it's done - i cancelled our 3 week summer 2021 trip.....with what's happening with covid, we didn't feel confident enough to hold out any longer...

[disneyholic family]

Hi

I would suggest you check the insurance advice given on here (including this reply) our insurance clearly says we are covered, if we travel to a country NOT on the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office list of travel advice countries. So I take from that our policy is valid if the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office say we can.

I've just had a quick Google and the first company I came to says this on their landing page:

If you are booking a policy to cover you for travel during a Government imposed lockdown then this policy will not cover you.

If you have told us that you are resident in an affected area we will contact you post-purchase to discuss your options, but we must remind you that you will not be covered for travel during a regional or national lockdown (England: between the dates of the 5th November and the 3rd December 2020). The end date may change if there are further extensions to the lockdowns imposed by the Government.

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Cover Update: Our policies cover Trip Cancellation, Emergency Medical and Repatriation Expenses, if you are affected by COVID-19 (coronavirus).

Cover only applies if the FCDO have not advised against all or all but essential travel to your destination. Currently the FCDO advises against travel to certain destinations such as; Spain (including Balearic Islands), France, USA, South & Central America, Africa, Central Asia and China. Please see gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice for full details.

If the FCDO has advised against all but essential travel: Add our European FCDO Travel Advice Extension to validate your cover. In that case the COVID-19 Cover will apply before you travel, but you will not be covered for COVID-19 or the reason behind the FCDO travel advice whilst travelling.

i read that through twice and still don't completely understand.
since writing all of the above, i've been investigating travel medical insurance as i have to fly to the US at some point in the near future to get my 93 year old mom.
She's been stuck there since covid began.
Long story, but suffice to say, i have to fly to the states, probably before there's a vaccine and probably before the local insurance companies begin offering coverage for the US again.
So i've found a few US based companies that will cover travel to the US.
The rates are unbelievably high (one quote was for $1330 for 4 weeks, another was for $770 for 3 weeks, etc.).
But at least it is available.
i can pay that for one person (me) to fly there, but no way would i be able to pay that amount for 9 people.

The insurance companies here have been very open about why they won't cover travel to the US right now.
At the beginning of the outbreak, they had customers who caught covid in the US and had to be hospitalized for extended periods of time.
The costs were astronomical.
Anyone familiar with the incredibly high cost of medical care in the USA can easily understand that to be true.
Normally, when someone they've insured needs medical care, they will have the person's condition stabilized and then medivac them back to Israel, where the cost of care is miniscule in comparison.
But the rules of covid don't allow them to medivac them back home, so the companies were forced to pay the high cost of hospital care in the US.
For the first few months, they continued to offer coverage at extremely high rates, but found that it was a losing venture, so they stopped completely for the time being.

one thing i can say, if you do travel to the US, make sure that you're covered for hospital care in the (unlikely) event that you'll need it including for covid.
Hospital care in the US can put you in the poor house in less than a week if you have to pay out of pocket.
.
.

 

[Disney Frenhines]

Medical insurance is an absolute must. I get annoyed with people getting sick or injured on trips abroad and then give us sob stories when it transpires they didn't bother with travel insurance

 

[McCrae]

I did a quick check and was able to get insurance covering medical bills relatively easy. Not that expensive either ... £70, for annual multi worldwide trip.
Also my bank provides medical insurance as part of the benefits it provides.

 

[Madhattermad]

Hi,

So I just wanted to chip in and say that I currently work for the FCDO. My understanding is that in the small print of all UK insurance policies is that if the UK Government (via the FCDO) are advising against travel to a region then any insurance cover becomes nullified. At the moment, no-one who is a British National can enter the US if they have been in the UK or Ireland in the last 14 days. And even if you are eligible to enter (which I am being based overseas and not having been on UK or EU soil for more than 14 days), you are still required to self-isolate for 14 days after arrival. So conditions at the moment are far from ideal. Speaking personally, I would not risk travelling to the US until 1) you can be confident your travel insurance is valid and will cover you and 2) that UK & US travel advice allows it.

Stay safe everyone!

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

Medical insurance is an absolute must. I get annoyed with people getting sick or injured on trips abroad and then give us sob stories when it transpires they didn't bother with travel insurance

Me too!!! And I suppose that it will get worse post Brexit, when the EHIC falls away. Also, slightly peeved that obese people are jumping the COVID vaccine queue here.

 

[RoseGold]

we have a june use year, so banking isn't an issue..
though i will have to rent out all the points i banked from 2020...
the bigger issue are all the points i borrowed from 2022...

DVC is currently allowing un-borrowing, and points are renting out for more than I would have expected. I'd cancel sooner than later, to make sure I could un-borrow and that there is time to rent out the banked points. The borrowing policy could change any minute. I'd actually made sure I did it it on the phone to make sure the points would be un-borrowed.

 

[Ellie Webbs]

Me too!!! And I suppose that it will get worse post Brexit, when the EHIC falls away. Also, slightly peeved that obese people are jumping the COVID vaccine queue here.

I haven't heard this, and as an obese person I would just say that many people have severe issues with depression and anxiety which means you dont always look after yourself in the best way. If I thought that someone was hard done by because of my life choices I would happily donate my vaccine so they could go first, but not all disabilities are visible.

I mean, or they are, if you saw my belly...

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

I haven't heard this, and as an obese person I would just say that many people have severe issues with depression and anxiety which means you dont always look after yourself in the best way. If I thought that someone was hard done by because of my life choices I would happily donate my vaccine so they could go first, but not all disabilities are visible.

I mean, or they are, if you saw my belly...

I am sorry that I offended you. I was extraordinarily frustrated about the Welsh Minister’s announcements yesterday. It was a thoughtless comment. I was venting and ranting. I apologise.

 

[Ellie Webbs]

I am sorry that I offended you. I was extraordinarily frustrated about the Welsh Minister’s announcements yesterday. It was a thoughtless comment. I was venting and ranting. I apologise.

No, you didnt offend me at all! What has been announced today in Wales, I'm sorry if it's not good news
If it makes you feel better we just bought a caravan because we thought it was a sound covid choice and because we are in tier 3 we arent allowed to go stay in our own caravan

 

[McCrae]

Me too!!! And I suppose that it will get worse post Brexit, when the EHIC falls away. Also, slightly peeved that obese people are jumping the COVID vaccine queue here.

The EHIC card was basically worthless. To guarantee good care you still needed insurance for the EU.

 

[gismo1554]

No, you didn't offend me at all! What has been announced today in Wales, I'm sorry if it's not good news
If it makes you feel better we just bought a caravan because we thought it was a sound covid choice and because we are in tier 3 we arent allowed to go stay in our own caravan

From Friday we have restaurants and pubs closing from 6pm and no alcohol on offer at all in either plus all indoor entertainment recloses and there are likely to be travel restrictions announced later this week (I'm guessing Thursday as usually he makes his announcements then). I can't see many pubs actually opening during the next 3 weeks - gets reviewed on 17th December and then every 3 weeks after that. Restaurants can still do a takeaway service after 6pm just not any service in the restaurant.

 

[Ellie Webbs]

From Friday we have restaurants and pubs closing from 6pm and no alcohol on offer at all in either plus all indoor entertainment recloses and there are likely to be travel restrictions announced later this week (I'm guessing Thursday as usually he makes his announcements then). I can't see many pubs actually opening during the next 3 weeks - gets reviewed on 17th December and then every 3 weeks after that. Restaurants can still do a takeaway service after 6pm just not any service in the restaurant.

That's annoying! We are in tier 3 so nothing is open either, lots of wholesome walking lol!

 

[gismo1554]

That's annoying! We are in tier 3 so nothing is open either, lots of wholesome walking lol!

Its so weird honestly! Also with travel restrictions I feel we wont even be able to nip across the boarder any time soon (right on the edge of Wales so was hoping to go Christmas shopping in Bristol but then again I think they are Tier 3).

 

[Ellie Webbs]

Its so weird honestly! Also with travel restrictions I feel we wont even be able to nip across the boarder any time soon (right on the edge of Wales so was hoping to go Christmas shopping in Bristol but then again I think they are Tier 3).

Yes I'm on the south glos / Bristol border and they are both tier 3.
Think I'm going to treat myself to the Disney Lego castle with all my cancelled holiday money lol

 

[Disney Frenhines]

Me too!!! And I suppose that it will get worse post Brexit, when the EHIC falls away. Also, slightly peeved that obese people are jumping the COVID vaccine queue here.

Don't apologise for that comment, I'm not obese, yet, but, I've put on a considerable amount of weight in the lockdown due to a doughnut addiction, however, I'm getting Christmas over with (Costco mince pies mmmm) and I'm going to start eating healthily again in the New Year, knowing that Covid takes a worse toll on the obese is scaring me into doing something about it before I get there. No excuses I'm a chub because of what I eat. This is the way
I'm also worried when I hear that Brexit could cause delays of shipments of the vaccine.

 

[Disney Frenhines]

Yes I'm on the south glos / Bristol border and they are both tier 3.
Think I'm going to treat myself to the Disney Lego castle with all my cancelled holiday money lol

I bought myself a Disney Scan n Cut machine with my cancelled holiday money. I'm busy making Disney t-shirts for my next trip on top of home furnishing with a Disney theme.

 

[Disney Frenhines]

Its so weird honestly! Also with travel restrictions I feel we wont even be able to nip across the boarder any time soon (right on the edge of Wales so was hoping to go Christmas shopping in Bristol but then again I think they are Tier 3).

It's very confusing. A friend wants to visit her family in England for a couple of weeks over the Christmas Holidays and she's stressing because she read that she can only go from December 23rd to the 27th. She'll be part of a family bubble, but, it's a long train trip for four days.

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

It's very confusing. A friend wants to visit her family in England for a couple of weeks over the Christmas Holidays and she's stressing because she read that she can only go from December 23rd to the 27th. She'll be part of a family bubble, but, it's a long train trip for four days.

Yes, I was surprised to read tonight that according to the Welsh Government regulations: "No person living outside Wales may enter or remain in Wales without a reasonable excuse". And that "No person living in Wales may leave Wales without a reasonable excuse."
I assumed (incorrectly) that we could travel freely to Tier 1 and 2 places in England.

 

[Ellie Webbs]

I bought myself a Disney Scan n Cut machine with my cancelled holiday money. I'm busy making Disney t-shirts for my next trip on top of home furnishing with a Disney theme.

Ohhhh what's that?! Sounds intriguing!

 

[Ellie Webbs]

It's very confusing. A friend wants to visit her family in England for a couple of weeks over the Christmas Holidays and she's stressing because she read that she can only go from December 23rd to the 27th. She'll be part of a family bubble, but, it's a long train trip for four days.

Yes it is confusing. We had booked in march to stay in Devon from 24th dec - 3rd jan just the 2 of us.
But all the guidance has been on families mixing, which we aren't doing as my mum is extremely high risk ( we joke that I'll hug her in april), and so we weren't sure if we could remain in our self catering accommodation after the 27th as we atm are tier 3. Trying to follow the rules exactly so atm we are only going for those few days, and we will take our own food and keep to ourselves as it's right in the middle of nowhere, but hopefully if our area is downgraded to tier 2 we can stay longer.

My thoughts are (obviously with myself coz I really need a holiday after 3 cancelled ones this year ) really with the owners of the small converted cowshed lodge we rent from, we would love to stay there and are quite happy to pay! But the decision maybe out of our control and this will impact their earnings.