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?

[zafferana]

Anyone driving to France (or elsewhere in the EU), remember you now need an international driving licence - available from the post office!

[Tiredandtorn]

@zafferana

Anyone driving to France (or elsewhere in the EU), remember you now need an international driving licence - available from the post office!

Is this what you mean or something different? Just want to make sure I've got the right things for the trip - if we go, thanks

[FinallyHere]

Surely that information is out of date. It describes the situation when the UK was a member of the EU.

Is there a date of publication?

[Tiredandtorn]

@FinallyHere

Surely that information is out of date. It describes the situation when the UK was a member of the EU.

Is there a date of publication?

The date on it is Dec 2020 and from the gov.uk page

[kintigsullor]

Currently, you do need a negative PCR within 72 hours to enter France even if you are doubled vaccinated. You also need one to return to UK as well as taking 2 more on day 2 and 8 during your quarantine whether you are double vaccinated or not. The UK will not accept NHS (free) tests - you have to go privately. In France they are free. If you are prepared for the cost of all this then definitely go for it. There are also several forms that you need to complete for both journeys so make sure you check the Covid19 page of Eurotunnel before you go.

[Flower8919]

It’s not silly. It’s just all about minimising the risk! Yes it isn’t illegal to go abroad. But you shouldnt do it. It’s not illegal to drink so much that you pass out but you shouldn’t do that.

A holiday is a luxury and I do not think it is sensible that people go abroad. It’s just selfish. You might have more risk from some variants in the UK but if you live there you can’t help it. You can help going on holiday though!!

[TreaslakeandBack]

I would go but can’t quarantine on the way back. So UK for us this year- gutted tbh.

[chocolatesaltyballs22]

I would go - am fed up of all of the ' just wait another year' comments. Nope. I'm going on holiday. I'm sure the travel industry will thank me for it.

[loginfail]

It’s not silly. It’s just all about minimising the risk!

But take, for example, a family who goes to France on holiday by car...

They drive/uses eurostar to get to/from perhaps a self contained Gite in France...
perhaps whilst there shop once in a supermarket ,
spend the rest of the time either lounging by their pool/driving around/maintaining social distancing.

Drive/Euro tunnel back to the UK and enters self isolation, subject to testing on days 2 and 8..

Do you seriously think they are more of a risk than a family that "staycations" in the UK, having days out at tourist traps/eating out in restaurants....or perhaps goes on holiday to the likes of St Ives and go out to the pubs in the evening, no Covid tests required?

[Flower8919]

@loginfail

Ok yes well done loginfail. You maybe found the one example where there might be less risk for a family to go on holiday. But as you pointed out they have to go to the supermarket which is a risk and not all family’s will be as careful so best to just stay in the uk

[astuz]

The 'just wait another year' drives me mad as well. This is already the 2nd year that we've not been able to go anywhere due to COVID (not the first like some people say). Up until about 2017 my youngest DD was too young to do big road trips (my favourite type of holiday), then in 2018 I got breast cancer, so that was another year when we couldn't go anywhere, and now COVID. I want to take my kids to some amazing places that we did before we had them, but my older DD is getting to an age when she's not going to want to come soon. I'm also terrified my breast cancer will come back. And my DH isn't getting any younger, meaning he is also starting to have age-related health issues.

People who say 'it's just selfish' wanting to go abroad are just so cruel. Life is so short, too short to put 2 years (and possibly longer, who knows) of travel plans on hold.

[RitaTheGreeter]

@TheresWaldo

I'm in Europe and so not happy for people to travel from UK to be fair. Chances are higher that you'll bring the Delta variant than get another variant here.

Yes. We're in France and the reality is that tourism is likely to bring a large increase in spread of the Delta variant here. Cases are increasing, albeit slowly, in France, but the widespread induction of a rapidly spreading variant will affect that hugely

[Lykia]

We're in a similar dilemma. Have an August 2020 holiday postponed to Aug. 2021 at a Sunelia camp site in France.

Last year Sunelia said we could postpone for 18 months. Even if France are on the green list in August the cost of PCR tests alone for my family of 5 will be around £1500. Roughly the same price as the accommodation.

The thing is we paid £600 deposit when we booked back in Nov 2019 so am unsure if we'll get that back.

Is anyone else in this situation?

[loginfail]

[quote Flower8919]@loginfail

Ok yes well done loginfail. You maybe found the one example where there might be less risk for a family to go on holiday. But as you pointed out they have to go to the supermarket which is a risk and not all family’s will be as careful so best to just stay in the uk[/quote]
Oh dear, it does appears for some reason you are so completely locked into a mindset of "UK automatically safe, abroad automatically risky" that there's no hope of having any rational debate with you on the subject.

Enjoy your summer, wherever you decide to spend it.

[zafferana]

Actually, you're right @Tiredandtorn! My DM was telling me that she had just got one, because she needed to, etc, but I can't find anything that says you need one, so I guess she was wrong! My apologies.

[zafferana]

Yes it isn’t illegal to go abroad. But you shouldnt do it.

Why? Because YOU say so?

F* that!

You do you and stop trying to dictate to others!

[idontlikealdi]

We aren't going because I can't be arsed with booking slots for swimming, booking restaurants weeks in advance, restricted numbers on the beach etc. It's our own static but still not worth it.

[Flower8919]

@zafferana

No not because I say so.. because Covid says so and all the data says so!

I will dictate others if it affects the safety of others..

[Frezia]

@Flower8919
What data? Did you see the data from the NHS Test and Trace I tagged you in earlier today, showing that zero variants of concern came into the UK from amber countries? And that the positivity rate of travellers is 6 times less than the general UK positivity rate (0.4% vs 2.4%)? What other data do you have?

[Flower8919]

@Frezia

Well ok perhaps you are right about that data. I don’t actually have any data but am just going off what I have heard. But there is still risk from going abroad that could be avoided. I’m not saying it has happened yet but it could happen.

[Frezia]

Well I hope now you know at least it makes you reconsider your stance on policing people based on what you heard but can't prove.

People in the UK also do risky things every day that could be avoided. Socialising with friends, going to the pub or restaurant. None of it is essential for surviving.

[chocolatesaltyballs22]

Some serious backtracking there @Flower8919 ' the data says you shouldn't go on holiday' errrr what data? 'Oh, I don't have any' 😂

I saw those stats about returning holidaymakers as well - very positive. I hope the government sees sense and opens up at least a little this week.

[bonbonours]

@Flower8919

I’m sorry I haven’t read the whole thread but I just think it is so very selfish for people to go on holiday right now.

Save yourself some worry and be sensible and stay at home. Why can’t people last one year without a holiday?? It’s crazy

It's not just one year though. We already postponed our holiday last August to this year. My children are growing up and by next year it's highly likely my eldest won't want to go on holiday with us. So potentially it's missing our last ever family holiday.

[Flower8919]

Well just because I don’t have specific data doesn’t mean that everyone should just go on holiday now. I actually persuaded our neighbours not to go and I think they are grateful for it.

That is sad if it is potentially your last family holiday but you could go somewhere in the UK. You can still have a holiday as there are lots of nice places and you won’t have the stress or extra cost of doing tests

[zafferana]

@Flower8919

Well just because I don’t have specific data doesn’t mean that everyone should just go on holiday now. I actually persuaded our neighbours not to go and I think they are grateful for it.

That is sad if it is potentially your last family holiday but you could go somewhere in the UK. You can still have a holiday as there are lots of nice places and you won’t have the stress or extra cost of doing tests

You can't provide appropriate data, because it doesn't exist.

I pity your poor neighbours, being guilted into not going on holiday when they wanted to.

You seem to think it's your right and your duty to nag others to conform with your anxiety about this virus, but it's not. You don't have any right to nag and guilt and spread anxious nonsense about 'data' that doesn't exist. The fact is that you're far more likely to catch Covid holidaying here in the UK than you are in many holiday destinations abroad, including anywhere in Europe that's on the amber list.