France on lockdown from tonight

[drippingwet]

Daily Fail just flashed up with the announcement that France is going into lockdown tonight with all non-essential public locations to close.
Anyway, DP has been working in France for a couple of weeks and is due to drive home on Monday. What are the chances he will actually get out?

No idea, but interested to know. My aged 70+ parents are in France too, thankfully in their own house. Due to return in about 10 days. I'm not sure they'll be able to.

Hope he can get home. My DH is French, thankfully he wasn't in France this weekend. His twin brother lives there, child has no school from Monday indefinitely, both parents now wfh and having to homeschool. I would try and get home asap. If I see will let you know.

Thank you. I’d appreciate it

I'll asked DH - borders are currently open but he says get out now, it could change very quickly. Certainly on French news they were talking of closing borders if things worsened, probably would still let foreigners out but I wouldn't be taking chances. DH thinks tomorrow should be OK if he can't get out tonight.

He says he can’t leave until Monday due to ferry crossings (to be fair I have been warning him about this so I don’t really have much sympathy).

My son is working in the Alps. All ski lifts closed from tonight. Only food shops and pharmacies to remain open. Not sure how he’s going to get home

My DH said he thought he might get trapped there on Monday. Italy let foreigners out so hopefully will still be OK, my guess is he will be OK but I wouldn't be risking it. I think normal flights ran for about a week to / from Italy before you they got cancelled. I would have thought there would be a bit of warning but may just be 0.5 days. France24 is good for news.

Hope he can get home Aurignacian

Supposed to be going to France on May 31st..

My daughter is doing a ski season in France. I left her this morning to return to the Uk. Literally 10 mins after being back into England, I saw the notifications informing that all the resorts are now closed. I am very concerned about how and when she will be able to return.

The situation seems to be changing so quickly. I left a french ski resort on Thursday and it seemed so normal - crowded buses, bars, lifts etc, full flights. Now feeling more alarmed.

@drippingwet some Brittany Ferry services are cancelled, Portsmouth to Cherbourg, Le Havre and Roscoff, check their website if he's on one of those routes.

@Aurignacian Eurostar?

Eurotunnel is operating normally atm if ferries not working.

If they close the borders, it means no tourists in. We'll still be able to fly out I'm certain

Thanks all. I think overland is the best plan for the return of our young people. He is young and healthy so will be fine but I’m feeling a bit tearful about it tonight. Just want him back.

It can go both ways, DH has a work colleague trapped in Wuhan since lockdown. Sometimes you can get out at start then all flights get cancelled and just rescue flights. Eurostar has a message saying their besieged atm.

I'm also closely following this, DS1 is at Uni in Paris and messaged me on Friday to say he's booked a flight on Monday as Uni is closed for the foreseeable.
I've been messaging him to tell I him to get a train today or tomorrow incase Macron closes the borders like he's been promising to do.
Of course he's not responding to my messages so he may be stuck there for who knows how long.

I think "lockdown" is slightly overly dramatic TBH, but it's certainly a massive shutdown, but I know it's semantics...

Unis/schools were shutting down yesterday, public transport in the local big city is reducing to a holiday schedule because of a lack of manpower due to many of it's staff having to stay at home due to child care responsibilities due to the school closures.

As of tonight bars, restaurants, anywhere with wide spread public access will be shut, but places such as food stores, tabacs, pharmacies and service stations remain open ( hence my feeling that it is not a "lockdown")

ATM the local big airport is operating flights to the likes of Paris and also the rest of Europe reasonably normally, any cancellations are in the main down to the airlines and passenger numbers rather than government restrictions

Obviously all subject to change. ..

BBC reporting France to reduce long distance transport over next few days. See 11.23am.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-51895276

My son has managed to get a flight on Thursday. Let’s hope it goes ahead and that he can get to the airport

That's good news @Aurignacian . My parents aren't due back for another 10 days or so, but I really wonder if they'd be better off staying put.

I wonder if my son would be too but his job has ended abruptly (and his summer job too) and not sure he’d have anywhere to live.

Could your parents stay if they thought it best?

DD1 also doing a French Alps season, she is booked on a flight from Geneva on Weds, fingers xd she makes it there. All the US seasonnaires have already gone. Stupid of French govt to announce on Sat, which is changeover day - if they'd done it Friday they wouldnt have had thousands of tourists arrive.

@Aurignacian Mydaughter has managed to get a flight on Thursday too. Not sure where they are landing yet though! Fingers crossed the flight goes ahead.