So that's it then, France is off! Quarantine from Sunday 4.00am

biba at the moment you don’t need to quarantine when returning from Italy. The situation could change though, but that doesn’t look too likely in the near future. The south of Italy never had the high rates of the virus that the north had anyway, but as we all know, things can change.

Re booking a holiday home in the UK, basically it’s impossible! I’ve looked but can’t find any, except a couple for ridiculously high prices, that sleep several people rather than just the two of us. I wouldn’t touch Devon or Cornwall with a barge pole, far too many people there with no social distancing.

I agree Granarchist there are very safe areas in France. Normandy was one of them. The Ile de France however, a very different story.

I’m most definitely in the ‘why on earth risk an abroad holiday’ camp, or even a holiday in a high risk UK area, cheek by jowl with thousands of others. I have no desire to travel by air, sea or train yet. Like others I want desperately to visit my DD in Oz but it’ll probably be this time next year until the borders are opened. Even that is a ?. After being in lockdown for so long, we could all do with a holiday or a break but why risk contracting/spreading Covid. It’s most definitely not over yet & you don’t have to be Einstein to understand that. If everyone concentrated on isolating as much as feasibly possible, this dreadful virus may be beaten. Millions travelling from one country to another & back again does not help!

I agree with those saying it’s difficult to have a holiday here. I have heard stories of hugely expensive cottages, campsites etc
One lot of family returning from France tomorrow. ? again from remote countryside cottage (belongs to relatives) so probably in more danger going into their own town back here Other lot in Australia not seen since December 2018.

What is it about 'quarantine/lockdown may be implemented in an instant, anywhere' that people don't understand? By all means take the (sometimes selfish) risk of going wherever you want but please be prepared to accept the inconvenient and costly consequences of your personal decision. I'm so tired of the bleating 'had to cancel, lost my money, no last minute capacity on transport' that I see on TV and elsewhere each time a new rule is announced. 'The Govt acted too slowly/unreasonably quickly'. I say this as someone who usually travels a lot and freely admit to missing it dreadfully. Maybe I'm just chicken or too mean but I'm not prepared to risk travel at the moment. Surely we've got enough potential misery with Covid not to risk adding to it.

I wondered why we were given two weeks notice to prepare to wear a mask in shops but (the final decision) 30 hours for this quarantine. Yes I know it was talked about.

As a school worker on a low wage I haven't had a proper paid holiday for years and the last was only a long weekend. I usually volunteer at a christian conference each summer where I camp and have my meals provided, then I visit family for a break, but this year's conference was cancelled and trips to see family are limited. My DS and DiL have visited a couple of times but DD lives 400 miles away in Scotland. She would like me to go to stay but I feel the journey by car is too far unless I have an overnight stay somewhere to break the journey and my brother's family are in one of the northern towns with restrictions at present so I can't stay there! I usually go by train but can't face that long on a train wearing a mask in the heat so I've said no! I've not seen her since Christmas and I know she's disappointed too but I just feel staying safe and well is the most important thing.

I should have retired this summer but put it off as couldn't bear the thought of retiring from not working without a proper send-off. One of the attractions of retirement was being able to have cheaper holidays during term time so that will have to go on the back burner too!

Oh well - maybe next year. I certainly wouldn't have booked anything since lockdown as I couldn't afford to lose the money. I think the person who said they bought a new lounge suite had the right idea!

We haven’t been away since last September except for a few days last month to move my dd to England. She’s a NQ doctor and hasn’t been away since last summer. She’s also spent weeks on her own in her flat in quarantine, due to outbreaks of CV amongst staff she’s been working with. She has no prospect of going away anywhere for the foreseeable future apart from maybe visiting us.

Tbh, I have friends who have spent so many months agonising about their holidays that I’d have thought any benefit of a break must be outweighed by the stress they’re inflicting on themselves.

I am curious as to why holidays HAVE to be abroad? Why can't holidays be taken in the UK. The location won't provide the relaxation - the being away from your normal working/life stresses does that. And that can be done just as well in the UK as in another country - with the added bonus of supporting the businesses who are struggling to stay afloat.

Presume you live in Scotland to be able to look after your grandchildren.Unless single parent So social bubble allowed.
Such difficult times but the warning from the Government has always been there....Travel restrictions could change- Social distancing rules revised in accordance with any change to protect everyone.
We all have to live with that no matter how hard.

Smileless2012

Does that apply to the whole of Aus. Callistemon? Our DS is in Perth and was planning to come back for Christmas. It could be then 2 years before we see him again.

I only know from a family member, Smileless, so please check. Different states have different rules too.

I also know someone who is stuck out there having gone out on a working visa but is having difficulties coming home at the moment.

Sorry to go slightly off topic, but are "we"" now allowed to childcare our grandchildren as their "parents" are working.
Did we miss the change os rule about singles only?

I think people are allowed out and, if he is a citizen, he'll be allowed back in but will have to quarantine on return.

what is the situation with Italy currently?

HurdyGurdy- fair enough. But it is nice to have the choice no?

Grandparents can look after their grandchildren because two households can meet in a house. We’ve been looking after our grandchildren since the school holidays because their parents are key workers and there is no key worker childcare provided. In fact I think the two households at any one time was probably put in place because of that situation.

biba I replied up thread but maybe you didn’t see it. There are no quarantine requirements when returning from Italy at the moment. Italy is in our ‘air bridge’ arrangements so no quarantine when you arrive there either. At the moment.

To cancel, in my mind, is the right thing to do. Just why people have to go abroad for a summer holiday or break this is beyond me. We usually have several trips away, here and abroad a year but this year is a no no. Just stay home and stay safe. There will always be next year

Agree Mellow Yellow. Lots of us are disappointed by cancelled or rescheduled holidays, but appreciate it’s for the best this year. Let’s hope next year will be better. I am also grateful I can afford a holiday and to be able to defer claiming money back, many people and families will not be able to afford holidays very shortly!

Like many others we had 2 holidays to France booked before Covid started. The May one was cancelled but we kept the booking for early September in the hope things would improve. Sadly that has not happened and we are just so pleased that so far we don't know of anyone who has had Covid. Obviously it is disappointing not to go away, usually to better weather, but this year the weather here has been pretty good and we're just glad to be at home, safe and healthy.

Ellianne no online shopping here in rural France. Larger towns/cities have some click and collect services.

I think it is childish of France to hit back the way they have, it’s not a game of tit for tat. Their infection rate is rising and we have to protect our people and country.
It is of course not a great surprise that they have done it, I would’ve thought however that they would be grateful economically for tourists.
Personally I feel these ‘air bridges’ have contributed greatly to the spread of the virus. Surely we can do without going abroad for one year!

Maddyone, please tell me where the rule changed from a single grandparent, or single parent family forming a bubble, to it being okay to look after grandchildren and have direct contact presumably, if you are looking after them.
Key workers may indeed have a rightful exemption but as on this site it is still only single parent families or a single grandparent that is allowed direct (as in hugs and proper care) contact.
We would be over joyed to be wrong but have checked,rechecked and written letters in this regard and keep finding it's still not allowed.

Taken from lead page on this site....

Official guidance since the 4th July stipulates that (in England) two households of any size are now able to meet up in any location. However, unless they are one of those in a support bubble (single adult households only) then they are still required to socially distance

I have mentioned before that we like to go abroad for our holidays. This year we understand completely that it’s not a wise thing to do. We’re grateful to be healthy and have a pleasant home. However I don’t agree with those who suggest a “staycation” instead. Yes the UK has some beautiful places but you’re very much at the mercy of the weather. I know some people seem happy to go out in the rain but not us. We like to be outdoors and warm and dry. Then we can really relax. Hotels in the UK can be overpriced and variable in quality and I won’t consider a self catering option as for me there wouldn’t be any rest from the daily routine. I would also feel too isolated. We will stay at home and get on with it!

Maddyone, our doccy daughter and family finally escaped to a family-owned beach 'shack' set in the dunes in Holland, last Monday, arriving Tuesday morning. It is extremely remote but of course, they would mix with locals when they shop for food.

I think you understand the need for people such as these to rest - they are absolutely worn out.

There were flurries of message this morning to see if we could (extremely reluctantly) ferry them back to the UK in time to beat the embargo but the ferries and tunnel route were all fully booked, so there they stay - which pleases me in one respect as they need a battery-recharge but they have had their holiday spoiled with the knowledge of all that is entailed on their return: the children will miss some school, the holiday courses paid for are non-refundable and sporting events they participate in, now unavailable.

Doctors are exempt but the family not. This will be their second quarantine as my daughter caught a virus back in March (now not thought to be Covid but awful at the time as no testing was available). Her poor husband will have two children to care for and oh, they are living in a building site as work on their house stopped because of Covid (supplies and personnel).

They will just have to get on with it and we hope that at least momentarily they will have some rest and recuperation.

I tell them that they look back at laugh at all of this in years to come but... now I am not so sure!

Can grandparents provide childcare for their grandchildren?
Despite some confusion over this due to Boris Johnson's comments on Friday 17th July, grandparents are only able to provide childcare if they are part of a bubble with their grandchildren's household. As one of these bubbles needs to be a single adult household, this can only apply to bubbles that comprises of a single grandparent or parent.

Official guidance since the 4th July stipulates that (in England) two households of any size are now able to meet up in any location. However, unless they are one of those in a support bubble (single adult households only) then they are still required to socially distance.

Celticbod
The members of two households can now meet indoors. Therefore if the grandparents look after their grandchildren, providing the grandchildren are all from the same household, they would be two households in one house. You do not need to be in a bubble with each other, you just need to be two households. So if you were looking after two grandchildren, and your cousin arrived, your cousin should not go into your house, but could go into your garden with you and the grandchildren, so long as there were only six of you together. However these are guidelines, and the law says groups of up to thirty people can meet outside, socially distanced. I know this because my son is a barrister and reads the law carefully. The guidelines are different to the law.

So a straight answer, yes you absolutely can look after your grandchildren in your house, or their house, so long as only the members of two households are indoors. You are recommended to remain socially distanced though. But that is a guideline.