Summer 2021 Travel to Europe

JohnPick

Okay so holiday booked last year was rearranged for Summer 2021
1.However are we going to be forced to go on holiday? (UK government saying its not essential)
2. It is likely that I wont be vaccinated before I am due to go on holiday, what happens then would we be allowed to fly?
3. Quarantine, would we have to quarantine at our destination and when we come back?
4. Because of the current situation being so fluid, i am concerned  about quarantine, ie if its necessary i dont have an a issue with the need to isolate, but at an hotel at your own expense, means for many of us it be more expensive than the holiday itself?
5. Took out travel insurance with covid cover, but will it cover extra expenses for quarantine and or cancellations/ refunds rearrangement costs etc etc?
6. The original holiday would have been in the EU whilst the UK was still a member, how does this affect things with insurance specifically health insurance?
7. seeing images of airports being overcrowded, just not sure its a safe place to be without having a jab as I know from experience you cant rely on other passengers being so considerate, so a  crowded plane for 1 hour after a crowded security check etc etc seems like its a very high risk place to be and there is little guidance on what getting ones money back or being forced into a known unsafe environment?

sheramber

We don't know what will happen next month never mind in the summer.
It is too early to anticipate any of these answers.
Who do you think is going to frog march you to the airport and put you an a plane  to force you to go?

Westin

JohnPick said: 

Okay so holiday booked last year was rearranged for Summer 2021
1.However are we going to be forced to go on holiday? (UK government saying its not essential)
- no one will force you to go on holiday.
2. It is likely that I wont be vaccinated before I am due to go on holiday, what happens then would we be allowed to fly?
- you either look for opportunities with travel waivers to reschedule your trip, make a travel insurance claim if that is an option or lose your money.
3. Quarantine, would we have to quarantine at our destination and when we come back?
- possibly and depends.
4. Because of the current situation being so fluid, i am concerned  about quarantine, ie if its necessary i dont have an a issue with the need to isolate, but at an hotel at your own expense, means for many of us it be more expensive than the holiday itself?
- yes it is potentially an extra cost to factor in. 
5. Took out travel insurance with covid cover, but will it cover extra expenses for quarantine and or cancellations/ refunds rearrangement costs etc etc?
- not sure. You need to read the information about the policy you purchased or discuss with your travel insurer.
6. The original holiday would have been in the EU whilst the UK was still a member, how does this affect things with insurance specifically health insurance?
- the EHIC scheme has been replaced by a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC). There are a couple of threads and an MSE article on GHIC's.  The EHIC/GHIC is not however a full substitution for buying good travel insurance.
7. seeing images of airports being overcrowded, just not sure its a safe place to be without having a jab as I know from experience you cant rely on other passengers being so considerate, so a  crowded plane for 1 hour after a crowded security check etc etc seems like its a very high risk place to be and there is little guidance on what getting ones money back or being forced into a known unsafe environment?
- any area with lots of people is potentially an issue.  Going to Tesco could be the same.  Try to remember good social practices. Keep distance, wear a face covering, wash and sanitise hands, be respectful to others.

               

cubegame

If you're not likely to have had the vaccination by then you're almost certainly not classed as vunerable. It was safe to go on holiday last year so there is no reason it won't be safe this year whatever the Daily Mail or other sensational media are trying to make us believe at the moment.

gettingtheresometime

It's my belief that countries will be more interested in you testing negative before entering than whether you've had the vaccine.

JohnPick

@Westin, almost forced into going on holiday, the travel company was saying the holiday was on and basically only after pushing did they say it could be re arranged, so beg to differ about being forced to go on holiday or loose the money. In my opinion such options mean that those pushing you to make that choice are liable for you getting ill as there customer they haven't ensured its safe to travel. Like Thomas Cook and the poor facilities,  people died.

insurance is strange as it doesn't take into account the risk to your life from being exposed in cabs, busses or planes whilst travelling and you can not rely on people to be honest or to wear appropriate PPE, there are fake COVID certificates available for a start. If the flights are allowed to go, then they would deem its safe to travel and in reality it isnt?
Testing is pointless, as a negative test today doesn't mean you don't have the virus and are not infectious or will be infectious within x days , this we have seen with travellers. The only way for a valid test, is to have one after a week in total isolation, so that anything caught has time to incubate. 

Having known people that have had covid some of which are no longer with us, i think its safe to say, I would place myself at higher risk than the general population, due to my current medical circumstances and initially was contacted about isolation and later withdrawn, I have the flu jab every year due to my risk from flu, so fairly confident if I qualify for that I am at a higher risk than those that are not offered the flu jab routinely every year.

@cubegame its not safe to travel within in your own country, so travelling abroad means most people have to travel to a sea or airport, go through secruity etc etc, indeed its probably higher risk going abroad, you cant ventilate a plane.
if every body wore PPE properly I would feel safer, if the airports were more organised and socially distant.
Travelling on public transport particularly at busy time is considered dangerous, as it isn't regularly cleaned and lets face it people have died of covid as a result.

I can see the insurance not covering and cancelling and losing the money but thats because on how they deem its safe.
Thanks for all the replies its certainly be useful, I may or may not have had a jab before I go away, if i havent I wont be going whether the insurance pays out or not.

cubegame

You're probably over estimated your risks.

Ganga

JohnPick said:

@Westin, almost forced into going on holiday, the travel company was saying the holiday was on and basically only after pushing did they say it could be re arranged, so beg to differ about being forced to go on holiday or loose the money. In my opinion such options mean that those pushing you to make that choice are liable for you getting ill as there customer they haven't ensured its safe to travel. Like Thomas Cook and the poor facilities,  people died.

insurance is strange as it doesn't take into account the risk to your life from being exposed in cabs, busses or planes whilst travelling and you can not rely on people to be honest or to wear appropriate PPE, there are fake COVID certificates available for a start. If the flights are allowed to go, then they would deem its safe to travel and in reality it isnt?
Testing is pointless, as a negative test today doesn't mean you don't have the virus and are not infectious or will be infectious within x days , this we have seen with travellers. The only way for a valid test, is to have one after a week in total isolation, so that anything caught has time to incubate. 

Having known people that have had covid some of which are no longer with us, i think its safe to say, I would place myself at higher risk than the general population, due to my current medical circumstances and initially was contacted about isolation and later withdrawn, I have the flu jab every year due to my risk from flu, so fairly confident if I qualify for that I am at a higher risk than those that are not offered the flu jab routinely every year.

@cubegame its not safe to travel within in your own country, so travelling abroad means most people have to travel to a sea or airport, go through secruity etc etc, indeed its probably higher risk going abroad, you cant ventilate a plane.
if every body wore PPE properly I would feel safer, if the airports were more organised and socially distant.
Travelling on public transport particularly at busy time is considered dangerous, as it isn't regularly cleaned and lets face it people have died of covid as a result.

I can see the insurance not covering and cancelling and losing the money but thats because on how they deem its safe.
Thanks for all the replies its certainly be useful, I may or may not have had a jab before I go away, if i havent I wont be going whether the insurance pays out or not.

Have you been to or travelled through an airport recently? we went to Greece in October ,the airport was spot on ,everybody kept apart plus all wore masks ,you had to sit apart in the lounges and bars ,the air coming into an aircraft passes through a HEPA type filter so is cleaner than the air around your house ,all people on the plane and the transport to the hotel had to wear face covering ,fully safe ,would return tomorrow if allowed.
I think you are being over cautious or possibly you would rather have your money back ,your choice ,stay safe.

maman

I think we're all pondering similar questions OP but there's no way of knowing at this stage. My June 2020 holiday was rolled forward a year. I'd love to go in June 2021 and will very likely do so if allowed to travel and allowed in to my destination country. What might put me off is if I had to quarantine either end. At the moment I'm just keeping an open mind. 🤞

sheramber

You did not ask about  going to avoid loosing money. You  asked about being forced to go.
Nobody forced yo to go. You chose to go rather than not get  what you had paid for.
By not going you lost the money with nothing to show for it.
By going you lost the money with a holiday , where you probably spent even more money, to show for it.

pattycake

maman said:

I think we're all pondering similar questions OP but there's no way of knowing at this stage. My June 2020 holiday was rolled forward a year. I'd love to go in June 2021 and will very likely do so if allowed to travel and allowed in to my destination country. What might put me off is if I had to quarantine either end. At the moment I'm just keeping an open mind. 🤞

We are in the exact same situation.  Last year’s June holiday due to take place at the same time this year.  My optimism is waning somewhat as to whether we will be able to go, even though we had had our 1st jab and should have had the 2nd by then.  
Basically, no one knows what the travel conditions will be in 5 months. We shall just have to wait and see.