Hi everyone, hope we are all doing ok. I am now down to 5mg pred. 🥳
We were due to go to Rhodes in May and obviously couldn't go. My Husband is keen to go in October for 9 days. This will involve driving up to Gatwick then flying direct to Rhodes and then hire car to private villa. I contacted GP to see what she thought, but she said she couldn’t advise a yes or no, but said I am vulnerable and more susceptible to infection because of being on steroids for a few years. She said obviously the plane ride will be the most likely place to catch infection. I have not been on the shielding list. Just wondered what everyone thinks ? Has anyone had a foreign holiday in the last couple of months ? I’m in a quandary whether to go or not 🙈🙈 is it worth the risk?
Jules x
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jules1955
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Much as it sounds lovely - my advice would be - not at the moment. Things change Covid wise daily - so what’s looks okay today may not be tomorrow !
I know it’s slightly different distance wise (and off Pred 4 years) - but I’ve decided my NZ winter trip is off this year - too many imponderables to risk it, much as I want to go!
My daughter and I were discussing this yesterday - no, neither of us is enthusiastic about going anywhere, especially anywhere that includes a plane! She is a paramedic in the north of England, I live in Italy - no visits for the foreseeable ...
Greece, the villa and the car don't strike me as particularly risky - but the airport and the plane do. YOU may obey all the guidelines but one of the complaints from other passengers on the plane bringing people back from Zante to Cardiff was that people weren't wearing masks or were taking them off while wandering up and down the aisle to speak to friends. I live in a tourist region in northern Italy - almost all cases in our region in the last month can be linked to people on holiday, many of whom obviously brought CV with them from home as they tested positive here, or migrant harvest workers, or people from here who had been to Greece, Spain, Malta or Croatia. The first 2 weeks of August are the peak - 3 weeks on the numbers are falling again. One thing driving to a private villa and staying there and cooking having done one lot of shopping. But the flight in the middle?
Holidays seem a long way off, we’ve had our Cruise for next August to Alaska cancelled as Cunard have decided not to go for the whole Season & are not even considering restarting any Cruises before April....
MrsN
Longing to see Son, D-i-L & New Puppy in France but it’s obviously a No as l was Shielded!
We were going in October ( return flights only £60 ) so not too much lost if I don’t go. My children have said today they don’t want me to go, if it was reverse I wouldn’t want them to go either. I think I will be staying put for now. 😎
I agree: it’s the plane that’s so worrying: there are so many lovely places in this country : could hubby be persuaded to stay somewhere really nice here?( camping in Dorset at the mo.) stay well .
I'm an ex-Londoner so don't share your claim to fame, but I, too, love anything water...the sea, rivers, streams, brooks, lakes, ponds...not so keen on puddles but I've enjoyed imagining you in your flowing goddess garments 😀.
I think the fact that you’re asking that question means it’s probably not the right idea for now. So frustrating I know. I’m gagging for a break so I know what you mean.
Me too - nothing last year either because of OH and his health. At least where we live you can console yourself it doesn't cost a fortune to be where a lot of people save up all year to spend a week or two!
Depends what you want and how much you can afford. However - bear in mind it won't be as easy from January 1st once the UK has left the EU. For us it was only like moving from England to Scotland and we have now lived here long enough to have permanent residency and be entitled to all sorts of things including healthcare but that will be a whole different ballgame for people who move now on. In Spain they will have to prove they have a minimum income and adequate private healthcare cover - because the EHIC most people have relied on will probably not exist in any form. I don't know what the case will be here but is likely to be similar.
I am so gagging for a break that tomorrow we are making a ninety minute drive ( 3 hours round trip) to visit my sister, socially distanced, in her garden for an hour or two. We won't have to go into the house as she has an outside loo with all mod-cons. Every home should have one !
I'll try to fit into something other than elastic-waisted joggers that accommodate my ever expanding stomach and rear and wear earrings if the holes in my ear lobes haven't closed up. I'm so excited!
"The Greeks have just announced , that Rhodes is open to receive tourists from a country which has a very severe COVID-19 upsurge..."
That is about to include England! Currently England (not sure if it covers the UK as a whole) has an infection rate above 20 per 100,000. That is enough to make people returning to the UK from other countries to have to quarantine for 2 weeks. Seems a bit hypocritical to me!
I agree with all that’s been said - don’t go! It’s the flight and all the others that won’t comply - plus the risk of not getting home if it really kicks off.
Stay here, don’t risk the unknown it’s not worth it.
Same as many others we won’t be seeing our family in Oz this year either. It is what it is at the moment so stay safe.
We got ‘stuck’ in Oz due to the volcano ash that year - now that was a treat as we were staying with family.
We could have got a flight to Singapore a few days later but no connection to Europe - the next flights to get us all the way home were three weeks later - shame!!!
We went on holiday to Kos in August after changing our holiday 3 times, I was extremely nervous about the whole thing as I had been shielding aswell.
The whole experience was great , we felt safe , we were lucky all the other passengers on the flight were adhering to “ the rules” and Kos was wonderful, clean , up to speed on Covid rules , which are strict in Greece, we felt safe and really glad we went with our family.
Never been to Greece before and I feel really sorry for the Greeks on these party Islands that have now come under quarantine.
I would say book your holiday, and wait and see how things pan out. It can always be changed.
We flew from Birmingham , sanitiser and distancing g everywhere. Gatwick I would imagine is the same.
We flew from Southend to Portugal in August . The airport was spotless and everyone was wearing a mask. The EasyJet plane was also spotless and with only 40 passengers going out and 27 coming back so we all had masses of space. Super vigilant in the Algarve too. All restaurant staff and shop assistants have to wear masks . I felt sorry for the restaurant staff working outside on 12 hour shifts in the heat.
All in all I felt safer than going to any of the big supermarkets here or walking past groups of ( mainly young ) unmasked people in the street.
We had to isolate for 14 days when we got back but that was really no different to how we have spent the last 6 months.
Our neighbours came with us and they were telephoned by the government to check they were at home.
I realise of course that it’s not possible for a lot of people to take the risk of perhaps having to isolate on return to the UK.
I have nothing against the destinations - I feel safer here in Italy than I would in the UK because everything here is regulated and people who don't comply with the rules are few and far between. Because it is the law here and the authorities can do something about it.
It is the UK, the airport and the plane and the other people who DON'T see it as a problem and the fact it is only guidelines, "Please nicely ..." and no teeth,
Sorry to be so blunt but I think it would be madness. You can control your behaviour but not that of others. Countries are being put on the watch list all the time. A recent TUI flight did not operate with all passengers obeying the guidelines for face coverings. I can understand the lure of some Autumn sunshine but foreign travel wouldn't be my choice.
We too had holidays cancelled this year and have decided now to leave it til January when we go to Jamaica if it’s back open to us by then, I have no fear of flying as the Dreamliner has hospital quality air system. I don’t intend hugging anyone or inviting them into our room so will feel completely safe despite having a myriad of conditions of which PMR is the least of my concerns despite it causing the most trouble
I've just read an article about the after effects of Corona virus and they sound AWFUL. If you survive the disease in the first place you are then susceptible to weakened organs, stroke etc etc. Personally I'd hang in there and be patient. We'll all look back on this one day (I hope) and realise it was worth being cautious.......
Next year may be fine but I honestly think October is too soon. I echo everyone's comments about not being able to control others behaviour and whilst being out there is all outdoors and should be fine it's getting there that's the worry.
I think as you are asking you are erring to the not yet side as well. Especially as things are changing very very quickly right now.
Hi Jules, in a very similar situation here (also in Cornwall) we are booked into an Airb&b in Paris end of September to see son who has just started working there & other son who lives in Norway. He can’t travel from Norway so very disappointed. Husband champing at the bit to go. I keep hoping govt will lockdown against travel to France then decision made for us. Both country’s infection rates are increasing🙄. I would travel by train all the way, husband keen to cycle on his new electric bike! See what I am up against 🤪
Yes indeed it does mean quarantine at the moment. Driving would be best I agree. I don’t think we would cope well with 10 days stuck at home again. WellOH certainly wouldn’t!
Just been announced today that more Greek islands will require quarantine on return, so I should forget it for this year. We are looking forward to next week in Dorset, hope the weather is good!
Dorset is wonderful. We have just had a week in Kent/Sussex which I was very nervous about but frankly Cornwall is so busy it was almost a relief to leave. A cottage to ourselves & booking into various NT gardens on the way it was a real treat. We waved to France from the White Cliffs of Dover 😢
Hi, I too am down to 5mg after 19 months on Prednisolone. I have just returned from 9 weeks at my house in Spain. I flew out on July 6th & returned last week so am in quarantine! The flights both way to & from Malaga were less than half full....especially the return! People were complying with the rules so no problem there. (This was on Ryanair) In Spain I was inland in a small town for most of the time but the rules there are masks everywhere, inside or out, unless eating or drinking. I did go to Cadiz 3 times, same rules, but no problems. I have been told by friends in Corfu that bars & restaurants are being very good with sterilising etc & coping with the new normal. It’s obviously your decision but as I said, all was great with my time away.
My husband is keen to go to Portugal 22nd September. The flights were booked last year. We are staying at a friends holiday home In the Algarve miles and miles away from where the higher figures were for Covid 19 recently.
I did fly to Scotland to see my daughter last month from Heathrow. Short flight so kept my mask on all the way. I’ve been fine.
I had PMR diagnosed January this year. I am now taking 5mg Pred, 20mg Omeprazole and AdcalD3 tablets.
I am apprehensive but was looking forward to the sunshine break. It coincides with my husband retiring, hence his keenness to go!
It’s hard to know what to do and I sympathise with your dilemma.
I’ll wait and see if Portugal stays off the naughty step forEngland and decide last minute 😅
My advice to you would be to go. I too was supposed to go on Sailing Holiday in May for a milestone bithday which was cancelled. I have since been to Greece twice once sailing and once shore based. I can assure you that Greece is doing much better than England on the rules regarding Covid 19 than England. Everyone has to wear a mask no ifs or buts like here. You fill in a form online before you go saying where you will be and you receive a QR code which you must show at the airport as you check-in. On arrival in Greece you must show the code at Passport Control and that is that. Masks are compulsory everywhere. By contrast, the Passenger Locator Form which has to be filled in online 48 hours before you return to this country is long winded and an absolute faff.
If you take all the precautions necessary then you will enjoy being out of lockdown I can assure you of that.
Apparently your govt has not been too helpful or appropriate with the COVID warnings and care, so as with the others, do think that any travel during this pandemic should be put on hold. Bad enough that people are not bothered wearing masks or using precaution. Perhaps get some old lovely greek movies! Safer.
Quandaries all round! But, we are flying to Tenerife for two weeks! I had surgery on an ankle in February, cast and housebound for six weeks and airboot for another six weeks - the very day the boot went on and I could go out at last, lockdown!! Obviously this delayed my recuperation, but the thought of a holiday in late September cheered me up. Once it was announced that Spain was on the naughty list, even though Tenerife's numbers are low, we did think twice about going.
After much research and contacting our resort (where we've been going for 20 years) we decided to take a chance. We have a large apartment with a large balcony and the resort is taking all measures to keep Covid at bay. We know it won't be the same as our normal holiday; we may not be able to go out quite so much, but the thought of relaxing in the sun, walking along uncrowded beaches and going to our favourite restaurants is too tempting to miss - especially as we near our 80's. As we live in Devon, we normally visit Cornwall, Dorset etc for a few short breaks but haven't even been able to do that this year.
I have had to to take out separate travel insurance, as our annual worldwide travel insurance is totally invalid because of the FCO guidance. I found a policy for the period we are away which covers all aspects apart from Covid but luckily the Canarian Government has insurance for all tourists which will cover Covid, including quarantine, medical and repatriation services. They are desperate for tourists!!
My daughter and her family went island hopping in Greece in August - apparently lots of safety measures in place. But that was before the party islands started the upsurge in Covid cases and the air corridor to the UK was closed.
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