Summer Holidays 2021

[markymarkthree]

Motoring12345 said:

Welshbeef said:

Motoring12345 said:

My flights are booked for my solo trip, so I'm just waiting to book accommodation but I won't lie, the constant thought of new rules and bs u-turns has made me quite drained already. I'm also pretty certain the traffic light system will also screw me royally as my trip is for 1 month.

I feel like forgetting about all travelling I've had planned for this year. It's been part of my healing process from a nasty breakup I've been dealing with since the first week of lockdown a year ago but being stuck alone indoors all summer will be another devastating blow.

You will not be stuck indoors in the summer - certainly not in the British isles.

Besides a few pub and food sessions with friends and family, I sadly will. All my friends are coupled up and have planned their annual leave with their loved ones and I don't plan to travel alone in the British Isles.

I would cancel all that solo foreign stuff and hire a camper van for a month. You could than have a great month touring the UK solo and you would meet a load of fellow camper van folk on your travels.

[LeroyLoser]

markymarkthree said:

Motoring12345 said:

Welshbeef said:

Motoring12345 said:

My flights are booked for my solo trip, so I'm just waiting to book accommodation but I won't lie, the constant thought of new rules and bs u-turns has made me quite drained already. I'm also pretty certain the traffic light system will also screw me royally as my trip is for 1 month.

I feel like forgetting about all travelling I've had planned for this year. It's been part of my healing process from a nasty breakup I've been dealing with since the first week of lockdown a year ago but being stuck alone indoors all summer will be another devastating blow.

You will not be stuck indoors in the summer - certainly not in the British isles.

Besides a few pub and food sessions with friends and family, I sadly will. All my friends are coupled up and have planned their annual leave with their loved ones and I don't plan to travel alone in the British Isles.

I would cancel all that solo foreign stuff and hire a camper van for a month. You could than have a great month touring the UK solo and you would meet a load of fellow camper van folk on your travels.

Was with you until then

[Phil.]

bad company said:

Maximus_Meridius101 said:

One big problem, with foreign holidays, from the U.K. at present, is the fact that the mooted ‘traffic light’ system, that’s being considered, is a nightmare. If the destination country changes ‘colour’ during your holiday, you risk a possible 2 grand, 10 day, mandatory extension to your holiday. Good luck squaring that with ‘the boss’. Even if you’re ‘the boss’ it’s still a mightily inconvenient / expensive additional cost.

Yep, that’s a worry. Mrs BC and I are retired but the thought of being imprisoned in a hotel room on our return is horrible

One option in that situation (if you are retired or can work remotely) is to extend your holiday and travel to another country with a better rating for 2 weeks before returning to the UK. Far preferable than a quarantine hotel.

[21TonyK]

clockworks said:

The rest of this year is going to be hell for locals

You can see the signs already in Torbay. Looks like I shall spend most of the summer at home in the garden (again!)

[Welshbeef]

Motoring12345 said:

Besides a few pub and food sessions with friends and family, I sadly will. All my friends are coupled up and have planned their annual leave with their loved ones and I don't plan to travel alone in the British Isles.

So you would actively choose to sit inside your house instead of
Going to the beach
Going to the zoo
Out for meals
Join a sports club - where you will meet more friends
Mountain biking
Hiking
Museums
Visit your parents
Going to your local pub

I fail to see how solo overseas holiday which would be with total strangers and their families doing their own thing would be any different/I mean it’s materially worse sitting eating on your own. Staying away for work and evening meals in hotels is actually very boring, so iPad news paper book or laptop and actually doing some work. Ditto solo drinking in a hotel bar - unless say football or some sports is on the tv is no fun.

Unless say you sit round the pool all day every day and attempt to sit aside the same people each day

[Wiltshire Lad]

Phil. said:

One option in that situation (if you are retired or can work remotely) is to extend your holiday and travel to another country with a better rating for 2 weeks before returning to the UK. Far preferable than a quarantine hotel.

Exactly this - cannot understand why anyone is using the quarantine hotels in the UK. My daughter, who lives in the US, had to 'quarantine' in Cancun for 10 days in order to re enter the US from the UK. Better than a travellodge at Gatwick.....what is a concern is that the latest AZ controversy will delay the vaccine roll out across many countries - meaning far less are likely to be designated green, as vaccine status appears to be a key criteria.

[Pete102]

Ok, there's far too much pessimism in this thread, and I don't like it .

To introduce some balance to discussions, some of you will remember my statement that the European wave will be done and dusted by the end of May? Let me bring to your attention the daily movement in case rates over the last 7 days.

A vast swathe of green across Europe indicating shrinking infection rates per 100k. Last year HMGs criteria was based on active infections, infection rate, positivity rate etc. Presumably this will also include vaccination program status this year.

[anonymous-user]

Pete102 said:

Ok, there's far too much pessimism in this thread, and I don't like it .

To introduce some balance to discussions, some of you will remember my statement that the European wave will be done and dusted by the end of May? Let me bring to your attention the daily movement in case rates over the last 7 days.

A vast swathe of green across Europe indicating shrinking infection rates per 100k. Last year HMGs criteria was based on active infections, infection rate, positivity rate etc. Presumably this will also include vaccination program status this year.

Indeed and remember also that Europe (or abroad) isn’t one destination, it’s lots of places with different rates of infection and deaths and even varies massively in those nations and geographic areas.

Last year with the corridors different Greek islands had different rules and eventually the canaries were viewed as distinct from Spain.

Interviews last week suggested that the traffic light system will be operated in a way which make it less likely that holiday makers and Grant Shapps will get caught out as rules change. It’s unclear yet how they will operate and how often they will change but hopefully we’ll get more clarity from the global travel task force which according to the gov site isn’t going to be available till the 12th April although the government have suggested there will be more clarity before then.

https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/global-travel...

[Pete102]

El stovey said:

Indeed and remember also that Europe (or abroad) isn’t one destination, it’s lots of places with different rates of infection and deaths and even varies massively in those nations and geographic areas.

Last year with the corridors different Greek islands had different rules and eventually the canaries were viewed as distinct from Spain.

Interviews last week suggested that the traffic light system will be operated in a way which make it less likely that holiday makers and Grant Shapps will get caught out as rules change. It’s unclear yet how they will operate and how often they will change but hopefully we’ll get more clarity from the global travel task force which according to the gov site isn’t going to be available till the 12th April although the government have suggested there will be more clarity before then.

https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/global-travel...

That seems sensible on the face of it, most popular countries now have a well established test program in place which gives plenty of warning if things are turning south. The only game changer I can see that would result in a short-term change would be the emergence of a super-variant a la 'Kent' which led to mass panic (no doubt helped by our illustrious health secretary declaring its out of control).

Edit - Responded inside the quote, classic.

[Amateurish]

Pete102 said:

Ok, there's far too much pessimism in this thread, and I don't like it .

To introduce some balance to discussions, some of you will remember my statement that the European wave will be done and dusted by the end of May? Let me bring to your attention the daily movement in case rates over the last 7 days.

A vast swathe of green across Europe indicating shrinking infection rates per 100k. Last year HMGs criteria was based on active infections, infection rate, positivity rate etc. Presumably this will also include vaccination program status this year.

I like your positivity but it's a strange graph that puts France in the "green" when it's in the midst of a lockdown having gone from roughly 20,000 cases per day to 40,000 in the last couple of weeks.

[Pete102]

Amateurish said:

I like your positivity but it's a strange graph that puts France in the "green" when it's in the midst of a lockdown having gone from roughly 20,000 cases per day to 40,000 in the last couple of weeks.

A little caution is needed looking at the graph, the green numbers only indicate shrinking infection rates and it is not indicative of the scale of infection. For example, if the daily movement number was zero, the number of daily infections would be exactly the same as the day before (essentially could be 40k cases, two days in a row).

The information in the table needs to be looked at as a whole, infection rate / 100k, daily change etc. Also note that the predicted rates are based on linear progression (which we all know doesn't stand up particularly well).

Edited by Pete102 on Thursday 8th April 11:15

[Phil.]

Pete102 said:

Ok, there's far too much pessimism in this thread, and I don't like it .

To introduce some balance to discussions, some of you will remember my statement that the European wave will be done and dusted by the end of May? Let me bring to your attention the daily movement in case rates over the last 7 days.

A vast swathe of green across Europe indicating shrinking infection rates per 100k. Last year HMGs criteria was based on active infections, infection rate, positivity rate etc. Presumably this will also include vaccination program status this year.

Positive news. However, I suspect this year Johnson and co. will illogically decide to use vaccination rates, rather than infection and death data, to determine a country’s travel status. That’s because the infection and death data would suggest that travel to most countries this summer will be safe and therefore undermine the need for their traffic light population control system. Feel free to call me a cynic but Johnson’s irrational and population controlling bias is his modus operandi.

[vaud]

Phil. said:

Feel free to call me a cynic but Johnson’s irrational and population controlling bias is his modus operandi.

I disagree. Boris is desperate to be loved and is a popularist politician. He is fundamentally quite centrist (per many observers) - he is no Priti Patel.

[popeyewhite]

Welshbeef said:

So you would actively choose to sit inside your house instead of
Going to the beach
Going to the zoo
Out for meals
Join a sports club - where you will meet more friends
Mountain biking
Hiking
Museums
Visit your parents
Going to your local pub

I fail to see how solo overseas holiday which would be with total strangers and their families doing their own thing would be any different/I mean it’s materially worse sitting eating on your own.

I have been on a number of solo holidays. They are infinitely preferable to staying in the UK. Firstly you get a weather guarantee (more or less), secondly you can relax properly, thirdly a sense of travel and adventure within a different culture. And of course far fewer English people, and the ones you do meet have conversations of greater interest than football, Brexit, covid etc etc. I think it was Hemingway who said nothing matches the sense of excitement that you had when you were a child more than the experience of boarding a plane before a foreign journey. I prefer boats though tbh. Be insular, or be adventurous, I know which option takes my mind off any stresses at home.

[Pete102]

vaud said:

I disagree. Boris is desperate to be loved and is a popularist politician. He is fundamentally quite centrist (per many observers) - he is no Priti Patel.

I'm inclined to agree with this. From my perspective Boris follows a very populist path (or rather the path of largest voter base), implementing travel restrictions January - May was a relatively easy decision for him as the consensus in the country was that international travel should be reduced (close dem borderz bozza!). As we move into the warmer months people are now looking towards spending their accumulated savings on a holiday, explained somewhat by the recent (and early) decision on restarting international travel in a limited capacity.

Unfortunately Boris is generally slow in acting to do the right thing, but quick in acting to do the popular thing.

[anonymous-user]

Pete102 said:

vaud said:

I disagree. Boris is desperate to be loved and is a popularist politician. He is fundamentally quite centrist (per many observers) - he is no Priti Patel.

I'm inclined to agree with this. From my perspective Boris follows a very populist path (or rather the path of largest voter base), implementing travel restrictions January - May was a relatively easy decision for him as the consensus in the country was that international travel should be reduced (close dem borderz bozza!). As we move into the warmer months people are now looking towards spending their accumulated savings on a holiday, explained somewhat by the recent (and early) decision on restarting international travel in a limited capacity.

Unfortunately Boris is generally slow in acting to do the right thing, but quick in acting to do the popular thing.

I agree. His politics are famously fluid depending on what’s popular. I think he wants to be the good news guy with holidays but is perhaps being cautious now after he got his fingers bitten over the Christmas relaxation thing.

Plus also, there’s still quite a lot of support for lockdowns and stricter measures in the polls. So it’s easy to drag your heels over holidays at the moment.

[Motoring12345]

Welshbeef said:

Motoring12345 said:

Besides a few pub and food sessions with friends and family, I sadly will. All my friends are coupled up and have planned their annual leave with their loved ones and I don't plan to travel alone in the British Isles.

So you would actively choose to sit inside your house instead of
Going to the beach
Going to the zoo
Out for meals
Join a sports club - where you will meet more friends
Mountain biking
Hiking
Museums
Visit your parents
Going to your local pub

I fail to see how solo overseas holiday which would be with total strangers and their families doing their own thing would be any different/I mean it’s materially worse sitting eating on your own. Staying away for work and evening meals in hotels is actually very boring, so iPad news paper book or laptop and actually doing some work. Ditto solo drinking in a hotel bar - unless say football or some sports is on the tv is no fun.

Unless say you sit round the pool all day every day and attempt to sit aside the same people each day

I guess it depends on how you travel and if you're into learning about new cultures or you're just there to relax by the pool.

For me, travelling has always been to broaden my horizons and learn about a new way of life. Typically I don't do the classic "relaxation" type of holiday instead I plan and try to visit galleries, exhibitions, famous sights. I also try to engulf myself in the local culture, food and attempt to learn the basics of the language. I also try to meet like-minded people through apps like Couchsurfing or Tinder.

I've already made a few foreign friends this way and one will actually be visiting me in Portugal during my stay. As I've mentioned a few times already, the solo travel community is still going strong, even during this pandemic.

[anonymous-user]

Motoring12345 said:

I guess it depends on how you travel and if you're into learning about new cultures or you're just there to relax by the pool.

For me, travelling has always been to broaden my horizons and learn about a new way of life. Typically I don't do the classic "relaxation" type of holiday instead I plan and try to visit galleries, exhibitions, famous sights. I also try to engulf myself in the local culture, food and attempt to learn the basics of the language. I also try to meet like-minded people through apps like Couchsurfing or Tinder.

I've already made a few foreign friends this way and one will actually be visiting me in Portugal during my stay. As I've mentioned a few times already, the solo travel community is still going strong, even during this pandemic.

So basically you’re just up for some foreign solo shagathon? Arrive in new country, get to hotel, go on tinder, “engulf yourself in local culture”

[Motoring12345]

El stovey said:

Motoring12345 said:

I guess it depends on how you travel and if you're into learning about new cultures or you're just there to relax by the pool.

For me, travelling has always been to broaden my horizons and learn about a new way of life. Typically I don't do the classic "relaxation" type of holiday instead I plan and try to visit galleries, exhibitions, famous sights. I also try to engulf myself in the local culture, food and attempt to learn the basics of the language. I also try to meet like-minded people through apps like Couchsurfing or Tinder.

I've already made a few foreign friends this way and one will actually be visiting me in Portugal during my stay. As I've mentioned a few times already, the solo travel community is still going strong, even during this pandemic.

So basically you’re just up for some foreign solo shagathon? Arrive in new country, get to hotel, go on tinder, “engulf yourself in local culture”

There's always benefits to a British accent

[vaud]

popeyewhite said:

I have been on a number of solo holidays. They are infinitely preferable to staying in the UK. Firstly you get a weather guarantee (more or less), secondly you can relax properly, thirdly a sense of travel and adventure within a different culture. And of course far fewer English people, and the ones you do meet have conversations of greater interest than football, Brexit, covid etc etc. I think it was Hemingway who said nothing matches the sense of excitement that you had when you were a child more than the experience of boarding a plane before a foreign journey. I prefer boats though tbh. Be insular, or be adventurous, I know which option takes my mind off any stresses at home.

I agree. I'm an only child from a small family and very happy with my own company.

I did solo holidays from about 18 to the likes of Malta and North Africa before the days of the internet and mobile phones.
I've done solo mountain treks in the alps (multi-week)

All huge fun and met some wonderful people (still in touch with some after 20+ years) and had amazing hospitality from locals when they discover you are solo. Having an extra language normally helps but is not a must - a few words can make a tremendous difference to the experience.

Always fascinating to understand a culture and also how the British are viewed by others when you get into a more trusted conversation away from the tourist bubbles.