July 3rd to France & Italy... Should we cancel because of volcano & ash?

Steve,

My suggestion would be to continue planning on the basis that your trip WILL take place on schedule, especially since it's such a special occasion and you've worked so hard on the planning, etc.

While there are no guarantees on what the Volcano is going to do in the next month or so, flights are mostly back to normal now and hopefully that will continue. I'm scheduled to depart on May 13th, so I'm also watching the situation closely.

Congratulations on your anniversary and good luck!

I'm leaving next week and couldn't give a rat's rear bumper less.

Look at it this way: What if you put it off six years, decided you wanted to add Naples to your list, and while you were there Vesuvis blew its top and cremated you?

Press on.

Steve,, you need to take a deep breath. I think the whole trip has you a nervous wreck,, its a vacation, fun, a getaway.. things may happen. You may lose your luggage, you may get food poisoning, you may end up in a hotel with lumpy mattresses.. but, you won't be at work,, and you WILL see, taste and experience some amazing things.

YOu should not worry about the volcano( lets face it,, worry changes nothing)
I am going ahead with my plans,, less then 4 weeks from now and millions of other travellers will be back and forthing between now and then too.

You know, Steve, you could get hit by a car. Tomorrow.

Or , you could rebook and go down to the South Pacific,, but then there could be a Tsnumi,, or a hurricane .. no guaratees.

I honestly think you need to stop "freaking out".

I would have booked my airfare first mind you, since now you are shopping for fares based on hotel dates,, and if you are that worried , I would fly in and out of the most southern spot,, since if the volcano goes again the southern routes are the easiest to get out of.. but thats an IF .. so don't let that set your worry button off again.

Steve, your real worry should be,, did you make sure to get A/C for Italy in July,, otherwise you will feel like you are INSIDE a volcano everyday.. Italys one hot spot in the summer. LOL

Go and have fun.

Build a little flexibility into your plan and don´t worry. I´m in Belgium now and believe it or not... life is pretty normal here (despite what the news would have you believe).

I leave next week for Munich. Things looked shaky for a bit but I'm glad I didn't cancel. Go ahead with your plans.

My friend arrived from Spain on April 14 (before the volcano), and went home, as scheduled, on April 23. Yes, he had a couple of anxious moments at first, but then decided there was nothing he could do about it, so we went ahead with our plans and had a great time. His flight home was uneventful. Don't worry about things you can't control.

My two cents:

Be sure to purchase travel insurance. Then finalize all of your plans and forget about it. Your trip will be amazing, even if another eruption happens. Maybe not exactly according to your plans, but those are the fun parts of vacation that you end up remembering and telling to friends for years to come.

Relax....it will all work out. :)

Within a month of departure on our last few trips we've had the underwear bomber, the shoe bomber, the Iraq War, the Madrid bombings and now the volcano.

We've managed to get to where we needed in each instance and had a nice time. I wouldn't worry about the volcano until it blows again. I would make sure you do have a way of either changing dates or getting a refund if the worst happens.

Since you haven't bought your tickets yet, I can see how this would be stressful. Indecision is a huge stressor. You wonder whether you should sign up for the uncertainly that the rest of us, who already have tickets, face.

The trouble with watching the volcano now is that what it does tomorrow or next week has no relevance to what it will do in July, when it counts for you.

I suggest you have an honest discussion with your wife about your comfort level with the uncertainty.

FWIW, I think most of us who already have our tickets for June or July travel don't feel stressed about this. We are hoping we will be able to go, but we (at least my husband and I) don't fret over the possibility that our flight might be canceled. That risk appears slight at this point, but if it happens, we'll take our refund for the flights, cancel our hotels, and make other plans.

"Go east young man!"

• Not Horace Greeley

Steve,
I completely understand what you're going through. After years of planning, saving and studying Italian, my husband and I will be celebrating our anniversary in Italy from July 1-15, just around the time that you and your wife are. I, too have been on the internet doing research on volcanoes in Iceland (pretty fascinating!) and reading news releases both here and abroad. I agree with the previous post that it would be a good idea for you and your wife to sit down and talk about your comfort level with all of the uncertainty that this situation brings.

My husband and I did the very same thing and this is what we agreed on: We will still go on our trip unless we hear that there is new volcanic activity in Iceland. If that should happen between now and July 1st, then we will cancel and go next year. We're both very happy with our decision and we can now relax about the whole thing. Other people on this helpline site have canceled their trips because of the stress of uncertainty. Those decisions are completely understandable and respectable.

Talk about it, think about it and then do what makes sense to you.

Buon anniversario di matrimonio!

my husband and i have a completely planned and paid for month-long trip leaving on july 13th flying into and out of london (with additional flights between paris and barcelona and london) and i'm not thinking about it at all. there's simply no reason to do so. what's going to happen is going to happen, and my thinking about it won't change a thing. will i be crazy bummed if my trip is ruined? of course i will. but i'll think about that IF it happens--and hopefully it won't. now if only there were some wood to knock on around here...

have a great trip!

I'm flying in July this year as well. I don't plan to worry at all until, at least, late-May. :)

My biggest worry right now is I may have missed some great flight deals that will arise because everyone is canceling their plans.

Thank you all for all your advice about my fears regarding my upcoming trip. My wife and I have discussed our trip. We sat down together and talked and I showed her all your responses and we have come to the conclusion that our trip should still go forth... as long as their is no other eruption or other major catastrophes.

Prior to all this happening, It had been recommended that we book our airfare around 2 months prior to leaving. That would be at the end of this week. Let's hope I can still get airfare to Paris and leaving Rome at around or under that $3000 mark I was shooting for.

So the trip is a go. Cross our fingers and knock on wood.

Have fun Steve ( and wife) .. I am sure all will be well( well heck, as sure as I can be,, LOL )