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Thanks, I know a lot can and will change, but hopefully the worst is over. At least for now. Hopefully the restrictions won't get worse, even if they don't get better.
Ive cancelled my August trip flying from Gatwick was the final nail in the coffin, lost my deposit and will have to wait for EasyJet to inform me that my flights moved to grab the voucher
I'll grab a cheap deal when/if everything's settled down
The hotel I stayed in the restaurant was open, Dinner and Breakfast ordered in advance and collected at your chosen time to eat in your room or outside.
France is open from tomorrow.
But from that article:
“Arrivals from the UK, from Spain (air arrivals only, until 21 June) and from outside the European Area are asked to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival in mainland France."
France reciprocated when Boris imposed quarantine on people arriving in the UK. I suggest you check out the following page tomorrow when it'll be updated:
https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/conseils-aux-voyageurs/conseils-par-pays-destination/royaume-uni/
On our TV the "full" opening up talked about Shengen and even then it's progressive with Portugal delaying till the end of the month.
Wait for the official texts.
Yes the voluntary quarantine will hopefully be dropped when we drop ours in a few weeks fingers crossed and Portugal asked to be left out apparently...
Anyone know what the insurance rules are if HO keeps the no travel guidance? What happens to validity of travel, car and breakdown policies?
Your insurance would be invalid
What happens to validity of travel, car and breakdown policies?
Depends on the explicit wording on the policy, you'll have to read the small print to find out, but a lot will probably say that they're invalid in their entirety, or sections will be invalid.
I got back yesterday after my mission to UK. Marginally more hassle at the borders, couple of random checkpoints at peage stations. French hotels were open, but I kipped in the van. I saw plenty of UK registered cars around, obviously nothing like normal numbers for mid June, but some clearly stretching the definition of travel for "compelling family reasons" (eg the retired couple in the Chunnel queue with a car full of house paint and decorating gear)!
Back in Spain - city is rammed with daytrippers (currently travel is limited to within province), borders open on 21st and there is a pilot scheme under way in the Balearic Islands allowing 12,000 Germans to visit. I can see things getting back to normal very quickly..
I can see things getting back to normal very quickly.
That will depend on the virus, I really can't see normality returning without cases spiking again, hopefully it can be contained with "track and trace" and localised lock downs, but I have my doubts.
There will be no "normal" this year
Looks like summer alps trips are increasingly likely. France announced this morning it will open up to free travel from the 15th June for all EU, schengen and uk. The only restriction now is Boris‘s quarantine on return which the French are insisting they will reciprocate
Got a positive email from our Annecy campsite today. Travel industry are confident in quarantine being relaxed by 29 June.
https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/coronavirus-quarantine-travel-self-isolation-june-holidays-uk-a9555681.html
Looks like summer alps trips are increasingly likely. France announced this morning it will open up to free travel from the 15th June for all EU, schengen and uk. The only restriction now is Boris‘s quarantine on return which the French are insisting they will reciprocate
I know... I did feel like a lone, frankly crazy voice in the dark claiming we'd actually be able to go on Holiday this summer.
Of course I chickened out when everyone told me I was mad and have moved both bookings to 2021.
We are still hopeful. We have a ferry ticket for the last 2 weeks of July we bought at Christmas so hoping to take the van
Slightly alarming piece on BBC news about a rare Easyjet flight arriving in Glasgow, 500% hike in fare price!
Am hoping that's just a blip, any chance prices could remain significantly higher for longer?
I'm getting increasingly optimistic about our trip to France in late August which I had pegged at about 50/50 till now. Via car/chunnel to a friend's house that we have use of. The hotel we are stopping at on the way down had already sent me a "we would like you to cancel, please click here to do so" email but that's not the end of the world as we could drive it in one long day if needs be.
Slightly alarming piece on BBC news about a rare Easyjet flight arriving in Glasgow, 500% hike in fare price!
3 seats per passenger IIRC.
Ooh, things are getting so tantalizingly close now ;0)
I really feel that within a month from now an Alps roadtrip will be a goer... (commentators curse always a possibility of course)
Anyone know what the insurance rules are if HO keeps the no travel guidance? What happens to validity of travel, car and breakdown policies?
We have an annual policy but they have an FAQ and it clearly states there is no coverage whilst the FCO advice remains essential travel only. All these news articles about various countries opening up and not a single mention about lack of insurance.
Got my credit note through from the campsite we had booked BsM for mid/end-July. Valid for 18 months from date of issue, and they'll refund all or any amount remaining unused at end of those 18 months. Plus we can get 2020 prices for a booking next year if we make it before mid-Sept this year. Best we could hope for. Only thing we've lost is £75 ferry deposit.
Sod's Law now means everything will be open and we'd have been able to go after all!
Similar pickle here, due to fly to Innsbruck on 1st July for Solden. Had to cancel hotel today as they pushed and pushed back their cancellation policy to two weeks before departure.
The only spanner in the works is the quarantine, as the flights are still “going”. If quarantine is eased on the 29th, we might yet get there.
I did wonder what the position would be with cover if Foreign Office drops the advice against travel and the only reason we can’t go is the quarantine faff there and back.
Booked on the chunnel for 6th July, bike holiday in Bourg from 18th. After reading about Huttopia on here i think we'll book up for a few days there if they have space.
Brother and parents crossed earlier today (Monday 15th via tunnel)
They had to sign papers to enter France stating that they did not have C19.
Bear in mind mother is French and brother has dual nationality + travelling to French home
50/50 uk/France and plenty of documentation on hand to prove.
Euro tunnel offering free cancellation or amendments if booked by tomorrow for trips by September 2020.
So I've booked both of my holiday crossings (July 11+aug 1).
We're still sitting on the fence not knowing what to do. We've a house in southwest France which we closed down for the winter back at the end of October/beginning November. Normally we'd have been over a couple of times by now.
We normally take the ferry but feel that the tunnel would offer better separation/isolation. I think we need to book by tomorrow if we are to qualify for the Chunnel cancellation offer.
The quarantine the French side seems to be voluntary but not sure how our French friends and neighbours would view us if we just carried on as normal.
It is not a legal requirement to have travel insurance in order to travel - the airlines and holiday companies try and make out that it is so they can flog it. A few years ago they were censured for insisting people have it in order to buy flights. If you are that keen on a holiday you can carry the risk yourself.
Does that self-insure approach stand for motoring abroad or would your car insurance use it to get out of paying out in a claim?
If not I might be tempted to self-insure if going on a gentle family trip, but as I was due to fling my untalented self down the mountains of the PDS, I think I'll wait until I know I have all the insurance cover I can get.
No insurance is all fun and games until you get the helicopter bill
Does that self-insure approach stand for motoring abroad or would your car insurance use it to get out of paying out in a claim?
No, the country you're driving your own car in will require that you have valid insurance, just like in UK. You'll need to read the small print in your policy or speak to the insurers to find out if it is not valid with the current fco advice.
It's just generic travel insurance that is optional, I have to say I'd be fairly comfortable travelling in Europe without generic travel insurance, but I probably wouldn't be OK travelling in the wider world. If my flight is flying in July, and Spain are not imposing quarantine then we're going on hols with or without travel insurance,and regardless of the fco advice.
Keeping an eye on things to replace our Balearic holiday with something last minute:
a) The hotel we'd use has posted some COVID advice, which basically comes down to 50% occupancy, 2m between tables in the restraunts and masks needed in any congested indoor areas - restaurants, reception & the gym
b) Its package price has dropped by 10%
c) Ibiza seems to have gone up by about 20%
Well i have gone through the car insurance policy document and can find nothing about travelling against FCO guidance. In fact the only thing i did find was on the website, which was if you are abroad when lockdown hits don't worry your still covered.
Just have to see if the UK government can screw this up even more and have us all trapped on plague island.
Interesting that the first confirmed cases of Covid in NZ in over a month were... UK arrivals...
Following on from my earlier post we've done a bit more investigation.
Our car insurance which has European travel included is still valid and not affected,
Our health insurance (in addition to EHIC) is on an annual basis through our bank. We do pay an age supplement plus some health supplements. We spoke with them and, at the moment, it would not cover us going France for non essential travel (as per current UK Government travel guidelines). They never 100% said that they wouldn't cover but it would be up to the assessors if any claim was submitted, but thought it wouldn't as it would be travel to a second home.
So, we've decided we'll book the tunnel today (17th) as it's the last day of the cancel no questions asked, full refund.
If the government travel guidlines don't change we'll cancel - don't fancy being uninsured or having to quarantine back in the UK.
It’s just generic travel insurance that is optional, I have to say I’d be fairly comfortable travelling in Europe without generic travel insurance, but I probably wouldn’t be OK travelling in the wider world.
I tried this approach years ago (relying on EHIC / E111 / whatever it was called that year). End result was 85 euros per stitch. (Greece)
That said, if its that or no holiday, I'd risk it for minor injuries and tummy bugs; but not for downhill MTB or skiing.
The quarantine the French side seems to be voluntary but not sure how our French friends and neighbours would view us if we just carried on as normal.
This is the real issue. Who wants to be on holiday sonewhere where you're treated as a pariah by the locals? It was bad enough being British with brexit, but now we're the dirty old covidman of Europe too!
I tried this approach years ago (relying on EHIC / E111 / whatever it was called that year). End result was 85 euros per stitch. (Greece)
I have prior experience of using the local emergency services where I'm going, last summer my son fainted, fell over and cut his head requiring 3 stitches, it was all sorted very quickly by the local a + e dept using just the ehic card.
The summer before my dad fainted, fell over and cut his hand, again a few stitches required, all done by local a +e and the ehic card.
I'm going to try not to faint this year.
The other half broke his arm in two places in BSM. Two nights in hospital, multiple Xrays, full anesthetic, titanium plate and screws. Bill was E46 with EHIC. Far lower than our excess. Year after, I went to the clinic in Les Gets to have a one inch splinter removed which was embedded below the skin. Local anesthetic, a couple of quick cuts with a scalpel and five stitches - E150.
So go to the hospital not the Drs or a clinic.
We don't book much in advance, use EHIC for medical bills and have Alpine Club of Austria membership to pay for extraction if required.
The selfishness of the english shining through.
I need to get to Spain for a funeral service and sort some stuff out, was planning on risking it at the and of July, (my father passed away in april) but with our pointless 14 day quarantine (self isolate unless you need to go out to get food) on arrival back in ingerlund, it means the Spanish may reciprocate so I might well face a restriction on arrival, making the trip a big waste of time. it's a fluid political situation from what I can tell.
A few locals I'm in touch with are already angry about random tourists sneaking in with UK plated vehicles swanning around, and to be fair, tourists from inland, Madrid etc. too.
Selfishness of a few English, but the same can be said of all countries can't it. Same at home though isn't it. Going to give everyone a bad reputation and become pariah's of Europe.
Greece has handled the virus very well but I'm afraid that their opening up to tourism (seeing as its so essential to their economy) may end in disaster. We are hoping to go in September, and planning to be self-isolated the whole time as far as possible - arranging for groceries to be delivered and whatnot. Not quite the same as usual, but the sun will be shining.
We have just renewed our annual policy with Yellow Jersey this morning, downgraded our daughters from Worldwide 60 days to Europe and 30 Days.
My daughter asked them the question about going to France and cover as she is thinking of disappearing for a bit, was told it the same as it always was, if HO say no travel guidance then no cover until they change it back.
DrJ, you booked with Dystopian holidays? 😮
UK government is a complete farce, the UK 14day quarantine on arrival wasn't worth the paper it was written on anyway, and they are back-tracking on it already.
The Spanish were about to reciprocate with quarantining people from the UK, so now they may or may not go ahead with that because the utterly stupid British government changes its mind every 22 seconds.
Absolute joke.
Greece has handled the virus very well but I’m afraid that their opening up to tourism (seeing as its so essential to their economy) may end in disaster. We are hoping to go in September, and planning to be self-isolated the whole time as far as possible – arranging for groceries to be delivered and whatnot. Not quite the same as usual, but the sun will be shining
We’re due out there in 3 weeks, still on as far as we’ve heard. Self catering so will need to visit shops, but aside from that we keep ourselves to ourselves anyway so distancing shouldn’t be much of an issue.
Restaurants will be interesting...
More speculative info: BBC NEWS story
An airbridge with Australia is as unlikely as unfettered migration between the two countries.
We've changed our flights from 10th july to 4th july - all looking good for it to happen so far.
Enjoy your covid holiday
thanks mate - will do...
Things are starting to look promising...(crossing fingers,toes etc). For me France is the lynchpin, as long as we maintain an Airbridge agreement it should allow a roadtrip this summer.
We should currently have been sat enjoying our first night in the Alps with Bike Village right about now.... Instead we get a wet week at home having worked through months of sunny weather. Ho hum.
Bouncing it all to next year has been pretty straightforward as we held off booking ferry / tunnel. BV has handled it really well and we can't wait to (eventually) get there.
So, it looks like going to Spain late July for us be technically on. There's then the question of whether we still want to.
Does anyone know of have any links to the situation regarding beaches, restaurants etc? I heard anecdotally that some beaches were all segregated etc, and also full of Spaniards having local staycations. We were planning Girona then Pyrenees.
To be honest I don't think I can be arsed going if everything when we get there is difficult or limited. Also worried about covid on the rise again. I'm sure they'll lock down sharpish if there is even a hint of anything sustained. I don't want to get stuck there, that's for sure.
Losing money on flights etc. isn't a consideration.
Same here, should have been on the shores of Lake Garda today.
All moved on to same time next year.
Still got fingers crossed for the September trip.
Ahhh - family mtb holidays 🙂 Our kids are slightly younger and more xc racer than yours Tracey - holiday should have been their reward for finishing A levels & GCSEs. This year hasn't worked out quite as we imagined.....
If you're going to be self-contained - in a camper van, for example - yes, good news.
As for hotels, it will be a very new normal for them, their staff and guests; not on my agenda for this year.
I wonder what scheme is being cooked up to encourage travel to/from the US; I have family in the states but won't be seeing them anytime soon.
I wonder what scheme is being cooked up to encourage travel to/from the US; I have family in the states but won’t be seeing them anytime soon.
Keeping absolutely everything crossed here at 'dirt towers UK that we can return to 'dirt towers across the pond later this year. Spent the last 4-5 years planning our US retirement vacation home which was finally completed in January. We were fortunate enough to be able to spend three months there at the start of the year but since then have had to rely on the security cams for our mountain fix :'(
Does anyone know of have any links to the situation regarding beaches, restaurants etc? I heard anecdotally that some beaches were all segregated etc, and also full of Spaniards having local staycations. We were planning Girona then Pyrenees.
Have a look at the foreign office website that has all the rules for all countries.
In Spain the rule is that you should wear a mask if you can't maintain >1.5m distance when out in public, or wear a mask regardless on public transport.
In practice in majorca most bars have rearranged their outdoor terraces to provide >1.5m distance between tables so no need for masks.
I don't subscribe to waiting until next year if there's the possibility of going abroad this year - take every opportunity while you can as next year things might be worse again! So this year a holiday might well be different from the norm, so what, adapt to the new norm and enjoy being abroad...
adapt to the new norm and enjoy being abroad
What if you just want to be in the place that will afford the most fun though? (That's what I want)
That place might not be abroad.
Ps thanks Julian s I will take a look at the foreign office website
From what I've seen, noone is wearing masks in bars or restaurants in Spain apart from the staff. Based only on experience where I live (Pais Vasco) and where I've been camping the last week (Cantabria). It's largely business as usual, apart from obviously close to zero foreign tourists.
The problem you might have is if the region you're staying in has another outbreak, they'll crank up the restrictions again. I think this happened in Huesca (Pyrenees) this week. Some quite serious outbreaks have popped up this week but remains to be seen what action they take.
IMO you'll have a normal holiday and notice little difference, but there is the slight chance that your region goes back one phase, meaning back to 50pc capacity in hostelry etc so reservations and queueing again, beaches closed..
We live in Southern Cataluña just inland from the Costa Daurada, our area has escaped with no recorded infections and a very tightly observed lockdown. Thankfully the beaches are normally very quiet so no distancing issues. Friends are reporting a much better demand for holiday lets in rural accommodation than apartments by the seaside. Club rides have resumed this week and when out shopping and suchlike, mask wearing is strictly adhered to. This is us Casa Tomillo
Booked the eurotunnel last night for our trip to Morzine in August. Website had been a nightmare through the day,really slow and kept getting looped back to the start of the booking process on the few times I tried. Thought it was just playing up.
Tried again late last night and got on to realise it must’ve been demand slowing things up as the crossing slots I wanted were sold out on the way out and very expensive on the way back! Had to tweak things so now going at 3:30am (Luckily we’re only 40 mins from the terminal!) and extending the holiday a few days and coming back midweek. Now only £20 more than we paid last year.
The early out / late back weekend slots are going to cost a lot if you can get one.
I find this a bit odd. Given the restrictions that exist and / or could well be imposed again there is no way I would be booking anything right now
I'm still debating whether we're going to go to Belgium in 2 weeks time (10th-13th July)
It had been planned for 8 months, but obviously cancelled, now it looks like we can go.
The only downside is that Eurotunnel are double the cost of last year, out on a Friday morning, back on Monday dinner.
The only time we have interaction with other people is in the hotel/B&B, cafes and cakes shops. We're just doing a few Flanders bike rides, then stocking up on beer and wine on the way back.
I’d booked the Airbnb in Feb before Covid. The tunnel booking can be moved by a year. I have pre-Covid annual insurance policy. It’s a calculated risk
Not aimed particularly at you Blitz. I just find it odd that people would be attempting to book european or US holidays given the situation we are in.
Personally I'll feel I have done well if I get a Scottish holiday this year. ( three trips already cancelled) I wouldn't even think of attempting to book overseas although I would do a last minute booking if things look OK by sept ( which I doubt very much)
Different strokes for different folks
I find this a bit odd. Given the restrictions that exist and / or could well be imposed again there is no way I would be booking anything right now
Agree with this. It's why we're wavering over our existing trip. There's a lot to go wrong.
We've cancelled our trip to France in mid-August, just decided that on balance, it was the right thing to do. P&O ferries would have allowed us to credit the booking for use next year but we just cancelled and got a refund. The campsite we were staying at are not interested in letting us defer the booking till next year, which is a shame (and a bit odd I thought, given the circumstances).
We're going to play it all by ear and see what happens, probably end up with a few local camping trips instead.
I am in Spain, business as usual round this way on the beach, cafes, villages. Just been out on my daily walk and seen a group of rock climbers, a group of mountain bikers and a few mountain walkers. If you stay rural you won't notice any difference. Noone wears a mask up here as it's hot and pretty uncomfortable wearing one. Just in the shops where you have to, but I just stand on the street and order from the staff as I know them. I really feel for them wearing a mask all day.
Expecting a few villa let's, I got one at 09.05 yesterday all of 5 mins after the news allowing quarantine free holidays. I had pretty much written off this summer apart from my regulars so we 'll see.
What if you just want to be in the place that will afford the most fun though? (That’s what I want)
That place might not be abroad.
I find this a bit odd. Given the restrictions that exist and / or could well be imposed again there is no way I would be booking anything right now
This is the view in our household. Our holidays are always quite stressful and busy, dashing around getting things done. I enjoy them loads but I know that this is tempered for the missus by the logistical complexities. I think we've also had around 8 trips to hospital/ medical facilities in that time, including a three week stay for the wife and kid. So about one every two years....
Getting this foreign medical care has become more tricky of late, and with the whole Brexit thing, not to mention the whole Poxed Island Apes thing it will just become harder.
Given that the primary purpose of a holiday is to relax, she has decreed that we aint going abroad.
It's weird, I normally do between 6 and 9 foreign holidays each year, but this year we had nothing booked after the skinofourteeth north Italian half term ski trip.
First time in quarter of a century that I haven't got at least one set of flights/ferries/tunnels booked.
I've just booked a self catering apartment near Cork for October.
Nothing to pay until arrival and free cancellation. So if a second wave hits then I won't be out of pocket. Ferry over from Holyhead rather than flying.
I'm counting on Ireland being less of a destination for Brits and therefore quieter. But who knows.
We've got EuroTunnel booked for end of July but that's under their fully refundable/no questions asked terms.
We'll wait until formal quarantine/FO travel statements made tomorrow and tentatively plan to still go proving insurance cover can be obtained. We'll probably wait until very close to departure date before finally decided.
Tbh, we wouldn't go other than we have a house in southwest France that we haven't been to since we closed it down for the winter in November. Lots of grass to cut and general maintenance. At least we aren't reliant on hotels and restaurants and it's pretty rural if we end up going. Mind you, I'd like to be riding there again as it's beautiful.
I guess for us too, it's not so much a holiday as a second home. Our plan was to spend half our time in the US and half here. We had been far safer in the mountains back in April than packed like sardines onto a plane to return to the UK but our visas expired and we had to no option but to follow the rules. 14 days' quarantine would be no problem if travel restrictions were lifted #fingerscrossed
We are booked on the tunnel on the 29th July, with accommodation in southern Alps all booked last December. If restrictions allow we will go, we are fairly self sufficient, don't eat out when away and tend to just head for quiet rivers and lakes so should be able to socially distance easily, and there's always a risk of something happening whilst away. After seeing photos of our beaches so far this year I think I'd rather take the risk of going to France than holidaying here.
After seeing photos of our beaches so far this year I think I’d rather take the risk of going to France than holidaying here.
That's what we are thinking about Belgium.
Locally, (Leicester) there has been an upsurge in the Virus. I'm not surprised at all. Little social distancing, the usual idiots having a party in their street/back gardens where all of their friends are invited. A large BLM gathering, with no distancing that I could see in the pictures. We've been doing a lot more biking, one of the paths, the Great Central Way passes a small park in Leicester, we went past there on a Saturday afternoon, it was like a festival field, so many people there.
10 reported cases within a mile of me in the last week, it seems to be centred on the local Tesco, 5 members of staff, and 4 staff at the nearby biscuit factory have it. My auntie live another mile away, she's 74, had it, yet I found out she still went to the local shop to get some milk. This is the local shop where the Owner had died and 2 other family members had had it.
Shop owner dies
It's hard to understand how thick some people are, hopefully they may be a bit more clued up over the channel.
after it was revealed 658 new cases were recorded in the Leicester area in the two weeks to June 16.
Is that the best we can do? Stats from 12 days ago, and almost another week before anyone decides whether a lockdown is worthwhile. The response is far too slow - but it’s not the first time.