Driving to/through France from UK right now
Discussion
Centrente said:
Thanks for this. Useful info. But it is still (deliberately?) unclear..about transiting and need for quarantine, or not. If you have to quarantine for seven days, you are not transiting, even if you want to.
I really feel for those split from their families.
Instinctively feels like you wouldn't have an issue if you transit through.I really feel for those split from their families.
Say you arrive in the morning, drive in your private vehicle, and leave the country later that day (into Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra, or Spain, or indeed the UK)... the French aren't going to prevent you from leaving France.
croyde said:
Thought about going via France but then there's Belgium before Holland. Plenty of talk of border patrols even on tiny country road crossings. ..
I'm pretty sure that you won't have any problem getting through Belgium just now - I'm surprised how many UK-registered cars I see every day.I just took a look at Eurotunnel prices - they've gone mad!
sunbeam alpine said:
I'm pretty sure that you won't have any problem getting through Belgium just now - I'm surprised how many UK-registered cars I see every day.
I just took a look at Eurotunnel prices - they've gone mad!
That sounds promising, I've got a eurotunnel booked for late June, have to take my English car to Poland for work. Hopefully Germany will be allowing people in by thenI just took a look at Eurotunnel prices - they've gone mad!
Centrente said:
ElectricSoup said:
So no children then?
I think but am not sure that unvaccinated minors travelling with double vaccinated adults are ok. But if your children are 18+ going with you, it may be different. And it may all change again tomorrow..Wynn Duffy said:
That sounds promising, I've got a eurotunnel booked for late June, have to take my English car to Poland for work. Hopefully Germany will be allowing people in by then
Polish border is open. A Polish friend just drive back to Poland yesterday and said that the only checks he had were leaving the U.K. we have been in and out of Poland throughout this s
tstorm with no issues at all. The borders are all unmanned however the border guards wait at the first Orlen on the polish side and can do random checks so make sure you have enough fuel to get you to at least Nowy Tomysl (assuming you are coming in on the A2) CDB1983 said:
Polish border is open. A Polish friend just drive back to Poland yesterday and said that the only checks he had were leaving the U.K. we have been in and out of Poland throughout this ststorm with no issues at all. The borders are all unmanned however the border guards wait at the first Orlen on the polish side and can do random checks so make sure you have enough fuel to get you to at least Nowy Tomysl (assuming you are coming in on the A2)
Thanks that's great news, we are driving over next week, yep the A2, I'll drop off somewhere in Germany and add some Diesel, my wife's 520D wont make it that far from Calais, fully loaded!tstorm with no issues at all. The borders are all unmanned however the border guards wait at the first Orlen on the polish side and can do random checks so make sure you have enough fuel to get you to at least Nowy Tomysl (assuming you are coming in on the A2) Cheers
Not a recent experience but we ended our holiday three days early and drove out of Portugal, through Spain, through France and to Eurotunnel in November last year when the news was full of regional border blockades in Portugal, the same in Spain and France, and the requirement to carry the correct paperwork or risk a curfew fine in France. UK car, UK plates, and it stood out like a sore thumb - bright red RHD Tesla. I had half a ream of paper forms printed off, stuff for each country, for each occupant, and locator forms done online.
Through three countries and across two fully open borders without any official contact whatsoever, we were finally stopped at the Eurotunnel and asked to see our UK locator card QR code. They didn't scan it.
Through three countries and across two fully open borders without any official contact whatsoever, we were finally stopped at the Eurotunnel and asked to see our UK locator card QR code. They didn't scan it.
Getting back might be fun: I flew out to Italy on business just over a week ago. I have also had to attend to some problems with our house out there - tree surgeons, new roof tiles etc. Now I want to drive my stranded car back to the UK for its MOT. Rather than flogging up the autoroutes and going through the tunnel, I might take a leisurely drive over to Clermont Ferrand, then head up to Normandy and take a Brittany ferry over to Portsmouth.
As I understand it, after having been in Europe for more than ten days, I should have no problem entering and transiting France from Italy (although I anticipate that I might need to explain myself to the odd French policeman).
In order to enter the UK, however, will need to show a passenger locator form, the negative results of a fresh PCR or antigen test i.e. free from COVID and I will need to show evidence of pre-booked testing on days two and eight of a ten day quarantine. All this despite having had the requisite two doses of AZ and the time for the jabs to reach full effectiveness. Still, a small price to pay.
I’m expecting to leave next week and will update here on any issues.
As I understand it, after having been in Europe for more than ten days, I should have no problem entering and transiting France from Italy (although I anticipate that I might need to explain myself to the odd French policeman).
In order to enter the UK, however, will need to show a passenger locator form, the negative results of a fresh PCR or antigen test i.e. free from COVID and I will need to show evidence of pre-booked testing on days two and eight of a ten day quarantine. All this despite having had the requisite two doses of AZ and the time for the jabs to reach full effectiveness. Still, a small price to pay.
I’m expecting to leave next week and will update here on any issues.
EdJ said:
Do we know what evidence France will look for re the vaccine? I have mine on the NHS app, but what if you don’t have that app, or a smart phone etc?
Will that credit card piece of paper be sufficient?
I'm planning on printing off our vaccine status off the app, just email the pdf copy and print that.Will that credit card piece of paper be sufficient?
I will report back to everyone next week to let you know how we get on.
As far as I understand the UK and EU have not yet agreed to recognise each other's vaccination proofs/passports. Individual countries are free to do whatever they want but given what happened during Brexit talks I'm not hopeful for a quick resolution.
I've booked to come to the UK from Germany (via ferry from Holland) in August. I hope that the situation improves but at the moment even as a fully vaccinated people my wife and I need a test to get on the boat, a test on day 2 in UK, a test on day 5 in UK (optional to release early), a test on day 8 in the UK and a test before getting back on the boat. Thankfully our two kids are too young to need the tests as it is already expensive for two people, but I haven't seen my family for over 18 months and none of them have met our daughter (born in February 2020) so we decided to bite the bullet.
I've booked to come to the UK from Germany (via ferry from Holland) in August. I hope that the situation improves but at the moment even as a fully vaccinated people my wife and I need a test to get on the boat, a test on day 2 in UK, a test on day 5 in UK (optional to release early), a test on day 8 in the UK and a test before getting back on the boat. Thankfully our two kids are too young to need the tests as it is already expensive for two people, but I haven't seen my family for over 18 months and none of them have met our daughter (born in February 2020) so we decided to bite the bullet.
I've just took a punt on getting a refundable Eurotunnel ticket for mid August.
I'm thinking prices are likely to rise if France gets the green light in the next 4 weeks or so, and if it doesnt, then i've lost nothing.
The chalet im staying at in the Alps belongs to a mate, so pretty flexible with regards accomodation.
I'm thinking prices are likely to rise if France gets the green light in the next 4 weeks or so, and if it doesnt, then i've lost nothing.
The chalet im staying at in the Alps belongs to a mate, so pretty flexible with regards accomodation.
I returned to my home in France on Friday. We had used the tunnel for the outbound leg but returned via Brittany Ferries, Portsmouth to Caen. The only daily service they are currently running.
Booking an antigen test with Boots was not as straightforward as we imagined. You pay and then book an appointment. We were staying with friends in Poole, but had to leave a day early to have them done at Fareham, which meant a night in Portsmouth as the ferry leaves at 8:15 and you need to arrive 90mins before departure.
There were only 12 trucks and about 40 cars on the boat. At Caen it took about 5-mins per car to pass through French border control. Douanes were searching vans and the occasional car, but were not making checks for bacon sandwiches etc. 😀
Of the two trips, the tunnel was preferable provided you had your paperwork in order. Its hard to comprehend how things could work with normal holiday traffic levels.
The UK’s track and trace is laughable. Daily calls from someone reading a script threatening hell and damnation if you dare break the quarantine. We took the test and release on Day-5. If it is possible to demonstrate you are clear after that period then that should be the standard. People have to arrive with a negative certificate, so another negative test after 5-days seems reasonable.
Arriving in France with a double vaccination and negative antigen, means no further checks, or quarantine is required - perhaps an little blasé, given that Delta has yet to arrive in France and its prevalence in the UK.
Cost of testing was £480 - the French test on departure was free to us.
Booking an antigen test with Boots was not as straightforward as we imagined. You pay and then book an appointment. We were staying with friends in Poole, but had to leave a day early to have them done at Fareham, which meant a night in Portsmouth as the ferry leaves at 8:15 and you need to arrive 90mins before departure.
There were only 12 trucks and about 40 cars on the boat. At Caen it took about 5-mins per car to pass through French border control. Douanes were searching vans and the occasional car, but were not making checks for bacon sandwiches etc. 😀
Of the two trips, the tunnel was preferable provided you had your paperwork in order. Its hard to comprehend how things could work with normal holiday traffic levels.
The UK’s track and trace is laughable. Daily calls from someone reading a script threatening hell and damnation if you dare break the quarantine. We took the test and release on Day-5. If it is possible to demonstrate you are clear after that period then that should be the standard. People have to arrive with a negative certificate, so another negative test after 5-days seems reasonable.
Arriving in France with a double vaccination and negative antigen, means no further checks, or quarantine is required - perhaps an little blasé, given that Delta has yet to arrive in France and its prevalence in the UK.
Cost of testing was £480 - the French test on departure was free to us.
Well I promised I would report back.
We traveled on an early Le Shuttle on Tuesday (22.06.21) Folkestone to Calais. There is a new form you fill in before departure, it is a Eurotunnel one, stating everyone's vaccine status and PCR test status etc, bit like a honesty system. At the French border check, we had to show our PCR tests, both were on my phone and no problem with that, he did not ask about our vaccine, although I had paper copies with us. A Quick stamp of Passports and we were though. No customs check or any other paperwork checked.
Found no problems driving through France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Poland no one took any notice of a British 5 series touring with a roof box on. No issues at any service stations, taking CDB1983's advice (thanks again) on the Polish Border Guards, I put enough juice in to get us home to Poznan.
We had no problems driving over, it was fine.
We traveled on an early Le Shuttle on Tuesday (22.06.21) Folkestone to Calais. There is a new form you fill in before departure, it is a Eurotunnel one, stating everyone's vaccine status and PCR test status etc, bit like a honesty system. At the French border check, we had to show our PCR tests, both were on my phone and no problem with that, he did not ask about our vaccine, although I had paper copies with us. A Quick stamp of Passports and we were though. No customs check or any other paperwork checked.
Found no problems driving through France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Poland no one took any notice of a British 5 series touring with a roof box on. No issues at any service stations, taking CDB1983's advice (thanks again) on the Polish Border Guards, I put enough juice in to get us home to Poznan.
We had no problems driving over, it was fine.
Wynn Duffy said:
Well I promised I would report back.
We traveled on an early Le Shuttle on Tuesday (22.06.21) Folkestone to Calais. There is a new form you fill in before departure, it is a Eurotunnel one, stating everyone's vaccine status and PCR test status etc, bit like a honesty system. At the French border check, we had to show our PCR tests, both were on my phone and no problem with that, he did not ask about our vaccine, although I had paper copies with us. A Quick stamp of Passports and we were though. No customs check or any other paperwork checked.
Found no problems driving through France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Poland no one took any notice of a British 5 series touring with a roof box on. No issues at any service stations, taking CDB1983's advice (thanks again) on the Polish Border Guards, I put enough juice in to get us home to Poznan.
We had no problems driving over, it was fine.
Great news! So you’re staying in Poznań? We used to live there it’s a great city We traveled on an early Le Shuttle on Tuesday (22.06.21) Folkestone to Calais. There is a new form you fill in before departure, it is a Eurotunnel one, stating everyone's vaccine status and PCR test status etc, bit like a honesty system. At the French border check, we had to show our PCR tests, both were on my phone and no problem with that, he did not ask about our vaccine, although I had paper copies with us. A Quick stamp of Passports and we were though. No customs check or any other paperwork checked.
Found no problems driving through France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Poland no one took any notice of a British 5 series touring with a roof box on. No issues at any service stations, taking CDB1983's advice (thanks again) on the Polish Border Guards, I put enough juice in to get us home to Poznan.
We had no problems driving over, it was fine.
If you get bored you’re very welcome to drop round for a bbq
We are about 60 miles from Poznań near Bydgoszcz. I think the media have a lot to answer for making out travel is really difficult. My dad arrived last week by plane and nothing was checked upon arrival to Poland.
Enjoy your stay. Apart from the masks everything is reasonably normal now.
If you need any help with anything feel free to drop me a pm. I have quite a lot of English speaking friends in Poznań.
That's supposed to come in August isn't it?
Currently in the Netherlands I think it's still 10 days quarantine but you can do test and release on day 5, you'll also need a negative PCR 72 hours before arrival
https://reizentijdenscorona.rijksoverheid.nl/en
Currently in the Netherlands I think it's still 10 days quarantine but you can do test and release on day 5, you'll also need a negative PCR 72 hours before arrival
https://reizentijdenscorona.rijksoverheid.nl/en
CDB1983 said:
Great news! So you’re staying in Pozna?? We used to live there it’s a great city
If you get bored you’re very welcome to drop round for a bbq We are about 60 miles from Pozna? near Bydgoszcz.
I think the media have a lot to answer for making out travel is really difficult. My dad arrived last week by plane and nothing was checked upon arrival to Poland.
Enjoy your stay. Apart from the masks everything is reasonably normal now.
If you need any help with anything feel free to drop me a pm. I have quite a lot of English speaking friends in Pozna?.
That's great thanks, I may take you up on the BBQ later in the season!! Will try and thanks for everything If you get bored you’re very welcome to drop round for a bbq
We are about 60 miles from Pozna? near Bydgoszcz. I think the media have a lot to answer for making out travel is really difficult. My dad arrived last week by plane and nothing was checked upon arrival to Poland.
Enjoy your stay. Apart from the masks everything is reasonably normal now.
If you need any help with anything feel free to drop me a pm. I have quite a lot of English speaking friends in Pozna?.
Si
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