New guidance re overseas travel
Comments
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AD, the situation at the moment is that the French government will not let you land in France but the Spanish government will. Therefore the ferry service from Plymouth to Santander is re starting this weekend and will be well patronised.
Insurance is available from companies such as Staysure. The British government frowns on you going but you are free to go. As things stand at the moment you will have to test and quarantine at home when you return but that isn't a deal breaker.
If you wish to go you can.
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If you do make the journey via Spain, be sure to get your passport stamped when you leave. Several people have mentioned that the authorities have stamped their passport on entry but just waved them through on exit effectively leaving the 90 day clock running. Very little in the way of formalities reported at Santander.
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There has been some anecdotal evidence that there have been a few issues at the Eurostar Terminal in London. French customs officers making decisions on whether travellers have an acceptable reason for travel and UK Border Force officers being a bit heavy handed on people coming into the country. These may just be odd instances and the Eurostar customs set up is more like an airport rather than a ferry terminal. If someone is determined to travel abroad I think I would check the websites for both the UK Government and the country to which you are travelling to be sure of the facts. None of us here or friends in other countries can second guess how the authorities will act? We have no idea how long the COVID effect will last, it could be all over by Christmas or it could go on for years in some form or another. It's just a personal view but if travelling abroad means you are constantly on tender hooks not knowing what restrictions are in place or how quickly new ones could be put in place I can't see where the enjoyment is in that. Perhaps as I get older my sense of adventure is dimming?
David
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Papa, If your ferry booking to the Netherlands is from Harwich to the Hook then the Stenaline website makes the situation plain. The Dutch government says you can only travel for legally permitted reasons and this does not include holidays.
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Just read that Michael Gove has been alerted by the test and trace app, after his trip to the match in Porto.
However, instead of having to self isolate for 10 days, he’s taking part in a pilot scheme, and having daily testing instead.
Is anyone else aware of this new scheme, is it available to all travellers.....?
And I always thought he was a QPR fan, obviously wrong there 🤔.
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We have visiting eastern europeans locally, from an amber list country, I don't know any details except they are visiting a terminally ill friend. I'll probably hear later how they managed to arrange things but I was surprised to see them even though the circumstances are sad. I wonder how much travel is actually going on when many have not had the opportunity at all to visit ill people in our own country.
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Updated this very morning. If you are vaccinated and tested negative the French government has announced they will let you in from the middle of next week.
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But you won't be let back into this country!
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Noticed the information in my morning paper.LINK. I’m now more optimistic about getting to France in September. We just need for our end to go green now. I’m don’t think we will bother if we remain amber for France. It wouldn’t prompt me to return early if it changed like Portugal, but I would like to go out with it green.
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The French (and others) are easily spooked as witnessed with the so-called Kent variant. Wouldn’t be surprised to see them repeat that action given the emergence of the Delta variant and rising infection rates here unless numbers start going in the opposite direction.
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Reminds me of a bedtime story I was reading to my grandson last night ‘Shh! We Have a Plan’..... it’s about futility and silliness.
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The variant is already in many European Countries. "Lack of immunity and the Delta variant are thought to be responsible for the rises in six departments in Nouvelle-Aquitaine". Thy won't welcome the risk of more from UK - especially the UK!
https://www.connexionfrance.com/French-news/Covid-France-Why-are-cases-rising-in-the-south-west
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There’s a huge amount of travel going on Brue. Lots from Asian communities have been flying out to see very ill relatives, then using a loophole to fly into Turkey, then onto and back into the UK. Hence why certain areas of UK, predominantly with large Asian communities, are struggling at the moment. Given that some Asian communities have been very slow to take up the vaccine for a variety of reasons, it’s a recipe for a third wave, and it’s spreading out from the hotspots now.☹️
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I know someone who bravely travelled to a dangerous country last month.
But he was regularly tested before he set off, had double spacing on the plane, was double vaccinated, quarantined on arrival according to the rules, wore a mask whenever he went into town, carried sanitiser too, and will test and quarantine again when he goes back tomorrow. I don’t believe he was any great danger to himself or to anyone around him.
If he can risk coming to UK in that way - a far more dangerous place than where he lives - then other vaccinated people can take a caravan or motorhome to France without much risk when the French government reopens the border next Wednesday. And then test and spend ten days at home when they get back.
Life is restarting.
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I don’t think he was a danger either. However, for every one who adheres strictly to what is required, there are sadly far too many who either don’t choose to, or cannot afford to, so it’s a lottery.
That said, at some point or other, given that the NHS is in a much better situation in terms of beds available, it’s going to be down to individual responsibility being the driver before much longer. Those who are sensible, careful, take the right precautions and have had both jabs, don’t mind more testing and can afford to quarantine will get on with it. Those who aren’t careful, don’t behave, haven’t bothered with vaccine or testing and financially cannot afford to isolate are just going to be the authors of their own downfall. And of course their loved ones..... Darwin’s theory takes over, evolve or pay the consequences. Sadly, there are some who will never be safe no matter what they do.
We have a big holiday coming up, chosen and organised to keep us as safe as possible given that we have two very vulnerable individuals who will be going.
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The cynic in me tends to think sadly that much of the UK has got what it voted for. Classic comment from last local elections from a Hartlepool voter....
“We voted for Tories because Hartlepool has nine food banks now. Under Labour we had none”
You couldn’t make it up.........I rest my case. (Not intended as a political comment, more a comment on why people vote like they do)
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As someone who was at “the football match” really concerned about the number of people who have been absolutely ripped off by the DIY, back in the UK, Day 2 Covid testing.
£75 paid for the test, the kit doesn’t arrive, chase it up, receive an email saying that your test has been received and has been tested negative, complete with the required paperwork.
Completely unregulated pop up companies, essentially selling the required reference number needed for entry back home to the UK.
Needs sorting, soon....🤔0 -
If you do decide to travel, you’ll need to complete a UK Govt Passenger Location Form no more than 48 hours before return travel. It’s an absolute requirement and you will not be able to travel without it. My advice is take full advantage of the 48 hours. The form is quite complex and the website for online completion isn’t perfect. If something goes wrong, sorting it out while abroad can be frustrating. I submitted one, then extended my stay so had to complete another one - the system didn’t like that! You’ll also need to have booked and paid for your UK tests before submitting the form.
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I wonder if that relates to status at the time of booking or during stay? It would be unfortunate to buy insurance that’s valid one day and not the next through no fault of the policyholder.
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