Anyone risking booking a foreign holiday

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Wahaay said:
I've booked flights to Greece for August from the UK.
I fail to see how the Irish government can prevent people travelling to the Med when most of the countries in Southern Europe will have opened up their tourist season, probably with only negative PCR tests as a minimum.
Unless they intend to police the border with the North.
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I hope you're right, I want you to be right, but I think you're wrong.
 
bish123 said:
My decision of cancelling holidays in Greece this year is based on my and family safety. Its nothing to do with if or who is keeping an eye on holiday makers.
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That is, of course, entirely understandable.
But concerted efforts are being by the Greek authorities to vaccinate entire island populations in preparation for the summer.Some smaller islands have already been done and the programme is being rolled out to larger islands.
The latest news is that even a PCR test might not be needed with an antigen (rapid) test being sufficient.
Remember it's only the first week in March - the picture will be totally different in four months time.
 
Me thinks that this might be a perfect example of where us pessimists just might have the upper hand to our optimistic colleagues
I hope your right Wahaay really hope you are but the pessimist in me says.....
 
Sure the pessimists have had the upper hand since the start of this pandemic, we have had a year of it now, surely the optimists might get a break now, the vaccination program is the chief driving force now,
 
I wonder if anyone could advise. Our British-based family has booked a house in Portugal for a week near the end of June and wants us to come too. Our Irish family is vaccinated and they in UK are all long vaccinated. For the life of me I can not figure out if people are allowed to fly from Ireland to Portugal. I know about the requirement for prior PCR test etc. I just can't figure out if the Irish Government will allow a person to travel - on holiday. Their official sites says Government advisory notice but I am not sure if it is illegal to travel or can you just turn up at Dublin airport and hope to get through. It seems to be difficult to get solid information.
The Portugese on their side are have adopted the view that they will accept visitors who are fully vaccinated or have a negative PCR test. It is the Irish departure (and return) that flummoxes me. Michael O' Leary was on the radio this morning, his usual bombastic fashion but he said Irish people are booking like crazy to Spain Portugal etc from mid-June. Thank you
 
I've heard the guards are still at the airport questioning people about their reasons for travel, I'm not sure if its still hard line approach like a few months ago. As you point out its difficult to get proper information. I think big pressure to lift this for travel to European countries be very hard for government to sustain it for much longer now. As Michael o Leary rightly pointed out the draconian travel restrictions still failed to keep out the Indian variant, so it's effectiveness is not very good anyway
 
As far as I am aware it is still," no unessential travel permitted" . I think that there is to be an announcement later this week.
 
My gf was stopped in a taxi last week on the ramp at the airport by a guard. She told the guard she had to fly home to sort out a carer for her parents. The guard still seemed suspicious & asked her when her return flight was. When she said she hasn't booked a return the guard waved her on. A dublin friend is going to Spain next week so is planning to fly out from Belfast. Continental Europe life has returned to almost normality, in Amsterdam there were flights leaving every min. This govt. is a joke, & don't get me started on mandatory hotel quarantine.
 
lukegriffen said:
This govt. is a joke, & don't get me started on mandatory hotel quarantine.
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While I agree with this, I also disagree. I think they are dammed if they do and dammed if they don't. If cases starting rising and it stemmed from foreign travel you'd be giving out. I think it is very hard to provide for every one in this pandemic. Its not just all black and white, it's all grey. we cannot legislate for all scenarios.
 
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Yes. Booked a long weekend with Mrs G in the south of Spain for the end of September. Figure things will have opened up by then. Think it’s a risk worth taking from this remove. Fingers crossed....
 
The new passports I ordered for my children in February arrived in the post this morning. I am taking this as a sign from the Gods - a sign that we will get to swim in the Med in August as planned!
 
Does anyone know if both the Ryanair refund flight vouchers for cancelled flights and Ryanair gift vouchers, been extended past their use by date by Ryanair?

I would imagine that many people have both and have expired dates on them?
 
I can't tell the future. I have difficulty predicting the present. But, I've booked all of August in Spain even if the Ryanair plane has to be pushed to get the engines running I'll do it.
 
Heard on radio today you need to add the costs of two PCR tests and the possibility of quarantine if things change so I wouldn’t be comfortable booking yet.
 
When I booked I ensured I was keeping within guidelines as per senior political figures (e.g. Leo Varadkar). We remained in Ireland for the past sixteen months when others were heading south like the swallows. His language suggested there are increasing problems with variants in the UK, but likely they will be contained. Ryanair has given the option of changing flights at nil cost up to 1st September. If things Covid degress we won't travel - but fingers crossed and perhaps for the first time in fifteen months my glass is half full.
 
There is so much uncertainty at present that I will wait until next year at least......as much as I would like to travel abroad. So staycation it will have to be for this year.
 
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