France - would you still go?

[Tiredandtorn]

Hey,

We have 10 nights in a camping village booked for august.

Dh & 1 are both double jabbed and the kids are under 11 so don't need to PCR. And currently we can enter France without an isolation period.

I just can't decide if going is the right thing to to do or not?

Accommodation is self contained and self catering and we'd be very happy chilling at the beach/pool for 10 days and wouldn't use kids clubs anyway as just not for us. Our travel is in our own car and on the Eurostar. We can afford the time to quarantine when we get home.

Currently covid rates are less in France than here.... it all sounds like a no brainer to go!

But with so many feeling travel is 'too risky' I can't decide!

Anyone else going for it with a self drive? Or anyone cancelled?

Yes. As long as the rules don't change.

I would worry about quarantine on way back. If it's early enough in August you could do 2 weeks but otherwise it's tricky. I would also worry that France may put us on red list the way infection rates are rising, in which case would you get your money back?

That's what bothers me; we do have insurance to get our money back if we are prevent by gov restrictions

Me and dh have had both vaccines if we had booked to stay in a s/c apt in France we would go. There’s no reason not to.
You’ll probably have to test on the way home and maybe isolate if required but if you’re prepared for that go for it

Our government placing most of Europe on red or amber when those countries can move freely between each other just feels entirely political and a ply to make us all spend money at home. Especially as France is on about 2600 cases a day whilst we're on over 8000. The biggest risk is us going on Frances red list

No.

Yes l would go.

I’d just check if your travel insurance covers an amber country that would be the big thing. My parents doesn’t for instance, I think they are with aviva. They rang up to ask and were told unless green it doesn’t

If France let you in?

I cant see its any riskier than going to say Cornwall this summer, particularly given you are travelling by eurostar and your own car.

If you have the time at the other end to quarantine and make sure you have insurance, there is no reason not to.

I'd go and I hope rules won't change unfavourably for you.
Ihope you have a lovely holiday, I'll live vicariously through you!😁

@klangers

If France let you in?

France are now letting double vaxed people in plus any kids under 11.

I would go, yes. It sounds like you’ve thought it all through, and you’re prepared to quarantine on return if necessary.

As above, I can’t see why this would be any riskier than a holiday in the U.K. !

Also have this conundrum though we're flying.

What is putting me off is having to test the kids to return (as it stands). I have one compliant child and one who definitely is not.

Ridiculous that we can go to France fairly readily atm (if vaccinated) but returning is going to be a right faff.
Also worried that UK might end up on other countries' red lists - eg Italy as of tomorrow.

Anyway I don't have an answer. We have until the end of July to cancel so not really doing anything atm.

I agree and soooo much safer than traipsing through an airport, on transport to a hotel, sharing catering facilities etc.

The nearest contact we'll have to other holiday makers is passing in the pool or supermarket- there are onsite restaurants but we've said we wouldn't eat at them unless it's an outside table or we'd get it take away to have at our own accommodation.

The kids are young enough not not mind 10 days at home when we return and the way things are going, France is looking like the safer place to be anyway!

Yes, I would go. If you listen to Simon Calder on the subject of us being guilted into foregoing our holidays in countries you might feel better about going. Really, what is the risk of what you plan to do? It's almost certainly lower than a holiday here in the UK, where rates of Covid are much higher. If you can cope with the testing/quarantine rules then go and have a lovely time!

France are now letting double vaxed people in plus any kids under 11.
Is it under 11 or 11 and under? I can't find the rule!

Same decision here except mid July.

Driving and s/c in a holiday house in the middle of nowhere - so really very little exposure except food shopping (which we do in outdoor markets mainly).

Quarantine with two primary age kids won’t be much fun though. And nor would doing multiple PCRs on our DC. Tricky.

We're planning to go in August. I may also go with DS in July depending on the rules at the time.

@Naggety

France are now letting double vaxed people in plus any kids under 11. Is it under 11 or 11 and under? I can't find the rule!

11 years and older must do a PCR:

www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/coming-to-france/coronavirus-advice-for-foreign-nationals-in-france/#sommaire_1

So 11 yr olds will need to test

Thankfully my dcs are 8 & 6 so no PCRs on them to worry about.

We've never done the drive over to France before but I'm planning on taking the toll roads which I'm assured are easy driving

@Tiredandtorn

Thankfully my dcs are 8 & 6 so no PCRs on them to worry about.

We've never done the drive over to France before but I'm planning on taking the toll roads which I'm assured are easy driving

Um as it stands you will need to pcr them on return.

Yep mine are the same age. UK rules require PCRs for everyone over 4. Even for green countries, although fewer times.

. If you listen to Simon Calder on the subject of us being guilted into foregoing our holidays in countries you might feel better about going.

Simon Calder is hardly a disinterested observer. Travel is his industry, it's absolutely in his interest to get the travel business started again.

The risk I would want to be prepared for is that they close the border between France and the UK , so that you can't get back.

Could you afford to pay for accommodation? If so, I'd say that you are all good.

@FinallyHere
Fairly sure the British government would never 'close' the border to its own returning citizens! That has not happened at all in this pandemic.
The biggest worry would be about it turning red, if amber, or amber if green. But even that would be with a few days' notice.

As I said, I would be worried about the above but more worried about having to pcr test the kids on return. What if they tested positive on the day of our return!!! I know it's unlikely but I think the thought of that happening would likely spoil my holiday. But that's just me.