Calling all vans on the Algarve
Hi all, we are trapped on the Algarve, (Quarteria) and I thought it might be a good idea if we could set up a self-help-group and share information together, and please members who are not down hear not to put too many inputs in so that the needed info does not get swamped.
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This was recieved this morning from GOV.UK....
On 22 March the Portuguese government announced the closure of all campsites and motorhome parks to tourists and visitors, setting a deadline of five working days (i.e. Friday 27 March) for their closure. Permanent residents of campsites and motorhome parks are not affected by this decision and can stay at their permanent campsite or motorhome park.
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I appreciate your feeling of being trapped but I wonder if any of you are thinking of putting vehicles in safe storage there and flying home? A quick look at Faro airport departures page shows that some flights to UK are still operating - but of course they may well be fully booked. Good luck.
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I have just been told by the staff here at Quarteria who has checked with the local council that the closure does not apply to this site.
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Another reversal, the staff here at Quarteria have just informed me that its true, we must be off the site on Fri 27th March.
I am unable to find out if the Spanish border will be open at this time but I have petitioned My MP for information as there is non on the GOV.UK site about the border being open.
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EU citizens are allowed to cross borders of Member States if the purpose of their journey is to reach their home State. The French police seem to have tightened up on checking the Declaration that you must have for each day of travel, stating why you are not observing the 'lockdown', and if you don't have a printed copy, you can provide a handwritten version to satisfy the inspecting gendarme. If it is not the current day's copy, you will be fined €135 [and there is a suggestion that this amount might be increased to deter people from traveling without the necessary paperwork]. Might be a good idea to have ferry tickets to hand and a summary of where you have stayed to show that you are 'doing the right thing' by heading home. Can't hurt and offering proof might avoid a fine [the 'be nice to the policeman' strategy ...].
Steve
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Have a look at Caravan Talk forum rather than here on Club Together. There are lots of posts from people who have been travelling home in the last few days. Follow their advice and the good advice from Steve March above.
The best plan is to stick to toll motorways as caravanners may have to overnight in the major service areas, but solo drivers have found some hotels still open. Take food as restaurants are closed. They all say traffic is light and fuel on motorways is available.
None of the Brittany Ferries routes are open - you will have to make for Calais - or possibly Dieppe. Book on line now. Set off soon. Perhaps pair up with another traveller if anyone else is leaving your campsite.
Good luck.
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Here is the info on the gov.uk Portugal travel situation LINK, you'll be travelling through Spain and France when you leave Portugal and you'll need paper work to get through France. Looking at recent TV motorway broadcasts the roads looks empty (they're getting like it here.)
The borders are open and I expect they'll just want you to get through and get going on your homewards journey. Others on here have done the journey recently, the advice is to book your channel crossing (tunnel) and leave asap. Take supplies with you and maybe travel with others doing the same.
Hopefully you might get some more up to date advice from people who've just done this journey.
All the best, have a safe journey.
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Evening
I’ve posted on the stuck in Spain thread a bit. Portugal to Spain border will be ok to travel. If on the off chance the Guardia Civil are bored just explain what you’re doing, they’re fine, they really just want rid of us Brits. Keep to autovias or autopistas through Spain and plan your route thoroughly. Fuel stations will be open but no shops. Don’ veer off route to go shopping because if you’re stopped you will be heavily fined. French border ok, we queued up today for twenty minutes and we’re just waved through. If possible stay on toll motorways, once again plan route as going off motorway in France is now a big no. The most important thing is to have your attestation declaration, one for each person per day of travel. You can hand write it but it has to be in French, also have a booking for back to the UK, the gendarmes will go to town with questions as to why you weren’t prepared. There is literally no where to get supplies apart from fuel and water so go fully equipped.
best thing of all is to travel with someone else.the motorway aires at present are safer than they’ve ever been, we chatted with the gendarmes this evening and they are really going to town on unnecessary travellers and assyred us of a good sleep. They too just want rid of us!
Th is a one of for all of us but just needs some planning. Go for it.Remember, if you’re not a resident in the country you’re in you do need to return ASAP.
Cheers and good luck
JK
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The borders are still open (or were yesterday) to people returning to the UK. You just need the attestation to travel one for each person - and a further new one dated for each day you're travelling - available here Permission to be outside the house and travelling form
Click on the Telecharger bit, not on the form itself. It offers you the form in whatever formats are available on your device. Print off the appropriate form
In the bits with the dotted lines:
On line one M/MMe fill in your full name
On the second line Né(e) Fill in your date of birth
On the third line (Demeurant) Fill in your full address, including UKDon't tick the boxes but immediately underneath them all write in ink
Je rentre dans ma résidence principale au Royaume-Uni (I am returning to my principal residence in the UK)If you can't print it off then you can write it out yourself by hand but make sure you write it in the format shown above.
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OP they were in the far south of Portugal, they are heading to the Chunnel as directly as they can in a convoy of 5 vans. I’ve been following them all(youtube) for a long while. All borders are open for leavers for a few days yet👍🏻
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FWIW ....
As regards the clips ......
Oh what we and most others under great threats would have given 10 days ago for the formal re-assurance now of a printed out version on Travel Information & the EU Travel Agreements from 'you.gov' to hand and even the French daily Travel document with us when we chose to return.
Await critic but maybe boring old news now ...
M
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I won’t critic as I don’t understand what you posted🤷🏻♂️
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Thanks all, we are home now, Quarteria to Pembrokeshire in 5 day certainly a record for me.
Just a word of warning, we called in to Auchan at Calais for fuel and wait for out time to get on the Train and while we where there we saw a illegal immigrant trying to break into another van not more that 30 feet away, I blew the horn and he walked over to my van and proceeded to do as much damage to the van as he could with his bear hands, ripping of one of the rear wheel spats.
We drove away quickly as we left we seen dozens of similar people walking about in quite large groups but no police.
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