for much longer, I feel my depression returning, first thing in the morning. The road out of lockdown was laid down by the government, and it must be stuck to. I don’t want to live in a police state. When the police arrive and fine an 82 year old granny for having a socially distanced cup of tea in the shared garden at her sheltered apartments (as reported in the news last week) then I get very worried. Our civil liberties are being eroded, and we should all be worried.

yes ....it is so hard isn't it?

I think I will have to accept I won’t be seeing my family this summer which means will be two years since I last saw them as live the other side of the world. Worrying that European countries are experiencing a surge in the virus one can only hope that once a vaccination programme eventually rolled out we may be able to visit places again meantime nothing we can do about it

I just want to get to Western Australia to see my new grandson. They have had very few cases, due to sensibly closing their borders very quickly. At the moment I would have to go into very expensive quarantine for two weeks. I don’t know when that will change. I also won’t take the risk of spending almost 24 hours travelling, and mixing with so many people. It’s very frustrating. At the age of 81 I feel that the clock is ticking and I may not be fit enough to make the journey when we are finally able to.

I think it’s only fair for all travel to be the same for everyone!
Younger people have had many hardships during Covid. Some have even totally lost their jobs.
Younger people also have to wait until July for their first vaccine! So any foreign travel allowed, should only be allowed when all age groups can travel.
Our young people have made many sacrifices during Covid for the benefit of us older people! We should all be treated the same as restrictions are lifted! Including foreign travel!

We have decided not to holiday this year. We usually go to Greece- one of the islands- but this year I think it would just be stupid to travel no matter what the holiday companies are saying.
We have a very nice back garden so I am sure I can pick up a tan in Surrey!
Another point is that we have been at home so long that our 4 cats have got used to it. I would prefer to go when we can get them used to us not being around all day & every day & our neighbour is happy to feed them. We have been astounded at how many people in our road have bought dogs (mostly puppies) during the lockdown. Fine while they are working at home but when they go back the poor dogs will be shut in all day. I am thinking of starting a new career as a dog walker!!

@maddyone. Understand the point you’re making but there seems to be a growing movement of unrest at the moment - you only have to look at what happened in Bristol last night to see that. I agree that the right to protest is a basic human one, but in my opinion, the majority of protests that have taken place so far have proved that those taking part are intent on civil disobedience and have little or no regard for social distancing or the safety of others. Unofficial protests have taken place despite organisers cancelling events. A pandemic because of a highly contagious and deadly disease is not the setting for mass demonstration- we’ve seen business owners and individuals facing hefty fines for breaking lockdown rules, so why should protestors be treated any differently ?

Have you checked out the prices for holidaying here in UK!! A weekend break we had to cancel last year due to Covid has doubled in price for same period later this year. ?

It’s just miserable - my gc are over in Spain and we have family in hospitality businesses out there ... I do hope it all opens up and we can all get out there. Vaccinations / more testing and positive vibes are needed ?? - I need my gc snuggles - youngest is 9 months now ? she’ll be walking before I can get out there !!!

But if you flit around the world Maddyone, you risk spreading the illness that you suffered to others who may not be lucky enough to survive.
I do understand that you are feeling low and frustrated but would you really be happy to spread the virus to others.
Rights go hand in hand with responsibilies

I agree with Maddyone on this, although I understand everyone's concerns about new variants etc. We have endured lockdown, serious curtailment of our civil liberty, have had vaccinations, so what else are we supposed to do? Stay at home indefinitely? I am unlikely to travel abroad this summer for various reasons, but would not criticise anyone who does. Going overseas is about more than lying on a beach, it may be visiting family, it may be taking a stressed, mentally ill relative out of home, just for something to look forward to, something different. I for one, will not judge anyone who decided they need that break.

They advertise holidays to Europe very heavily here. They must be joking. For a start you might not be able to get back. Our airports are still only open for local travel or over to New Zealand.

I have already been very ill with Covid. I was hospitalised for twelve days. I had nine different treatments, oxygen, antiviral infusions, antibiotics, steroids, blood thinners, potassium infusions, and that’s not all the treatments I was given. On top of that I’ve now had my first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
But I’m being told I still have to carry on with the privations. I had enough of it. Nearly losing my life has made me realise that life is to be lived, carefully, cautiously, but lived. I was carefully all last year and it landed me in hospital. Enough!