Travel despite FCO advice

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  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,044 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2020 #32

    I recall DK posting a link to this website that has up to date case rates for Europe. Spain does indeed have a problem according to this.

    https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/cases-2019-ncov-eueea

     

  • Rufs
    Rufs Club Member Posts: 4,072 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 2020 #33

    Yes and the worst affected area is right across the centre/Northern part of Spain. I did consider making a trip down into Potugal but from Santander - Porto it could be a good 6-7 hrs dragging the van and you would have to pass through the most infected area so therefore running the risk of not being able to get back to Santander should lock down measures be introduced.undecided For me not worth the risk.

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,829 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2020 #34

    This map shows the situation clearly.

  • Rufs
    Rufs Club Member Posts: 4,072 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 2020 #35

    yes , and my daughter just told me that they are preparing to go back to phase 2 main problem with phase 2

    Things you CANNOT do in Phase 2

    You are still NOT allowed to travel outside your province.

     

     

  • allanandjean
    allanandjean Forum Participant Posts: 2,401
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    edited August 2020 #36

    Mmmmmm, thought Google we’re on the ball-this was reported over a week ago?!

  • allanandjean
    allanandjean Forum Participant Posts: 2,401
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    edited August 2020 #37

    Looking at Uk campsite this morning there is a similar thread with suggestions that Nationwide will cover you for COVID-19. 
    It has lots of info and FAQs but looks like you can travel to a country on the safe list, say Portugal, via countries that are not, say France and Spain.

    Posters there are also saying that they have been told, verbally not in writing, that it is for the insured to determine what is ‘essential travel’ and the Nationwide info does differentiate between ‘all travel” and essential only’.

     

     

  • Rufs
    Rufs Club Member Posts: 4,072 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 2020 #38

    insurers are going to have to come up with innovative packages if they are not to loose a lot of lucrative business, and afterall covid could be with us for many months/years, Barclays provide travel insurance both medical and breakdown but their's is currently closed and has been for some months, to new customers.

    but this cover seems to be a bit ambiguous, are they saying you can travel thru e,g, France and Spain to get to Portugal where you will have full cover but will have no cover whilst doing the transit, afterall it could take you 4/5 days to do say Cherbourg - Porto, that could mean 10 days transit with no cover and whilst transiting i guess you are at greater risk of accident or catching the virus.

    and i like

    Posters there are also saying that they have been told, verbally not in writing

    insurance companies are good at thisundecided

  • Unknown
    Unknown Forum Participant
    edited August 2020 #39
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  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,957 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2020 #40

    A&J, we are covered by Nationwide and the information we received clearly states that your cover is determined on

    1. when you took the cover out (ie before covid) or

    2. when you made the booking, which ever is the later.

    If it is the booking, then it had to be made either before covid or in the period that the countries you are travelling to were not on the FCO's list of 'all but essential travel' 

    If you travel against FCO's advice then your cover is not valid.

    For us its a no go as the policy was renewed in January (annual) and the ferry booking for April was made last December. Had we managed to get away we would have been covered, however the ferry was cancelled and a new booking was made by us for September when we thought everything would be ok. The only problem now is the FCO advice means we cannot travel. So we would have no cover.

    The information is on the Nationwide website under insurance, I don't think you have to be a member to access the info. Maybe new policies have different wording. 

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,957 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2020 #41

    David will the cover from Staysure still cover you if the FCO change the advice for 'All but essential travel'  to ALL Travel.

    That's where we are a bit concerned if we go to Italy via Germany and the advice changes we could then be stuck somewhere, not sure we want to take the risk of that happening. 

    According to the above map Belgium is still high but the Netherlands is getting better in places.

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,957 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2020 #42

    Rufs, apologies meant to say thanks for for your post/info. smile

    Thanks also to ET for the map.smile

  • allanandjean
    allanandjean Forum Participant Posts: 2,401
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    edited August 2020 #43

    Hi David/Tammy /Rufs,

    I looked a the Nationwide website as my belief was that my insurance would be invalid, I could not visit a country where advice was against all but essential travel, but the online advice says;

    Q-There is no FCO advice in place for my destination. But to get there, I am travelling through another country where FCO advice is against ‘all but essential’ travel; does my policy still cover me to travel?

    As long as you are not travelling against doctor’s advice and aren’t travelling to an area when the FCO has advised against “all travel”, then you’ll be insured to travel.

     

  • allanandjean
    allanandjean Forum Participant Posts: 2,401
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    edited August 2020 #44

    Hi David, My concern is not COVID itself but the affect on the usual cover. If I break a leg and can’t drive lack of any cover to address this would be problematic and expensive.

    We have decided that we wont get the pleasure that would make a trip abroad worthwhile at the moment.

    Hope that you have a great trip but please, don’t use the words ‘dies’ and COVID in the same sentence!!

  • Rufs
    Rufs Club Member Posts: 4,072 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 2020 #45

    I share your concerns also that is why we have said not this year.

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,957 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2020 #46

    We did think about it as I said earlier, going to Germany then Italy but IF the FCO did change to ALL TRAVEL for say France then we would be unable to get back home. 

    Like you its not the threat of Covid that bothers us but the chance of something else happening and not having the cover. Under those conditions would we get any pleasure out of the trip. We have opted for a trip with the caravan in England for September and will wait to see if anything changes come Oct/Nov. If the FCO advice is lifted and we ok about it then we may take the MH abroad then. 

  • Rufs
    Rufs Club Member Posts: 4,072 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 2020 #47

    when you see in the news that 11 youths may have covid after returning from Greece (Zante), and that the number could rise to 30 , and all these so called professional soccer players, Chelsea now got 3 players in isolation, you do wonder. No point entering a war zone if you dont have to undecided

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,859 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2020 #48

    Just seen this on a Facebook Group which was a quote from a Twitter post from the Club. Apparently the Club won't allow returning members who have to quarantine to stay at Club sites. 

    This from CAMC on twitter

    “Thank you for your message. Members returning from countries that require quarantine would not be able to use the Club sites or CL's as a stopover - Louise”

    Could make it difficult for anyone with a long journey home from the port of arrival. Obviously prudent for impacted members to check with the Club to see if anything has changed.

    David

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,141 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2020 #49

    In Plymouth, that is. A low infection area messed up by folk bringing covid home with them😤😤

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,957 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2020 #50

    Exactly, doesn't it grate though that we have all been patient over the summer months waiting to go away once the schools go back and families have had their breaks, to now be in the position we are in.  

    Please do not get me started about fooballers sealed

    I suppose it was on the cards really when they opened up Europe for holidays mid July. Its the time that all European nations travel widely and of course the time that the younger ages 18 - 45 like to go away to the sun. Who can blame them, however its now those age groups that are seeing the highest figures of infection with Covid. 

    In my area we have the 2 sisters food plant that has seen massive cases of Covid. Also a school in Dundee that has had to close because 20+ of the teachers have tested positive (only 2 pupils) the questions have to be asked did a teacher bring it into the school after returning from overseas?  did the teachers then not abide by the rules of not mixing with other teachers while in the school? so many questions that we will more than likely not get answers to. I do feel for the parents of the pupils that have now got to isolate, just when they thought their lives were about to get back to a bit of normality. 

    When you look at what is happening around the world, not getting to France/Spain this year is not going to break us.

    I just hope that 2021 will be better that this year. Of course if we are able to travel next year.

    Will there be sites open and in business?

    Will those open be so busy that we won't get pitches?

    Will the ferries be so busy the prices will rise beyond reach for some?

    Will we even be able to get a crossing if the companies don't manage to weather the storm?

    Enough doom and gloom I must go and start putting stuff in the van for our trip away next week. smile 

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,957 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2020 #51

    Which was another one of our reservations about going away, if we came home via the channel ports then we would have to stop off somewhere overnight. Not so if returning via Hull.

    Our choice would have been to travel from Germany via France, without stopping in France and use the tunnel. Using this method we would then not have to isolate on arrival in the UK, as long as we had been for the previous 14 days in a country not currently on the FCO list. 

    I guess its only right and fair that the club has made that decision, it has to protect the staff and other members.  

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited August 2020 #52

    For all any of us know, one of the party may have been affected before departure to their Greek holiday

  • Rufs
    Rufs Club Member Posts: 4,072 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 2020 #53

    Will the ferries be so busy the prices will rise beyond reach for some?

    Will we even be able to get a crossing if the companies don't manage to weather the storm?

    Hopefully i have future profed these as my flexi tickets with BF for this year have simply moved to next year, even got a £54 refund as the outbound ferry in April 2021 is cheaper than my original for what was 2nd Sept 2020 

  • PH2020
    PH2020 Forum Participant Posts: 10
    edited October 2020 #54

    Good to know that CAMC is thinking that way but how would they know unless the member was to say?

    Edit: Still not able to post.  What on earth is wrong?

  • Rufs
    Rufs Club Member Posts: 4,072 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 2020 #55

    I think this is a very wise move, at least it will reduce some of the risk of being on site, and becoming infected.

  • iansoady
    iansoady Club Member Posts: 419 ✭✭✭
    edited August 2020 #56

    "When you look at what is happening around the world, not getting to France/Spain this year is not going to break us."

    I think that's about the most sensible statement I've seen on this (or other similar) threads. We'd have loved to be in France but it's just not worth the (several) risks.

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,302 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2020 #57

    We've already booked with Brittany Ferries for next year on a flexible ticket. Whilst I think BF will weather the storm, bailed out by the French government, I'm not so sure about the St Malo route we have booked, so that might need to change.

    I'm more concerned about what they are going to want for existing medical conditions on health insurance, once the EHIC finishes. I've not a lot of confidence in a deal being reached on that in time.

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,859 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2020 #58

    I can understand the decision but will members actually ignore it as I don't see how the Club would know. On sites like Black Horse Farm, and perhaps Bearsted.  it might be more obvious that people are returning but any site further north how would anyone know? The way some are so determined to travel against FCO advice it seems that quarantine on return is just a formality to be observed rather than a serious undertaking to help stop the spread of COVID.

    David

  • Rufs
    Rufs Club Member Posts: 4,072 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 2020 #59

    Take your point, so a member could rock up for 1 night latish and begone by early morning, if they keep themselves to themselves i guess nobody would know, but whatever you put in place somebody will find way to skirt round it.

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,302 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2020 #60

    I would have thought most would have wanted to travel home to quarantine. If it was me and I needed a stop, I would use a motorway service area. No need to leave the van, so no risk to anyone. Carry on after a rest / overnight. 

  • Unknown
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    edited August 2020 #61
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