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

@cfs6422 we're supposed to be travelling to Biscarrosse on 21st - we've been coming every few years since 2002 but I suspect this is not going to be our year.....

Friendsoftheearth I think you're scaremongering a bit there - that's the same phrase that's been spouted for days and days now - 'expected' to be added to the list. It was also 'expected' to be added last week, and wasn't. I've not read anything that states 'definitely' as you are quoting. I think we would all agree it's highly likely to be added, but nothing is certain until the announcement is made - its all speculation by various 'experts' and 'insiders' (and reported on in The Daily Mail!).

@notimagain

The cases in France are rising rapidly, far more so than the UK

That's the headline for sure, how is testing in the UK going?

Well over the last 7 days we have tested between 120,000 and 170,000 each day. How is the testing in France going @notimagain ?

notimagain I find it a little disingenuous that you are alluding to the fact that the French infection rate is only going up because of their superior testing! When in fact other countries are easily on a par or exceeding France's testing capacity.

It is not hard to see why France's infection rates are going up so quickly given its location (next to Spain, which is now a hot spot) and because so many people are travelling there and around the country for a holiday.

France were prepared, and indeed expecting a leap in cases because of these factors, but balanced that with the need to keep the economy afloat. There was pressure to close the border with Spain and other measures considered etc. A busy holiday season will always carry risk of covid remerging, it is not a surprise.

I read about the update on an apple newsflash, nothing to do with the daily mail. I added the metro link to show pp the only news feed I could find on the internet - which is not confirming any update just yet. Please read my posts properly next time.

@Friendsoftheearth are you married to a government minister? The link I posted yesterday evening did not show cases per 100 000 greater in France than the uk and the daily deaths are definitely lower in France so I assume some of the uk cases aren’t being found. It just seems as though the government aided by the press are trying to make people holiday in the uk. There is definitely insurance one can get to travel. Main concern is quarantine re start of school but situation could change again by then and no guarantee school will start as normal

School IS starting as normal, and has already happened in Scotland. Rates are far higher in France no one apart from you is disputing this fact. Agreed the UK would prefer people holidayed in UK (as the French are also doing this year may I add) and no I am not married to a Gov minister!!!!

It seems you have a narrative of denial.

We have recently come back from a week’s holiday in Brittany via the tunnel and it was lovely. Beaches weren’t overly crowded - you could always walk along a bit and find a quieter spot. Everyone in shops was wearing masks, waiters all in masks, we could eat outside and it all felt quite safe. The supermarkets were quieter than the U.K.! Definitely no queues.
Maybe it depends on which bit of France you go to?

By the way it is not just France, I think the rest of Europe is in the same position, with the UK not far behind. We knew when we restarted the economies that this would likely cause another spike or wave, the only question now is how big it is going to be.

@Friendsoftheearth

I read about the update on an apple newsflash, nothing to do with the daily mail. I added the metro link to show pp the only news feed I could find on the internet - which is not confirming any update just yet. Please read my posts properly next time.

Your 7.12am post states it's going to 'definitely' be put on the quarantine list within days. Please could you link to the source of this info as the Metro article is nothing more than speculation and other media outlets have been running the same story in the last couple of days.

notimagain I find it a little disingenuous that you are alluding to the fact that the French infection rate is only going up because of their superior testing!

I wasn't ...I was asking what testing is going on in the UK. I think most of the comparison's being drawn by politicians and the media in both countries are pretty meaningless

What I would say is that I've had the chance to witness social distancing/les geste barrieres on both sides of the channel in the last few weeks and given what I've seen I'm highly sceptical that the UK doing any better and is going to do any better than France over the next few weeks...we will see.

That of course doesn't help anybody thinking of holidays or what advice HMG are going to come up with in the next few days.

@Friendsoftheearth Just received news about France on my phone, it is going to definitely be put on the quarantine list now the weekend figures are out.

Can you tell us where you received this news from?

My friends living in France haven’t received any news about changes to UK - France travel. We’re going to their wedding at the end of this month together with lots of others from the UK.

Very slight glimmers of hopes :

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.racingpost.com/news/no-imminent-threat-of-quarantine-for-british-jockeys-returning-from-france/446121/amp

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/infoutiles.tn/2020/08/11/travel-latest-france-greece-quarantine-update-restrictions-ban/amp/

However this is literally glimmers. Still think quarantine is likely

Sorry, it's two links and I've managed to group them together in one massive link!

Ecdc website reporting France rates up to 29.4. ☹️

Thanks @Limbolady - I hadn't seen that website before. If anyone wants the link, here it is:
www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/cases-2019-ncov-eueea

So frustrating that our govt. allows all this speculation instead coming out and saying one way or another what is happening. They know people are canceling holidays, they know others are setting off abroad. The response is always so smug “we always said there was a risk....we won’t hesitate... etc etc”.

Just bloody do it or don’t!

That data is interesting but without knowing what percentage of a country's population is being tested, the number of new cases could surely be misleading? Also are all countries testing similar cohorts? Symptomatic? Asymptomatic? Both?

Just back from lovely week camping. All good. No queues, lots of mask wearing in and around shops, all v well organised, felt safer than UK tbh!

Reguin to avoid is Paris.

Testing comparison for the UK, France and Spain. UK have managed to get their testing sorted after the shambles at the beginning. France also does lots of tests but has a higher % positive than the UK. But I guess mainland Europe relaxed restrictions earlier and we're behind the curve at the moment.

We were hoping to go in mid September, we're happy to quarantine ( and get the battlefield insurance) but are worried that France may impose more restrictions which won't make for a relaxing break.

ourworldindata.org/coronavirus/country/spain?country=ESP~GBR~FRA

At the airport now, we are the only ones here! Very eerie..... Just had a reassuring email from my boss telling me not to worry re quarantine so it's full steam ahead.

@TheNewLook

So frustrating that our govt. allows all this speculation instead coming out and saying one way or another what is happening. They know people are canceling holidays, they know others are setting off abroad. The response is always so smug “we always said there was a risk....we won’t hesitate... etc etc”.

Just bloody do it or don’t!

It's the media feeding the frenzy. The govt is working with live data so the position is changing. I hate the press for the nonsense they spew which unsettles so many people, sometimes needlessly.

Called Battleface this morning and they were clear that they don't cover you for anything other than medical emergencies. If travel is disrupted e.g. flights or ferries being cancelled because of changes to govt advice, they won't help you get home. And they won't cover you for part cancellation costs unless it's related to something medical.

So now I'm not sure they're even a useful backup!