Travel to the EU after January 1st
- Thread starter John H
- Start date
barryd
Full Member
- Posts
- 15,151
- Likes
- 27,942
I cant see any country demanding you leave your vehicle and fly home. You are much safer in your van than on a plane or at an airport and of course if you happen to be carrying the virus without knowing much less of a risk to other people.
Like last time I expect you will be able to drive back up through France with the right paper work. What happens when you get to the UK might be another matter. I guess you are due back end of March John? All might have changed by then. I would just sit tight and not worry about it, drink beer and lap up the sunshine, Feck it!
You might up being there all summer! 
mark61
Full Member
- Posts
- 8,951
- Likes
- 18,068
I cant see any country demanding you leave your vehicle and fly home. You are much safer in your van than on a plane or at an airport and of course if you happen to be carrying the virus without knowing much less of a risk to other people.
Like last time I expect you will be able to drive back up through France with the right paper work. What happens when you get to the UK might be another matter. I guess you are due back end of March John? All might have changed by then. I would just sit tight and not worry about it, drink beer and lap up the sunshine, Feck it!
My thoughts exactly.
If I were over there, the only preparation I'd be doing is making sure my blood had so much alcohol in it, I wouldn't be able to drive for at least a month.
mariesnowgoose
Full Member
- Posts
- 22,505
- Likes
- 48,981
A motorhome is a vehicle same as any other.
Would be a strange prospect to be asking every driver abroad in their own vehicles to abandon them and catch a plane home!
But guess you never know in these strange times.
Besides, wild horses wouldn't get me on a plane just now.
Whichever way you argue it, travelling in a motorhome with its own facilities has logically got to be way safer than any other type of transport to get you from A to B over any great distance.
Would be a strange prospect to be asking every driver abroad in their own vehicles to abandon them and catch a plane home!
But guess you never know in these strange times.
Besides, wild horses wouldn't get me on a plane just now.
Whichever way you argue it, travelling in a motorhome with its own facilities has logically got to be way safer than any other type of transport to get you from A to B over any great distance.
REC
Full Member
- Posts
- 4,302
- Likes
- 9,783
Trying not to get embroiled in this discussion as some obviously are completely against anyone doing anything despite logical reasons and sensible precautions. I am completely sure that any action taken was done with careful planning and knowledge and I personally, would not dream of being critical of an individual's decision either implicitly or explicitly.
When we travelled back to UK last May in our motor Home , we came into contact with ONE person at a distance at a fuel station where the card machine was not working, so we paid at the booth. We did no shopping, left the van once for a legally allowed (registered online in France) walk. I really fail to see how that can be considered for
" taking the virus across other countries" . Likewise when we returned to Portugal we came into contact with ONE person, wearing a mask at distance, in the tunnel. We took food, water and every other precaution and did not leave the van at all.
Flying keeps people in a group rather than isolated in a van or car...safer?
We intend staying here until WE feel it is safe to return it until a crisis at home means we have to come back. But if a crisis the journey back will be the same risk as travelling across UK to get to those who are vulnerable, just a couple of days longer.
When we travelled back to UK last May in our motor Home , we came into contact with ONE person at a distance at a fuel station where the card machine was not working, so we paid at the booth. We did no shopping, left the van once for a legally allowed (registered online in France) walk. I really fail to see how that can be considered for
" taking the virus across other countries" . Likewise when we returned to Portugal we came into contact with ONE person, wearing a mask at distance, in the tunnel. We took food, water and every other precaution and did not leave the van at all.
Flying keeps people in a group rather than isolated in a van or car...safer?
We intend staying here until WE feel it is safe to return it until a crisis at home means we have to come back. But if a crisis the journey back will be the same risk as travelling across UK to get to those who are vulnerable, just a couple of days longer.
Last edited:
2cv
Full Member
- Posts
- 6,211
- Likes
- 15,534
It may indeed be a difficulty, but the article suggests that a stay under a visa waiver program may also be extended in such circumstances. I agree that it adds to the complication.
John H
Full Member
- Posts
- 5,537
- Likes
- 3,932
The only thing I disagree with there is that I am drinking wine - plus a very nice bottle of a single malt to celebrate Burns Day (socially- distanced, of course)I cant see any country demanding you leave your vehicle and fly home. You are much safer in your van than on a plane or at an airport and of course if you happen to be carrying the virus without knowing much less of a risk to other people.
Like last time I expect you will be able to drive back up through France with the right paper work. What happens when you get to the UK might be another matter. I guess you are due back end of March John? All might have changed by then. I would just sit tight and not worry about it, drink beer and lap up the sunshine, Feck it!
mariesnowgoose
Full Member
- Posts
- 22,505
- Likes
- 48,981
I don't understand the logic?
If you dig into the facts, one of the main reasons why covid spread so rapidly all round the world in the first place was down to one main mode of transport - planes! It stood head and shoulders above any other method in spreading it far and wide and with massive speed. Fact. Not speculation or opinion.
If you mean that it is now better to fly than drive because it keeps a group of potentially infected people all heading home together in one container (plane) who will then (hopefully!) all quarantine when they disembark, I can kind of see where you might be coming from - but then.... not really?
Or is there another reason why the UK are taking steps to ban incoming flights from around the world?!
Motorhome - OK, you may need to stock up on bare essentials during transit - food, fuel, etc.
But we are all having to do this at home in bricks and mortar too.
And that doesn't always mean the luxury of home deliveries for anything and everything.
Plenty of us have to occasionally venture outside the 4 walls whether we want to or not!
In a motorhome, by sticking to all the basic safety rules (keep your distance, don't touch your face before washing your hands & disinfect anything coming into your motorhome en route) you are doing everything that the rest of us are doing back in our bricks and mortar, other than our place of residence is immobile and a motorhome in transit isn't.
If you have no option on travelling, it is better to do it in isolated safety in a motorhome.
That is way less risky than flying, imo.
Don't forget to spot the elephant in the room here - Mr H is a pretty good wind up merchant!
Sitting in his cushty spot in France drinking wine and whisky and thumbing his nose at our shivery bums over the channel ... Mischief Man!
Last edited:
John H
Full Member
- Posts
- 5,537
- Likes
- 3,932
Don't forget to spot the elephant in the room here - Mr H is a pretty good wind up merchant!
Sitting in his cushty spot in France drinking wine and whisky and thumbing his nose at our shivery bums over the channel ... Mischief Man!
I object to that most strongly - I am in Spain, not France!
I
mariesnowgoose
Full Member
- Posts
- 22,505
- Likes
- 48,981
I object to that most strongly - I am in Spain, not France!
I
Oops! Sorry
I'm sure you said somewhere earlier you were in France - my mistake!
That's further south, so even hotter....
John H
Full Member
- Posts
- 5,537
- Likes
- 3,932
Oops! Sorry
I'm sure you said somewhere earlier you were in France - my mistake!
That's further south, so even hotter....
I was in France in October so it depends how far back your memory goes. Far too cold for me now
barryd
Full Member
- Posts
- 15,151
- Likes
- 27,942
The only thing I disagree with there is that I am drinking wine - plus a very nice bottle of a single malt to celebrate Burns Day (socially- distanced, of course)
Beer for the beach then!! Single Malt and Wine in the van.
I virtually never drink beer anymore. Red wine and Scotch now. (Not in the same glass)Just stay put and wait until they chuck you out I reckon. Just wing it!
mfw
Free Member
- Posts
- 1,331
- Likes
- 1,815
Yes i do mean you are not transporting virus across a country and it looks like they are quarantining people in hotels you have to think of what is good for population - i see it becoming a big problem and best thing is to look at the worst case scenario which is what i'm doing - and for people to say that it is acceptable to travel across countries is inconsiderate in my view - you cant just travel as and when it suits people in current situationI don't understand the logic?
If you dig into the facts, one of the main reasons why covid spread so rapidly all round the world in the first place was down to one main mode of transport - planes! It stood head and shoulders above any other method in spreading it far and wide and with massive speed. Fact. Not speculation or opinion.
If you mean that it is now better to fly than drive because it keeps a group of potentially infected people all heading home together in one container (plane) who will then (hopefully!) all quarantine when they disembark, I can kind of see where you might be coming from - but then.... not really?
Or is there another reason why the UK are taking steps to ban incoming flights from around the world?!
Motorhome - OK, you may need to stock up on bare essentials during transit - food, fuel, etc.
But we are all having to do this at home in bricks and mortar too.
And that doesn't always mean the luxury of home deliveries for anything and everything.
Plenty of us have to occasionally venture outside the 4 walls whether we want to or not!
In a motorhome, by sticking to all the basic safety rules (keep your distance, don't touch your face before washing your hands & disinfect anything coming into your motorhome en route) you are doing everything that the rest of us are doing back in our bricks and mortar, other than our place of residence is immobile and a motorhome in transit isn't.
If you have no option on travelling, it is better to do it in isolated safety in a motorhome.
That is way less risky than flying, imo.
Don't forget to spot the elephant in the room here - Mr H is a pretty good wind up merchant!
Sitting in his cushty spot in France drinking wine and whisky and thumbing his nose at our shivery bums over the channel ... Mischief Man!
tidewatcher
Free Member
- Posts
- 419
- Likes
- 804
It s interesting that all the arguments about safer travel in camper vans is dependant on how many actually do it. If everyone with a camper set off to europe then it would be an obvious threat to the measures taken to control the virus. If very few do it then it is a smaller threat. The point is we would all like to travel and those actually setting off can only do so because the majority of us are acting responsibly. the difference in spelling between selfish and selfless is small but the difference in meaning is great.
John H
Full Member
- Posts
- 5,537
- Likes
- 3,932
It seems that the UK government is about to announce that the hotels will only be for those travelling from "high risk" countries such as South Africa. That also makes no sense to me. Whatever your views on what should or should not be done, surely any system is only as strong as the weakest link and such a system has so many weak links it is difficult to know where to start. In the interests of balance, the Spanish system makes no sense either - entrants by sea or air are subject to severe restrictions but you can come in by road without anybody taking any interest in you at all!