Travelling to Europe
The news is full information about flying to different countries in Europe, but there seems little information about driving. Can anybody offer advice on the requirements of entry into different countries. Flying to Spain you are required to fill an online form, what about driving.Considering travelling to Europe, but looking to find out what are the requirements before i decide to travelling.
So looking for information. please don't hijack the thread by saying that you won't travel. looking for information
Thanks
Comments
-
There are no currently restrictions on entering any of the Schengen countries except at the moment. However, when leaving Luxembourg in the direction of Germany there is currently a need to quarantine in Germany and there is a distinct possibility that the same will apply between Spain and France in the foreseeable future. Of non-Schengen countries within Europe, travellers from Bosnia and Herzogovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, and North Macedonia will be required to quarantine when entering the Schengen area.
I crossed the German/French and French/Swiss borders a couple of weeks ago and there were no controls. One could drive straight through without stopping.
1 -
Thanks Lutz. If we do go to Europe and get stuck there,I know my caravan will fit into your garden. (It's smaller than Dianne & Johns)
0 -
I do know that anyone travelling to Belgium from certain areas within England, Wales and N.I. face restrictions depending on which traffic light the are falls within. This could include 14 day quarantine. Most of the areas affected in England are from the Midlands northwards and I think Leicester actually has a Red light.
Best check if plans include travelling through Belgium.
0 -
The Brittany Ferries website explains that passengers to Spain by ferry need to fill in an FCS (health control) form on paper and that a member of the crew will collect them before disembarkation, but no paperwork is required on their ferries to France.
1 -
Some up to date info for you Farnhouse. We took a late afternoon Tunnel from Folkestone on Monday (27/07/20) and stayed on one of our favourite motorhome Aires in Belgium on Monday night. No checks at the France/Belgium border (for UK citizens or otherwise). We’re now on a campsite in Switzerland having stayed at a campsite in Epenal France last night. Again no checks at the borders. We’re leaving for Italy in the morning and will let you know how it goes tomorrow and onwards. Eurotunnel was pretty much running normally apart from no loo facilities on board (which we’ve never used anyway). Most staff were wearing masks etc and it was all very efficient as usual.
Campsite staff here in Switzerland wear masks and there is hand sanitiser at the entrance to all buildings (including motorway service area buildings). I have to say that is was not the case in France and whilst we maintained social distancing and wore the appropriate PPE when out of the unit ours were the only masks we saw whilst at the site! It was rather worrying and I’m not surprised that France appears to be having a resurgence. However, when driving through the villages west of Mulhouse this morning there were lots of shoppers with masks.
Reports from our friends and neighbours already in Italy state that PPE is rigidly enforced there so its gives us a lot more confidence.
0 -
We are due to go out through the tunnel at the beginning of September.
Can anyone help with a link to a map of France that shows the areas with high Covid infections. I can only find ones that are weeks old.
We are not looking at going to Belgium or Luxembourg but may venture into Germany from the Alsace region, final destination will be Provence and the Med coast.
0 -
The following seems to be updated daily. Is that what you are looking for?
https://mapthenews.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/5df19abcf8714bc590a3b143e14a548c
0 -
Thanks Lutz, not quite I was looking for something that shows you how many current infections there are in a given region.
Unless I'm not understanding it, (quite possible) the link gives how many deaths, how many in hospital and how many have returned home.
0 -
come out of the tunnel, head for west coast of France, head down to Spanish border keep going west and have a great time in northern Spain. Spain not a problem at the moment provided you stay clear of Catalonia. Return via France and as of today no need to quarantine.
This is what we plan to do 2nd Sept on arrival in Caen, provided the situation does not get any worse.1 -
Colour coded traffic light system. Some of Uk in Orange zone. Leicester in Red.
0 -
We left the site in Switzerland yesterday morning (Camping Gottardo just south of the St Gottard Pass - excellent site!). There were no controls at the Swiss/Italian border. Our intention was to stop overnight in an Aire (Sosta) in Brescia but we made better progress than expected due to the very light traffic on the Italian motorways (Even the A4, Milan to Trieste section, my least enjoyable motorway in the EU!) We stayed at a Sosta at our favourite restaurant (Mazarack in Brussa) and had a meal out for the first time since before lockdown. The Italians are clearly taking Covid19 very seriously and the controls in the restaurant were exemplary. We arrived at our final destination this morning, Camping Capalonga where the strict Covid19 controls are similarly practiced. All staff wearing masks at all times, only one person per household in reception, only 3 people in reception at any one time (its a large area). Masks necessary inside all buildings, hand sanitiser and gloves available at all entrances Takeaway delivery service to you unit from the on-site restaurants if required and ordering via an App.
It has its own excellent, very long beach but access for sun bathing or siting is controlled by a separate website with dedicated positions very well spaced apart.
The site is approx 40% full. Normally at this time of the year it would be fully booked. The numbers on site may change tomorrow as Bayern and many Italians start their annual holidays. I’ll keep you posted. One salient impression I have about our journey here is that the number of caravans/motorhomes from The Netherlands and Belgium is far higher than normal. There are far more campers from The Netherlands here in Italy than I’ve ever seen in 40 years. Perhaps they used to jet off further afield for their summer holidays in other years??
If you’re hesitant about holidaying outside the UK hopefully I’ve allayed some of your fears. I was disappointed and concerned about the lack of Covid19 hazard reduction procedures at the site we stayed at in France but it may have been a local thing and by isolating ourselves from the facilities and maintaining our own procedures we felt safe.
0 -
Well done,Dave. Glad you are there safely.
i note what you say about the number of Belgians on the road, but with their main city, Antwerp, on lockdown, an overnight curfew in place, only solo shopping allowed, masks outdoors compulsory, streets deserted, and case numbers still rising, of course they are fleeing the city. I only hope they are not spreading virus as they go.
Stay away from them !
0 -
To answer the OP. My reading is that you can drive to any country - as at today! You have to fill in a form before you return to UK, this would normally be done on line 2 days before returning using a smart phone and printing it out. I spoke to Dept of Transport as we would be driving at that time and I'm old fashioned re IT and have only a Pay as You Go phone! They said that the IT was playing up (sounds familiar) and that the tunnel and ferry companies had the forms which you can fill in then give to the UK border check at the terminal.
We are due to go to Europe on 1 Sep for a month. The plan is to have a few days on the Mossell , then visit family near Frankfurt then a few days in Bavaria then transit Austria to Italy. Only thing we have booked and paid for is the Tunnel and if we cannot go we can delay for 12 months with no penalty. We have booked the site near Frankfurt as it is the only one near family and the site in Bavaria as we wanted a particular one and have failed to get on without booking in the past. Luckily neither of the sites want a deposit. Also booked, no deposit, first night in Italy as evidence of transiting Austria. We have also booked a site in Bavaria for return, again as evidence of transiting Austria if asked for by the Austrian authorities, no deposit needed. This is the most planning we have done for a caravan holiday since I retired!
If FCO advice re travel to Europe changes we will not go as it would invalidate our insurance.
Off subject, BUT say it very quietly. I think CT has speeded up today
0 -
Hi All. I spent winter 2019 in Portugal then had to make a mad caravan tow dash back in March 2020 when the Spain-Portugal border closed, thousands of us at the border, eventually allowed through, had to stop off hitched up in fuel forecourts as sites closed, and just made a spot on the very last Brittany ferry from Bilbao on 19th March 2020. (The ferry lockdown was very good, cabin only, food delivered). Arrived UK on 21st March, it was seriously stressful, capped when our lockdown hit on 23rd March.
I am wondering about winter 2020 in Spain or Portugal, and am more than wary this time! Very worried actually on the one hand...still a bit travel lusty on the other, I so love it down there in winter!
The virus situation is difficult to anticipate for us all I guess. No matter how well we self-isolate, shop carefully in masks and so on...should we try to go at all...?
Right now I plan to wait, to see how it all pans out by October/November. But it does not look like there is going to be a trustworthy fix this year...?
What are your thoughts? Do please cast your votes!
0
