[Travel] Holiday plans this summer?

[Jim in the West]

Also just back from Spain and agree that it feels much safer there and taken seriously. In my mind it is hard to see this as anything other than a stunt / move to deflect attention away from our governments haphazard management of the virus.

Seeing as the region I visited in Spain had ZERO cases in the past 10 days; would I be quarantining? No chance... Upon Landing back in the U.K. last week there was nobody collecting or checking arrival forms!!

We filled ours in on-line in Immigration, then proceeded to the Border Force staff, who were completely uninterested. I could have put absolutely anything on the form - there's no checking whether it's accurate, and therefore absolutely no way you can be traced (and checked upon). The system is ridiculous!

 

[Denis]

We filled ours in on-line in Immigration, then proceeded to the Border Force staff, who were completely uninterested. I could have put absolutely anything on the form - there's no checking whether it's accurate, and therefore absolutely no way you can be traced (and checked upon). The system is ridiculous!

Most people would give a mobile number, how would they know where you are answering from, if checking up on you? Track your phone? I thought I heard on the TV news that they try and get hold of you three times before escalating it. As you say ridiculous. My son works in aviation and I feel so worried for him.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Seeing all the tourists in Spain moaning about the sudden UK quarantine decision made me laugh.

How kind

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

We filled ours in on-line in Immigration, then proceeded to the Border Force staff, who were completely uninterested. I could have put absolutely anything on the form - there's no checking whether it's accurate, and therefore absolutely no way you can be traced (and checked upon). The system is ridiculous!

The wife wanted to come to the U.K. for a funeral during the previous quarantine period. We spoke to the home office who said she could go to the funeral but would have to remain in quarantine for the full 14 days. Having looked at the legislation I asked under what piece of the rule/law they could prevent her leaving the U.K. within 14 days...they couldn’t answer this but insisted she would have to remain in the U.K. for the full 14 days. We were also talking with the Foreign Office in Berlin at the same time. They said she only had to quarantine for the period she was in the U.K. One department said no, another said yes. We got this “yes” in writing from the Foreign Office. To be fair, the Berlin FO were very helpful and a complete contrast to the idiots at the Home Office. I feel for anyone who has to place their future in their hands; there must be many.

As an aside I also pointed out 2 very obvious contradictions in the quarantine rule to the HO.

The wife also said border patrol were totally disinterested in her form.

If you say you will do anything in life, you also have to be prepared to go through with it. Otherwise few will take you seriously. This is a major part of the government’s problem with Covid.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Seeing all the tourists in Spain moaning about the sudden UK quarantine decision made me laugh.

Charming. Let me know when the next tsunami happens, or the next nuclear power station blows up, then we can piss ourselves as well.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Most people would give a mobile number, how would they know where you are answering from, .

Hello, is that Herr Tubthumper?

Yeah

Are you in quarantine?

Puts hand over mike and shouts across the bar “lads, ssssshhhhhhh for a minute”
Yeah

Okay then.

 

[nicko31]

its fine people saying they feel safer in Spain, fact is new cases have trebled in two weeks, to levels seen in May. Spain have re-introduced some lockdown themselves, other countries put quarantine or travel restrictions on travel from Spain. they had really tight lockdown and yet the virus is still present in the common population.

The high numbers are centred around the Aragon region which has a lot of agriculture and gets few tourists, most regions have lower cases than the UK right now.

I accept giving guidance by country region could be problematic but in the case of the Spanish islands these were not put on the no travel list as of Sunday. They could have easily dropped the quarantine from these locations, instead they slapped them on the no travel list as well which wasn't needed.

The alternative to travel there as some will insure, return to the UK and use your common sense.

 

[Springal]

At least everyone will now be staying at home using their £10 off food vouchers in Nando’s for that quality staycation experience

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Most people would give a mobile number, how would they know where you are answering from, if checking up on you? Track your phone? I thought I heard on the TV news that they try and get hold of you three times before escalating it. As you say ridiculous. My son works in aviation and I feel so worried for him.

If we had a *world class* quarantine system we would do what they do in Ukraine.

There you can opt out of a stay in a quarantine centre and choose self quarantine, but to do so you need to install an app on a non-foreign SIM.

They contact you through the app up to 10 times each day ( not in the absolute dead of night though ) and you have 15 minutes to respond with a photograph of yourself taken via the app which adds geo-location details. The photo is checked with artificial intelligence to confirm it is you.

Miss 3 contacts and the police come round.

 

[METALMICKY]

Im not sure what accommodation you choose for your holidays but I can assure you a 4/5* hotel in the U.K. is double the cost of it’s counterpart in Spain / Portugal. Likewise for food & drinks - even the travel prices come in more or less the same as train tickets or return fuel if you book smartly.

Point taken but just maybe downgrade your normal holiday style a little. And if the reality is that you are too used to 'steak as opposed to Burger' then bite the bullet and write off this years jaunt. Save the money and double up on a great holiday next year.

 

[schmunk]

At least everyone will now be staying at home using their £10 off food vouchers in Nando’s for that quality staycation experience

Cos I can't go to Spain I'm spending mine on TAPPERS.

 

[nicko31]

Interesting to see who could be next on the quarantine list in Europe. Lots of talk about France and Germany, Croatia seems to have increasing numbers...

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavi...e-uk-add-to-its-quarantine-list-next-12037240

https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/cases-2019-ncov-eueea

 

[Jim in the West]

The FT does a handy tracker - you select the countries you want to compare, and the basis (cases or deaths; cumulative or new, etc). The number of new cases/million is rising in both France and Germany (France now slightly above the UK, Germany still below). Croatia seems to have ballooned about 6 weeks ago, but now looks stable (according to the FT data).


https://ig.ft.com/coronavirus-chart/?areas=gbr&areas=fra&areas=deu&areasRegional=usny&areasRegional=usca&areasRegional=usfl&areasRegional=ustx&cumulative=0&logScale=1&perMillion=1&values=cases

 

[beorhthelm]

The high numbers are centred around the Aragon region which has a lot of agriculture and gets few tourists, most regions have lower cases than the UK right now.

I accept giving guidance by country region could be problematic but in the case of the Spanish islands these were not put on the no travel list as of Sunday. They could have easily dropped the quarantine from these locations, instead they slapped them on the no travel list as well which wasn't needed.

The alternative to travel there as some will insure, return to the UK and use your common sense.

yes, it is daft to treat the islands the same.

 

[nicko31]

The FT does a handy tracker - you select the countries you want to compare, and the basis (cases or deaths; cumulative or new, etc). The number of new cases/million is rising in both France and Germany (France now slightly above the UK, Germany still below). Croatia seems to have ballooned about 6 weeks ago, but now looks stable (according to the FT data).


https://ig.ft.com/coronavirus-chart/?areas=gbr&areas=fra&areas=deu&areasRegional=usny&areasRegional=usca&areasRegional=usfl&areasRegional=ustx&cumulative=0&logScale=1&perMillion=1&values=cases

Thanks for sharing, very interesting to see the direction of travel.

 

[nicko31]

yes, it is daft to treat the islands the same.

I should add in the case of Portugal (on the list largely due hot spot around Lisbon) that Maderia and the Azores are exempt.

 

[Soton Seagull]

Had a pleasant fews day with the other half in the Netherlands last week. 3 nights Utrecht, 2 nights Amsterdam. Having worked from home for the past 4 months it was a reallly welcome change of scenery. 1.5m rule over there fairly well observed. Masks transport only. Form for Netherlands entry unchecked; form for return to uk unchecked - pointless tickbox exercise.

We delibrately chose somehwere that if things went awry we were a 45 min flight away; or if utter chaos both train & boat options available.

I appreciate some people have (very) strong anti travel opinions at the moment - much of which I believe to be smug virtue signalling/faux outrage; whilst some will have legitimate worries; but I'm failing to see the harm done - we went somewhere with a low infection rate, wore masks when required, washed hands lots, prebooked museum visits etc and kept expected distances apart. Low risk overall. Everything is a risk - going to the supermarket included. I'm not advocating a full return to normal but some sort of fun shouldn't be entirely ruled out when rates are in decline.

Good luck to all those who want a break

 

[The Wizard]

Changed my Spain holiday to Kefalonia for 8 days, leaving next Wednesday! If this one also gets cancelled I think I’ll give up quite honestly

 

[Wrong-Direction]

Would annual insurance I bought in November (before the shitshow) cover me for accommodation I booked in fuerteventura last week? Supposed to be flying end of August. Trying to get an answer from them is a no go atm

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[Wrong-Direction]

Changed my Spain holiday to Kefalonia for 8 days, leaving next Wednesday! If this one also gets cancelled I think I’ll give up quite honestly [emoji38]ol:

I'm regretting not booking my first choice villa in kefalonia now! Hoping villa plus will just change it but not holding out much hope

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