Anyone else now going to France?

[Ridingthecrestofawave]

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

@doyounothavegoogle

Thank you. Do you spend a lot of time here?
The Tarn et Garonne region is lovely! We have been coming here since 2003 and my MiL and her friend were coming here for >30 years before that!
Weather is hot hot hot. Food in the restaurants is great. Service is spot on. Everyone complying with the mask requirements.

Far better than being at home anyway!!

Only problem is finding vegan croissants for my DF DD and gluten free croissants for me. Such a shame to come here and not find croissants!!!! #firstworldproblems

I am lucky enough to have lived here for 7 years

Very glad not to be in the UK at the moment!

I went to the bakers yesterday and they had no bread at all! Talking to friends it seems that there are shortages in a lot of the local bakers - very odd!

Good luck with the vegan/gluten free ones.

Not sure where you are, but the English bakery stall that does the Saturday market in Montaigu de Quercy and Sundays in Montcuq does very good vegan pies and I am pretty sure they do gluten free stuff too. If that is remotely convenient to where you are I can send you the link, but I know Tarn et Garonne is a big place.

We are waiting in the queue to board the ferry home. Had an amazing week in Wissant, Pas de Calais, slightly because of the unusual and unexpected heat wave - spent almost all of the time on the beach, which was fab. Very relieved to be heading for home before any restrictions put in place (but empathetic for those of you who are yet to travel- fingers crossed) Very busy where we were and masks commonly worn in the street as well as in shops and when moving around in cafes. It felt very safe and we had a lovely time. I did pick up some things to bring home that we would usually buy for Christmas on our October half term trip in case we can't go...

Just got back today from 2 weeks in Loire Valley, self catering mobile home at Les Alicourts campsite. Had an amazing time. People seemed to be much more respectful about social distancing.

Took the car through the tunnel so no travel stress. Campsite had bookable pool slots and a beach / lake which really wasn’t that busy. We ate in our accommodation either self catering or take away so felt very safe.

Ooh les alicourts is a fabulous campsite

We're here! Flew yesterday, airports and plane v quiet. It was SO worth it! If we have to quarantine on return now, then so be it. It's out of our hands and I've given up caring. So glad we held our nerve!
Good luck to everyone else still hoping to travel x

We're here in Dordogne, France now too! Arrived yesterday via overnight ferry, had breakfast in our family cabin, drove down and in our Eurocamp chalet. The campsite is fully booked. Lots of Brits here (which we like) and masks in the shop. Really glad we came, but it was a very stressful few days! As I said before we're going back early as DD starts secondary school on 2nd September and we don't want her to miss out. It's a Riverside campsite, and I've already been for a swim in it - the pools are all open though (not sauna or stem room though) wishing you safe and happy travels if you decide to go for it. Given the horrible past few months we've had, we needed to at least try. So lovely to be here 🇫🇷☀️😊

Great to hear stories of people happily arriving at their destinations. It's so nice to be away. Weather typically Breton today but we brought wet suity things for the kids as well as normal cossies and I like a bracing sea (DH possibly not so much!) so that's ok. I would say that 10 hrs 36 mins is too much driving time for one day though. Maybe we're getting old.

Got back yesterday from a lovely week in Normandy. The weather was amazing and it felt wonderful to be out of the house! The area we were staying was far less busy than where we live so social distancing was fine.
I admit I did start to worry with the rumours of quarantine floating around - but I am so pleased we went (plus bought lots of nice things at carrefour in case we can't get back for a while)

We arrived early yesterday evening, weather is glorious (although 7 days of rain from Weds apparently ).

Local supermarket is quiet but well stocked and I went to the boulangier this morning. Most people wearing masks etc.

DC having marvellous time in pool, great to have them away from TV, iPads etc.

@smogsville

Great to hear stories of people happily arriving at their destinations. It's so nice to be away. Weather typically Breton today but we brought wet suity things for the kids as well as normal cossies and I like a bracing sea (DH possibly not so much!) so that's ok. I would say that 10 hrs 36 mins is too much driving time for one day though. Maybe we're getting old.

It is a long day - took us 11 hours. DH and I shared the driving and we stopped a couple of times but we were pooped by the time we arrived. DH said he preferred it to going the night before and staying in an IBIS near Calais so 🤷🏼‍♀️

Oh we’re staying at Les Alicourts for a few nights on our way down to the south. It was our last minute booking when we moved the channel crossing from Wednesday to tomorrow! 😊

We're coming next week. I fully intend to go through with it even if a quarantine is announced before we leave, although I hope it doesn't happen. Driving and self- catering.

I hope the heatwave calms down a bit though. DD isn't a big fan of the temperatures in the UK at the moment. High 20s - low 30s would be nice.

@Fink

We're coming next week. I fully intend to go through with it even if a quarantine is announced before we leave, although I hope it doesn't happen. Driving and self- catering.

I hope the heatwave calms down a bit though. DD isn't a big fan of the temperatures in the UK at the moment. High 20s - low 30s would be nice.

Would lack of travel insurance worry you? This is what I keep coming back to.

Would lack of travel insurance worry you? This is what I keep coming back to.

Guess it depends what, over and above healthcare, does an individual want the cover for?

For example ATM the EHIC will cover a Brit for healthcare if they need it whilst in France.

ATM I suspect motor insurance should still be "good", Covid or not, though people obviously need to check policies;..

So that leaves perhaps wanting cover for loss or damage to valuables..?

We have cancelled. The stress of getting stuck, locked down or put in quarantine was too much of a risk for us in the end.

There is a heatwave in the UK for the last five days, and is set to continue for another week at least, so there is no point to travel anywhere for sunshine with all the risks, when the weather is so lovely here! It has actually been an incredible summer this year

The risk of no insurance is repatriation. I know of a young girl who broke her neck in a go karting accident. She was stuck in the Netherlands until she was crowd funded home

Still holding onto hope here, due to fly tomorrow, won't go if quarantine is announced before we leave due to the insurance issue. Plus, expecting the workplace to suck it up because I went on holiday KNOWING quarantine was in place is a lot harder to explain than it being announced when I'm already there!

fifty do you really think your company will 'suck it up'?
I somehow doubt that very much, if your job is not important to you than by all means go away and not care about the quarantine, but I would check first with them if you need your job to be there when you return.

The risk of no insurance is repatriation. I know of a young girl who broke her neck in a go karting accident. She was stuck in the Netherlands until she was crowd funded home

OK FWIW I've seen a few repatriated to the UK from local ski resorts with broken limbs funded by at least in part by EHIC/reciprocal cover, but from what you say there's obviously the serious exception.

Would car insurance be invalid also if anyone travelled against FCO advice?

@Friendsoftheearth

fifty do you really think your company will 'suck it up'? I somehow doubt that very much, if your job is not important to you than by all means go away and not care about the quarantine, but I would check first with them if you need your job to be there when you return.

I think you've misread, I don't expect them to suck it up, that's why I won't be going if quarantine is announced before we leave, it would be very unfair of me to go and then expect my employer to be fine about giving me two weeks off when I return. As it is, if its announced whilst we are away, quarantine for 2 weeks means I would miss 3 working days, I'd rather miss that than cancel and lose thousands.

What do people think are my chances of getting a refund from gite owners in France if quarantine is imposed? I know this isn’t their fault but we just can’t go if it happens before we leave on Friday. I’ve got over £2000 tied up in the property... Will they just keep it?

Ah sorry fifty!! I thought you said company will have to suck it up

You won't get a refund the as they can still provide the accommodation, but maybe you can move the dates?