We’ve booked a hotel in the Neukôlln district in Berlin. The hotel reserves the right to refuse guests from some areas but accepted ours. Kitkatklub is shut apparently… .

I am beginning to think I might just consider going abroad at the end of August – we had been considering taking a break in the UK but at £1,600 for six nights in a bog-standard hotel room only (not even B&B) in Whitby with four of us crammed in versus £2,000 for 14 nights All Inclusive in a 4-star (4.5 customer rating on TripAdvisor) in the Med is making me reconsider.

I had Austria & Holland booked this summer, both countries are still stating any UK visitors either need to have a recent (few days old) negative test result or 2 weeks of self isolation. Thankfully I took the decision to cancel a while back as having booked back in December my cancellation terms were about a week ago for full refund (actually made 5% thanks to the £ vs € rate change). If it frees up still want to head over there as Tunnel crossing is still in place.
Keeping an eye on the Austrian Embassy London website for updates. UK & Sweden are the only 2 countries in Europe that have this test/2 week rule in place.

We could actually have gone to Duinrell when we were supposed to, DFDS and Duinrell themselves open fro travel, but things like booking pool time etc sounds utter shit, so er, naw.

EasyJet have just cancelled our out-bound flights to Cyprus but not the in-bound flights. They have offered a free switch to the next available flight. The only available outbound flight is the day before we fly back…

They have offered a voucher, plus and extra £5 per passenger plus a £50 EasyJet holidays voucher. As I (occasionally) forward plan, in anticipation of just this event we’ve been looking at EasyJet Holidays to Croatia in October. That little lot would cover most of it, except…

…you can’t combine the **** vouchers, they have to be used separately and the flight voucher can only be used for flights. **** useless. Oh well, their loss. Refund time.

just cancelled my Eurotunnel for Saturday. Was planning on a week’s riding in Morzine, but its just not worth the hassle or risk in my opinion. Too many variables with local lockdowns, travel insurance, getting the contagion!

Family holiday to Croatia in august is still on the cards. But only due to the holiday company not giving us the option of a cancellation or changing the dates… so come the time, we will have to decide if we go or lose all our money…… ho hum.

We had 11 days booked in Greece in August. 4 nights in a hotel, then 7 days sailing in the Ionian Islands.

I’ve changed my outbound flights to bin the hotel, just keeping the sailing. 7 days isolated on a yacht, coming ashore for meals in outdoor Tavernas seems ok to me. Our oldest daughter is still unsure about the flights, but we shall see.

We changed ours to the same dates in 2021 now – 2 weeks at a ‘Eurocamp’ type place in Lake Garda.
Even the Novotel in Geneva which we’d booked for way down (which was a non-cancel-able booking) has given me a credit note to be used before Dec-21.

I’m sure we could go this summer, but we’ve talked it to death and just don’t want to – too many unknowns, and an expensive exercise only to find its crap.

Apologies, I started another thread on this but it died the quickest and quietest of forum deaths, sinking off the bottom of the page like a stone!

Anyone see any Covid-related reasons not to book July 2021 flights with Ryanair?

I assume they will only get more expensive, and it’s pretty much as far out as it is possible to book, plus we know refunds from Ryanair are possible, however painful and protracted.

So what’s the risk? A massive second/third/fourth wave, flights not cancelled but prohibitive quarantine measures in place?

Could Ryanair (or Air Malta, who are operating these flights) fold due to the collapse in air travel and we lose the money?

I’m of a mind just to book it and hope for the best, just interested what others think.

The biggest issue for me is if it’s possible to get insurance to cover COVID-19 related medical costs.

Why book through Ryanair for an Air Malta flight?

I can think of 100s of reasons not to fly RyanAir, but I’m pretty certain they won’t be going bust.

I’d just go for it Iain, book with a credit card too. Our Dutch holiday that isn’t happening will be getting booked with the credit from this years abandonment, as soon as.

We’re off to majorca tomorrow, assuming that the flight does actually go, the same flights as ours but on other days this week have all gone ok, so barring some kind of negative change in the state of affairs it looks like it will be flying.

For spain you need to complete this form (https://spth.gob.es/)no earlier than 2 days before you fly, which will email you a QR code, which you need to show when you land.

Why book through Ryanair for an Air Malta flight?

Dunno, I’m not a very savvy flier, when I googled flights to Toulouse it was Ryanair and KLM that immediately came up, but KLM not direct. It’s a Ryanair flight, just operated by Air Malta, if that makes a difference…

I’d just go for it Ian, book with a credit card too.

Yeah, that’s my inclination.

Well, according to Grant Schapps (or whatever his name is this week) you can go where you want as travel restrictions are only “advisory” so it is fine for you (and “Johnson” Johnson’s father) to travel to Greece, circumventing their ban on Brits by stopping off in Bulgaria (and ignoring Bulgaria’s quarantine laws).

We have just renewed our annual insurance with Yellow Jersey, specifically asked over COVID 19 medical costs and its not covered as of yet. I did a lot of ringing round the ones that give good MTB cover as Abigale was planning on disappearing on an Alps tour once the FO guidelines are lifted. Shes decided its a risk willing to take to salvage her Summer

Non would give any cover so stuck with what we know

This is the wording that’s been added

GENERAL EXCLUSIONS
The following exclusions apply to the whole of this policy
We will not pay for claims arising directly or indirectly from:

For any policy issued from 23:59 on 13 March 2020, there will be
no cover provided for any claim directly or indirectly caused by,
arising or resulting from, or in connection with: Coronavirus
disease (COVID-19) or any mutation of the disease.

Not good but I suppose understandable from an underwriting point of view

I’ve just googled, and Ryanair have just launched an airline called Malta Air. I imagine it’s them rather than national carrier Air Malta.

The biggest issue for me is if it’s possible to get insurance to cover COVID-19 related medical costs.

This is the biggest barrier to me going anywhere abroad this year. It’s not so much if I get ill, more if the area I’m in gets put into an emergency lockdown – could just be the hotel I’m in to the province/region. The costs of dealing with that would be uninsured and could run into possibly thousands of pounds. I stress enough worrying about having to face my boss if I come back from the Alps inujured and that’s with insurance, sod going somewhere and having a big potential cost hanging over my head for something I’ll have no control over!

I’ve just googled, and Ryanair have just launched an airline called Malta Air. I imagine it’s them rather than national carrier Air Malta.

Lol, yes, blame my laziness, I did (briefly) wonder why a Maltese airline would be flying between Scotland and France…

I’ve just googled, and Ryanair have just launched an airline called Malta Air. I imagine it’s them rather than national carrier Air Malta.

Probably to do with Malta being (allegedly) the most corrupt country in Europe.

Confirmation of the excluded quarantine countries
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53283375

And FCO clearance
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-countries-and-territories-exempt-from-advice-against-all-but-essential-international-travel

Just bought Eurostar tickets for next weekend!

That is good news, now to put tentative plans for a roadtrip into gear…
Main obstacle is the travel insurance issue but that seems to be only wrt covid and not the expected cover for bike-related injuries i.e. broken bones etc, but this just means being super-careful socially and as i’m planning on camping that should be manageable.

“The mountains are calling, and i must answer…”

We’ve bitten the bullet, and booked for Belgium next weekend. It had been planned for a year, and it didnt look like it was going to happen.
A Sportive on Saturday, and if the weather is good, some Road classic sections on the Sunday around Roubaix and Gerardsbergen.
No problem at all booking a B&B for De Panne, loads of choice, the tunnel has gone up by £50 since last weekend, which I would think is due to demand. I can see next Saturday being busy in the tunnel.

On the chunnel Tuesday! Just need to sort some travel insurance now for a 9 month trip in our motorhome.

just cancelled my Eurotunnel for Saturday. Was planning on a week’s riding in Morzine, but its just not worth the hassle or risk in my opinion. Too many variables with local lockdowns, travel insurance, getting the contagion!

I’m sure we could go this summer, but we’ve talked it to death and just don’t want to – too many unknowns, and an expensive exercise only to find its crap.

These are exactly the reasons we cancelled our Spain trip

These are exactly the reasons we cancelled our Spain trip

+1. Although pressure at work almost brought me to tears this week, and 10 days somewhere warm with no access to it is sorely in need.

On the chunnel Tuesday! Just need to sort some travel insurance now for a 9 month trip in our motorhome.

Epic! Good luck and have fun.

After Easyjet cancelled our LGW – Paphos flights on the 14th we’ve changed them to Luton – Paphos flights on the 18th. I just hope the Cypriots will let us in…

So we have flights booked to Malaga in two weeks time and now the restrictions are lifted we are having a debate about whether to go. Kids are keen, adults less so. We’ll be in a house so fairly isolated so the only real concern is the flights and the chances of catching the virus on them. We can also stay in the house all summer if required so getting stuck out there isn’t an issue either. So what’s the consensus on the chances of catching the virus on the flight? I’d rather avoid it if possible but don’t want to do the kids out of their holiday as a result of my own worries about the virus.

I’m not convinced anyone really knows mate. I wouldn’t go personally, but I can see why some people may.

I think that in England it’s thought that about 1 in 1800 people have the virus (might be even lower that that now) , so assuming 250 people on a flight (which is probably not the case at the moment as most flights won’t be full) you need to take 8 packed flights to be on the same flight as 1 infected person, statistically speaking.

One in 8 flights from uk will have a virus carrier on it apparently

I’m in Manchester Airport airside t3 now, it’s fairly dead, not many people about, all bars and restaurants are closed, whsmith and boots is open.

There was a queue for Ryanair checkin as usual, but security was quick and easy.

Ive managed to reserve seats on my EJ flight on an entire row that only has 4 seats (2+2) so my family will take the whole row. We will board last, wear masks the entire flight, sanitise our individual seat areas so minimising risks as much as possible. Cabin airflow once onboard in actually very good (high flow, top to bottom, HEPA filters for any recirculated air).

The flight I’m on (manchester to majorca) is approx 60% full.

Everyone being well behaved so far.

After Easyjet cancelled our LGW – Paphos flights on the 14th we’ve changed them to Luton – Paphos flights on the 18th. I just hope the Cypriots will let us in…

All signs are currently pointing to “No!”

The rumours coming out of Cyprus (locals my parents know and the dive centres I contacted) are all saying 1st August.

Might be booking something to Gran Canaria as soon as Easyjet cancel the flights, which is unfortunate as we hadn’t budgeted on paying for accomodation and it’s going to eat into my coil fund.

So we got to majorca last night, we have our own place so no risks with getting stuck out here if things get locked down again etc, but I figured this might be useful info to some of you.

Wearing a mask for 5 hours straight while travelling is not pleasant, no surprise there, so get to the airport as late as you dare to avoid wearing it for any longer than necessary.

Manchester Airport t3 was pretty quiet, all bars restaurants and shops are shut except for whsmith and boots.

Ryanair flight was 60% full, and people were quite well behaved, Ryanair are serving food and drink during the flight as usual.

Palma airport was busier that I expected, it felt about as busy as the May day Bank Holiday weekend is usually, but everything was slick with no significant queues. You go through passport control as usual, then further along there are another set of desks where you hand your completed entry form in, or scan the qr code if you completed the form online, then they check your temperature with an infrared thermometer. It took about 30 secs to get through these extra checks.

We got in at about 9pm last night and went straight to the local bar, they’d laid the tables out with at least 1.5 m distance, it wasn’t very busy, just us and a few locals. But aside from th4 fact it was quieter than usual because of a lack of tourists, it all was pretty normal.

Were in quite a quiet part of the island anyway, so it’s not hugely different to usual. I’d imagine the bigger resorts are ghost towns with everything shut.

I suspect if you go self catered to a place/town that isn’t focused 100% on catering to tourists it will largely all just seem the same as usual. I bet the tourist resorts are not pleasant, but then they weren’t that nice to start with. But I reckon that will change as European and UK school summer hols start in earnest in a few weeks.

thanks for the info julians
my flights for the (now cancelled) benicassim festival are outbound on Thursday.
no idea what to expect on arrival

booking parking is proving more difficult than ever, hire cars appear either fully booked or not open, no response from my usual taxi company….

There didn’t seem to be any issue with hire cars or taxis in majorca.

I just used my usual hire car company, and there was the usual queues at all the others.

The taxi rank outside the airport had plenty of cars waiting.