France - Spain border checks
These are set to increase as Spain fears a 4th CV19 wave. See >this article< in the Spanish press
.peedee
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If you arrive in the UK by air from a country not on the Red list it still costs £240 each for two PCR tests (and you still have to isolate for 10 days) so if its a similar price it's going to add to the cost of the holiday. Having said that is it really sensible for anyone to really be consider travelling until the overall picture improves to the point where there is no restrictions in place?
David
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I guess that depends on whether you have had two jabs and your overall risk appetite.
I agree and frankly I am tired of being cooped up. I don't like the inconvenience of having to get PCR tests or the cost for that matter but if ever all it needs is proof of vaccination then further travel afield could be back on the cards.
peedee
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" If one thing has emerged from this pandemic it is that individual risk appetite/ aversion varies hugely and needs be respected."
agreed, but i dont agree with those who think the government should just allow people to go on holiday/visit countries where infection rates are high, vaccination rates are low, several variants are prevalent.
Lets not forget, even though many people in the over 65 age group will have had 2 doses of the vaccine by mid May, the vaccine does not stop you catching covid-19 or spreading it, yes the risks are low, but if you are allowed to go to countries where the virus is rife e.g. France then the risk factor increases, and I certainly dont subscribe to the argument that you can find e.g. a site in the back of beyond in France where you will be safer than in the UK, you still have to get there and return, have some contact with others on the site and no doubt visit a supermarket .
Many in the past have had a pop at the powers that be for not e.g. locking down soon enough to help halt the spread, now people are having a pop because they think the powers that be are being too cautious and slow to open up, we did that and it failed, for me sit this year out and look for better prospects next year, and i say that as someone who has a daughter living in Spain who we have not seen for 12 months, but we will get over it and have a great time when the situation improves.
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I have seen mentioned that on return a negative test will be required before you are allowed to travel. If this proves to be the case this could be an issue. If the test was positive you wouldn’t be allowed to board the ferry and would presumably have to find a site and self isolate until you tested negative. How you could self isolate effectively, as you would have to get water, dump waste obtain food etc. Similarly if you were on a package, you wouldn’t be allowed on the plane and have to find a hotel that would allow you to quarantine. That would certainly be a problem for some, who might struggle to afford it.
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Careful what you wish for, although Spain is an improving picture, vaccination roll out is not great and Spain took the decision to keep places such as schools open at whatever cost, hence my daughter who is a teacher had her first vaccination last week and will have the second within 3 weeks, but this is at a cost to the older generation.
So it is not just the border with France that is an obstacle, it is the internal borders, so today you are not allowed to travel out of your region, and differing lock down/curfew rules depending on the region you are in and you almost have to go to bed wearing a face mask
It was interesting to see a Valencia beach almost deserted on the BBC lunch time news today, my daughter has been in Peniscola for 4 days also deserted, because people are afraid to travel, and as my daughter said, "do not even think of straying outside of your region, unless you are ok with a gun being thrusted through your car window", somewhat different to the UK i guess
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The problem a year ago was that Brittany Ferries shut down the return crossings for passengers from Spain at very short notice - the suspicion was that the crews were refusing to sail with passengers on board and gave that ultimatum to management. That left driving back across France the only alternative - and if Covid flares up again that situation might arise again.
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A lot of aggro among the Spanish just now, they might be introducing France - Spain border checks but it did not stop them from allowing thousands of Germans to visit for the Easter Hols, ok it was mainly to the Balearic Islands, but when the local population are under travel bans/curfews this did not go down well, ok for those folk who have holiday dependant type businesses, but not great for Joe Soap living in the centre of Madrid with a holiday home on the coast which he cannot visit. I still fear money could be the root of all evil when it comes to Summer holidays, and with reports in the press today of forged negative test certificates being readily available, not good
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It's not to do with risk, that is an individual thing and only the person concerned can make that decision. My argument is whether it is morally right to travel to another country, for a holiday, when that country could be in the depths of a resurgence of COVID. Many will not agree with me. I don't doubt that somebody could be perfectly safe on a quiet campsite somewhere but you can't completely avoid other people. Now hopefully having had both vaccinations will make individuals more secure from catching COVID but it is early days yet as to what sort of protection the vaccinations offers you or anyone in contact with you. I think it would be different if all countries were in a similar place with regard to vaccination rates, daily cases, hospital admissions and daily deaths but unfortunately that is currently not the situation in many of the popular European countries we like to travel to. The irony is that to travel to somewhere COVID free like for example New Zealand I understand they are currently not allowing holiday makers in!
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Yes NZ have kept the virus pretty much under control - thankfully.
Lockdown(s) swiftly implemented and strictly policed. Quarantine from the outset, bussed to hotel tested and guarded until release date. If you nip out, balance served inside 😉. Road blocks to check on movement.
Not sure on figures right now but 26 deaths, less than 2000 cases. My daughter and family have lived almost normal lives since last May. At Christmas she sent photo of street Christmas party, my 1st thought social distancing! They've started to vaccinate now and are once again talking about a travel bubble to OZ. They turned away a cruise ship who had no permission to Dock, they claimed they need fuel and it was cyclone season.
Yes much smaller population and more physically isolated, with their own share of nay sayers! But they've had a few lockdowns, a case where after 14 days isolation and 10 days out and someone who worked in the airline laundry. Swift action stopped it getting hold.
I'm another who thinks it best not to bring back in any variants that our, now well vaccinated country, might not be able to deal with. Just a bit longer and hopefully the rest of the world will catch up with vaccination. My favourite saying when buying anything, and I think it applies here too, is why spoil the ship for a ha'poth of tar?
The plague, and this is one like it or not, lasted a couple of hundred years and folk didn't travel like we do now 😱 - we are doing so well let's not spoil it for the want of a little patience.
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I believe I caught a similar point on a discussion on Radio 4's Today programme.
We must be consistent. We may not like what we are being told to do/not do but it must apply throughout. If we can't go visiting then visitors shouldn't come here. They will bring exactly what we could bring in if we went.........
I'm sure we'll all be delighted after 'his' latest pronouncements soon. Once it's been interpreted and everyone wants to push the boundaries 🤐
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I found this an interesting read. NZ and OZ have announced a bubble for travel commencing 19th. After months in the planning and postponed a couple of times.
All very clearly laid out how etc including your journey through the airport(s) so not to mix with other travellers and that quarantine and testing are still in the mix if needed. TRAVEL BUBBLE
Having just heard labour MP interviewed on radio4 Today programme where Covid passports are not need as stated by PM yesterday but the supporting documents say something else 🤐
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With the way the virus is starting to desimate countries in mainland europe again,i am suprised that any one would expect any thing more than the "unsure yet" whether and when overseas travel can be opened up
It will be "interesting" as to how passengers from Red countries? who come in via a green airport will be monitored
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Yes, but they’re effectively isolated from the rest of the world. How long can you live like that? Even their closest neighbours with whom there is talk of a safe travel corridor, are experiencing sporadic outbreaks requiring 3 day lockdowns every time they take their foot of the brakes.
There comes a time when you have to come out of the bunker and accept the risk, obviously mitigated as best you can with vaccinations and border controls.
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As much as I like France I certainly wouldn't consider going to or through the country at present with a daily increase in cases of 39,000 or 273, 000 in the space of a week. It would be impossible not to have some fairly close contact with other people. It is unknown at present whether vaccination actually prevents the spread of the virus, presumably because we can just be a vector but not be symptomatic or actually affected ourselves.
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France won’t be safe for some time. They have a lot of catching up to do, not helped by an anti-vac culture and deep mistrust of the political class which Macron is reinforcing for them.
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Hi, For many reasons I will not be heading across to France anytime soon however, as we had at one point over 60000 new cases a day, and in a much more densely populated country, it may well be that we are, or were, at more risk here.
Interestingly I think it would be possible to get from Roscoff to the Spanish border with very little contact, other than having to shop on landing now we are restricted post Brexit re foodstuffs.
Would I want to though? No, in the same way I have no intention of going anywhere in the van to then simply avoid all contact.
We must all decide for ourselves what our ‘boundaries’ are and , as I don’t make a habit of having close contact with strangers, feel that the basic precautions we are now all used to, will be our, hopefully adequate, defence as we venture out again.
So for this year, as things stand now, it’s Lago Windermero and a decent Italian restaurant for us!
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Notions of getting safely from A to B with very little contact are fine until something goes wrong, then you’re exposed to a shed load of risk that you cannot possibly avoid. It probably won’t happen, but what if?
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Bill, And they are just as likely here as anywhere else.
As I said, each to their own but if “what if” is the yardstick when will people move on?
We were the worst country by most measures and yet it seems that we still feel that going abroad will somehow mean we are all doomed.
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Indeed they are.... had my own experience of that in December when my car broke down. Helpful strangers, mechanic, tow truck, taxi home etc.
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Like Rufs we have a family connection to Spain;our son's OH is a Spanish citizen.Following her reports back from Easter telephone chats with her Aunties back in Madrid,we have come to the conclusion that we are currently far better off here in the UK-things are not at all good over there right now.It may be frustrating being "cooped up " but it is a temporary restriction.I survived Cancer and the Covid threat in 2020,I received Pfizer jab 2 last week.Having "got through the War" so to speak I have no intention of stepping on a "land mine"at this stage.Foreign travel can wait until 2022,as far as we are concerned.
"Skegness it's so bracing😷" remember that one?Pacamacs,damp sandwiches eaten in bus shelters etc
Character forming holidays......
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