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I think I already know the answer to this, but just wanted to check what other people think.
Hoping to do a several months long cycling trip in Europe from June (Postponed from last year) and just wondering if I should already knock it on the head until next year. 🙁
You can only do 90 days without a visa anyway. 50 / 50 I would say. To be longer than 90 days you need a visa and as far as I can see no one has any idea what and how.
I think it would be very difficult, particularly if you are crossing multiple borders.
No harm in planning - that's half the fun - but maybe be flexible on dates.
If heading South maybe you could start as late as August?
Ling seems to be able to do it.
From a Brexit point of view you should really see what visa you need to stay “several months” but as you’re very unlikely to see border guard once you’re in the EU you can make your own mind up about that.
From a COVID point of view, on balance I’d say yes, whether you need to go through a procedure of getting a negative test etc I don’t know, but assuming the vaccine works as it should, by June the crisis will be over from a healthcare capacity point of view and the UK and EU will want their tourism industry open again. If it doesn’t and the hospitals are still at breaking point (or beyond) then we’ll all have bigger problems to worry about.
I think it would be very difficult, particularly if you are crossing multiple borders.
There is absolutely nothing difficult about crossing "multiple borders" within the EU. That's the point.
I have absolutely no idea how a visa is meant to work within the Schengen zone.
I assume any visa will be an EU one or else it's impossible to police.
I would imagine that, having/not having a visa, issues would only arise when you leave the EU (while travelling) if you have been there for more than 90 days.
As long as the touring kit isn't swathed in St George's flags, you'd be unlikely to be subjected to a "spot check"
Cheers all, it was more of a Covid thing.
Already well aware of the 90 days in 180 days, so will be out of the schengen into the balkans by that point. If I need a visa, even for 90 days, will get one in advance.
Work are giving me a sabbatical to do it, so have to kind of nail my colours to mast shortly to give them enough notice.
Personally, I wouldn't risk it and postpone it for another year. Loosing a week in Benidorm isn't the same as loosing a multi-month touring holiday.
We move our Lake Garda and the Italian Alps trip on from June last year, for 12 months, mainly to ensure the sites could manage to stay viable rather than getting the monies back
At this point in time we haven't given up hope but deep down I cant see it happening.
I can't see travel being easy until September at the earliest, both within and without the UK.
EU should be hassle free but once in the Balkans you'll need passports at every border. However, post-Brexit there's a chance you now need an entry visa, probably best to email the embassies.
As for Covid, I don't see things being much better by the summer tbh, it won't be gone and people will be much more active as the weather gets better.
I wouldn't risk it personally. It might be possible but I think restrictions might take the fun out of it.
We've booked ferry for end June to see tdf start in Brittany, keeping fingers crossed it's possible.
Interested in this as well, as wanting to do something in my campervan. Likely I'll need to hold off to 2022
One Q - with the 90 days thing - if you left the EU for 1 day and came back in, would you get another 90 days visa free? I'm sure folk used to do that in the USA
Don't think it woks like that, it means our future plans in the camper have been altered.
This might help with the calculations
https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/visa-calculator/
One Q – with the 90 days thing – if you left the EU for 1 day and came back in, would you get another 90 days visa free? I’m sure folk used to do that in the USA
My understanding is 90 days in any 180 day period, so you’d have to leave EU for 90 days before return.
As you can imagine we've made a study of this as we live in cataluña. Thankfully we are resident in Spain so no issues but we know many people who've had to return to the UK or are doing so before April as they never bothered to apply for residence. The maximum time allowed in the EU is 90 days in a 180 day period. You cant come for 90 days go back for a day then return. It also means that if you spend all your allowance, there's no weekend breaks in Paris etc allowed until you've had 90 days back in blighty. It rather buggers up those wishing to do a few months touring or just bumming around Europe doing casual work on the Costas. If the current Covid situation gets no worse, a big if, then I'd say you'll be able to get here ok, just be sensible and stick to local hygiene rules.
As an alternative optimistic view it looks like the age groups that make up most of those stressing the hospitals will be vaccinated by June. The death rate in the rest of the population isn't high enough to justify keeping the economy on hold so unless there's a really evil mutation that the vaccine doesn't protect against I'm predicting a free for all this Summer. 🙂
I've been riding my bike around Europe covering 5000 - 12000 kms for decades and have had to present ID only twice, once in Germany in 1980 and once in Spain in 1994. Even when there were proper frontiers they always waved me through on a bike.
Americans/South Americans/Russians have been overstaying their visas for years. If you don't try to work and keep your nose clean there is almost no chance of being expelled. However, upset someone after 90 days and you'll be out, and find it harder to get back.
As an alternative optimistic view it looks like the age groups that make up most of those stressing the hospitals will be vaccinated by June. The death rate in the rest of the population isn’t high enough to justify keeping the economy on hold so unless there’s a really evil mutation that the vaccine doesn’t protect against I’m predicting a free for all this Summer. 🙂
I'm with ya Ed. 🙂
The above echos my thoughts.
It's my 40th this summer and had planned for 2 months in Spain and France, picking up a stage or two of the TdF (bucket list thing). I was going to drive down and family fly, meet up at the bottom and drive back slowly together.
Work have said no to the extended time off and the obvious covid situation may be a challenge.
Instead we plan to drive straight to bottom of Spain and do 3-4 weeks before driving straight back. With their reliance on tourism we just can't see it not happening, even if there are some restrictions when we get there or come back.
I hope to be corrected on this but I think the issue with exceeding the 90 day stay is that you will have a dated stamp when you leave the country and clearly anyone checking on your return will notice the excess period. We are aware of fellow Spanish residents who have wrongly had their passports stamped when returning to their only home in Spain since Jan 1st and wrongly refused flight boarding as the airline have not recognised their green residencia card. It's early days and should be sorted by June (year not specified)
My guess is that if you do overstay there will be nothing happen until you leave the EU - then you will be in trouble.
It’ll be like the US, you can overstay a 90 day visa quite easily and you'll be able to leave just fine, but it’ll screw you over for any subsequent entry or even transit through the US as even for connecting flights you have to enter the US.
I have an April ski trip to Italy booked. I’m still optimistic ish. 🤦♂️
Instead we plan to drive straight to bottom of Spain and do 3-4 weeks before driving straight back. With their reliance on tourism we just can’t see it not happening, even if there are some restrictions when we get there or come back.
You intend to drive from where? Remember you are not an EU citizen and it matters. If you are simply expecting to turn up at Calais and drive down you might be in for a shock. If Spain is allowing non EU citizens in, that doesn't mean France will let you in.
The death rate in the rest of the population isn’t high enough to justify keeping the economy on hold so unless there’s a really evil mutation that the vaccine doesn’t protect against I’m predicting a free for all this Summer. 🙂
Because the French will be really happy to let the new variant in just because...
It’ll be like the US
I doubt it. Europe isn't the US. Anyhow there's no need to speculate when the consequences are published but in fact depend on member country policies:
https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/consequences-of-overstaying-in-schengen-area/
Edit in reply to mrmo: there will be a risk assessment. Is the tourist revenue worth the risk? Last summer the answer was positive.
Edit in reply to mrmo: there will be a risk assessment. Is the tourist revenue worth the risk? Last summer the answer was positive.
not saying it will or won't, rather don't assume, just because. See how vaccination goes in France for example.
The objective is to get very vulnerable groups vaccinated by the end of March and over 50s by the end of the Spring, so end of June. Once that is done the lower number of people requiring hospital treatment should mean a lifting of restrictions. Given the mood in France at present there's no way they'll restrict our freedoms once there's enough hospital capacity.
Given the mood in France at present there’s no way they’ll restrict our freedoms once there’s enough hospital capacity.
That makes sense. Or course restricting the freedoms of the Brits might be a different matter.
At the current rate the British population will be vaccinated faster than here and hopefully a low risk by the Summer. Make sure you keep your vaccination certificate, there's talk of a "Covid passeport" though there are doubts such a move would be legal.
Make sure you keep your vaccination certificate
Is that a thing?
Most of us won’t be vaccinated by June.
Which COVID cohort are you in OP? If in the over 70’s there’s a chance 😁
We are booked to go abroad in July. Mrs FD and I have both been jabbed and we don’t think we will be going
We’re not planning anything until the very last minute this year. I really have no idea how things will go.
I hope you can get away for your trip if you decide to do it. If I had to get time off work for it I think I’d delay it until next year. Otherwise you could end up with 5 months sitting at home not getting paid. Which would be rubbish.
Is that a thing?
Yes, but given the debate its sparked I can't see it being implemented:
https://www.francetvinfo.fr/sante/maladie/coronavirus/vaccin/covid-19-le-passeport-vaccinal-serait-il-legal_4238285.html
I have a race entry for late August in Switzerland, hoping it happens, but can only watch and wait. Where it gets messy is I am an EU citizen but the SO isn't so I might be able to go, but she won't.
I think you should be ok by then. Go for it as you never know what's around the corner.
That makes sense. Or course restricting the freedoms of the Brits might be a different matter.
France is the most visited country in the world for tourism, it’s a massive and important part of the French economy. It represents around 10% of its GDP and 10% of it’s employment.
The UK provides its second largest market for tourism. Brits spend around 80 million nights in France in a normal year, second only to Germany with 86 million.
The ‘English Variant’ has already been discovered in France.
As above, by June, unless a new, more dangerous variant comes. In the UK and the EU the highest risk age groups will have been vaccinated. I hope/pray/guess by June 2021 there will be very few Deaths and hospitalisation in developed countries due to COVID.
It won’t be ‘life as normal’, I guess we’re all well used to wearing masks in confined spaces etc.
I really hope we can....
Had a trip planned for June '20 as a celebration of my half century.
Booked the 3 Ballons sportive for this year as a replacement, now not convinced it will happen either 🙄
We moved our roadtrip to Lake Garda from Aug-20 to the same dates in 2021.
We did discuss this at the weekend - my wife pointed out that we might have to have negative COVID tests before entry to the EU, and again on the way home - currently this would cost us almost £1k for the 4 of us.
If this is still likely to be in place we'll cancel - total waste of money.
We're both mid-late 40's and my wife is a teacher, so hopefully she'll be vaccinated by then - if things go really well they might get around to 48 year olds by then, so fingers crossed for me.
However, i'm aware that the EU will be keen to get tourism up and running ASAP as last year was a write off - so can't see anyone putting unnecessary barriers up to travel.
I reckon we've got a 50/50 chance of going - but actually not bothered right now if it slips..
I have absolutely no idea how a visa is meant to work within the Schengen zone.
I assume any visa will be an EU one or else it’s impossible to police.
Visas are usually Schengen Visas. They should be issued by the point of entry, so if you enter Schengen via France, you'd usually get a Schengen visa from France. This is pre-Brexit and exactly what that will end up looking like for British citizens post-Brexit is not clear I think. Also, in June there's a reasonable chance there will still be restrictions on travel between Schengen locations due to COVID, so I'd factor that in to any plans that involve a border. And whilst it will, as others have pointed out, likely to be fairly easy to find crossing points that aren't staffed like checkpoint charlie was, do expect challenges if your visa was clocked at entry in France and you get stopped 1 month later a long way from there if there are restrictions...
my wife pointed out that we might have to have negative COVID tests before entry to the EU, and again on the way home – currently this would cost us almost £1k for the 4 of us.
Also a risk that individual countries may want similar as well for non-residents - pain if you cross lots of borders
Yes, but given the debate its sparked I can’t see it being implemented
I meant, for us Brits...
At the current rate the British population will be vaccinated faster than here and hopefully a low risk by the Summer. Make sure you keep your vaccination certificate, there’s talk of a “Covid passeport” though there are doubts such a move would be legal.
It's a genuine question. Is there such thing as a "vaccination certificate" for Brits to keep? The old folks in our families haven't had the vaccine, so I have no idea whether you get a "vaccination certificate" for Covid19... but I'd be surprised if you did.
At present there isn't, but if it's something that becomes a norm (which in some cases it's a certainty) then a letter from your GP or similar will be the 'certificate'.
my wife pointed out that we might have to have negative COVID tests before entry to the EU, and again on the way home – currently this would cost us almost £1k for the 4 of us.
That is currently the case for Spain, negative PCR up to 72 hours prior to get in, and the same again to re-enter the UK. Non residents currently not allowed to travel anyway.
I got a vaccination certificate for N1H1 here. We also have vaccination cards to get filled in each time we get a vaccine. Seems a bit antiquated in this computer age but it works and provides instant proof should anyone ask. We couldn't take junior swimming until he was vaccinated.
I have a little booklet somewhere that records I've had yellow fever vaccine and a bunch of others. There are various tropical countries you won't be getting in without such
MrMo... Swiss Epic? I'm sure it will run in 21 as they did a stellar job of Covid protocols in 20. (I'm on the event team..). I think that they set the standard as the first mass participation Covid time event.
Anyhow, Im a German resident officially, but still on a GB passport. German position for me if I get a stamp in my UK passport in France returning to German from the Uk is I have a "souvenir" of my trip to the UK. The 90 days won't apply in my circumstance.
It’s a genuine question. Is there such thing as a “vaccination certificate” for Brits to keep
A bit pointless given we don't yet know if having had the vaccine or means you can't pass it on or be carrier.
rickmeister, no, Grand Raid BCVS
Take vegan sandwiches only!