Will you travel? [Mod Note in Post #1 - Travel Discussion Only! Megathread]

RobitTV

Read tonight that Lanzarote will go into a new level from the weekend, they are creating a Level 4. Previously there were only three types of levels.

All non-essential businesses under the new 'level 4' will have to close and it looks like the curfew will begin at 6pm.

This is probably for the best. This will give Lanzarote time to wipe out the new cases and return to normality over the the coming weeks. The situation might improve faster.

They could easily return to Level 2 by late February or early March.

johnire

No - I completely agree with you- he's not saying don't come but -and this is a purely personal opinion- I definitely wouldn't be going to a country where the PM is discouraging tourists from travelling to. There are plenty of other countries to visit. I'm not either saying he's wrong- he's being cautious for a reason. I'm not knocking him for that bit what I am saying is that I personally would prefer to go somewhere else. Spain in 2022! I totally get it though if Spain is people's preference.

acequion wrote: »

I haven't yet read a transcript of the speech in its original Spanish but plan to. As Golfman64 said a certain amount will be lost in translation. The verb and concept of welcome in Spanish is wider than its English counterpart. It means "cater for" "look after" "accommodate" "facilitate" "entertain."

Sanchez didn't say tourists couldn't come to Spain until the end of the summer.

smeal

Mars Bar wrote: »

Dubai is shutting down a bit. Announced a ban on all live entertainment and non essental surgeries are suspended for the moment. That's a very unusual move.

And Dubai is absolutely riddled with the virus so it's not a very wise move.

Yes be careful visiting Dubai.

We were meant to head out for a week after Xmas until 6 Jan when the restrictions were originally meant to come back in. Cancelled on foot of new restrictions here and also the magnitude of cases that seemed to have arisen over there the week of Xmas almost certainly because of the amount of tourists coming in and out. At that time, a 96 hour neg covid test was all that was needed coming from the UK. 4 days is a lot of time to catch covid before boarding a flight.

Anyways we were meant to be meeting a good few friends and family who are over there (mostly teachers) and a lot of them tested positive the week of Xmas. Its everywhere apparently. The Emirates also don’t report that kind of information in the news either. Most hotels check your temperature coming in and out so be mindful if you do catch it over there and you show symptoms you’ll likely be forced to quarantine. Its very strict.

normanoffside

RobitTV wrote: »

Read tonight that Lanzarote will go into a new level from the weekend, they are creating a Level 4. Previously there were only three types of levels.

All non-essential businesses under the new 'level 4' will have to close and it looks like the curfew will begin at 6pm.

This is probably for the best. This will give Lanzarote time to wipe out the new cases and return to normality over the the coming weeks. The situation might improve faster.

They could easily return to Level 2 by late February or early March.

Reading it there now. Non Essential has to close at 6pm but the Curfew is still at 10pm.

https://www.eldiario.es/canariasahora/politica/lanzarote-pasa-nivel-cuatro-alerta-maximo-establecido-gobierno-canarias_1_6980691.html

acequion

johnire wrote: »

No - I completely agree with you- he's not saying don't come but -and this is a purely personal opinion- I definitely wouldn't be going to a country where the PM is discouraging tourists from travelling to. There are plenty of other countries to visit. I'm not either saying he's wrong- he's being cautious for a reason. I'm not knocking him for that bit what I am saying is that I personally would prefer to go somewhere else. Spain in 2022! I totally get it though if Spain is people's preference.

It is a translation thing and Sanchez is absolutely not trying to discourage people from coming. He's simply making the cautious observation that Spain will be better prepared for foreign tourists once 70% of the population are vaccinated and his anticipated time frame to have that many people vaccinated is the end of the summer. He also made a lot of positive comments in his speech about the recovery of the tourism sector and investment in their tourism sector. Amazing the way one remark gets deliberately misinterpreted and spun. Here's another article on his speech and I copy and paste some of it.

https://www.majorcadailybulletin.com/news/international/2021/01/19/77753/spain-better-prepared-for-foreign-tourism-the-end-the-summer.html

At a meeting of the UN World Tourism Organization's executive council in Madrid on Tuesday, Pedro Sánchez said that he was "convinced" that once 70% of the population had been vaccinated, Spain would be "progressively" better prepared to receive foreign tourists.

"The government is working on vaccinating at the greatest possible rate. Spain is in fact the ninth country in the world in terms of vaccination and one of the leaders in Europe." The seventy per cent of population will have been vaccinated, the prime minister anticipated, by the end of the summer.

Acosta

acequion wrote: »

Sanchez didn't say tourists couldn't come to Spain until the end of the summer.

A month or two back I would have been relatively confident that many Irish would go abroad compared to last summer. If because of anything else to avoid ripped off at home.

Now with that massive surge in infections and deaths I can only see it being another crap year for aviation tourism. It's now people would be booking their holidays and very little I'd imagine will chance going away at this point. The need for a PCR test is the nail in the coffin.The Irish Independent has already started again today with the summer staycation articles. They mentioned many hotels and resorts in Ireland are already booked out for the summer.

Unfortunately its going to be another **** year so so far as international travel goes.

acequion

Acosta wrote: »

A month or two back I would have been relatively confident that many Irish would go abroad compared to last summer. If because of anything else to avoid ripped off at home.

Now with that massive surge in infections and deaths I can only see it being another crap year for aviation tourism. It's now people would be booking their holidays and very little I'd imagine will chance going away at this point. The need for a PCR test is the nail in the coffin.The Irish Independent has already started again today with the summer staycation articles. They mentioned many hotels and resorts in Ireland are already booked out for the summer.

Unfortunately its going to be another **** year so so far as international travel goes.

I wish I could disagree.

However as long as travel isn't further restricted people will still travel. In a lot less numbers and probably with more hassle and expense but I certainly hope that those whose lives revolve around connectivity and travel will be able to do so.

As for that rag the Indo, it's a Govt mouthpiece and you can be certain the Govt and NPHET will do their utmost to lock people into the island again this summer. Holohan is at it already calling for tighter restrictions on travel.

Who knows what will happen. Things could also improve unexpectedly.

RobitTV

Feel so fed up today. I can't shift this feeling that all of this will continue on for the rest of 2021, people will continue to do nothing to resist or speak out. We are truly screwed.

All I hear in the news is that the measures will continue until June and probably beyond. The vaccines were once called the 'silver bullet' but now they are already pushing these absurd doubts that the vaccine won't be as effective and we can't return to normal even if you have been vaccinated because you can still spread the virus and now they have multiple reasons.

Don't forget about the new variants from Brazil and South Africa, they are pushing doubts about the vaccine not being as effective because of the new strains. Incredible.

We are locked in a never ending cycle if people don't start getting a serious reality check soon. You better pray that the vaccine will rermain the solution, because it's our only hope.

Acosta

Acosta wrote: »

A month or two back I would have been relatively confident that many Irish would go abroad compared to last summer. If because of anything else to avoid ripped off at home.

Now with that massive surge in infections and deaths I can only see it being another crap year for aviation tourism. It's now people would be booking their holidays and very little I'd imagine will chance going away at this point. The need for a PCR test is the nail in the coffin.The Irish Independent has already started again today with the summer staycation articles. They mentioned many hotels and resorts in Ireland are already booked out for the summer.

Unfortunately its going to be another **** year so so far as international travel goes.

That just makes me want to go away more. I remember the gouging in Ireland last year, paying more for a dark, dirty B&B (with the ubiquitous brown or black leather sofa and a crying chair in the corner) than a 4 / 5 star boutique hotel in Rome and Valencia. Plus the beaches jammed and covered in trash. Seeing the whole of Ireland go on staycation was a pretty sorry sight and I want no part of it

Acosta

Deleted User wrote: »

That just makes me want to go away more. I remember the gouging in Ireland last year, paying more for a dark, dirty B&B (with the ubiquitous brown or black leather sofa and a crying chair in the corner) than a 4 / 5 star boutique hotel in Rome and Valencia. Plus the beaches jammed and covered in trash. Seeing the whole of Ireland go on staycation was a pretty sorry sight and I want no part of it

As with last year, if going away isn't realistic, I'd rather stay in my back garden than endure being ripped off in Kerry or West Cork surrounded by gob****es

nickkinneg

Yes I agree with previous posters it is very depressing at the moment - these new strains from SA are a big worry if they can overcome the vaccine it’s right back to square one. Not sure if that is the case but have not been keeping an eye on it - does anyone know? hopefully not

nickkinneg

Yeah read a bit about it now - the SA one has an E484k escape mutation meaning it can “escape” the vaccine antibodies - yeah not good.

Acosta

Acosta wrote: »

As with last year, if going away isn't realistic, I'd rather stay in my back garden than endure being ripped off in Kerry or West Cork surrounded by gob****es

Plenty of people went away last year. I spent 3 weeks in France with the family in September and have booked this year already

RobitTV

I have to get out of my hometown this year or I will seriously go bonkers. Not healthy to be in the same surroundings constantly.

Praying, praying, praying that Lanzarote will be much better by March. I'd take anything at this stage.

normanoffside

RobitTV wrote: »

I have to get out of my hometown this year or I will seriously go bonkers. Not healthy to be in the same surroundings constantly.

Praying, praying, praying that Lanzarote will be much better by March. I'd take anything at this stage.

Even from Saturday it’ll be a million times better than Ireland. All non essential retail and hospitality will have to close at 6. Lunch will become the new dinner.

acequion

RobitTV wrote: »

I have to get out of my hometown this year or I will seriously go bonkers. Not healthy to be in the same surroundings constantly.

Praying, praying, praying that Lanzarote will be much better by March. I'd take anything at this stage.

If it's any consolation I'm feeling exactly like you tonight. So much so that I could have written that post, just slot in Alicante for Lanzarote.

Misery loving company and all that.:)

It will get better guys. Let's keep the faith and stop depressing each other. :pac:

Acosta

Niner leprauchan wrote: »

Plenty of people went away last year. I spent 3 weeks in France with the family in September and have booked this year already

Some people did go, but the vast majority that usually do, did what they were told and stayed put. The average holiday flight last summer had 20-30 on board on a good day. It was often less than that. And it was mainly Ryanair flights too. And they were only operating based on bookings made before covid. That way they could avoid refunding passengers as the flight operated. That won't be the case this year with early winter bookings. Hopefully there's a big improvement with the virus over the next couple of months.

Tenzor07

Acosta wrote: »

The average holiday flight last summer had 20-30 on board on a good day. It was often less than that. And it was mainly Ryanair flights too. And they were only operating based on bookings made before covid. That way they could avoid refunding passengers as the flight operated. That won't be the case this year with early winter bookings. Hopefully there's a big improvement with the virus over the next couple of months.

When you say "Holiday flight" do you mean to places like Greece and Spain?

Flights "only operating based on bookings" isn't that how flights work?

RobitTV

RobitTV wrote: »

I have to get out of my hometown this year or I will seriously go bonkers. Not healthy to be in the same surroundings constantly.

Praying, praying, praying that Lanzarote will be much better by March. I'd take anything at this stage.

It will be fine, make plans to travel beginning of April.

I'd be 90% confident the situations in both Spain and Ireland will be stable again at that point.

KnicksInSix

Booked to go home to Northern Italy for the Easter break, we'll stay for around 4 weeks including some isolation there and a test before mixing with our family. We managed pretty well in Dec/Jan and unless something drastic happens we'll be grand again this time. Both WFH and we've no kids.

RobitTV

Northernlily wrote: »

It will be fine, make plans to travel beginning of April.

I'd be 90% confident the situations in both Spain and Ireland will be stable again at that point.

What do you think are my chances for the 9th of March? - I booked 10 days and I'll be there St Patrick's day.

I can change the hotel dates no bother and the price looks the same right now. But Aer Lingus are crazy :mad: 475 euro return on the new dates I selected in April. And the prices are mental in April on each and every day.

I don't really want to book with Ryanair because I'll just be throwing away more money by booking a whole new set of flights with them. I can change the dates on Aer Lingus and pay the crazy price difference (but no way I am anyway)

faceman

LuasSimon wrote: »

https://www.euroweeklynews.com/2021/01/21/spain-wont-welcome-tourists-until-the-end-of-the-summer/

Looking at whats been said in Spain it looks like holidays to Spain this summer are highly unlikely to happen, time to eventually try get last summers vouchers back into credit card from Ryanair.

I posted about this already but to catch it again. Firstly, Euro Weekly News is a rag. It got in to trouble last year for publishing an article flagged a Spanish lockdown in September. It was fake news. On foot of it, the Spanish government introduced a law regarding the publishing of fake news

The health minister reckons 70% of the population of Spain will be vaccinated by the start of the summer. Spain is one of the drivers for the introduction of an EU vaccine cert so that testing can be done away it for arrivals.

I posted this on a Spanish forum today and it’s still valid:

Regarding the comments around tourism and the summer, Sanchez got blasted for making that statement. It doesn’t reflect well, as it shows a lack of drive to accelerate and improve the vaccination programme which has varied greatly across the country.

No country can speed up its plans until the Oxford vaccine is approved which could be March or April. Reading between the lines, the EMA isn’t happy with the vaccine which could delay or worse again jeopardise its approval. The game changer is the Johnson and Johnson vaccine which is a one dose vaccine but approval is months away.

Spain won’t close its borders to international travel but hotels could close at a regional level. Hard to say. I highly doubt many businesses could survive 2 lost summers and without the financial support that has been lacking

Another factor is penis envy. If Spain closes its tourist industry but the likes of italy and other Med countries are open, Spain won’t like that and the government would lose support.

smurfjed

UAE approved the Russian #COVID19 vaccine, Sputnik V, for emergency use, making it the third such vaccine to be approved for use in the country.

they really do intend to vaccinate ASAP. With about 1.5 million a week, they should be done by the end of March.

Gael23

Is the requirement for a PCRtest on arrival being enforced?

Mars Bar

smeal wrote: »

Yes be careful visiting Dubai.

We were meant to head out for a week after Xmas until 6 Jan when the restrictions were originally meant to come back in. Cancelled on foot of new restrictions here and also the magnitude of cases that seemed to have arisen over there the week of Xmas almost certainly because of the amount of tourists coming in and out. At that time, a 96 hour neg covid test was all that was needed coming from the UK. 4 days is a lot of time to catch covid before boarding a flight.

Anyways we were meant to be meeting a good few friends and family who are over there (mostly teachers) and a lot of them tested positive the week of Xmas. Its everywhere apparently. The Emirates also don’t report that kind of information in the news either. Most hotels check your temperature coming in and out so be mindful if you do catch it over there and you show symptoms you’ll likely be forced to quarantine. Its very strict.

They give overall numbers but not by Emirate. However, I'd be taking the numbers with a pinch of salt coz there's definitely some hiding going on in Dubai.

300dh per night in a hotel quarantine facility for at least 2 weeks. No thanks!

munchkin_utd

Gael23 wrote: »

Is the requirement for a PCRtest on arrival being enforced?

its law, so is not a wishy washy measure like 95% of what the irish government has been at in the past 11 months

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2021/si/11/made/en/pdf

deathbomber

sorry to say, with the new variants, it's a possibility international travel will be restricted. The SA strain is quite worrying as the vaccine would need to be altered (data on this is still being gathered) to fully protect against it, if it is the case.... People need to think of the bigger picture here, everybody in this world needs to knuckle down and play their part or we will be going around in circles dealing with this virus for many years to come. It is looking more and more likely that booster jabs will be administered every couple of years or so. Therefore, until we get on top of it, travel should be banned and people given huge fines or sentences for travelling! We should be in a better place come August if we do so, basically we need to prepare for next winter now or we will be in this hell this time next year.

Golfman64

deathbomber wrote: »

sorry to say, with the new variants, it's a possibility international travel will be restricted. The SA strain is quite worrying as the vaccine would need to be altered (data on this is still being gathered) to fully protect against it, if it is the case.... People need to think of the bigger picture here, everybody in this world needs to knuckle down and play their part or we will be going around in circles dealing with this virus for many years to come. It is looking more and more likely that booster jabs will be administered every couple of years or so. Therefore, until we get on top of it, travel should be banned and people given huge fines or sentences for travelling! We should be in a better place come August if we do so, basically we need to prepare for next winter now or we will be in this hell this time next year.

It's looking as though, certainly for intra-EU travel for the coming months, there will be an aligned requirement for a negative PCR pre flight and the addition of a 'dark red' zone for which travel to/from is completely restricted.

Most in the industry were predicting Easter as the start of the recovery for aviation but I would be leaning towards May/June now. I don't believe that flights and travel will be 'banned' until August, per se, but for the next few months, it is looking very grim. Hopefully additional support are made available for the industry and further tax breaks once things begin to move again to allow a faster recoup of losses.

Gael23

I was never planning to travel before the summer but now looking like flying is off the radar for the forsseable future with the requirement a PCR test at both ends

opinionated3

Surely the added cost of having to pay for a PCR test is going to further deter those who wished to take EU holiday this year?