Anyone on the run from Verbier? Want to post a real-time outlaw story?

[miimblemomble]

I’m not much for shock and horror at rule breakers because... people. But the story of 250+ British tourists on the run from being quarantined in Verbier has rather piqued my interest. www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/27/hundreds-uk-tourists-flee-covid-quarantine-swiss-ski-resort-verbier?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

I’m guessing that the overlap of mumsnet posters and ski tourists is not insignificant: anyone want to tell us how your daring escape is going? And why you thought it was okay to fly to Switzerland for two weeks skiing in the middle of a pandemic?

I can see this being made into a movie...

I'm a bit shocked that people actually went. Still nothing should get in the way of a ski trip eh? What pandemic?

Are you a journo?

Why would you think not many on Mn are ski tourists?

@Descant

The opposite : double negative in my post = positive. I’m sure the mumsnet demographic overlaps with ski tourists ;-)

Ooh yes I want to know this too! The demographics do overlap but IME there aren’t loads of kids/families in Verbier. It’s more of a ski hard, party hard while spending loads of cash sort of resort.

@miimblemomble

Lol no, but i do live in France and have chosen not to travel to the snow this holiday (even if the ski resorts were open). We are dealing with our own 2nd/ 3rd wave, with major restrictions - and now a bunch of British outlaws from the Home Counties are invading from the mountains? It’s not on.

Ski resorts were a major factor in the initial rapid spread of Covid through Europe. The Swiss took advantage of all the surrounding countries agreeing not to open the resorts, in the expectation of profiting from the well-heeled skiers that can afford the Swiss resorts. It has clearly gone a bit tits-up.

I know of people who are and have been away within the past few months.
They have it all planned with separate phones and cash not cards.

Utter twats.

Duh, misread — sorry! But while there are lots of skiers on here, as a pp said, I’m not sure it’s really a Verbier crowd.

Sorry that last post was @TriggersBroom

I'm desperate for a holiday, but no way would I be selfish enough to have one, and potentially spread the virus somewhere else or catch it in an enclosed space like a plane or airport transfer bus.

Some people think they can carry on as normal. That is why this virus is spreading.

I'll always think of it as the skiers' disease.

It’s Verbier. These are all entitled people who are used to money buying them whatever they want. So of course they aren’t going to follow rules that are only meant for the little people.

Switzerland set themselves against the other Alpine nations by opening the slopes to non locals. They were I think relying on the fresh air and only half filling the telecabines. Not a great science based policy if so!

Following. I’ll even take a troll answering, because as a story, this could be good (putting the real horrifying implications to one side - it goes without saying)

I know someone who is there right now, a colleague of Dh. They had booked their once in a lifetime holiday 18 months ago, spent an absolute fortune for the best of hotels and all, talked about it for months, and couldn't get their money back because their flight was still going. They could only have had a refund if the flight got cancelled. I don't know where exactly they are or how they're managing it but they posted photos of themselves skiing yesterday and this morning a photo of their "hearty breakfast before hitting the slopes". I'm curious now.
They knew they would have to quarantine when they got back but decided it was worth it not to lose all their money. I guess when they left they didn't have to quarantine in Switzerland. I feel sorry for them, all that money wasted. But slightly less sorry for them if they're not following the rules and potentially infecting lots of people.

The people that I know who have done it seem to involve eurostar and hiring a car and then driving to either a european airport or their destination.

It IS an amazing story!

I reckon more than you would imagine will have got together and chartered jets.

This story is gold😍 I was only saying to DH on Christmas day that the poor home counties ski brigade will have to make do with their second homes in Scotland this year.... Can't believe the cheeky sods still went!

The 'outlaws' are re-defining stupidity. I do hope the Swiss government gets the details of the eejits from their respective hotels and makes the idiots persona-non-gratas.
End of skiing in Switzerland for the morons.

In fairness, the Swiss openly courted tourists to visit their ski areas. Friends in Geneva say the Covid situation is out of control there so the risks were always known.
Having had all those tourists make arrangements and travel, the Swiss then quarantine them in situ. It's a bit rich to be honest.
I don't agree with people traveling at the moment but I said the same in the summer and yet millions of Brits went to Spain/Greece/France for their 2 weeks.

Austria seem to have a locals only skiing policy and Italy, France and Germany have not opened the lifts.

Fault on both sides.

Retrospective sanctions like this arent fair, not least as the.resorts in Switzerland did open to all including brits to make money when the rest of Europe said nope. They shouldn't have taken the money to then insist on quarantine. I expect they are still taking money from tourists from all over, at least these will have the foreknowledge of the quarantine.

I do think taking a European ski holiday at peak winter lockdown is irresponsible and selfish though.

Switzerland is still open for international skiers!

To be fair to the 200 escapees - I presume they weren't told they would have to quarantine in Switzerland until they got there? So perhaps they've decided they're better off coming straight home.

Unless they've escaped to go and ski somewhere else..?