Who’s going abroad from July 6th

[Den]

Motorhome all ready to go.

I’ve a few bits and pieces to do leaving us free to go from the 17th July.

We’ll keep well away from the busy areas and take more food than normal to cut down on shopping.

I’m not sure my wife is quite so eager.

Den

PS Lots of positive responses would be good, I can then show the wife ??

[stevec176]

Sorry, can't give you a positive to this. You still have to get across to the continent and back and that's where the major risks are. Would love to go but prefer to stay safe for now so we can go and enjoy everything when we do. Will wait and see how things pan out once things are open again.

Sorry and good luck.

[ColinM50]

Had Dover Calais booked for 2 July since Xmas. SWMBO decided I didn't want to go so cancelled it and I THINK I got a voucher. Suggested to P&O they just rebook for 2021 but they weren't keen to do that, I guess they'll put their fares up next year and didn't want to give a discounted xing.

 

Anyway, she's decided we're not going this year :'(

[StuartO]

Using Eurotunnel will get you across the Channel without mingling with the crowd heading back down the stairs to the car deck, so tell your wife you are paying extra for her personal wellbeing. Once you’re over there you tell her she’ll be safer avoiding toilet blocks on campsites so you can recover the extra cost of the Chunnel by stopping on Aires!

[malc d]

As mobile motorhomers, with all their own facilities, I would 'guess' that touring would not be too risky in terms of catching the virus if you keep your distance from others ( but obviously there is some risk ).

 

My concern would be getting stuck somewhere - because of sudden local lockdowns, border closures, cancelled ferries, etc.

 

It's a bit like going away without insurance - most times you will get away with it !

 

Good luck anyway to anyone who does decide to go.

 

;-)

[Guest rael]

We have had the tunnel booked for 19th July and ferry 22nd July from Ancona to Igoumenitsa since December. Think we are most likely to ditch the Greece part and maybe go to Croatia again or possibly Spain. A lot will depend on the list of countries we don't have to do 14 days quarantine on return. The other fly in the ointment is the fact that as the EU has not yet put out its list of countries it's prepared to accept travellers from. It looks like countries with a poor Covid-19 record (USA, Brazil, etc) will not be allowed into the EU. There is some speculation the UK could well be in the same situation, give our poor record.

 

This article mention UK as a country that could be banned in the third paragraph.

https://tinyurl.com/ybl55znd

 

Another article in the New York Times states that the UK will still be classes as part of the EU. (4th from last paragraph)

https://tinyurl.com/y84gzwf3

 

Confusing eh?

 

In terms of getting across channel, we always use the tunnel. Did use the ferry once a few years back, but never again.

[witzend]

We aren't planning any trips for this year have done 3 trips a year for last 10 yrs.

My thoughts are also how we'd be welcomed after the beach invasions show on TV news ministers from Germany an France where appalled by the scenes

[laimeduck]

Sorry...... I too cannot give you a positive on this - for 2 main reasons.

 

1) Whether you are careful or not you may well be spreading the virus by travelling around. You have to stop and interact with local people, shops, petrol stations, sites/aires, You also may get the virus from them, then unwittingly bring it back with you. I really don't think that's fair on the locals.

 

2) Unless your aim is to go and sit in a field staring at your navel, what are you going to do? The beauty of going to Europe is seeing the sights, sampling the food, watching the world go by from a pavement cafe etc etc. All high risk pastimes at present.

 

As we are seeing in the USA and other places that have opened up too soon, there are second spikes coming and they will be more damaging and deadly than the original.

 

So we are giving it a miss this year and finding the beautiful secluded walks around South East Kent (The Garden of England!) - away from the beaches I might add!

 

Jeremy

 

[Bop]

Nope, not us. We had Spain and Cyprus planned but we've decided to put things on hold until next year. We'll stay in the UK and inject a bit of dosh into our own economy while knowing that our health and vehicle insurances are 100% valid.

 

England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales are truely fantatsic places with loads to offer - and all on my doorstep too.

[BruceM]

It’s all down to individual risk assessment. There’s probably as much chance of catching the virus in the UK as on the Continent and probably even more chance in the UK. If you have comorbidities then you may prefer to lock yourself down in the UK I suppose and indeed you may be wise to do so. With the availability of a vaccination still uncertain certainly for the next 12-18 months if ever, it’s probable that most of us all going to catch it eventuality anyway, although hopefully after better treatments have been established.

 

Speaking personally, we’re lower risk, aren’t too concerned about catching the virus (assuming we haven’t had it already), and with the travel corridors opening will be heading for Europe once personal circumstances . We'll probably restrict ouselves to France and will travel much as we’ve always done, stopping in Aires and buying food locally as we go along. And yes, we’ll be taking the ferry, we find it a much pleasanter start to a holiday. And I wouldn’t worry that you'll be the sole person somehow spreading the virus, people are traveling again in Europe en mass, you will not be alone. Personally I wouldn’t want to holiday in the UK this year, If people really are going for ‘staycations’ then it’s going to be crowded and expensive.

[bobalobs]

As it appears that health insurance taken out since March will not cover Covid and Ehic cover is limited we are staying home. Nor are we travelling to the hotspots like Bournmouth and Barnards Castle. If there is another lockdown at least we can get home.

 

[Guest rael]

witzend - 2020-06-27 5:31 PM

 

We aren't planning any trips for this year have done 3 trips a year for last 10 yrs.

My thoughts are also how we'd be welcomed after the beach invasions show on TV news ministers from Germany an France where appalled by the scenes

 

Having lived in Germany for 27 years I can assure you the that some Germans are quite capable of making our beach invasions look like a scene from The Sound Of Music. I've been to football matches, rock festivals etc. in Germany (and France) and have witnessed scenes that would make you shudder. Rosenmontag and carnival are about some of the most debauched events you can get! I love the country, but, its as rough and tumble as UK, if not worse at times. I wouldn't pay a lot of attention to ministers etc. Like ours, they don't speak for the people.

[BruceM]

bobalobs - 2020-06-27 5:51 PM

If there is another lockdown at least we can get home.

On the ‘another lockdown’ issue I think that you’ll find that any further UK ‘lockdowns’ will be localised and the same would apply to the Continent. Any attempt at a major country wide lockdown will both damage the economy further and risks social unrest/disobedience, neither of which would be politically acceptable. A localised lockdown is most likely to be specific enough to target gatherings, eg pubs, beaches, how many people can meet in the open etc. It won’t be very effective (motorhomers for instance could just travel to another area) but ever little helps and would send a message to ‘stay alert’.

[Den]

We are Frequent travellers with eurotunnel and try to use the 5 return trips in the 12 month allotted period

We find this easy and staying in your own space for 35 mins suits us .

The amenities are closed, but us MH’s have all we need aboard.

I must admit I’m not looking forward to shopping having not been into a store since the 20th March.

But we’ll take more than normal and shop infrequently and choose our times to shop

We down sized from an A class to a PVC ( Malibu ) in 2016 and find it very convenient parking and mingling with cars in car parks.

Insurance wise we use Allclear and a couple of days ago they added COVID 19 to the list Of included and not excluded it. Which is great news.

We tend only to use Aires in France with the exception of Moustiers-Ste - Marie in the Alps and

Saint - Martin -d’Ardeche.

Both have very large pitches.

We are also lucky in having a place in Almoradi in Spain and we’ll definitely not be flying there until 2022.

I prefer to drive anyway luckily.

 

Take everyone

Den

 

[Deffheads]

Flying out to Malaga on 7th July to collect stored moho, as we left it there 23rd March after being hounded by police to leave Spain, it was our decision to fly back,not realising how long the lockdown would be. Looking forward to mega hot sunshine and cheap food and drinks!!l

[webpax]

Already abroad here in Sweden. Like a different world here, almost everything open and people behaving normally. Weather is not half bad either and the Swedes are welcoming and friendly.

[Don636]

No overseas travel for us this year. All I can see are downsides. We were out in the van the week before lockdown but came home before lockdown was announced as it just felt uncomfortable having to be constantly on your guard for social distancing etc. It took the edge of what motorhoming is supposed to be all about which is the freedom to travel freely without a care in the world. Who knows what might happen to any countries Covid alert status and consequent effect on travel. It’s not the end of the world if we don’t get abroad , it will still be there next year. Might get a few days away not too far from home.

[arthur49]

No overseas for us either.

 

We want to support our UK leisure industry as a priority!

 

Having said that I looked at booking a few nights at a C&MC site in July (Stonehaven) - £32.40 / night for 2 people ................... !!!! And personally we will use our own facilities so the cost is for a pitch the size of a small African state, water and waste disposal. 8-) 8-)

 

But we will grit our teeth on this occasion and pay through the nose for a few nights mainly to support the local businesses not C&MC (our membership is lapsing later this year)

 

And we'll use Brit Stops when available, usually farm shops ....

[colin]

webpax - 2020-06-27 9:28 PM

 

Already abroad here in Sweden. Like a different world here, almost everything open and people behaving normally. Weather is not half bad either and the Swedes are welcoming and friendly.

 

Funny enough, when thinking about OP I had decided that Sweden, with currently twice the death rate of UK, was not somewhere I wanted to be at moment.

I'm not able to holiday for at least a couple of months, so Germany in autumn looks good to me.

[EJB]

No chance...especially Sweden! ;-)

[Den]

I can’t show this to Carole.

I’m being greatly outvoted.

Just maybe I should have said it’s now 2021 and wouldn’t you like to be going to france ect.

So many of my customers have cancelled holidays abroad and now planning staycations, it’s going to be extremely busy in the Uk.

We may not be going this July, but I’ll see how it goes and book August onwards ????

 

[stevec176]

Sounding wiser, let the others be the guinea pigs and see how things go. You wouldn't want to have to go through the hassle of countries locking down and borders being closed again. Patience, time will tell and then we can all moan about lack of ferry space. Enjoy it while you can.

[webpax]

All sense of proportion seems to have been lost with respect to Covid death rates. The vast majority of deaths in Sweden have, like elsewhere, been among the very elderly with comorbidities. The current death statistics for under 60's in Sweden is 0.002%. More people die in road traffic accidents in Sweden in a typical year.

 

I'd rather take such a tiny risk and be able to freely go to church, go to a bar, eat in a restaurant and not see the bizarre sight of people walking around in masks looking like surgeons who've taken a wrong turn out of the hospital!

 

[yoko8pups]

We are already in Portugal and decided last Sunday to give it a go using all our own facilities. We went for 3 nights to the campsite in Lagoa St. Andre on the west coast which had been inspected and given a "clean and safe" certificate. It is a large campsite and the spacing for motorhomes was very generous. Had 3 lovely days there, OK no bars, restaurants etc. but thats not our thing anyway. If we didn't already live here I'm not sure we would have done it though.

 

[colin]

webpax - 2020-06-28 1:33 PM

 

All sense of proportion seems to have been lost with respect to Covid death rates. The vast majority of deaths in Sweden have, like elsewhere, been among the very elderly with comorbidities. The current death statistics for under 60's in Sweden is 0.002%. More people die in road traffic accidents in Sweden in a typical year.

 

I'd rather take such a tiny risk and be able to freely go to church, go to a bar, eat in a restaurant and not see the bizarre sight of people walking around in masks looking like surgeons who've taken a wrong turn out of the hospital!

 

As of 26th June 5.55% of deaths in Sweden are for under 60, once you hit 60+ it ramps up considerably. Sweden is climbing the charts and is now one of the worst in Europe for death rates, whereas the surrounding Scandinavian countries are considerably lower.

 

p.s. CV-19 in Sweden has so far this year killed 20 times the total number killed in road accidents last year, at that rate it is some 40 to 50 times more dangerous.