Continental updates please

The black art of moving from A to B on foreign soil
Barcelona Pat
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Re: Continental updates please

Post by Barcelona Pat »

daveuprite wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 10:46 am Thanks Pat - very useful post.

I'm doing my first trip to UK in a couple of weeks (after oct 4th) , to finally see my Mum after 21 months. It'll be an unusual journey, so any advice is welcome...

I'll be going to collect her from the UK and bring her back with me to France for a week, which means I'll only myself be in the UK for about 36 hours. So how will the '2-day' test work for me? By the time I get the result posted to my Mum's address I'll be back in France !! I don't really understand this aspect of the covid testing policy.
Hi Dave - my understanding from current guidance is that you still have to do the day 2 test (which is up to day 2 really - some providers are doing them for travellers at airports, so can be done when you arrive). But that's under current rules, as you'll know they are set to change soon, so may be easier. As you say, worth doing it anyway as you have to pay for it. Gov.uk remains the best source of info.
simonw
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Re: Continental updates please

Post by simonw »

daveuprite wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 10:55 pm
simonw wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 10:37 pm Test and trace didn't cost £22bn - that was the allocated budget (https://fullfact.org/online/test-trace-tunnel/ has some further detail, for example). That's not to say that it has represented value for money or has been well executed etc., just that the oft-quoted figure of £22bn is misleading.

I think it is especially important to get the facts straight when one is arguing a position otherwise one can be easily undermined, which can then in turn introduce doubt into the rest of one's argument.
Oh come on, it's a very widely quoted and examined figure
As though that were some measure of truth! The covid vaccine contains nano technology which will control us all is very widely quoted and examined. Doesn't mean it's true. £22bn is the BUDGET not the COST. (The cost in that article was around £6bn at the end of last year, from memory.)
including by the commons select committee that's investigating it and which has already called the costs 'unimaginable'. The departmental budget is 22 billion and 15 billion has already been allocated. It's a similar budget to the entire UK Dept of Transport budget. Average consultancy day rates are 1100 pounds with some being paid up to 6000. As an ex- government consultant myself that is eye-watering, and stinks of corruption / misuse of funds. The Select Committee found the scheme was largely ineffective and treated the UK taxpayer like an ATM machine. A similar schemes in Germany has also faced huge problems but it has cost the german taxpayer a small fraction of the UK's profligate regime. UK NHS T and T will eventually be investigated fully as part of the kicked-into-the-long-grass public enquiry but new issues will be in the public domain by then and I somehow doubt heads will roll.
Yep, I agree with all that and didn't say otherwise. But it still didn't COST £22bn.
daveuprite
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Re: Continental updates please

Post by daveuprite »

OK Simon, if you insist. I'll happily concede that the budget of 22 billion has not yet all been spent, and that 6 billion (which is nevertheless an enormous figure for something that isn't effective) is the spend to date. But I've worked as and with government officials long enough to know that revenue budget is lost or downscaled in subsequent years if it isn't spent in the target year, so it's pretty likely that the 22 billion will be spent eventually - even if some or all of the remainder is exceptionally carried forward into 2022/23. Sure that's a supposition but certainly not outlandish. Besides, the current regime has track record for siphoning funds, poor procurement practice, weak contract monitoring, short-cuts on contract tendering and letting etc and even shameless jobs-for-the-boys sharp practice - which does not lead one to believe that the budget will be carefully husbanded or that any excess will be reallocated. It's a massive sum for an untried and untested project but it's also a golden opportunity for cut-and-run 'contractors' to milk an emergency fund, some of whom have been shown to be closely associated to the tory party. I only hope the notoriously short memory masochism of current tory voters does not prevent them from blaming this bunch of charlatans as other budgets are cut to pay for T&T and the time comes to elect someone new.
Seminole
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Re: Continental updates please

Post by Seminole »

The covid vaccine contains nano technology which will control us all is very widely quoted and examined.
It might be widely quoted (I dont really know. I dont do feckbook or twatter), but sure as hell it aint widely examined, I dont think the poor sods that go on about that crap could examine their own navels without someone explaining what a navel is to them first
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Re: Continental updates please

Post by ErikGustav2 »

I just did a ride through:
  • Portugal
    Spain
    France
    Italy
    France
    Spain
    Portugal

Not a single border control.
In France, they required Covid pass on campings and indoor restaurants.
daveuprite
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Re: Continental updates please

Post by daveuprite »

ErikGustav2 wrote: Mon Sep 27, 2021 9:18 am I just did a ride through:
  • Portugal
    Spain
    France
    Italy
    France
    Spain
    Portugal

Not a single border control.
In France, they required Covid pass on campings and indoor restaurants.
Sounds like a great trip Eric. As all those countries are Schengen so I wouldn't expect any border issues, and as far as I'm aware (it changes from day to day) all of them have no current covid-related restriction on travel between them for fully vaccinated travellers. That doesn't mean that local police might not ask for documents anywhere, not just border points, and in France we still have the Pass Sanitaire requirement at restaurants, bars, government facilities, cinemas, swimming pools, venues, some events etc.

My 'TousAnticovid' app on my phone has a 'border' QR code function, but I wan't asked for it at the Pyrennean border (Lannemazan-Vielha) recently - which looked just as post-1980s abandoned and redundant as it has for decades.
PDiddy
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Re: Continental updates please

Post by PDiddy »

ErikGustav2 wrote: Mon Sep 27, 2021 9:18 am I just did a ride through:
  • Portugal
    Spain
    France
    Italy
    France
    Spain
    Portugal

Not a single border control.
In France, they required Covid pass on campings and indoor restaurants.
I found that hotels within both Spain and Portugal requested either proof of full vaccination, or proof of a recent negative covid test.
ErikGustav2
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Re: Continental updates please

Post by ErikGustav2 »

[/quote]

I found that hotels within both Spain and Portugal requested either proof of full vaccination, or proof of a recent negative covid test.
[/quote]

I agree

==

The only border that have checked my "Covid pass" was going into Norway this summer.
There they had police/army guys checking everyone.
==
bikenav
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Re: Continental updates please

Post by bikenav »

I returned from Spain monday 25 Oct after 16 nights including three on the Biscay boats, this is a little bit of my Covid era travel experience.

Getting a NHS travel passport did'nt prove easy the one I had initially had two QR codes on it and was not compatable with the SPTH be aware too that there is a dedicated marine SPTH as opposed to a flying one I presume, SPTH is the Spanish version of the Passenger locator form and I found a real ballache to complete as it seemed to have a time out function kicking in quickly and would not accept my single QR code either, but I managed to complete it and received a completion message minus QR code but did'nt have a one page passport type document from it. I headed off to Porstmouth without this all important passport type app document stressed out done with chasing buttons on the phone not knowing if they would allow me on the boat or not but with the comforting sentence "we have not turned anyone away yet" ringing in my ears after a previous anxious call to Brittany Ferries. On early arrival at Portsmouth I did the usual formalities which I am well used too and then showed my phone with the SPTH app icon and explained to the French Lady that I attempted to aquire this "SPTH passport" but failed and got berated to the effect it had been in place a long time and I had to have it, trying to say that I had done my best did not seem to cut it. A second man's voice came from the booth asking "what phone did I have?" and I replied Huawei and lent over and thrust it at him and Miss France toke it, in two seconds she had the all important thing on the screen grudgingly passed me boarding passes for me and the Bmer I was on.

Travelling around Spain and about 15miles through France, not once was I requested for any covid related documentation, I was warmly welcomed in hostals, campsites, resteraunts etc with no issues whatsoever. I wore a mask in all places other than fuel stations where keeping my helmet on and staying as far back from the cashier as possible seemed to suffice. Other than the very smallest rural cafe/bar everyone seemed to be abiding by the mask rule.

Knowing that the post travel test rules were quite likely to change whilst I was away I had not ordered a test before leaving, but had done a little research for supplier options, the rules did change. Panic , when I initially failed to find a test supplier who would supply the test id number at the time of order but Boots came through with this and after ordering their test I was able to fill in the UK return passenger locator . This app eventually worked for the return boat I got on, and off in Portsmouth.

Speaking to others on the boats and quayside many stated they had problems with all this documentation and some phones had only just survived the experience I understand that sentiment fully.

At home I did my second day test and had a negative result but again my camera or something is incompatable with the Boots reporting app there was an option to manually put in a number that also failed to work, I tried repeatedly to contact boots on their helpline through these process's and was kept waiting for between 37 an 58 minutes on 4 occasions and 3 of those occasions after being answered with the operator unable to answer my query being asked to hold whilst they spoke to their seniors then being hung up on. I also emailed Boots and receiving automated responses suggesting to ring them. I am a basic phone/IT user, this was the first time I had done emails on the phone so very unfamiliar to this kind of thing and found it a complete nightmare, Perhaps I'll have a fine I dont know, what are people like me supposed to do?

The spin around Spain was brilliant, thats my element, I posted a couple of pics on facebook that was my sum use of the internet other than all that probably pointless tracker crap. Dont use Boots.
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Re: Continental updates please

Post by Mosel Bikes »

My tuppence worth, following a recent trip to Germany, via Netherlands, by DFDS Seaways ferry from North Shields (Newcastle) to Ijmuiden (Amsterdam).
For the very reasons stated in the last post, I'm not a smart phone/app person (I don't even own one), so all of my documentation was done using a laptop and printing most documents from that.

Journey Out:
Booked pre-travel test costing £65 and carried out, without issue at the terminal building, receiving a printed card with the result. You are not allowed to board without proof of a negative test. At the check in booth, I was asked for that test result, my NHS vaccination certificate and my passport. Very quickly through to security control/police hanger, but waved straight through - whereas they were checking every foreign plated car.
Arrived in Ijmuiden the next morning. Very heavy control of arrivals, with four stages of checking. First, a check on documents. They wanted proof of either vaccination or negative test result. I was able to show both, printed. then to security check, a few questions about destination and purpose of journey and quickly moved on. Next Police check, similar questions and moved on. Finally, passport control, where they were particularly thorough. They spent most time asking about the duration of my stay and when I'd be returning. they stamped my passport, with entrance date and waved me on. I'm pretty sure this is a Brexit thing, to do with the 90 day maximum stay.
Drove straight through the Netherlands and into Germany without any further checks.
Whilst in Germany, most people seem to stick to the guidelines and common sense.
I overnighted in Amsterdam the night before my return home, as it's on route (Gaasperplas camping), took the metro into the city and had a meal and a walk around. By contrast, most people there had a very lax approach to mask wearing and distancing. The restaurant did insist on seeing my vaccination certificate however and I got the impression most places would do that. Mask wearing on the Metro, despite being compulsory, hardly any one wore them.

Journey in
The UK government had waved the pre-travel requirement for a negative test by the time I travelled, but not the 2 day post return one. I booked that before I left Germany. I completed my UK Passenger Locator form online, but couldn't print it (my printer wasn't working for some reason, so saved it to the laptop. Drove through the Netherlands again, without issue. Same procedure at Ijmuiden terminal, in reverse. Quite 'heavy', same stages, check in booth checked the vaccination certificate again and accepted my PLF on my laptop screen, then had my passport stamped once again. On arrival in North Shields, passport booth checked passport and asked for PLF, which, when I showed it on my laptop, did not show on the National system! Guy was local (that's low-caal to us) was nice as ninepence and let me straight through, but was at a loss as to why it wasn't on the system. Waved straight through security and police control, though again, foreign plated vehicles were all being stopped. God knows what might have happened had you been a southerner from South of the Tyne, or from North of the border!

2 day test
Very straight forward. Kit arrived the day after I returned and received an email with confirmation of negative result the next day. Cost £49. I believe this can now be a simpler and cheaper lateral flow version?

General comments
The whole journey was definitely more stressful than usual - mainly due to the uncertainties before you leave and my experience of the somewhat heavy approach at border port of entry. It was also more expensive, due to the tests of course.
The two main gripes I had, were the stamping of the passports and the lax attitude I observed in many with the Covid precautions. That's probably down to the fact that a) I'm a Remoaner and hate the idea of a return the bad old days when you had your passport stamped when crossing borders and b) I'm a grumpy old sod with a naturally reclusive disposition. In general, I was made to feel a bit like a criminal and was constantly having to remind myself I was absolutely entitled to be there! Go figure.
Other than that, Germany was wonderful, as always. I'd gone out without the dogs this time (we have seven rescue greyhounds), just to check over our house before Winter (we'd not been for a year). As it turned out, nothing much needed doing, so I was able to enjoy a ten-day walking holiday really, in Autumn, on the Mosel.

Whilst I was there, I got my wonderful vet (how different they are in Germany - and Sweden, where we used to live - where they don't have this air of assumed authority and hegemony), who supplied seven EU Pet Passports at the cost of Euro 13.50 each! This is because, post Brexit, you can no longer use the Pet Passports obtained in the UK - which cost over £100 each when we got them - and instead have to use the new Animal Health Certificate system - which is very inconsistent, difficult even for vets to complete and costs ridiculous amounts - which only last the duration of each trip (meaning we'd have to do them twice a year, as that's the pattern we follow when visiting our property in Germany). With an EU Pet Passport, you can travel into the EU from the UK AND use it to return.
What a bollocks-balls-up Brexit has been for us! (still waiting for someone to show me the detailed and accurate benefits from it!)

Anyways, enough from me. Was it worth it? ask me when I next go with all the dogs, in Spring.
In the meantime, all I can say for certain and from my point of view, is it was not - and will likely not be in the future - as enjoyable, accessible or as cheap as it was. And that's a shame.
Greyhound Racing .... don't bet, don't go - you bet, they die :cry:
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