UK staycation boom predicted
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I think Plans A-Z might be needed, but we shall manage something, somewhere, at some point. We treat every single day as a huge bonus nowadays, and look for pleasure in much smaller things than we used to, and compromise if required.😁👍
Its swings and roundabouts, in quiet times, living in a beautiful place is a huge bonus, but it comes with a bit of a downside when the hordes are let loose. Just hope the vast majority of the population treats this year with the caution and compromise it is going to need.
I’m not expecting to be fully vaccinated until at least August, but if it’s relatively safe via the Tiers to simply have a change of scenery, enjoy a bit of walking, cycling, swimming without compromising my safety or that of others, then I hope to get away.😁
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Looks like we are going to be even more crowded here in Devon this year than usual. Might just have to decamp to our static caravan on its quiet spot next to the river Avon in Stratford. We need to make up for last year, if we are allowed.
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I’m only a very rare user to this site and did several searches but couldn’t find a discussion about foreign travel or prices this year. Is there a way to share a link? For the record it’s 81% more expensive on the same route same company same time similar dates this year.
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Try the Overseas section a bit further down the front page, Jan. There are several relevant threads.
https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/club-together/discussions/sites-touring/overseas-sites-touring/
Share a link by copying and pasting the URL then hit the return key as I have done above.
Link Edited
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we are fortunate in that our family beach house is only a 10 minute cycle away so we are able to use whenever, but not supposed to be staying overnight just now, but we used it a lot during last lock down, bit chilly sat out just now, but it is south facing looking out over the Solent so it is great on days like today, and i am sure it will get a lot of use during the summer
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Hi Jannim, in the situation you describe I would suggest that the very last thing you should do is to book "same route, same company, same time, similar dates". There are always alternatives - package prices with this Club, Tesco vouchers for the tunnel, OAP discounts on sailings from Newhaven, alternative routes, and so on.
But the country is full of people with vouchers and credit notes from last year, deferred crossings, rearranged sailings, 12 month limited tickets about to expire, non flexible tickets, campsites holding their cash, recalcitrant travel insurance policies and hopeless claims tor cash refunds - and yet more people are recklessly jumping into that same muddy pool by booking cross channel once again right now in mid January.
I would wait and see how travel possibilities look in a few months time.
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Quite an interesting snippet, but enough to get the flavour, on Radio4 Money Box yesterday, repeated this evening I believe, regarding contract law. Also available as podcast and on BBC Sounds
Book written by a ?barrister specialist in contract law but aimed at the man in the street. Everyday we buy/book something we automatically use contract law! Yet few of us realise. The item specifically referred to holiday bookings at the moment now Covid is a known fact. We have no intention of booking anything at the moment but we dream 😉. But it would appear from a cursory listen that you book with the risk of covid restrictions applying at the date of travel so highly unlikely you can claim refunds, possibly even insurance issues because we are in a very different situation to when Covid was an unknown.
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Sound advice, I predict it will be far worse than 2020 as far as space, prices and holiday options in the UK (and possibly overseas) is concerned. At least it might be a big safer amongst the mayhem than last year.
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Hi, I can see that others have responded but am I right thinking that you have a credit note and that is restricting your options?
Maybe not what you want to hear but f you can get a refund a combined fare booked via the club is considerably cheaper than booking direct with BF.
If you cant get a refund then at least its something you will be aware of and, after what will be a very enjoyable BF crossing to Roscoff, you can benefit in the future.
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Here’s the facts right here👍🏻. We’ve discussed how all travel agencies & allied businesses always push the envelope & look for & plan exit strategies. Acting hasty re travel could be costly. I’ll not be in the Lemming like migration.
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I thought everyone understood that you are entering a contract everytime you buy something. Contracts can be written or verbal.
We have booked 3 cottages this year, and both companies expicity laid out their terms should you be prevented by any of our 4 Government by law from taking up your booking. In those circumstances either a full refund will be made, a credit note issued or an alternative date agreed, all dependant on what our wishes are.
Should we just wish not to go but technically be allowed to then we are subject to their normal T&Cs.
2 are in Summer so we are very hopeful of that one, the other less so as it's late March.
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Was reading an article on coach holidays and it looks like there will be about half the seats in use ,it will be interesting to see how much the cost will be increased? when the brochures start arriving
I expect ferry companies will need to do the same with their ship loadings,
I nderstand that HMG are hoping? to Start lifting lockdown restrictions by early March,
covid positives in this area have dropped dramatically in the last week according to figures recieved
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We're similar - 2 cottages booked, both carried over from last year, one in May and one mid June. We're hopeful, but since both are in what have been badly affected areas (one North Derbyshire, the other near Pendle) we'll wait and see what transpires - we've the option to amend dates if necessary.
As far as "over there" is concerned, the river cruise in France at the end of May is seeming less likely now, but we're hopeful for Greece in September (also carried forward from last year!)
When do we start booking for 2022 I wonder?
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The last holiday cottage we went to had a note on its booking page saying, "Have you already got insurance in place or do you want to add on cancellation insurance now in case you can't come?"
That was pre- Covid, but insurance seems all the more important for holidays this year for anyone paying upfront, even in the UK.
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Eurortraveller wrote: "..yet more people are recklessly jumping into that same muddy pool by booking cross channel once again right now in mid January."
May work to the advantage of those of us who have credit notes. If the ferry companies can't honour the request for a new crossing perhaps we'll get a refund after all.
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Evening
I've been having a look now and again at bookings (only for my site) and things are looking very healthy. I think as our DG states, when the gates are unlocked so to speak, it's going to be an explosion everywhere. I've got to admit that I'm looking forward to it. Last year was very challenging mentally but now I think we'll all be more prepared. From a site staff perspective having people chose to stay at your site for their holiday and especially when you're at capacity is very rewarding and a real buzz.
JK
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When I was booking sites I was surprised how many of my usual sites were booked up, or within 5 spaces or less.
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This reminded me of a post last year from someone who had ventured to France and said how great it was to have lots of pitches to choose from as it was almost empty.
I mentioned this to my wife and got the expected response- “how flipping boring”!
We also use your descriptive word and dont return to sites that don’t have a ‘buzz’.
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No credit note as we used our crossing last year (& got caught out on the way back by the sudden introduction of quarantine) I’ve got a great photo of our car & caravan being the only car waiting to board the ferry in Dover on a Sunday at the start of August. Almost surreal.
We like the Dunkirk route as it’s safe to sleep overnight in the car park to do a full day of driving the next day. Calais used to be like this. Also I want to head down to Croatia this year and Dunkirk on the driving route although if prices don’t come down it’s going to be Tesco vouchers for the tunnel as the cheapest option. Never quite feel I’m in France when I use the tunnel!
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Back in the UK. I booked a site yesterday, like DSB I'd rather book something and cancel, there are no deposits to lose or transfer with CAMC.
I've been looking at CLs too as I found some were fully booked last year. At present I'm thinking about dates after Easter as I think at best we'll still be in a tiered system, I might be wrong and there'll be many families needing a break.
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Hi, So if its Croatia then a BF crossing is not a lot of use!
However, a Harwich one may be? last time we headed East, to Lake Garda, we used this crossing after arriving in the early hours and getting a bit of rest in the van.
This is not something we like to do, but did it that time as our travel companions have a MH and did not want to pay out for a site, and the lack of sleep due to all the noise going on means we wouldn't do it again.
The advantage the day crossing is the price and when I looked for this year think it was around the £170 mark. One other thing is that one of the best meals we had in the whole holiday was in the ships restaurant on the way home, it was superb.
We have used the tunnel a couple of times, solo, but its not a great experience and the longer ferry routes with BF are, for us, a great way to start the holiday.
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Hi David, lets be diplomatic and say that,as a married man,and after being together for over 46 years, one tends toward the things that are likely to please!
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So far I've only booked one club site. Whether we go or cancel depends on the state of things at the time as I too think we will still have some form of restriction in place for many months to come. It's certainly a big plus with this club being able to hedge one's bets.
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We have I think 14 booked for May/June, some CAMC which we rebooked for this year when they were cancelled in Lockdown 1, some with deposits which we asked to be transferred. When we did it we thought we would be OK, now not so sure. Even if OK to go, there is the question as to wether some of our booked sites in NW Scotland will open for business. Hopefully we will at least be OK for our booking at Hawes in July. Not done anything beyond then, as we have a ferry booked for over there in September.
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I have booked two sites in the UK so far, one independent at a canal marina and the other a Club site. Neither may happen but need to get a few slots in just in case, along with the need to be within travelling distance to my home in a day. Travelling 'overthere' could still happen towards the end of the summer, but it will not be an advanced booking.
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