Travelling to France
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Now on a nice 5* site near Tarragona overlooking the sea, tight pitches to get onto so in hindsight should have asked if any larger ones available and paid extra. Did not ask for vaccination certificates or anything at all. Everyone masked up in Lidl😷
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I just think its all the hoops Boris is making people jump through to travel. We were told vaccination was the way out of the mess but even if vaccinated you still need tests to enter UK, then day 2 tests plus the uncertainty of Boris bingo of what colour the country will turn whilst away.
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Hi - glad many of you have managed to get abroad this year. I am looking to go to France next year in my camper - does anyone know when Caravan Club release their oversea bookings?
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My guess is mid October but Club head office will give you a more exact date - though most people with a camper will wait for the ACSI guide at the end of the year and use that when planning a tour.
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Just an update, we are now home so thought I would let you know how we got on.
As Schapp was updating the rules last week we did not order any tests etc in case they were not needed or the wrong type, we did however book a Antigen test at a chemist in Millau on Friday for Saturday morning at 9.30.
Turned up at chemist showed passport and helped the man fill out the form and paid (all in very poor broken French & English) we were then told to go down the alley at the side and wait outside the 2nd door on the right! Luckily there was another person there then about 6 others also turned up. After 15 or so minutes the lady from the chemist opened the door and once again in broken language we managed to make sure the form was spelled correctly and also add our mobiles.
Lady then did the test and told us the results would be sent in the afternoon so we took a chance and travelled north thinking if we don't get results or they have wrong info we would have to find a chemist on Monday near calais.
Anyway just after lunch we both got a text and email with link to download results so all good apart from the wrong spelling of my name, so big sighs of relief.
Saturday evening I ordered PCR Day 2 test from Expert Medical but was a bit concerned that once ordered the next mail said delivery would be Friday via DPD but filled out PLF with code given and thought once we are home we can worry about it.
Uploaded PLF and negative test to ET booking and also amended to earlier crossing. Arrived at ET yesterday passport stamped by French but UK border control were more worried where our last stop was and where we had been, did not ask for any forms etc, guessing they can see what we uploaded so straight through and home, Day 2 test was delivered yesterday evening so all good to go for test tomorrow.
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David
Yes you fill in online on gov.uk and you get an emailed copy to show if needed but ET ask you to upload it and it does some sort of verification on it as well as negative test (maybe reads QR code?) Not sure if all carriers do it but it certainly speeds things along and saves trying to open it on your phone for scrutiny as I assume border force can see it online or maybe gov.uk marks you as uploaded who knows?
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Once you have completed your PLF it is electronically linked to your passport and so Border Force dont ask to see it. The standard procedure now is that you will have to show the PLF to the ferry company at check in along with your vaccination certificate. Until pre departure covid tests are scrapped in October, for the time being you also have to show your test certificate.
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Hi All
Glad to see members crossing the channel. We are planning for next year. Any feedback on the Animal Health Certificate would useful. It looks a lengthy document for the vet to complete so I can understand their reluctance to complete it! Do we need to take all 21(?) pages with us and do the the French authorities read it all. Our dog has had no breaks in the rabies boosters and other inoculations etc so no need for a second blood test so I'm told. Our vet still has our EU Pet Passport but wont give it back as its an illegal document!! All the data and chip ID is in the passport.
Has anyone used the AHC and were there any issues at the boarder. Do you take the old Passport as well?
Many Thanks
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There must be hundreds or thousands who have used an animal health certificate by now. All grumble at the cost - the local vet here in town charges £150, but vets elsewhere are offering £99. What does your vet charge? If you tell him/her you are going elsewhere you will need the old passport back for details to be entered on the new AHC.
The certificate will be checked on the English side at Folkestone if you are using the tunnel. Ferry companies may do things differently. Issues only arise at the border if the vet has made mistakes on the document. You take the whole AHC with you when you go abroad as a French vet will have to enter details of the usual dog worming treatment before you return.
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Well that's us back from our 9 week trip round France and Spain.
Thankfully the pre departure test was scrapped so no need to visit a French pharmacy.
Book a LFT for day 2 on the internet, get code, fill out PLF.
Arrive at ET, the person on the booths checks your paperwork such as ticket to travel, have you filled out your PLF etc. then drive to parking area, go inside and queue to see staff checking ALL paperwork.
TIP: If you have as much as possible printed off before hand its much quicker and easier than having everything on your phone. We printed off our Covid certificates, booking form, and the French Honour form. These were checked at Folkestone on the way out. On the way back it was the Covid certificates, booking form and Passports, the PLF of course we couldn't print off.
All campsites in France that had swimming pools open asked to see Covid jab status. If no pool they didn't bother with it. Mask wearing is common, you have to wear them in shops etc. If eating out you will be asked for your proof of vaccination certificate.
In Spain: there were no cross border checks, sites don't ask for proof of vaccination, though one site did take our temperature. Masks are worn for shops, restaurants and bars. If you are in a shop and don't have one on they will ask you to put one on.
Both France and Spain felt safe, lots of signs about distancing but little of it in reality. Hand sanitising is a hit and miss though the gel is ever present. Over there its not ALL about COVID, folk are aware about what you should do but they are just getting on with life and being careful. Strangely the fish and fresh meat counters in Mercadona have a line you must not cross when ordering your food, makes communicating a bit more difficult but its all done with good humour
Go and have fun, respect the rules and stay safe.
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Can't help with the AHC I'm afraid but we spoke to a number of Brits that had dogs out there with them and everyone of them said once they got to France they went to see a Vet to get a EU dog passport.
It would appear this is legal and once you have it all that would be required is to have the injections etc in a vets in Europe (usually France) to keep it in date. They all said it was so much cheaper and easier than having to do the AHC every time you go over.
Maybe you could look into this while you are waiting to travel, it might be worth while starting a new thread to see if anyone on here has done this.
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TG and AD, thanks for the text on recent real life situation...I'll copy the post into notes to help me alongside the 'legal' stuff....
welcome back safe.
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Our vet still has our EU Pet Passport but wont give it back as its an illegal document!! All the data and chip ID is in the passport.
This doesn't seem right to me. You might want that passport as a keepsake to remind you of old times at some time in the future. Even HMG passport offices let you have your old passport back albeit with some of it cut off.
I can't see how your vet can withhold a document that is rightfully yours. He/She has no certain knowledge that you intend to use it illegally. I'd make a fuss but depends how much you value their skills and if there is a viable alternative locally.
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Ah, yes the Mercadona fish counter. One of the gastronomic highlights of our times in Spain.
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Absolutely! Not quite the same as Morrison's
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I meant the experience....
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I agree. The campsite that we're staying at in Aguilas, Spain, at the moment, is only minutes away from a big Mercadona and it's one of the reasons for being here. The selection of fresh fish is fantastic although, to be fair, we're right on the coast anyway.
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We like Morrison’s fish counter as well. For this country it’s not bad. However, compared to over there… The picture is just the shell fish / prawn section of a French Auchan.
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..not to mention the markets....
diet is one of the (many) things that change when we live for three months 'somewhere else'...
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That's not fair Steve.
Mind you some people who have never ventured into one of these places wouldn't believe it without the photo.
Of course the irony with the recent fishing spat with France is that any blockade would have meant nearly 40% of their shellfish catch not being allowed to land as it's from UK boats.
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Perhaps we should mention Eroski in the interests of fairness.
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Just seen in today’s paper that President Macron has said a third jab will be required for a covid pass from December the 15th. Hopefully for those going over there this winter ours will get updated. Currently mine just shows two jabs and the negative lateral flow tests I have reported. Although the third jab is listed in my online GP medical record.
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