miss direct
misfungled
PCR only from the UK.
Do you disapprove of people who are planning an overseas holiday this summer?
- Thread starter Elpenor
- Start date
miss direct
misfungled
I'd be careful with that. It's being used a route back for many from red list countries due to the lack of restrictions and I've heard of very crowded airports, lack of distancing, masks, etc.
seeformiles
Lost in the wood
I know someone who has booked 2 weeks in Spain in a few weeks time and thinks all the potential testing/quarantining is going to be worth it. We’re certainly not even going to consider it until things calm down to a near normal level. In any case, lack of funds have meant we haven’t been on holiday abroad (or anywhere for that matter) for about 15 years and both our passports are long expired.
Personally, reasons to go abroad have been declining for some time now:
We’re lucky enough to have a garden that is surrounded by mature trees and shrubs, has several levels with sheltered nooks and sun traps so lounging there on a sunny day can (with a bit of imagination with food, drink & music) replicate some destinations pretty well. It has made many things (incl lack of holidays) bearable for quite a while now and we count our blessings daily.
Personally, reasons to go abroad have been declining for some time now:
- Mediterranean countries are no longer the super-cheap destinations they once were (I always wondered where the Spanish and Portuguese went for a cheap holiday?)
- Foreign specialities are now pretty ubiquitous in UK supermarkets now in a way they weren’t 20 years ago
- Air Travel is no longer a pleasure - more like a stress-fest
- Crossing borders post-Brexit is still a bit of an unknown quantity.
We’re lucky enough to have a garden that is surrounded by mature trees and shrubs, has several levels with sheltered nooks and sun traps so lounging there on a sunny day can (with a bit of imagination with food, drink & music) replicate some destinations pretty well. It has made many things (incl lack of holidays) bearable for quite a while now and we count our blessings daily.
Possibly. Though if you're thinking of boarding a plane you're going to have to come to terms with the probability you'll encounter crowds. Masks have largely been abandoned in the UK now as far as I can see.
The flight I'm looking at as a possibility appears to only have 1 person booked so far. Or at least only 1 seat reserved.
Have you not heard? Pandemic is over, time to move on as there's nothing to see here.
Get the pandemic DONE
I have stayed in Rethymnon too. Gosh, I loved it so much. Being there twice now. I love how warm the sea is! And the food
I wonder if I would’ve been tempted to go if i didn’t have a toddler this time round. Although I prob wouldn’t because I wouldn’t be able to afford the quarantine hotel if the rules changed whilst I was away.
I would absolutely love to visit Santorini one day. I am currently insanely envious of Millie Mackintosh’s (of made in chelsea fame”) pics of her holiday in Crete right now
Maggot
The Cake of Liberty
A frequent flyer tax would hit the rich more, and cut flights. Everyone gets a return flight a year at current prices then pays an increasing tax on any subsequent flights.
miss direct
misfungled
Sorry, that's probably me. It's a very useful thread - whatever the reason anyone is travelling, we're facing the same obstacles. And to be honest, I fully intend to squeeze in an actual holiday while I'm in Turkey. I haven't had any time off since January 2020 and am completely burnt out.
Riklet
procrastinación
Im not well enough to travel yet, even if I wanted to. But I doubt I would this year anyway, too much hassle. Although im very jelous hearing the awesome travel storied and posts on this thread, filled me with good memories and a bit of envy!! I reckon I'll be off to Madeira next year, when it's easier/safer/cheaper etc. I took 12 flights in 2019... so I guess a few years off makes up for it. 
Also, I can confirm that Crete, Colombia and Albania are all excellent destinations. Some of my best holiday trips in fact!
Would love to go back to all three. miss direct I reckon Ukraine would be awesome for 10 days btw.. Odesa maybe?
Also, I can confirm that Crete, Colombia and Albania are all excellent destinations. Some of my best holiday trips in fact!
Would love to go back to all three. miss direct I reckon Ukraine would be awesome for 10 days btw.. Odesa maybe?
klang
klang
quick question - somebody I know will be arriving in the UK later on today (Friday). They ordered a PCR for the two-days-in test last Friday (to my address) but it hasn't arrived. They sent an email on Wed and Thursday but only got a 'soz we're busy, will get back to you in a couple of days' reply. Still no sign of a test or reply.
What to do? They need to test by Sunday.
What to do? They need to test by Sunday.
Johnny Doe
Well-Known Member
Personally, I'd just wait for it to show up and do it when it does. They obviously have the reference for the Passenger Locator Form, they've paid through the nose to a government sanctioned provider, what more can they do?
klang
klang
They are fucked under this disgraced #ToryScum government's outsourcing programmes sadly. One of my staff waiting 12 days this month.
Spymaster
Plastic Paddy
This. They've done everything they're required to do.
After reading about "travel test chaos", I went for an in person test to this little clinic in an opticians in Shepherd's Bush. PCR Travel LTD
It cost £79, but I couldn't find any significantly cheaper postal tests anyway, and wanted to save myself the stress of was it going to arrive or not.
Was in and out in 5 mins in the morning, had email result by 9pm in the evening.
It might be a bit far from you (they have another clinic in E7 if that's any better, though for some reason price there is listed as £89..). And obviously you'd still have the hassle of trying to get a refund from the original company if you don't want to pay double.
Other option would be to do nothing further, as posters above suggest.
Feels like a complete farce tbf, not just in the poor delivery of this service but to make people test who come back from countries with vastly lower incidence.
I was more likely to have caught covid from the maskless young man (not a traveller, but a construction worker) with the streaming cold who was coughing and sneezing in my carriage on the train from the airport on Sunday - or indeed the work colleague who tested positive on Tuesday after being in the shop all day. But I am glad the government made sure I didn't "seed" any infections in the country...
It cost £79, but I couldn't find any significantly cheaper postal tests anyway, and wanted to save myself the stress of was it going to arrive or not.
Was in and out in 5 mins in the morning, had email result by 9pm in the evening.
It might be a bit far from you (they have another clinic in E7 if that's any better, though for some reason price there is listed as £89..). And obviously you'd still have the hassle of trying to get a refund from the original company if you don't want to pay double.
Other option would be to do nothing further, as posters above suggest.
Feels like a complete farce tbf, not just in the poor delivery of this service but to make people test who come back from countries with vastly lower incidence.
I was more likely to have caught covid from the maskless young man (not a traveller, but a construction worker) with the streaming cold who was coughing and sneezing in my carriage on the train from the airport on Sunday - or indeed the work colleague who tested positive on Tuesday after being in the shop all day. But I am glad the government made sure I didn't "seed" any infections in the country...
miss direct
misfungled
The testing system for travel is horrendous. Spent hours and hours trying to work out what to do and how not to pay £100+
I've ordered a randox test to be delivered. Cost £43. Hope it works...
I've ordered a randox test to be delivered. Cost £43. Hope it works...
The39thStep
Urban critical thinker
I’m going back to the U.K. October for a week and have just been told that I don’t need a test to embark on the flight back here as EU vaccine passport holders are exempt . Going to have to check this out with Jet2 but if it’s true , very good .
Oops, spoke too soon!
Just got "pinged" from my flight last Sunday! Just as well that I had cancelled a few engagements I had planned for yesterday anyway due to the (v brief) contact with covid positive colleague...
And I guess in a sense my point about it not making much difference to incidence in this country still stands, but feeling a tad sheepish now.
What I haven't been able to find out anywhere is if the whole flight gets notified, or just people sitting nearby? I did have to give my seat number on the passenger locator form.
Just got "pinged" from my flight last Sunday! Just as well that I had cancelled a few engagements I had planned for yesterday anyway due to the (v brief) contact with covid positive colleague...
And I guess in a sense my point about it not making much difference to incidence in this country still stands, but feeling a tad sheepish now.
What I haven't been able to find out anywhere is if the whole flight gets notified, or just people sitting nearby? I did have to give my seat number on the passenger locator form.
oryx
Sitting on the bok of the day
Exactly the same here.
OH and I were having a 'when do yo think we might get away?' type conversation tonight and the thought of a positive test at the airport, or last minute, or not being able to provide proof of being double-jabbed for some bureaucratic reason etc. is just too off-putting.
Like you I fully support all the testing etc. and am quite happy to go abroad as many countries have a far lower Covid rate than here, just can't abide the thought of all the hassle.
Not really interested in a UK holiday as the weather is shite and according to our neighbours, who both work and have two young-ish kids and really needed a holiday, it's really hard to book anywhere decent. Might look at few day trips when OH has recovered from (elective, welcomed and not serious) surgery and is able to walk longer distances.
Haven't been out of London since December 2019, but I'm fine with that although I miss going abroad.
MickiQ
In My Defence I was left Unsupervised
We looked at a week in Cornwall and the cheapest we could find was £3k and there were non available until October so far we have settled for a day trip to Stratford and another to Whitby.
It rained both days so yay for the British weather
Bahnhof Strasse
Met up with Hannah Courtoy a week next Tuesday
Norway, Austria and Germany were near enough 100% closed to U.K. arrivals until mid July and now they are 100% open to fully vaccinated arrivals from the U.K. with no tests or forms. The U.K. is being left behind here…
ska invita
back on the other side
....the situation by October could be very different
#worldbeating
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