Anyone Experienced Problems Entering/Exiting Europe Recently?

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Having entered Europe from the Isle of Man - IOM - Dublin - Cherbourg, it was surprisingly more easy than anticipated. Ok my wife has Manx and Irish passports and maybe this helps as it qualifies us both to circumnavigate the 90 day Schengen rule, but can anyone share any difficulties experienced while entering or exiting Europe from other areas of the British Isles?

Everything seems so frantic about the right codes etc, gas checks not done, dairy and meat products checked - not on you’re nelly (not that that would bother us in any way of course🧐)

The Tous Anti Covid app has certainly been a help. It was recognised at the Cherbourg border along with the paper copies of Covid inoculations. We’ve yet to find any shopping centre in France demanding their own QR codes for entry, all they insist on is mask wearing without policing.

Keep you posted about our return to the U.K. via the tunnel, I doubt that will be any more difficult because it seems passage from France to Britain these days goes unrestricted? I’ve put an rubber dingy in the garage just in case 😏😎
 
Just returned from Germany after visiting family. Before taking the ferry from Calais to Dover, you must take a swab test of the nose, this can be done at the entrance of the ferry port, cost €30 in cash. You must also fill in the form called "Passenger locator form" and also fill in the day2 and day 8 forms on line, this will cost you another £90 which you can pay with your card. Very frustrating filling in the forms on line unless you are very computer conversant. They will not let you sail without these requirements. You must wear a mask on board.
 
Apologies everyone but a genuine question. Was it worth the hassle?
At the time of going I had a great run through all Countries including France as there were nobody there, raced through the borders, no problem. On the return the same just raced back except when you try to get on a ferry. Yes, it was worth the hassle as I have not seen my family in 2 years and I also had some very important things to tie up with my oldest Son as I am not a young chick anymore.
My personal opinion (which does not count) is I have been double jabbed, and a do a routine test every day with the COVID-19 self test, all showing negative.
The Govt: test at the docks was 2 hours before sailing and was negative. When I got home I got in the post the 2 day test which proved negative and in 8 days time I will have to do the 8 day test which I am positive will show up negative. I think it was a money spinning idea, like knocking off folks for parking.
 
Just returned from Germany after visiting family. Before taking the ferry from Calais to Dover, you must take a swab test of the nose, this can be done at the entrance of the ferry port, cost €30 in cash. You must also fill in the form called "Passenger locator form" and also fill in the day2 and day 8 forms on line, this will cost you another £90 which you can pay with your card.
Does the swab test do away for the need to visit a chemist for a pcr test ? and is not the day 8 test no longer required
 
Apologies everyone but a genuine question. Was it worth the hassle?
Understand ,we decided not to return to UK this summer in view of complications and have enjoyed ourselves travelling Northern Spain. (We have residency so no need to exit).Both double jabbed and covid recoveries. By an large kept ourselves to ourselves and took all reasonable precautions.
 
Having entered Europe from the Isle of Man - IOM - Dublin - Cherbourg, it was surprisingly more easy than anticipated. Ok my wife has Manx and Irish passports and maybe this helps as it qualifies us both to circumnavigate the 90 day Schengen rule, but can anyone share any difficulties experienced while entering or exiting Europe from other areas of the British Isles?

Everything seems so frantic about the right codes etc, gas checks not done, dairy and meat products checked - not on you’re nelly (not that that would bother us in any way of course🧐)

The Tous Anti Covid app has certainly been a help. It was recognised at the Cherbourg border along with the paper copies of Covid inoculations. We’ve yet to find any shopping centre in France demanding their own QR codes for entry, all they insist on is mask wearing without policing.

Keep you posted about our return to the U.K. via the tunnel, I doubt that will be any more difficult because it seems passage from France to Britain these days goes unrestricted? I’ve put an rubber dingy in the garage just in case 😏😎
If one of you has an Irish passport is that enough for both of you to be exempt from the 90 days limit in a rolling 180 day period?

The reason I’m asking is I got Irish passports for the kids on the back of my nationality, but my wife only has a British passport.
 
Pretty certain that the spouse and dependants of an EU citizen are not subject to Schengen rules as overridden by freedom of movement in EU. As it used to be for us pre-Brexit!
 
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Apologies everyone but a genuine question. Was it worth the hassle?
A question we've given a lot of thought is it worth the hassle and decided No. Biggest concern is What if its a fail when testing to come home all OK if your one of the lucky ones and get away with just a couple of weeks isolation think I read that you won't test clear for at least that time.
 
We‘ve pretty much decided to forego our trip to California for October/November this year again as even if things do open up it would be too much hassle. We’ll just wait and see if things are better in March.
 
I am finalising our 2 month trip to Spain starting in January. I'll be interested to see what regulations are in place then regarding testing. Hopefully any 3rd/4th/5th wave (I lose count!) will have gone through by then.
 
If one of you has an Irish passport is that enough for both of you to be exempt from the 90 days limit in a rolling 180 day period?

The reason I’m asking is I got Irish passports for the kids on the back of my nationality, but my wife only has a British passport.

If you have an Irish passport then yes you and your wife are exempt from the Schengen shuffle. Just as my wife’s Irish passport covers me.
 
We‘ve pretty much decided to forego our trip to California for October/November this year again as even if things do open up it would be too much hassle. We’ll just wait and see if things are better in March.

I‘m afraid it wasn’t likely to be the case anyway, America is still firmly shut, we’ve been keeping an eye on this because we were hoping to ship the van over to Halifax Nova Scotia from Liverpool next spring, cross into the U.S. then back through Canada to Halifax.

Canada is open but I don’t think the U.S. will be for some time.
 
This is copied from another forum today about conditions in France as we speak...... as you get to the end sounds horrific ""
We are currently on tour in France and have been for two weeks now. Thought it might be useful to let people know that we are both double vaccinated so getting in was a simple as showing the printable pdf from the nhs app.
And as on Monday 9th August to go into most places you have to present a passe sanitaire now .... what that means for we 'anglais' is the second dose vaccine QR (2d) code. Its on the printable pdf used to get in. When they scan this it comes up and shows as 'valide' and in you go ..... job done.
It sound really complicated but we screen shotted the code and show that wherever we go on a daily basis...... now is its like a mask step, mask on QR code out and in you go. You can't even buy a burger (eat in our take out) at McDonald's without the passe sanitaire check.
We haven't crossed borders yet, that delight comes in the next 10 days so we will see how that goes.
 
Entering Europe is pretty easy in most EU countries. Going back to UK is more complex, liable to border force questioning but otherwise pretty straightforward.

Is it worth it? Well that is a personal matter really. Some will say yes, others no. Being able to remain flexible if tests or rules changes force you to change plans is pretty important. Always have a plan B. Or C too. Fixed dates can complicate that but not impossible.

My view … if you really want to know …. Yes it is brilliant being able to travel in Europe.
 
Entered at Roscoff and all paperwork in order so no problems. Shades of yesteryear when they stamped the passport. Keeping to smaller Aires and wilding so little interaction except in supermarkets which are far less crowded than home. Have all the passes on paper and phone but not needed them so far. Good to be in a true can friendly country again, easy camping and relaxed. Will order online day two tests and find a pharmacy for the get out of France one when we need to. Tourist Info are very helpful and may well book your appointment if you ask them. It just seems that this is how it’s going to be for a while, also infection rates where we are seem to be a fraction of back home in the SW. does it take some of the fun out of the trip, yes but it does at home as well.
 
The Tous Anti Covid app is pretty straightforward to use (I’ll come back to that though). We haven’t eaten out anywhere yet and prefer not to at this time especially somewhere enclosed like a McDonalds where there can be a constant flow of people, I’m thinking viral loading here.

We’ve not been asked to show proof of double vaxing at any shops, petrol stations or supermarkets, but everyone is wearing masks inside anywhere quite rightly.

We met up with some friends yesterday at a campsite for a night or two, something we don’t normally do (camp sites that is!). We were asked for our QR codes. My wife’s was accepted but mine failed, the Manx paper copy was accepted without question. I’ll delete mine reload it and get the site to check it before we leave.

As it stands right now, we have to buy pcr tests from a recognised private test centre, if you go on the Eurotunnel web site, hit Covid on the top bar then hit France to England, it talks you through the procedure, there is also a link to show all the private test providers and where they are. You can test up to 72 hours before departure, they give you a certificate to show at the tunnel. We can also buy the day two tests to take with us and enter results on our passenger locator forms online.

All straightforward enough unless the private pcr proves positive 😱, but that would spoil your day wherever you were! We’ve been using our own lateral flow tests every couple of days and so far so good.

Strange days indeed, but life goes on and it gets shorter every day.
 

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