Travel despite FCO advice
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People, do of course, have to make their own decisions on the risk of travelling. As we have got older I always ask myself the question how would I or my wife cope if something really serious happened to either of us? That always suggests to me that I look for the most comprehensive insurance I can find that that covers both medical and vehicle recovery to the UK. It would seem complete folly to travel just relying on the EHIC card. Another element of that is that it will possibly not exist after the end of this year.
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Have a great trip Richard, I am sure you will have a great time, as did I.
I hope this thread might revert to its original purpose of getting reports from people who have actually been to France recently not those who are saying they wont go!
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Agree with you. Even though we decided early on not to even think about going to France this year, I've still found this thread interesting, as some of the posts had/have useful info (to me anyway) about insurance. As far as I'm concerned, that is very closely linked to a decision on whether to go abroad.
I wouldn't just rely on the EHIC, no way! Apart from anything else, I always think that if anything untoward did happen to one of us, the other one would have enough to deal/cope with, without having to worry about financing hospital admissions/operations and possible repatriation. I'd rather pay for insurance and not have to use it, for us it's peace of mind, and that's worth a lot.
So, yes, thread drift, but not totally OT.
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And look how quickly the picture changes , those of us that considered a ferry down to Santander and then a quick drive thru Spain to Portugal could now be faced with a lock down in Portugal, and border into Spain closed.
Oh! well on the upside we might have had a sunny xmas
quote Telegraph today
Portugal needs a 'miracle drop' in cases to avoid going back onto the UK's quarantine list, just one week after British holidaymakers were given the green light to travel there.
Paul Charles, CEO of travel consultancy The PC Agency, which has correctly predicted the weekly government review for three weeks now, says:
“Portugal is now seeing case rates higher than expected, possibly a victim of its own success in attracting so many tourists rapidly since early August?"
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I was all set to go to France, Spain & Portugal but cancelled it all after planning it for six months, not worth it.
Recently had my longest ever break in the UK sites instead.
Getting ready to go off again in a week for another 3 weeks and now researching to be away at Christmas (for the second time) in the UK.
Need to dig out the outside caravan Christmas lights and Reindeers
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It’s all starting to look grim again... can only be a matter of time before the UK sees more widespread increases in infections and restrictions. After seeing the non-compliant bank holiday crowds today, I’m amazed we’re not in the same situation as France & Spain etc already. I walked up the main road in Charlestown with big yellow arrows painted on the pavement to facilitate a one-way system - many took absolutely no notice whatsoever, meaning we had to step out into the busy road to avoid them. Large groups of young people are the worse offenders by far. Some people seem to go on holiday and leave their brain at home.
It could be a tough winter!
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Not to worry SeasideBill, the young ones don't catch Covid, they all have special hats that protect them
Bank holiday almost over and not another holiday until October, with a bit of luck things will start to ease a bit.
France and Spain was always going to be bad with the number of folk that holiday there but their holidays are now over for this year, so things might well get better in France at least. Spain is going to take a whole lot longer to reduce its numbers.
We are off in the caravan tomorrow for a few weeks, not France as planned but UK. We will be careful and do what we have been doing for months now, fingers crossed for a bit of nice weather so we can pretend its France.
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Our camping friends, who are both pensioners, have just let us know they are in Spain having travelled down in their motorhome from Dieppe on 24th August. Whilst we would not have gone I was keen to learn how they found the sites were operating compared to ours, so here is the info I received: Travel down all fine with no problems. ACSI sites accepted the card. All sites were not full and all had full toilet & showers open with no restrictions on numbers in the building at any one time. Bars & restaurants open, site owners were friendly and foreign campers were friendly too. 5 Brit vans on the site they are on now in Murcia where they plan to stay until returning home, whenever? They felt safer there than at home in England on the south coast. Very different from the Club sites here. Good luck to them.
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Hi Bill, Yes, it could be a tough winter, but so far as Cornwall is concerned,I think that at the moment it all seems OK.
As the incubation period for COVID-19 is on average 5-6 days, however can be up to 14 days, would we not have seen the spikes that are talked of before now?
In fact would these not have begun anytime after 18th July, two weeks after the restrictions were greatly reduced?
So far as Europe, we have considered, and still would, going but despite the insurance angle looking better with cover available, it’s the great deal of uncertainty, lockdown, travel restrictions etc, that’s made us decide not to go.
So it’s two weeks on the Cote de Pentewan for us!
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The information I had from Spain yesterday is the majority of cases are around and in Madrid and are mainly in the younger population who have been night clubbing.
Frankly I feel safer in the UK but like SB I remain concerned at the daily rise in infections. At some point I feel it will take off again just like in every other European country.
peedee
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There are worse places to spend the winter than The Ship in Pentewan! 👍
I think there’s probably more of a time lag than you describe. There’s the initial infection, incubation and symptom (or not) stage, then some days (or weeks) for young family/friends to get infected, some with no symptoms. Then after a further 10/14 days the more widespread community transmission begins when more hapless and vulnerable older folks get in the way. Beyond that hospitalisation becomes more likely. It’s probably a process that takes at least 4 or 5 weeks to build some momentum. At that point you’re in dangerous territory and only quick and decisive action prevents a hot spot or worse.
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Hi
Got back yesterday after being away for the month of August touring the Valencian region decided on staying local because of the the infection rates in the North/Madrid, as you can see from this Govt web site the region has a pretty low rate for last week.
https://cnecovid.isciii.es/covid19/
All campsite/camperstops we used had Covid restrictions only five in the toilets, 30 in the pools and sanitisers dotted around, some camperstops had pitch restrictions and used every other pitch to keep the two metre gap. In the towns/resorts the police were out in force and handing out on the spot fines for not wearing of masks.
If any of you are deciding on coming out to Spain for the winter my advise would be to download the Spanish track and trace app RADAR COVID which tells you if you have been into an infection zone within a day, i have been using this app for six weeks and fortunately have not been notified yet. If you are coming to the Valencian region they also have an app that tells the infection rate for each towns.villages which has been a great help in deciding which places to visit on our tour.
Keep safe
Phil
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Hi Phil, We have no current plans to go over there but I am interested in the apps you mentioned.
Basically what would you do if you were notified?
Our decision not to go is mainly due to the uncertainty around travel, lockdown, insurance etc but wonder how the app would help you?
The app re Valencia is the sort of thing that is deterring us as it just reinforces the feeling, for us, that the reward is not worth the risk, or more accurately, the hassle to avoid the risk.
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Hi Alllan
The Radar Covid if notified by them you have to isolate for 14 days if it is found you were in contact with a covid zone (bar usually) then that multiplies by everyone you have been into contact with you also get a visit from either Police or Civil protection every third day to make sure you are quarantining, the Valencian app actually had the opposite affect on us and gave us confidence to travel to each resort with low infection rate for instance we were hoping to go too Peniscola which had 29 new infections so we ended up at Alcossebre with only three and then Benicassim nine and finally Calpe which had one but kept us away from Vilajoiosa who had over 30 the wife set the bar at ten or over.
You are right about the insurance though i think if i still lived in the UK that would be the deal breaker for me travelling without is a big risk, the Valencian govt said on Monday there will be no state wide lockdown only municipalities (towns) like todays in Benigànim inland from Oliva but we will see.
Phil
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When I started this thread we were booked to travel to France and having weighed up the risks decided that we wanted to proceed with our holiday. We wanted to find out from people who had actually travelled despite FCO advice what it was like.
Well we travelled down to Portsmouth on Monday and boarded the Bretagne for St. Malo. There were about sixty vehicles including three motor homes and three caravans. Passport control and port security were simple and straightforward on both sides of the Channel. Most of the cars had people who were obviously going on holiday including many elderly, I assume there assessment was that the older we get the less opportunities there will be to enjoy foreign trips.
Everyone was wearing masks and social distancing at the port and onboard. Here in France I feel safer than at home! We’re cycling to Vannes this morning so will see how things are in town and the market.
So far my advice would be if you are OK without travel insurance (we don’t normally take it anyway), and can self isolate on return then have your holiday.
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"We’re cycling to Vannes this morning so will see how things are in town and the market.
So far my advice would be if you are OK without travel insurance (we don’t normally take it anyway), and can self isolate on return then have your holiday."
I agree with your last statement, and hope that you have a great holiday, but its the mention if cycling that prompted my response.
I don't want to catch the virus, obviously, but my concern is the more likely event of an accident that renders me, the only driver, unfit to drive.
A very close friend had an absolute nightmare following a cycling accident which, without insurance, would have been pretty much impossible to deal with himself and would have been very expensive.
We have decided against going abroad this year, even if we could get insurance which we can unless the FCO advise against travel, due to the great deal of uncertainty around what may happen not what its like at the moment.
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