Could this be the light at the end of the tunnel?

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  • Pliers
    Pliers Forum Participant Posts: 1,864
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    edited June 2021 #32

    We travelled on the Armorique a few years ago, from Plymouth to Roscoff, and certainly had a Club+ cabin.

    Much prefer the Bretagne though, one of my favourite ferries. 🙂

  • Rufs
    Rufs Club Member Posts: 4,072 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited June 2021 #33

    Yup, daughter arrives end of June from Spain via the tunnel, she will stay for 1 month and then the plan is to return with her via Portsmouth/Caen ferry to stay in her holiday cottage for a maybe 1 month, dont envisage any problems, she has Spanish citizenship, doing it this way we dont need to sit on an aeroplane with many many folk, just use ABNB going down and on return, and the Spanish village we will be staying in is covid free so provided no major outbreaks of Covid all should be good, and we can take pouch laughing . We have a site booked in the UK for most of September so van will not go overthere until probably spring next year laughing

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,303 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2021 #34

    Thanks, had another look and found them. Bretagne is also our favourite.

  • RedKite
    RedKite Club Member Posts: 1,717 ✭✭
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    edited June 2021 #35

    Hi Friends of ours have had a message today that friends of theirs have arrived on their site in Spain and no problems and will be staying in Spain for 80 days, they sailed direct to Spain from the UK.

    Hope this helps for anybody still hoping to travel this summer.

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,303 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2021 #36

    Another hiccup and penalty for leaving the EU.

    Phone Charges

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2021 #37

    To put it in perspective, £14 per week on the cost of a European holiday isn’t likely to break the bank and it’s a spot in the ocean compared to the old system.

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,427 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2021 #38

    and also it only applies to Those joining or upgrading from 7 July 2021 so if you're in a contract now or upgrade before then you'll be fine till it runs out.

    Also we are informed that free wifi is the norm on campsites in the EU, and certainly in all the hotels I've used, so use that for calls? 

     

  • Unknown
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    edited June 2021 #39
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  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,303 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2021 #40

    Per phone of course. So on our average 40 days tour £160. Currently only new contracts but I wonder how long that will last. Also of course they put up the price each year to encourage you to change. OK I can afford it but it’s hardly insignificant. Perhaps the cost of UK contracts will decrease to compensate.😂

  • Unknown
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    edited June 2021 #41
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  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2021 #42

    You could share a phone for the duration, perhaps?

    The cost of UK contracts is coming down all the time, Steve. I've just halved the price of mine by haggling a bit.

    I think in the foreseeable future the cost of covid tests might be a greater concern.

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,427 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2021 #43

    In pre-roaming days it worked out cheaper to buy a sim card over there so that might return as a viable option. I did recall that you needed a passport to buy one in Italy, although this varied from shop to shop.

    I've just looked and one company in Italy has 20Gb, unlimited texts and minutes and can be used all over the EU including the UK at this time for 20 Euros. It has a time limits of three months.

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2021 #44

    Goodness, fancy remembering that! 

    The Internet on Legs has a lot going for it but I made the right decision (for me) and find my phone data is fine for our needs. 

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,303 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2021 #45

    I used 3 as well before the EU forced all networks to allow you to use your UK allowance. There is of course no guarantee that 3 will continue with this arrangement. 🤞They will and I will use my MiFi again,  might even ditch EE and put a 3 sim in my iphone.😀

  • Unknown
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    edited June 2021 #46
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  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,860 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2021 #47

    Sad to say roaming charges in Europe were an inevitable once we left the Single Market despite what the networks said beforehand, I suspect there is more to come? 

    Where it will really impact, as you suggest, is for those that go for longer stays, so on the basis of staying a couple of months £120 for each phone. As to the rumoured "free" WiFi many who use a lot of sites will consider this as something of a myth. Whilst you will find sites with free WiFi there are many more where it is chargeable. Hopefully the likes of Three will continue to provide a cheap service but this ain't over yet!!!

    David

  • Unknown
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    edited June 2021 #48
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  • MichaelT
    MichaelT Forum Participant Posts: 1,874
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    edited June 2021 #49

    They then installed site wide powerful WiFi and probably accepting the inevitable (it wouldnt get paid for) made it free as a selling point.Now when we go we have WiFi powerful enough to stream TV and films.

    Just like being on a club sitewink

  • Rufs
    Rufs Club Member Posts: 4,072 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited June 2021 #50

    Well if the likes of Macron, Merkel et al had pulled their fingers out when it came to vaccinating people, then we would not be in this situation.

    Clearly the Indian variant is spreading more rapidly  within the UK, probably the EU to follow, but because we have such a high proportion of our population vaxed twice it is not making a significant difference to deaths or hospital admissions, whereas within the EU where vaccinations have not be rolled out to a significant proportion of the population, France in particular, the Indian variant could cause a significant rise in deaths and hospital admissions, I see even Israel has resorted to making people wear face masks once again.   undecided

    Its not over yet but at some stage we will have to place more faith in the vaccine, but not until countries that are lagging way behind the UK pull their fingers out can we do this. 

  • Unknown
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    edited June 2021 #51
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  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited June 2021 #52

    Perhaps the cheap solution will be to buy a local SIM. I wonder if that will be possible as non EU members and no local address.

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,303 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2021 #53

    For us it would also depend on if any reasonably priced data SIMS are available. Except for the 3 offering here, Pay and Go can work out expensive. We aren’t really interested in calls / texts, purely the data element.

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,303 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2021 #54

    A possible solution.😂

  • Rufs
    Rufs Club Member Posts: 4,072 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited June 2021 #55

    not a bad idea especially as exotic places are becoming increasingly more dangerous to visit

    "New blow to summer travel as Germany red-lists Portugal, even for fully vaccinated"

    "Strict lockdown measures are now in place across Greater Sydney, "

    not that i would be considering taking the van to Syddney undecided

  • ABM
    ABM Forum Participant Posts: 14,578
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    edited June 2021 #56

    But,  Rufs,  Would Sydney bring his 'van and family to you  ?undecided?

  • Rufs
    Rufs Club Member Posts: 4,072 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited June 2021 #57

    Well if they keep on closing the world down we will all be taking virtual holidays, just watched homes in the sun for starters laughing

  • CaravanRamblings
    CaravanRamblings Club Member Posts: 52
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    edited June 2021 #58

     £4 a day is a significant increase (for the 2 of us). I spent a lot of time in the US and bought local SIMs etc to mitigate excessive roaming charges. It can work but it's a real pain in the ass.

     

    You may also note that EE contract prices rise by CPI (inflation) PLUS 3.9%. I don't think EE are alone with this strategy.

     

    I used to own a company providing IT services to BT and trying to get a price increase of CPI was nigh on impossible. I can only imagine the reaction to asking for CPI plus 3.9%!!!!!

     

     

  • Rufs
    Rufs Club Member Posts: 4,072 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited June 2021 #59

    Not sure if this company is any good, not used them, not seen them before "Broadband Go" claim to provide Broadband throughout the EU, annual membership starts at £75 per annum and you can get £10 off with discount code "DMO10" visit broadbandgo.com, not promoting just saw their ad in local press yesterday.

  • Pliers
    Pliers Forum Participant Posts: 1,864
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    edited June 2021 #60

    From what I can make out, the German “red list” restrictions are different to those in place here in the UK.

    People returning from Portugal will need to self isolate at home, for 2 weeks.

    Not in designated hotels, as people returning from our red list regions have to here in the UK. 


    https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/einreiseundaufenthalt/coronavirus

  • Unknown
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    edited June 2021 #61
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