Travel European Travel and Holidays 2021/22

Mike Humphreys said:
Still not seeing any reason a double vaccinated, double tested person would need to quarantine. As I’ve said we are the problem for Europe.
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That‘s why I am also a bit puzzled, beta strain is a bit more in France yes, but it‘s not like it‘s suddenly a problem this month, as the rate in France is comparatively consistent (maybe due to their African travellers and communities?), unless there are data that we cannot see.
I have to say I don‘t think the "scientific" decisions of traffic light system is transparent enough. We have said it from 2020, other scientists should be able to see the data, and more importantly, their standards, too.

And sorry to hear that you have to give up your travel plan.
 
I doubt (hope we won't) we will be affected Jasper.

The plan means the quarantine will be removed once British people have cancelled their holidays or gone anyway due to circumstances having changed (don't forget, the plan is to reduce the balance of payments deficit following massive cock ups)

Our plan was always to wait for a return early September... by then, the "war" between the 2 children (Boris 1/4 French, Manu 1/4 English army officer) will have moved a few steps .

If the worst comes to the worst, we can have a few days with our friends in NL and take the ferry from Hoek van Holland.... or just quarantine...

My bet is still this will be cancelled in 10 days once people have cancelled their holidays...
 
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Antoine Singer said:
I doubt (hope we won't) we will be affected Jasper.

The plan means the quarantine will be removed once British people have cancelled their holidays or gone anyway due to circumstances having changed (don't forget, the plan is to reduce the balance of payments deficit following massive cock ups)

Our plan was always to wait for a return early September... by then, the "war" between the 2 children (Boris 1/4 French, Manu 1/4 English army officer) will have moved a few steps .

If the worst comes to the worst, we can have a few days with our friends in NL and take the ferry from Hoek van Holland.... or just quarantine...

My bet is still this will be cancelled in 10 days once people have cancelled their holidays...
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Well this is what I said at the start, that there must be more to this. The working “while we study data “ as they impose gives the chance it may all change again once they have finished studying. I’m wondering why they want people to cancel, is it they are just lessening movement ? Just seems odd.
 
Antoine Singer said:
I doubt (hope we won't) we will be affected Jasper.

The plan means the quarantine will be removed once British people have cancelled their holidays or gone anyway due to circumstances having changed (don't forget, the plan is to reduce the balance of payments deficit following massive cock ups)

Our plan was always to wait for a return early September... by then, the "war" between the 2 children (Boris 1/4 French, Manu 1/4 English army officer) will have moved a few steps .

If the worst comes to the worst, we can have a few days with our friends in NL and take the ferry from Hoek van Holland.... or just quarantine...

My bet is still this will be cancelled in 10 days once people have cancelled their holidays...
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Antoine, I was thinking 'utter nonsense, surely?'. ;)

I have just checked Eurotunnel: Saturday 31 July & 1 August (along with other weekends) have been sold out since three weeks ago. Now every return slot is available.
 
I'm planning on still travelling over next week. One thing I am confused about (and I wonder if anyone here can enlighten me) is what is the Covid testing requirement before travelling from the UK to France as I'm seeing conflicting reports about whats required following yesterdays announcement?

I am fully vaccinated.

There is the following on the Eurotunnel website:

All passengers aged 11 and older (even if fully vaccinated) travelling on our passenger service require a negative result from a non-NHS PCR test taken in the previous 72 hours or a non-NHS Antigen (lateral flow) test taken in the previous 48 hours. At French border controls you will need to present digital or paper evidence of the negative result provided by the test provider.

This on the Reuters website:

PARIS, July 17 (Reuters) - France will reinforce restrictions on unvaccinated travellers from a series of countries to counter a rebound in COVID-19 infections, while opening its doors to those who have received all their shots, Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Saturday.

From Sunday, July 18, non-vaccinated people coming from the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, the Netherlands and Greece will need to present a COVID-19 test dating from less than 24 hours before travel to enter France.

Currently tests can date from 48 hours for UK travellers and 72 hours for the other countries listed.

Fully vaccinated travellers from any country of departure will be able to enter France without a test from Saturday, Castex said in a statement.


Crystal clear then! :rolleyes: Do I need a provide a negative test before departure the UK or not?

Must be time for a drink!
 
Mark, I think Eurotunnel may change their narrative on Monday morning, you should check again.

France is letting double-jabbed UK (and Spanish/Portugese) travellers enter with no tests, certainly as of next week. And I think this will continue because it fits the current political narrative here in France perfectly, which is ALL about the freedom you can have once you are double-jabbed and get your Covid Pass and the restrictions you will encounter if you don't..

As Antoine and others have said already, given that UK Gov. has effectively killed mass tourism to France for this summer there is very little extra risk for France in loosening entry for fully vaccinated Brits who still want to travel. For the un-vaccinated, the French are insisting on a negative PCR test taken within the previous 24 hours....which rules out all but the most expensive test centres.
 
Mark,
What we did was to book an antigenic test the day before leaving (this avoids a panic to find one). The result is almost instantaneous and then you need the vaccination certificate (we had it on both phone and printed). When you reach Eurotunnel, you have a very simple form to fill (with your age as they probably can't figure it from your passport... really no real information but you have to do it).

The change is indeed test was due to be less than 2 days old and now 24 hours old. A small change especially if you manage it our way (probably more difficult if you want to do a PCR but the antigenic is cheaper anyway...).

Easy peasy
(actually, Isabelle reminds me the custom guy did not want trouble so just asked if we had everything OK and we just answered yes... avoids trouble for him... in case there is a problem)
 
So....my head is still trying to work out why my wife and daughter on returning from France still need to leave the house (and pay 190 quid each) to get D2/D8 tests if they were just planning to stay at home and quarantine... I'm really confused.

I'll shell out the dosh for D2/D8 plus early release for my boys as they are coming back to go on a sailing course. almost 600 fecking quid plus 100 quid for each of them for a eurostar ticket.

I wish I'd gone to school with Matt Hancock or Boris..... I'd be made for life.
 
Oh... and this is a question that is unethtical but I thought I would ask.

What is to stop people just forging a PCR test booking for their return journey? Knowing IT systems and government I would doubt very much these things are linked.....

As a good citizen this is not something I would every do...but there are so many holes in the system.... it is surely unmanageable
 
The rules changed last night at midnight, you don't need a test to leave England for France if you are double-vaxxed.

Coming back via France the rules have stayed the same (i.e. no relaxation) - negative test before travel, Days2/8 plus 10 days Quarantine plus Day 5 test to release if you want it..
 
Paul J a i n e s said:
Oh... and this is a question that is unethtical but I thought I would ask.

What is to stop people just forging a PCR test booking for their return journey? Knowing IT systems and government I would doubt very much these things are linked.....

As a good citizen this is not something I would every do...but there are so many holes in the system.... it is surely unmanageable
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If caught there is a significant fine.
 
Richard Lodeman said:
Mark,
Regarding French entry requirements this is the website that counts Coronavirus - Advice for Foreign Nationals in France

Currently we are in the orange camp so double vaccinated need a negative test.

Ignore what the Daily Express, your mate or anyone else tells you.
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As Johnny has already pointed out Richard you’re using old information. Here are the new ones:

“1/ A partir du dimanche 18 juillet (0h00), les personnes non vaccinées devront présenter un test PCR ou antigénique négatif de moins de 24h pour se rendre sur le territoire français depuis le Royaume-Uni.

2/ Aussi, les personnes complètement vaccinées ne devront plus présenter de test pour pouvoir entrer sur le territoire français. La durée nécessaire après la dernière injection est réduite à 7 jours (double injection, ou contamination antérieure + une injection) et 28 jours (injection unique).”

Please also note that fully vaccinated now means 7 days post second jab eg Pfizer and AZ.

Here is the government website I took this from:
uk.ambafrance.org

[COVID19] Conditions de déplacement entre la France et le Royaume-Uni

Consultez les mesures mises en place et les conditions de déplacement entre la France et le Royaume-Uni.
uk.ambafrance.org uk.ambafrance.org

Of course whether France will continue to be as generous after the UK’s idiotic amber plus decision remains to be seen. Obviously the PM can’t have been bothered to look at anything other than the headline data on France - otherwise he’d have seen most Beta in France is thousands of miles away. Will he announce yet another u turn on this soon? Here in France, where I’ve been a fortnight, people are just flabbergasted at how thick our leaders look!!!
 
I'd basically written off any prospect of going to our shack in France this summer. But had hoped to go for two weeks at half term in October. I'm increasingly thinking that's unrealistic.
 
I now wonder if, come half term, lots of people with families will have unused holiday, camping isn't really an option, and so there will be a complete crush on what hotels, B and Bs etc. are available here in the UK. Hmm.

Over in France there will be whole swathes of flats available for hire cheap in ski resorts which, while there may be no skiing then, still have other options. Even if we didn't have our shack, lots of options - walks, mountain views, French food, etc. Such a situation simply doesn't exist here.

At some point we'll have to decide... Keep hoping for France in October, or dump the idea fast and find something, anything, here in the UK, as Christmas is presumably sure to be like last year - especially with flu rebound potentially hitting the NHS.

Maybe I'll visit the idea of camping in October. If I spent, say, £1k on kit, could it have a high certainty of being enjoyable with a five year old - bearing in mind we have a small car? I'm in two minds.

Confess that the prospect of nice food and wine on holiday is greatly diminished as it's one of the few pastimes available at home. Besides, I think the best restaurant meals with a young child are those wonderful prix fixe lunch menus, for their effortless ease, and such remarkable value that it doesn't really matter whether it's quite good or very good - you just enjoy lunch, ideally having cycled there.
 
Indeed. We found that the campsites not far from London at the weekend were £40 or more a night, though we later found a cheaper one at half that by an angling centre - very basic.

That Les Arcs flat... Just look at the views if you scroll the photos.. And I quite like Bourg down in the valley. The mountain biking is amazing round there. You can hike to mountain huts, or to the amazing face of the Grande Casse. There are some super mountaineering routes. And it's really quiet and peaceful.

I just looked on Air Bnb for Lake District in October. There's nothing, even this far in advance, except some places round the far, far outskirts - except for a small house in Keswick at over £250 a night.

A big question is for how long will it be like this. I realise now that my thinking was rather shaped by thinking things would be better by now, the vaccine was coming to the rescue, and a kind of heuristic that over time things get better.

I now suspect going to France at Xmas will also be impossible. Hard to think what to actually do with holiday days.

If I wasn't a parent I'd be revisiting lightweight backpacking. I suppose my son did five miles hiking aged four in winter (he's pretty energetic and tenacious) and is now eight months older, but if it rained it'd be a nightmare in a small backpacking tent.
 
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