Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Rides and Touring => Topic started by: TPMB12 on 07 January, 2022, 10:43:36 pm
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We've not felt it right to have a 2 week family tour over the Channel since 2020. We had 3 years touring as a family in Netherlands, France and Belgium. This year we're hoping it'll be safe to book the ferry and campsites in Belgium late July/ early August. We need to book in reasonable time but don't want to if we might lose out if we have to cancel due to increased infection rates or if it starts feel like covid risk is increasing.
It's too early to decide whether to go for it, plan and book. I just wonder if there's any predictions on the pandemic into summer? Do you think it'll be safe/ right this summer to tour? What's your gut feeling this year?
Family is two adults and a 9 year old so it's also important that things like attractions open up to. Cycle touring with a9 year old also needs to entertain too.
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I/we are in a dilemma too - club has had a foreign tour of about 10 days each year from 2012-2019, France, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Holland have been visited.
2020 and then 2021 were supposed to have been Loire-Atlantique, didn't happen . . and the same for 2022 in mid-June. At the moment the door seems firmly closed in France.
So, who knows? - we've just set the end of March as the yes/no decision for the group - so at least there's a chance for the members to look at alternatives.
For 2021 we had a short 5 day tour in the UK but it wasn't that good - being very expensive for hotel accommodation and meals. We agreed that our group trips were only to "the foreign" in future
Personal view is odds at about 15% likely to happen.
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We all thought it was going the right way at the beginning of November, then look what happened.
Planning anything is a long way from any sort of guarantee. Most depressing.
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HK and I are hoping to bounce over to France for no more than a week each a couple of times this year. We will see what circumstances allow.
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I wouldn't book anything non refundable...
J
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Well travel is possible at the moment depending on destinations. France is currently not an option but I was away over October half and Christmas / NYE. Both times I entered the Schengen Zone via The Netherlands. It required some admin (pre departure LFT, Dutch quarantine documentation, UK passenger locator form & COVID tests on return etc) but it was possible. There's extra costs involved for COVID tests too. I also spent summer 2020 in France, tho on that trip got caught by the UK government reintroducing quarantine restrictions while away. However with vaccinations the quarantine system seems to be a thing of the past.
I would imagine travel will be easier in the summer as case loads (hopefully) drop and pressures on hospitals decrease in spring and summer.
So yes I think it would be possible. But to be on safe side either book flexible tickets or just hold off booking anything until closer to the time
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When I last looked (a few weeks ago admittedly), France was possible for a flying visit, Belgium totally inpracticable. As Belgium has had the worst Covid outbreak in Europe I'm not surprised that they have severe restrictions. I'm sure the rules have changed since then, though, and will again in the future. But I wouldn't be very optimistic, and definitely wouldn't book anything non-refundable.
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When I last looked (a few weeks ago admittedly), France was possible for a flying visit, Belgium totally inpracticable. As Belgium has had the worst Covid outbreak in Europe I'm not surprised that they have severe restrictions. I'm sure the rules have changed since then, though, and will again in the future. But I wouldn't be very optimistic, and definitely wouldn't book anything non-refundable.
Right now it is not possible for someone from the UK to visit France unless they are a French resident (or a few other exceptions), they are even stopping Brit's with residency in other countries from driving through France to get to those states.
.NL is in a complete lockdown at the moment. Essential shops only are open. Everything else is shut. And I think there's a 10 day quarantine for Brits, but I'm not sure.
No idea about Belgium, or Germany.
In short, no, don't come. Not right now anyway.
J
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All my Belgian colleagues are still WFH, but that’s not stopping them going on a company skiing trip next week ::-)
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There's some crystal ball gazing here
iNews: When will Covid end? Experts predict how likely we are to ‘learn to live’ with coronavirus in 2022.
https://inews.co.uk/news/covid-end-when-learn-live-with-coronavirus-2022-prediction-1385737
Which if I read anything at all into it then I'd agree with the 15% probability above.
We're still hoping to do The Great Interrail Adventure, but it's not looking good for 2022 and certainly not making the mistake of booking anything non-refundable.
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Travel restrictions aside, there's a highly infectious airborne disease that's liable to ruin your cycle tour if you come down with it. Any plan should include a what-to-do-if-you-get-ill strategy that doesn't involve crossing borders or using public transport.
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I/we are in a dilemma too - club has had a foreign tour of about 10 days each year from 2012-2019, France, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Holland have been visited.
2020 and then 2021 were supposed to have been Loire-Atlantique, didn't happen . . and the same for 2022 in mid-June. At the moment the door seems firmly closed in France.
So, who knows? - we've just set the end of March as the yes/no decision for the group - so at least there's a chance for the members to look at alternatives.
For 2021 we had a short 5 day tour in the UK but it wasn't that good - being very expensive for hotel accommodation and meals. We agreed that our group trips were only to "the foreign" in future
Personal view is odds at about 15% likely to happen.
I should add that I'm also supposed to be driving the support vehicle/being mechanic for a small group planning a charity ride in July - London to Paris (via Calais) - that was planned for July 2020 and didn't happen - fingers are being crossed for 5 July 2022. My % prediction still applies ???
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I wonder if Covid hasn’t blurred the postBrexit changes. We’re now past January 1st 2022 when key changes kick in. I wonder if the new card to replace the EHIC will cover as much; will travel insurance increase? Are the changes to driving, motor insurance and driver licensing clear? What about the new visas to visit Europe?
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This may help with what's open / closed. It'll depend on where you are travelling from, your passport and vaccination status.
https://apply.joinsherpa.com/map
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Covid aside, how do you go about dealing with this requirement to enter France if you intend to go on a touring holiday when you don't know where exactly you will be going and where you'll be staying?
from : https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/web/france-visas/your-arrival-in-france (https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/web/france-visas/your-arrival-in-france)
Proof of accommodation covering the whole duration of the stay (hotel reservation and/or certificate of staying with a relative validated in the town hall)
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I had a hotel booked in Paris for my trip last year, but no one asked. I could have pointed to my tent if they had and wanted more, I suppose.
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Covid aside, how do you go about dealing with this requirement to enter France if you intend to go on a touring holiday when you don't know where exactly you will be going and where you'll be staying?
from : https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/web/france-visas/your-arrival-in-france (https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/web/france-visas/your-arrival-in-france)
Proof of accommodation covering the whole duration of the stay (hotel reservation and/or certificate of staying with a relative validated in the town hall)
Which means that I should be going down to the Mairie of Limoges to clear my daughter's visit in march! Hmmmm - I don't quite see how the visiter is meant to do this from somewhere overseas and have the paper to present to la poste de police (who probably aren't that interested anyway unless you're of middle-eastern origins and arrive or depart in an inflatable). Mind it's not much worse than the Passenger Locator Form (which was a right PITA). Pointing to your tent and saying "that's where I'm staying" without supporting campsites probably wouldn't please them, given that "camping sauvage" is interdit. Easiest thing would be to claim manouche ancestry - they don't seem to have much administrative hindrance (although they are supposed to have a carte for gens de voyage)
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Covid aside, how do you go about dealing with this requirement to enter France if you intend to go on a touring holiday when you don't know where exactly you will be going and where you'll be staying?
from : https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/web/france-visas/your-arrival-in-france (https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/web/france-visas/your-arrival-in-france)
Proof of accommodation covering the whole duration of the stay (hotel reservation and/or certificate of staying with a relative validated in the town hall)
Interesting. I was wondering about all that sort of stuff, as I've always rocked up off the ferry (in whatever EU country I've felt like) with no return booked as I don't know for sure when I'll be going home and which country I'll be leaving from.
I'm kinda hoping waving one's smart phone at an official, with banking app open showing a healthy balance would be sufficient?
Of course, they may not be that arsed, but I guess gone are the days of rolling off the ferry and being waved on through/ignored by officials are over....
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Useful info in https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/web/france-visas/your-arrival-in-france
I have to keep an eye out for the Covid rules that will be in place on 22 June 22 to make sure our group of about 12 complies to enter France.
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Covid aside, how do you go about dealing with this requirement to enter France if you intend to go on a touring holiday when you don't know where exactly you will be going and where you'll be staying?
from : https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/web/france-visas/your-arrival-in-france (https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/web/france-visas/your-arrival-in-france)
Proof of accommodation covering the whole duration of the stay (hotel reservation and/or certificate of staying with a relative validated in the town hall)
Presumably you could book a rough plan of a tour with places that give refunds. If plans change then you’ve shown willing, and it may be that no one comes to the hotel to check you’re where you said you’d be. It’s not quite the freeform approach of before, I know.
A “got covid and I’m too tired to go far” plan B is probably worth having as well.
As there’s a time limit on staying now, then I suspect a return ticket is going to be of interest.
The other thing I realised, trying to plan a train trip into Europe, is that France currently wants a covid test on entry. So, my understanding is, that a trip to (say) Italy would need a test taken in Italy in order to return on a train via Paris. That’s another thing to plan, budget for, and set of vocabulary to learn.
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I suspect that we'll just book the first couple of nights and fingers crossed, we won't be interrogated too harshly as we wheel our bikes onto or off the ferry.
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The news today from France is encouraging - the "within 48 hours test" is being dropped shortly - just need to be triple-jabbed :thumbsup:
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Covid aside, how do you go about dealing with this requirement to enter France if you intend to go on a touring holiday when you don't know where exactly you will be going and where you'll be staying?
from : https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/web/france-visas/your-arrival-in-france (https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/web/france-visas/your-arrival-in-france)
Proof of accommodation covering the whole duration of the stay (hotel reservation and/or certificate of staying with a relative validated in the town hall)
I wouldn't have a problem with this, but if they had to check this for a plane, train, or ferry load of people then I'd never make my first planned overnight stay because of the queues.
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I think I am going to have to go down to the Mairie and see what they know about it all. They may well know less than the rest of us. Of course this really needs to be tried with a tiny Mairie somewhere in the back country of l'Ariège with a semi-retired maire and part-time secretary; Limoges is big enough to be up to date!
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The news today from France is encouraging - the "within 48 hours test" is being dropped shortly - just need to be triple-jabbed :thumbsup:
I think it's within 24 hours, which makes it more expensive... either way, great news!
I think the OP will be fine this coming summer. Pretty sure restrictions will be a thing of the past by then, including tests and the need to self isolate.
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The news today from France is encouraging - the "within 48 hours test" is being dropped shortly - just need to be triple-jabbed :thumbsup:
I think it's within 24 hours, which makes it more expensive... either way, great news!
I think the OP will be fine this coming summer. Pretty sure restrictions will be a thing of the past by then, including tests and the need to self isolate.
To put things in perspective from a french social pov, our tests are all already "pris en charge" which means free to us autochtones, so to the rulemakerscost would probably have not even considered cost.
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In an act of purist optimism I have booked a hotel for a spring training camp in Luxembourg at Easter. Given I'll be alone either on the bike or in the hotel except when eating. I'm hoping it's pretty low risk. I'm also hoping numbers improve between now an then.
But I made sure the hotel can be cancelled for free...
J
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The news today from France is encouraging - the "within 48 hours test" is being dropped shortly - just need to be triple-jabbed :thumbsup:
I think it's within 24 hours, which makes it more expensive... either way, great news!
I think the OP will be fine this coming summer. Pretty sure restrictions will be a thing of the past by then, including tests and the need to self isolate.
To put things in perspective from a french social pov, our tests are all already "pris en charge" which means free to us autochtones, so to the rulemakerscost would probably have not even considered cost.
Does that include a PCR test where the result needs to be provided in less than 24 hours with a QR code, or is it just for normal PRC tests? The latter are free in the UK too, but you don't get a QR code to scan and the result might arrive 3 days later
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I still havent decided, part of me fancies a Dutch/Belgian jaunt, but part of me thinks it'll be a PITA so sitck with either King Aflred's way or something like either Coast to Coast or the area around Kielder and the borders
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Well, decided to go for it. Booked ferries and first few nights abroad, so barring nuclear war, it's on :o
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The news today from France is encouraging - the "within 48 hours test" is being dropped shortly - just need to be triple-jabbed :thumbsup:
I think it's within 24 hours, which makes it more expensive... either way, great news!
I think the OP will be fine this coming summer. Pretty sure restrictions will be a thing of the past by then, including tests and the need to self isolate.
To put things in perspective from a french social pov, our tests are all already "pris en charge" which means free to us autochtones, so to the rulemakerscost would probably have not even considered cost.
Does that include a PCR test where the result needs to be provided in less than 24 hours with a QR code, or is it just for normal PRC tests? The latter are free in the UK too, but you don't get a QR code to scan and the result might arrive 3 days later
The only test I have had done was a PCR for coming to UK last august and the result came out same day. I have just checked (I still have the mail for the result) and for a test where we entered at 9am I had the result 1518 (3.18 pm). I think they might even be a bit quicker than that. A QR code would be normal for France, that's how you add the certificates to the TousAntiCovid app that most use for their Pass Santé (vaccinations and test results). At least it's how the vaccinations are added, says he, not remembering at all how the test result got added, but I used a paper version for the frontier control and the result is still in the app so it must have been.
My experience with getting the day 2 test done in UK was quite a shock after the french experience, waited for ever for the result!
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Covid aside, how do you go about dealing with this requirement to enter France if you intend to go on a touring holiday when you don't know where exactly you will be going and where you'll be staying?
from : https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/web/france-visas/your-arrival-in-france (https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/web/france-visas/your-arrival-in-france)
Proof of accommodation covering the whole duration of the stay (hotel reservation and/or certificate of staying with a relative validated in the town hall)
Interesting. I was wondering about all that sort of stuff, as I've always rocked up off the ferry (in whatever EU country I've felt like) with no return booked as I don't know for sure when I'll be going home and which country I'll be leaving from.
I'm kinda hoping waving one's smart phone at an official, with banking app open showing a healthy balance would be sufficient?
Of course, they may not be that arsed, but I guess gone are the days of rolling off the ferry and being waved on through/ignored by officials are over....
Last 3 trips to Germany for work, I've had to show proof of vaccination, accommodation, funds and insurance plus return tickets.
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The ETIAS requirements will become a planning consideration, although not until the end of 2022 at the earliest, according to current timescales.
https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/policies/schengen-borders-and-visa/smart-borders/european-travel-information-authorisation-system_en (https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/policies/schengen-borders-and-visa/smart-borders/european-travel-information-authorisation-system_en)
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I'm paying the balance on a Brittany Ferries booking this coming week - 11 riders for about 10 days in Loire-Atlantique area - hotels all booked.