For those thinking of holidaying abroad in 2021....

We had already anticipated no foreign holidays this year so we “invested” in a new black Lab pup to complement our 2.5 yr old Choccy! We have a small caravan and I would consider it a bonus if we can get away in that a few times over the next few months.

We were also pleased to see that TUI were offering no deposit booking for 2022 at out favourite holiday destination - Skiathos - so, purely to give ourselves something to look forward to - we booked a week early June 2022 - again, if that goes ahead, a bonus.

Could be boom time Blackpool this year if our vaccination programme pans out, but I’ll be heading Lake District way myself.
 
rockontommy said:
What's the point in getting vaccinated if you can't go on holiday with confidence? Genuinely interested to hear why anyone should be bothered about rates abroad, or variants, or anything else if the vaccines do what they say on the tin. There's no return to normal if people keep finding new ways to be frightened.
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I'm with you on this one, how many jabs do people have to get before they are brave enough to go back to normal!
Will things ever get back to normal!
I must be missing something and would be interested to hear at what point will people feel it is ok to leave these shores?
If the covid virus becomes a permanent feature of life and it keeps mutating, much like the flu has various forms, will people be happy to live a restricted, sterile half life for ever?
 
Matesrates said:
Vaccinate the whole world
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But if the thing keeps mutating then the jab you get is the authorities best guess at what will work, it may never be permanently eradicated. People seem to forget that we are all mortal, something will get us in the end and the survival rate from this one is incredibly high for most.
In fact most people hardly even get that sick at all.
 
gjr69 said:
But if the thing keeps mutating then the jab you get is the authorities best guess at what will work, it may never be permanently eradicated. People seem to forget that we are all mortal, something will get us in the end and the survival rate from this one is incredibly high for most.
In fact most people hardly even get that sick at all.
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I think the science suggests that the more we vaccinate globally, the less chance of mutations. I may be wrong though.
 
southshorepool said:
I think the science suggests that the more we vaccinate globally, the less chance of mutations. I may be wrong though.
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If you are right then Governments should have cooperated and done this as a global effort. As it is they appear to have looked at it from the self interested position of appealing to their own voters or totally messing it up and helping nobody.
Quite sad that they couldn't do this from the position of the human race united against the virus.
I predict billions unvaccinated and mutations for many years on this basis.
 
So who's been bringing the new variants in,come holiday time most of Europe will be vaccinated. More worried about going Scotland golfing than having a week away at some European hot resort. There will be another lockdown before we can travel so all irrelavent.
 
Kip said:
I've got two flights booked for North America in September/October. I'd say the odds on travelling are better than 50/50. I would certainly give continental Europe a miss this year though.
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I hope you're right, we've a villa in Florida booked for Feb 2022, we thought we'd be safe when we booked it after having other holidays cancelled.
 
BlackpoolsFinest said:
I hope you're right, we've a villa in Florida booked for Feb 2022, we thought we'd be safe when we booked it after having other holidays cancelled.
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I’m in San Diego at the moment,most places opened up last Wednesday bars etc. The Americans are really pushing the Vaccine but not much chance on travel from Europe at the moment, a pal of mine flew into Heathrow last week 7 people on the plane.Florida is pretty much open as is Texas.
Airlines are going to be in serious trouble if governments don’t come up with a solution.
The cost to return is pretty steep, COVID before you leave £100 COVID to return £100 plus £200 for the two test on the isolation day 2 and 8 plus £200 if you opt for day 5 release. That’s £600 , can’t see to many flying on those terms.
No idea what the answer is but as many have mentioned variants are a problem.
 
Goose said:
I’m in San Diego at the moment,most places opened up last Wednesday bars etc. The Americans are really pushing the Vaccine but not much chance on travel from Europe at the moment, a pal of mine flew into Heathrow last week 7 people on the plane.Florida is pretty much open as is Texas.
Airlines are going to be in serious trouble if governments don’t come up with a solution.
The cost to return is pretty steep, COVID before you leave £100 COVID to return £100 plus £200 for the two test on the isolation day 2 and 8 plus £200 if you opt for day 5 release. That’s £600 , can’t see to many flying on those terms.
No idea what the answer is but as many have mentioned variants are a problem.
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Yeah I doesn't sound good.
We just have to hope that with saturation of the vaccine restrictions around requiring tests before and after travel, quarantine etc are loosened.

We were initially due to go to Florida last month, booked before Covid was a thing. When we knew that wasn't happening we booked for Cabo for May this year..... obviously that has been cancelled too.
Fingers crossed we get to the States in Feb next year, but in all honesty I'd waiver any travel until next summer if it meant our day to day lives here got back to some kind of normality soon.
 
gjr69 said:
I'm with you on this one, how many jabs do people have to get before they are brave enough to go back to normal!
Will things ever get back to normal!
I must be missing something and would be interested to hear at what point will people feel it is ok to leave these shores?
If the covid virus becomes a permanent feature of life and it keeps mutating, much like the flu has various forms, will people be happy to live a restricted, sterile half life for ever?
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Steady on! You’re in danger of using common sense, we need to remember what freedom of choice is about, freedom to assess our own risks & live with personal responsibility.

The goalposts are being moved more than the side of the pitch at Fleetwood’s ground.
 
I'm not sure it's about moving goalposts - the return of foreign travel was always subject to a separate review that's due to report 12/4
I want a foreign jaunt as much as the next person but not at the expense of getting our own country back functioning properly and not at the expense of further lockdowns
The suggestion that foreign holidays could start as early as 17/5 is beyond stupidity
Maybe we should just focus on the vaccination programme here and spend our money here and then see how the land lies in the autumn as there is no way the EU countries will have widespread vaccinations completed before then - we are miles ahead and we are looking at July at the earliest
 
TwelveAngryMen said:
I'm not sure it's about moving goalposts - the return of foreign travel was always subject to a separate review that's due to report 12/4
I want a foreign jaunt as much as the next person but not at the expense of getting our own country back functioning properly and not at the expense of further lockdowns
The suggestion that foreign holidays could start as early as 17/5 is beyond stupidity
Maybe we should just focus on the vaccination programme here and spend our money here and then see how the land lies in the autumn as there is no way the EU countries will have widespread vaccinations completed before then - we are miles ahead and we are looking at July at the earliest
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I don’t disagree re: foreign travel and of course we want our country back but reports wise, do you think measures have been evidence based?

It’s just hospitality leaders have asked for evidence on why it’s 8 weeks tomorrow till they can open, but the government haven’t provided any, though hospitality opened weeks before gyms as an example last year.

The 10pm curfew, was that evidence based? It wasn’t thought out anyway, as someone with a basic grasp of socialising would realise people would all leave at the same time.

Granted your post is about travel, but my point is, but when you have loons like Mary Ramsay from PHE saying today that social distancing and masks have to stay for years then you do wonder to yourself are they actually wanting things to go back to normal?
 
I really don't like the Government interfering in my life anymore than the bare minimum, this situation has given them more control over our everyday decisions than they have ever had in my lifetime. I want normality as soon as possible, I want it to be like none of this ever happened. If that means no foreign holiday this year that is fine by me, I had already decided that for myself. I dont want to go away and be subjected to the same levels of mask wearing, one way systems, muted atmospheres and everything else that goes with this pandemic.
But with our vaccination programme leaving most countries behind I expect near normality here by the summer, if that doesn't happen I really do start to think will we ever be able to live a free and normal existence again!
 
TwelveAngryMen said:
I'm not sure it's about moving goalposts - the return of foreign travel was always subject to a separate review that's due to report 12/4
I want a foreign jaunt as much as the next person but not at the expense of getting our own country back functioning properly and not at the expense of further lockdowns
The suggestion that foreign holidays could start as early as 17/5 is beyond stupidity
Maybe we should just focus on the vaccination programme here and spend our money here and then see how the land lies in the autumn as there is no way the EU countries will have widespread vaccinations completed before then - we are miles ahead and we are looking at July at the earliest
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Because nobody is going anywhere the pavements are becoming pretty crowded.
 
Bottle said:
We had already anticipated no foreign holidays this year so we “invested” in a new black Lab pup to complement our 2.5 yr old Choccy! We have a small caravan and I would consider it a bonus if we can get away in that a few times over the next few months.

We were also pleased to see that TUI were offering no deposit booking for 2022 at out favourite holiday destination - Skiathos - so, purely to give ourselves something to look forward to - we booked a week early June 2022 - again, if that goes ahead, a bonus.

Could be boom time Blackpool this year if our vaccination programme pans out, but I’ll be heading Lake District way myself.
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If you go to the Lakes, leave your dogs at home
 
Just paid the final £700 today for our 18 nights in Mexico for June.

Tui have had over £3k of our money since March last year. Not sure I'll move again.

We've booked 4 nights in Windsor in August - that was an ok price, but to book anything else now is unlikely as there's too much profiteering going on.
 
gjr69 said:
I'm with you on this one, how many jabs do people have to get before they are brave enough to go back to normal!
Will things ever get back to normal!
I must be missing something and would be interested to hear at what point will people feel it is ok to leave these shores?
If the covid virus becomes a permanent feature of life and it keeps mutating, much like the flu has various forms, will people be happy to live a restricted, sterile half life for ever?
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I agree. Not sure what the problem is if vaccinated Brits go abroad as soon as they can...This fear of possible unknown variants in the future which may not be stopped by the vaccine is rather bizarre. All the variants so far are stopped by the vaccine. It's a bit like people who won't get in a car in case they are the unlucky one involved in a fatal crash - I assume fatal crashes happen every day somewhere in the UK?
The problem would be "unvaccinated Brits going abroad". As you say, following the logic put forward by some, there will NEVER be a safe time to go abroad - the whole world will never all be vaccinated (imho).
 
Mad isn't it where we are discussing a holiday abroad and you can't even get a haircut,buy a pair shoes or got out for a coffee.
We need to get the whole economy moving before we contemplate handing over our cash to go on holiday.
 
TwelveAngryMen said:
I'm not sure it's about moving goalposts - the return of foreign travel was always subject to a separate review that's due to report 12/4
I want a foreign jaunt as much as the next person but not at the expense of getting our own country back functioning properly and not at the expense of further lockdowns
The suggestion that foreign holidays could start as early as 17/5 is beyond stupidity
Maybe we should just focus on the vaccination programme here and spend our money here and then see how the land lies in the autumn as there is no way the EU countries will have widespread vaccinations completed before then - we are miles ahead and we are looking at July at the earliest
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Why?
Not for vaccinated Brits. I don't think the utopia you are hoping for (with no risk) will ever happen. It never has truly been the case in the past either.
 
BlackpoolWolves said:
Why?
Not for vaccinated Brits. I don't think the utopia you are hoping for (with no risk) will ever happen. It never has truly been the case in the past either.
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There will be far less risk for vaccinated Brits to go abroad now than there was during September/October/November last year - when all Brits going abroad were unvaccinated.
 
Adams Kebab said:
It’s just hospitality leaders have asked for evidence on why it’s 8 weeks tomorrow till they can open, but the government haven’t provided any, though hospitality opened weeks before gyms as an example last year.
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There is naturally an element of judgement in all of this, there is no exact scientific evidence about any of this because it's a new virus and nobody has ever done this before.

Regarding the timing, firstly hospitality is allowed to open outdoors from 12 April, so that's 3 weeks from today.

We know that the government is working on a 5 week cycle, 4 weeks to collect the information and see the effect and a further 1 weeks notice of the intended relaxation, that's really driven by the virus itself so there's little that can be done to shorten it.

We know that in order of priority:
  1. schools open first (8 March);
  2. non-essential businesses including outdoors hospitality (12 April);
  3. indoor hospitality with limits (17 May);
  4. all other areas (21 June).
I really don't see how anyone could find fault with that order of priority.
 
If foreign hols are frowned upon to stop incoming variants I'd have sympathy if we had a ring of steel to the country. Our borders have been as effective as a sieve to collect water, therefore mutant variations will get in. It's a futile task in the modern world.
 
BlackpoolWolves said:
Why?
Not for vaccinated Brits. I don't think the utopia you are hoping for (with no risk) will ever happen. It never has truly been the case in the past either.
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Because we haven't even got our own country open, we have no real handle on the impact of variants and limited data on transmission
 
BlackpoolsFinest said:
Yeah I doesn't sound good.
We just have to hope that with saturation of the vaccine restrictions around requiring tests before and after travel, quarantine etc are loosened.

We were initially due to go to Florida last month, booked before Covid was a thing. When we knew that wasn't happening we booked for Cabo for May this year..... obviously that has been cancelled too.
Fingers crossed we get to the States in Feb next year, but in all honesty I'd waiver any travel until next summer if it meant our day to day lives here got back to some kind of normality soon.
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I was in los cabo and Mexico City a few weeks back, everything open and plenty of Americans.
 
Lost Seasider said:
There is naturally an element of judgement in all of this, there is no exact scientific evidence about any of this because it's a new virus and nobody has ever done this before.

Regarding the timing, firstly hospitality is allowed to open outdoors from 12 April, so that's 3 weeks from today.

We know that the government is working on a 5 week cycle, 4 weeks to collect the information and see the effect and a further 1 weeks notice of the intended relaxation, that's really driven by the virus itself so there's little that can be done to shorten it.

We know that in order of priority:
  1. schools open first (8 March);
  2. non-essential businesses including outdoors hospitality (12 April);
  3. indoor hospitality with limits (17 May);
  4. all other areas (21 June).
I really don't see how anyone could find fault with that order of priority.
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Here he is.

So what is the evidence of the timing that non-essential retail can open before hospitality (indoors).

I know you like your evidence.
 
I never went “abroad” til I met my wife and went on a cheap trip to a part of Majorca when I was 24. I was the first member of my family to ever “go aboad” apart from my Grandad in WW2.

People do not NEED to “go abroad” ....it’s not a basic human right, it’s a massive privilege ...treat it as such
 
I love my trips to Spain every year but I'd be happy to have a staycation this year to be honest ,
As Europe will still probably be behind with there Jabs and I rather the UK sorts it's self out and return to normal and we can enjoy the summer
 
I feel like people skirt around the issue of new variants. It's a scary word and yes, without a decent vaccination against it, it's a potentially scary proposition.

But at what point do you disregard it mainly and get things back to normality? We're at a stage where the first mention of a "new variant" sends us back to the drawing board. Theoretically, there will always be new variants. So... lockdown forever until we have a perfect vaccine that addresses every possible variation?

Come on. Some compromise is needed here.
 
poolseasider said:
That's going to be the same in every country we aren't the only nation to go on holiday.

Also to take into account is governments trying to recoup monies lost for example my parents have just had a £50 a week increase where they stay in the Canaries for November(if they get there!) which is added tax not just a general increase.
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Don't forget millions come over here to see our Royal Family, or at least, that's what was claimed last week.
 
gjr69 said:
I'm with you on this one, how many jabs do people have to get before they are brave enough to go back to normal!
Will things ever get back to normal!
I must be missing something and would be interested to hear at what point will people feel it is ok to leave these shores?
If the covid virus becomes a permanent feature of life and it keeps mutating, much like the flu has various forms, will people be happy to live a restricted, sterile half life for ever?
Click to expand...
There will never be the same normal. Ways of working have completely changed and people have realised they don't need to be in the office 5 days a week every week.

Same with holidays. People will make different choices. This could be a massive opportunity for UK holiday resorts. Get this season right and people will come back and rethink the need to go abroad where the vaccination programme is miles behind.
 
Wizaard said:
There will never be the same normal. Ways of working have completely changed and people have realised they don't need to be in the office 5 days a week every week.

Same with holidays. People will make different choices. This could be a massive opportunity for UK holiday resorts. Get this season right and people will come back and rethink the need to go abroad where the vaccination programme is miles behind.
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You can’t beat a bit of Bispham beach swimming out to Pennystone rock against the tide 👍
 
Adams Kebab said:
I don’t disagree re: foreign travel and of course we want our country back but reports wise, do you think measures have been evidence based?

It’s just hospitality leaders have asked for evidence on why it’s 8 weeks tomorrow till they can open, but the government haven’t provided any, though hospitality opened weeks before gyms as an example last year.

The 10pm curfew, was that evidence based? It wasn’t thought out anyway, as someone with a basic grasp of socialising would realise people would all leave at the same time.

Granted your post is about travel, but my point is, but when you have loons like Mary Ramsay from PHE saying today that social distancing and masks have to stay for years then you do wonder to yourself are they actually wanting things to go back to normal?
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" Mary Ramsay from PHE saying today that social distancing and masks have to stay for years" Statements like that are the reason people become cynical.
 
Wizaard said:
There will never be the same normal. Ways of working have completely changed and people have realised they don't need to be in the office 5 days a week every week.

Same with holidays. People will make different choices. This could be a massive opportunity for UK holiday resorts. Get this season right and people will come back and rethink the need to go abroad where the vaccination programme is miles behind.
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Personally I will always want my holidays abroad, going to Newquay, Bournemouth or Scarborough is just not an option I want to take but maybe others will. There are some places in the UK that i like to visit but it is the different sights, sounds, food and obviously the sunshine that I I enjoy when I travel abroad.
Work wise the pandemic hasn't really changed anything for those of us that do hands on stuff and have to be in a specific location but as you say I'm sure office workers will not go back to the old ways.
Hopefully that and the speeded up decline of the high street are the only things that dont go back to normal and maybe the big companies losing their presence in town centres will improve them, but I dont want to be left with annual jabs, constant mask wearing, track and trace and limits on who I see and where. That is the big worry for me, Governments like control and power, will they want to give it up?
 
The problem we have got with new variants is that we cannot effectively close our borders because we are not self-sufficient in food and our economy relies on import / export. So stopping people from travelling with the hope of stopping new variants from entering the UK is a really a futile measure. The best it will do is to delay the arrival of some of the mutants. The SA variant is now established in France (10% of all new cases) and so it is only a matter of time before it is established here (in fact it may already be here as there are reports of isolated cases in several different areas).
I will follow government advice but as stated above not everyone travels to holiday, some travel because their families live abroad, business etc. I do find it odd that while last year I was able to visit Italy twice for a total of about four weeks between the lockdowns, this year I may not be able to do that despite the fact that I will have been fully vaccinated. Covid is a seasonal virus and case numbers will drop in summer time throughout Europe like they did last year. And as stated above, it is impossible to vaccinate the whole world and so there will always be a risk of a new mutation arising.
Personally I think that the government advice and regulation will change as the situation evolves. The end of July is four months away and everything will be completely different then. The government are trying to dampen expectation which is a far better approach than the previous 'we are not cancelling Christmas' approach that caused carnage in January.
 
CestrianSeasider said:
I feel like people skirt around the issue of new variants. It's a scary word and yes, without a decent vaccination against it, it's a potentially scary proposition.

But at what point do you disregard it mainly and get things back to normality? We're at a stage where the first mention of a "new variant" sends us back to the drawing board. Theoretically, there will always be new variants. So... lockdown forever until we have a perfect vaccine that addresses every possible variation?

Come on. Some compromise is needed here.
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Scaryvants.
 
Bring Back Standing said:
I hope the UK holiday accommodation, food , alcohol & leisure prices don't suddenly rocket this summer.

(As if UK hotel prices aren't already massively overpriced - Blackpool apart).

New Years Eve has never been the same since they tried to rip off the UK public at the millenium , and as a result, the public have voted with their feet, every New Years Eve, since

Hopefully lessons have been learned.
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Holiday accommodation in the UK is already becoming more expensive.
Its supply and demand mate.
 
rockontommy said:
What's the point in getting vaccinated if you can't go on holiday with confidence? Genuinely interested to hear why anyone should be bothered about rates abroad, or variants, or anything else if the vaccines do what they say on the tin. There's no return to normal if people keep finding new ways to be frightened.
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It's not bad in Almería the virus that is , nice area of Spain and cheap compared to other Costas (if your allowed to come of course) Mojácar is nice with lots of golf courses and nice hotels & plenty of bars etc.👍.
 
Cant see any foreign travel for the foreseeable future, 😭, I would like to get to my property in Spain, as its been left unused for over a year now, I need to go to my bank in Spain, as they WONT correspond with me meaningfully, as I changed my phone & online banking needs to be reset from my branch alone (I know) & that's in Malaga, however cant see me being allowed near anytime soon, 1st world problems eh?
 
CestrianSeasider said:
I feel like people skirt around the issue of new variants. It's a scary word and yes, without a decent vaccination against it, it's a potentially scary proposition.

But at what point do you disregard it mainly and get things back to normality? We're at a stage where the first mention of a "new variant" sends us back to the drawing board. Theoretically, there will always be new variants. So... lockdown forever until we have a perfect vaccine that addresses every possible variation?

Come on. Some compromise is needed here.
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Spot on. It’s a bit like the big scary Antiguan variant, that was plastered all over the media, which turned out to be just two people who had a positive test who had been on holiday to Antigua in the previous weeks before their test.

Not sure which will be next, but I’ve backed the Narnia variant at 80/1 with Sky Bet who are paying 8 places. Fingers crossed.
 
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