Are you planning on holidaying this year?

I didnt really have the chance to travel to the places I had always dreamed of visiting until a few years ago. I feel so lucky to have been able to do so.
There are so many issues with travel at the moment I do wonder what peoples expectations are.
There is the potential risk to health obviously. Theres also the impact on the cost of travel insurance.
There are many forms of holiday. I do wonder what peoples expectations are of their destination. Globally economies have been affected and business shut. Holidays for me are about experiencing a different country,the food-meeting the people. I wonder how people will feel if the experience is as limited as here but with sunshine?
I'm really interested in why people feel the absolute need to have a holiday. I think it's different if you have family members in a different country,but as a means of relaxation? Really?

Can you imagine being stuck in an enclosed coach for the duration of a holiday?
Do these people think that having the vaccination stops you from catching Covid?

Hannah Betts column in the Telegraph today:

“As more and more people are vaccinated, their confidence boosted, an unexpected rise in holiday bookings is being led by the over-fifties. Over the past couple of weeks, tour operators have witnessed a sudden surge in activity from those who have received the first jab and are awaiting a second.

Coach operator National Express reports that bookings made by those 65 and above have increased by 185 per cent during the past fortnight compared with last year. As one travel specialist tells me: “This spring’s going to be about frosty-tops going demob happy, while the young remain languishing on plague island.”

Even when I’ve had 2 vaccinations, which is some months down the line I think, I will definitely not feel happy to go abroad, and will be wary in this country.

Vaccs arn’t 100% protective, it’s still possible to catch Covid, although hopefully not be seriously ill, but still be infectious. It has been said no one’s safe until every one’s safe, and that includes other countries, not just our small island.

Yes, Esspee, I must keep that in mind, even big, well- established companies are going to fold I suspect. Brits aren’t booking cruises and I am wondering if folk elsewhere are. I’m just risking hanging on to see what happens to these companies over the summer. If no one is booking, how long can they keep going?

Ekwa, in your place I would be trying to get my money back from the cruise company. Now that we know cruise ships are Petri dishes for viral infections cruising is going to become a thing of the past. Vouchers will be worthless if the company folds.

I've got a tour of New Zealand ending with a trip to Australia to visit DS2 and family, all booked for November/December. It had to be postponed from last year due to the Covid. I would bet it doesn't go ahead this year either. I can't see the New Zealanders letting germy Europeans in any time soon. I've also got a voucher for a postponed cruise, they've just sent me their latest brochure...starting this May. They won't happen. The FCO is still advising against cruising and, while they are, you won't get insurance. I have a few ideas for UK trips using B&Bs plus a visit to DS1 in Surrey but there's got to be a lot less virus about before I go anywhere even though I'm now getting vaccinated.

No holiday planned for either this year or next. Until the entire world has been vaccinated and Covid has gone, we will be staying in our local area.
Why anyone would choose to fly, or go on a cruise, is beyond me.

Now that I know I'm having my first jab next week and the second in April, I shall try to book a holiday after that.
I've got credit from my holiday which was cancelled last year.
Yippee!

My DH and I spent many years travelling the globe and cruising, but our plan was always to buy a VW campervan and explore the UK once we retired. We retired 6 years ago and got our first van, which we upgraded last year. It was only because we had a van that we got away for some short breaks - I wouldn't have felt safe on a plane or cruise ship. We went to some of the quiet sites we like - there is a farm on Bodmin Moor that is a favourite - and went on some long walks etc. As we have our own facilities, we felt perfectly safe. If things settle down with the vaccine this year, we shall probably do something similar.

No. Not booking anything yet. We have a boat and a caravan but no plans to use these either for a while. DH is shielding so not taking any chances. Will wait until things get better.

Round about the time of the Eat Out to Help Out in August last year I optimistically thought I might be booking a holiday abroad by May or June this year. Now I realize that is no way possible. I am hoping that maybe by September or October there will be somewhere with a bit of warmth it might be safe to go but I certainly won't be booking anything until the very last minute.

I know I can get the money back if Covid stopped us going, but I don't want to go to the trouble of booking, getting hopeful, then possibly being disappointed and having to go to the trouble of getting the money back or changing the dates.

We did take a house with our dd and her family at the coast in the UK for 5 days last August and enjoyed that. We are probably more likely in the end to have a UK break this year, but I haven't given up hope of maybe a trip abroad quite late in the year. We will see.

We have enjoyed cruising in recent years. Arriving at a different destination every day without any effort, but I can't see us venturing on a cruise for some time.

Reading responses on here, most people don't seem to be planning abroad unless they have a holiday already arranged and moved to this year from last year. I think the holiday firms are 'talking up' the level of bookings in the hope of making people more eager to make a booking. I don't know anyone at all who is thinking of booking abroad and this site seems to suggest a cautious approach amongst older people.

Esspee I don’t mind river cruises, the accommodation feels so spaced out and not too many people crammed together.
Although I enjoyed a big ship cruise a few years back, I wouldn’t do it again even without COVID. There were just too many people.
However, I’m hoping the cruise company will cancel our river cruise again this year. They just offered to defer it at the same cost last year, and we accepted as we had no idea the virus would go on for so long. I am not convinced travelling abroad will be safe for a while yet.

We had a holiday booked for Spain last June, which we rebooked to June of this year. But there is no way we’ll be going abroad this year. The thought of sitting on a plane, with so many people , fills me with horror.
But a holiday in this country , maybe.

Not even considering it, although I have booked a weekend away, only 2 hours from home with husband, daughter n family (our bubble) as it is our golden wedding anniversary in July.

No.not abroad.We postponed a holiday to Northumberland last year deferred to this year but not confindent its going to happen.
Lucky enough to live in North Yorkshire so lovely walks here desperate to see family though.

Yes if I possibly can. I just said to my bloke that when this situation eases/is over I’m not holding back !

We have bought camping gear as I don’t feel confident being on an aeroplane for a while

One type of holiday nobody I know is contemplating is a cruise. It is astounding how much the cruise companies are spending on advertising currently. They need to have it explained to them that holidaying on a floating Petri dish is going to be a thing of the past.

I'll be happy enough to visit my daughter in Bristol!

We booked a holiday to Mexico last summer which we had to cancel. Instead of losing our deposit we changed our booking for Greece this coming June . Hopefully we will be able to go. My daughter and I are booked for our vaccinations so we should be ok to travel but I’m worried about her husband and 15 year old daughter. We are keeping our fingers crossed x

To think that it is almost a year soon when all this started and look how far forward are (not)

Yes we have the vaccine lots of it ,but as OP has said, it's not a magic bullet.

I’m not planning on going on holiday for the foreseeable future. Still waiting and seeing.

We had to cancel a cruise last year. We have one booked for May this year but will cancel that one also. Depending on how things go we may have a UK holiday in the autumn.

We had to postpone a family holiday last year and it’s currently rebooked for July. Fingers crossed we can go this time. It was a celebration for a big birthday.