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Original poster

Anyone else now going to France?

800 replies

Ridingthecrestofawave · 19/07/2020 20:36

Just wanting a quick poll on what people's thoughts are about going to France with current lockdown relaxations? - Euro tunnel, caravan 2 x hotel stop offs en route with 2 DC's .....All facilities on sites open apparently but gel, masks etc needed. Wondering will it be empty? Hard work and weird to follow rules? What would you do? x

OP posts:
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fartyface · 07/08/2020 07:41

I'm interested in the comment above that your insurance would be valid if the fco changed advice while you were already there.

That would save our bacon and I would worry no more.

fartyface · 07/08/2020 07:44

I've just checked the Spanish advice and that is indeed the case. They say no need to come home.

I think that means we would be OK insurance wise

LoeliaPonsonby · 07/08/2020 07:46

Hmmm. We are supposed to be going to Haute Savoie on the Bank Holiday weekend. Not looking great - can’t self isolate for 14 days when we get back as the kids will need to be in school....

smogsville · 07/08/2020 07:53

We're going tomorrow morning. I reckon this new announcement gives a week's grace. Hopefully longer.

SophocIestheFox · 07/08/2020 07:58

Place marking as there is some really useful info & discussion here and though it’s not for a holiday, I’m due to travel back from France to UK in a couple of weeks...

CrumpetsAndPuzzles · 07/08/2020 08:02

I’m in France at the moment. I had a covid test done 3 days ago as I had a cough in the night (I haven’t coughed since so I doubt it’s coronavirus!) but I still haven’t had the results. I reckon PPs are right when saying everyone’s on holiday at the moment!

Fiftysixthnamechange · 07/08/2020 08:06

This is going to be down to the wire isn't it? Due to leave on Tuesday for St Tropez, will be able to quarantine for 1 week when we get back but would have to miss 1 week of work to cover the second week, is anyone else worrying about what work will say? Ive worked all the way through, as has DH, I'd feel awful for our DC too if we had to cancel because work won't let me have a week off 😕

loveisagirlnameddaisy · 07/08/2020 08:48

@notimagain

just docking at Calais and transiting through. Does anyone know if we'd be allowed to do that?

That of course is a French decision and they are keen to avoid another general lockdown.

FWIW and as far as I recall it during "Lockdown 1" the French rules on paper at least did allow transit through by those arriving from any EU country, plus the UK, plus Andorra, plus, plus etc...but that often wasn't much help as the "outbound" border was often closed.

Thanks, I think you're right. If France are happy to let us in, in theory we'd be ok. The bugger is that although we'd have spent almost no time in France (bar the ferry) we be subject to quarantine rules on return.
loveisagirlnameddaisy · 07/08/2020 08:49

@Fiftysixthnamechange

This is going to be down to the wire isn't it? Due to leave on Tuesday for St Tropez, will be able to quarantine for 1 week when we get back but would have to miss 1 week of work to cover the second week, is anyone else worrying about what work will say? Ive worked all the way through, as has DH, I'd feel awful for our DC too if we had to cancel because work won't let me have a week off 😕
The quarantine period for Spain is now 10 days I believe? Might we assume/hope that France could be the same.
Fiftysixthnamechange · 07/08/2020 09:25

I thought quarantine was still 2 weeks? I've had a look on the gov website this morning but it's so confusing!

zippyswife · 07/08/2020 10:53

I’m pretty sure quarantine has been changed to 10 days. Kids have missed so much school, while it’s not ideal I think the holiday outweighs a week of school so if restrictions aren’t in place we will be going.

CityDweller · 07/08/2020 11:14

We're going to France on Sunday. What are people doing for travel insurance? Is it even worth me taking out a policy (in the light that I expect the govt. to add France to the quarantine list/ i.e. the FCO to advise against essential travel, which invalidates insurance)?

Fiftysixthnamechange · 07/08/2020 11:28

@CityDweller

We're going to France on Sunday. What are people doing for travel insurance? Is it even worth me taking out a policy (in the light that I expect the govt. to add France to the quarantine list/ i.e. the FCO to advise against essential travel, which invalidates insurance)?
I took my insurance policy out last year so it will cover us if we get ill whilst in France. Plus I'm sure I've read that France will treat all travellers if they contract covid 19 whilst in France.
zippyswife · 07/08/2020 11:29

I have insurance which covers me as long as the government doesn’t change the travel advice. If it changes the travel advice I won’t go as my insurance won’t cover me for coronavirus. Dh thinks we should go anyway as the insurance would still cover against anything else- just not coronavirus. If it comes to it we will probably fall out over this!

I guess it depends as to whether you’re comfortable going without insurance.

Fiftysixthnamechange · 07/08/2020 11:37

@zippyswife

I have insurance which covers me as long as the government doesn’t change the travel advice. If it changes the travel advice I won’t go as my insurance won’t cover me for coronavirus. Dh thinks we should go anyway as the insurance would still cover against anything else- just not coronavirus. If it comes to it we will probably fall out over this!

I guess it depends as to whether you’re comfortable going without insurance.

Actually, you're right and I'm wrong! Just read my policy again, we are covered for anything corona related as long as don't travel against FCO advice. If they announce quarantine and we go anyway we won't have any insurance. Like you I won't want to go under these circumstances but DH will definitely want to! It's not worth the risk to me, especially travelling with children.
CityDweller · 07/08/2020 11:58

ok. Thanks. Such a dilemma. I expect we'll go anyway. But no point getting insurance if the FCO advice changes between now and Sunday morning. As it is, we'd have our EH11 cards

smogsville · 07/08/2020 12:07

@CityDweller you can buy more expensive covid proof insurance, have a google. It was on the radio the other day - the sort of insurance that covers travelling against FCO advice. Usually for journalists or medics travelling to disaster zones!

But as far as I understand it, as long as we're allowed to go when we get there, we're then covered for remainder of trip if FCO advice changes in the meantime.

Do you all have your EHIC cards too. Won't hurt if you do need medical treatment (although in practice in recent years when we've needed docs appts in rural areas for boring things like kids ear infections/ the dreaded cystitis) I've just gone to local surgeries and paid cash.

CityDweller · 07/08/2020 12:14

@smogsville I've just applied for the EHIC! I expect we have some somewhere from ages ago, pre-DC, but I've no idea where they are. In any case, the info on the EHIC site explains how to access medical help before the card arrives (it takes 10 days) so that should be fine.

I'm not bothered about cancellation insurance (we knew it was a risk booking this holiday that we'd end up not being able to go and losing the money - it's not a massive amount of ££ anyway). It's more if we're in a car accident or something else catastrophic (not so worried about Covid!) and we need to be brought home quickly. A lot of policies I've seen are not valid if you don't return home as soon as FCO advice changes...

Like you, for things like ear infections on holidays I've tended just to pay up front as it's not worth claiming on the insurance or its below the deductible. So I'm not worried about that stuff.

User27aw · 07/08/2020 12:17

I just phoned my insurer to check about what happens if the advice changed when we are in France. They said we would still be covered for the remainder of the holiday.
Though as we are going the last week in August, i think it will have gone one way or the other by then.

smogsville · 07/08/2020 12:21

@CityDweller yes you're absolutely right defo need to check that you'd be covered for car accident or similar if advice changes while over there, not just assume. Once again, what fun all of this is! Looking forward to DH getting really irritable about packing car, strapping bikes on back etc in sweltering temperatures later on too.

CrumpetsAndPuzzles · 07/08/2020 12:35

@CityDweller @smogsville I have seen GPs in France before and been prescribed drugs. I paid upfront and then claimed the money back - all your need is an EHIC card. No need for private insurance. It did take weeks (months?) though.

smogsville · 07/08/2020 12:42

@CrumpetsAndPuzzles yes I think I always meant to claim but never got around to it.

Greenbeanie88 · 07/08/2020 12:46

We were working the basis that quarantine was 10 days but it looks like it would be 14. Hmmm I hope they make a decision before we are due to go on Friday so we know one way or the other. Looks like we might be staying home after all.

juniperjennifer · 07/08/2020 13:37

Quarantine is two weeks. Self isolation after symptoms has been increased to 10 days from 7. That's probably where the confusion stems from.