A journey in todays world, Baltics-UK-Baltics, Aug 2021

[Northern Boy]

I am off to Blighty, to see the blood bretherin. So for whoever is interested I will try and keep a running diary and maybe have some fun too.

So far its a logistical exercise, not just booking tickets and navigating the covid restrictions and rules but also getting the clan in place so I can see my loved ones who I have not seen for nearly 2 years. All in about 72 hours.

This is a guide to how I did it and a lot of fun stuff.

I spent hours on the computer and I now think I understand how to get across Europe, into the UK and back home again without too much stress. You know when I was 18 I just jumped in my car and zoomed of skiing in the alps for a week without any planning at all, just with freedom in my boots, some cash in my pocket a passport and a will to be, oh yes and with a girlfriend who was a chalet girl. Anyway its now 2021

Job one was to find out the covid rules, so I am fully jabbed with an EU green covid passport; and once UK lifted restrictions on EU jabbed persons I thought here is my window of opportunity before we close down for the winter and who knows what may happen.

Eurotunnel web site has so much information its just great and prompted me to use the tunnel, I also hovered over the ticket types and after a few moments hit the flexi plus button, why add stress to the exercise? Freedom to cross when I want, no time issues.

Leaving SWIMBO to feed the cats, so its just me, easy way to travel. A bit of stress about when to cut the grass before I leave as I don't want a meadow when I return and the sheep have been eaten by the wolves! I think today is a good plan as the sun is up, but first off to fill up the larder with man stuff, sausage, smoked meats, cheese, no no no young man I say...... some veg, fruits etc, lets see when I get to the shop. I will report on the larder later.

To be continued when I can, leaving Sunday 15th early after covid test and 2750Km to run...............

 

[ElliesBoss]

Looking forward to your tale.....

 

[suavecarve]

On my watch list, looking forward as well

 

[nicholsong]

I am off to Blighty, to see the blood bretherin. So for whoever is interested I will try and keep a running diary and maybe have some fun too.

So far its a logistical exercise, not just booking tickets and navigating the covid restrictions and rules but also getting the clan in place so I can see my loved ones who I have not seen for nearly 2 years. All in about 72 hours.

This is a guide to how I did it and a lot of fun stuff.

I spent hours on the computer and I now think I understand how to get across Europe, into the UK and back home again without too much stress. You know when I was 18 I just jumped in my car and zoomed of skiing in the alps for a week without any planning at all, just with freedom in my boots, some cash in my pocket a passport and a will to be, oh yes and with a girlfriend who was a chalet girl. Anyway its now 2021

Job one was to find out the covid rules, so I am fully jabbed with an EU green covid passport; and once UK lifted restrictions on EU jabbed persons I thought here is my window of opportunity before we close down for the winter and who knows what may happen.

Eurotunnel web site has so much information its just great and prompted me to use the tunnel, I also hovered over the ticket types and after a few moments hit the flexi plus button, why add stress to the exercise? Freedom to cross when I want, no time issues.

Leaving SWIMBO to feed the cats, so its just me, easy way to travel. A bit of stress about when to cut the grass before I leave as I don't want a meadow when I return and the sheep have been eaten by the wolves! I think today is a good plan as the sun is up, but first off to fill up the larder with man stuff, sausage, smoked meats, cheese, no no no young man I say...... some veg, fruits etc, lets see when I get to the shop. I will report on the larder later.

To be continued when I can, leaving Sunday 15th early after covid test and 2750Km to run...............

We have just completed a similar run, in our case from S. Poland, via Slowakia, Austria and Italy to a Greek island near Turkey, So it involved two ferry crossings as well. We were equipped with Vac Certs and swab test result.

We were only asked to show Certs entering Greece at Patras and re-entering Poland at Krakow airport(Left the MH on the island till Sept. when we do the return trip)

You seem to have done all the preparations so your trip should also go smoothly, enjoy it.

Geoff

 

[Northern Boy]

About 36 hours to departure and I have got the grass cut.

It takes me about 5 hours to cut the grass and 5 liters of benzene, job done. And, now I am exhausted and a little bit excited I must say too.

Covid test at 8.30am in Tallinn on Sunday morning which is an hours run for me, booked a gargle as I really don't fancy the Q tip nasal exploration. Apparently its the same quality as a nose job but much nicer, just cant smoke, eat, drink, talk, or sing for an hour before the gargle but that's OK.

And then, I hit the road south, to the Estonian/Latvia border where according to the re-open EU app (worth a look if in EU) I need to have registered my transit on Covidpass.lv looks simple as I have a green EU covid pass. Then across Latvia into Lithuania where I plan to have a look on Park 4 night or whatever and zzzzzzzzzz before crossing into Poland the next day.

I am doing this with no night bookings in advance except in the UK, going to fly by the seat of my pants and go in free-flow. I have to enter the UK at the latest on the third day after my covid test in Tallinn, so, Wednesday 18th. I have a flexi plus ticket with euro tunnel but still booked for around midday. Then I can get to my campsite in the New Forest around beer o'clock.

I have booked my day 2 covid test on line and have an email with the code for the passenger locator form that needs filling in online at UK.GOV before I enter the UK and also I can upload onto euro tunnel site to hopefully ease my way into the UK. The day 2 covid test booking was an arse, there are about a hundred possible companies to use on the UK.Gov website and the costs vary from 55-100 quid. A lot of the information is out of date as they say I need to quarantine if I have been through France and that was stopped on 8th August. The day 2 test is in fact counted from the day after you arrive, arrival day is day 0. I arrive on Wednesday and my test needs to be done on or before Friday. I have the option to send the test to a family member who I will be seeing on the Friday, I can fiddle with my nose and tonsils in my own time and space, I apparently need to access the website and fill in when I take my test, then follow the instructions to pack it up like a Xmas pressie and post into one of your super special post boxes. Which I have found on the Royal mail website. So If I post it on Friday evening it will get to the laboratory on Sunday, Processed on Monday and I will know the result on Tuesday when I should be half way home to Estonia!

re-open EU app says its no problem going into and staying in Lithuania. Now this app is good but not perfect, it tells me I need to isolate when I return to Estonia which is not true. They do admit on the site that they do their best to update information when its available and they are using automated translation, so some writings may not make sense. And that pans out all over the internet when looking for covid world movement information, its just not all correct. However I have found that if you keep going, keep looking you do find everything you need, just don't have a drink until you have finished.

Done a early shop, got sort of stuff that lasts, jars of goulash, pilaf rice, wraps, soups, tea, coffee, pasta and tomato sauce. Going to pick up fresh breads, milks, sausages, fruit and veg on my way to the Latvian border before I leave Estonia. Oh yes, I got loads of chocolate as gifts for my family as well as local food stuff like the Borscht soup in jars, lets hope I don't eat it all before I get to the UK. Can I take milk chocolate into the UK? Who knows, I will let you know in time.

Thats all I can think of for now. I expect to keep waking up through the night as I think of things to pack, must put a pen and paper beside my bed before I go to sleep.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[gus-lopez]

A lot of the information is out of date as they say I need to quarantine if I have been through France and that was stopped on 8th Augus

Yes that was really annoying me when I was on it the other night.

 

[Northern Boy]

Typical of me, woke up at 3am when I don't need to be on the road for another 4 hours. Cat keeps talking to me so been up and down like a yo yo to the door in case he wants to go out but he just wants more food!

So whats the plan for today? I expect to leave home around 6am, head off to Tallinn where I am getting my Covid test; a gargle so I don't hurt my nose. Will get some fresh bread, veg and fruits. Then need to pick up a small delivery from IKEA which will come with me on the 6000Km round trip. I will fill in the 'Passenger Locator form' PLF on line before I enter Latvia and then have 12 hours to transit. Then before I enter Lithuania; again an on line PLF. I plan to stay/park up south of Kaunas just before the Polish border tonight. No restrictions on time allowed in Lithuania.

Dear old Europe, every country has its own rules and reading again the Open-EU app I can see that as a European resident travel towards UK is quite easy as a vaxed human. On my route down through the Baltics, Poland, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium and France to the tunnel its quite simple if I keep moving, no quarantine, no tests and little paperwork. Poland not many restrictions, Germany need to Transit in 24 hours, Netherlands are probably the most complicated, Belgium need to transit in 48 hours, France 72 hours. Its the return that's more complicated (for my aging brain) as I will be coming from a third nation country, UK. I need to read the app again before I return as its constantly being updated, however Netherlands is not quite clear to me about the paperwork. Transit is OK right through the EU upon return as I am vaxed but its the paperwork that is just a touch on the complicated side. Different countries different paperwork and guidance.

As I have no time restrictions personally other than the grass is still growing and will need a cut. When I return I may well travel south in France a bit and cross into Germany south of Luxenburg and miss out Netherlands and Belgium, its a few more hours travel but less paperwork and I like taking a different route back. Anyway who knows, lets see how it all pans out.

Chatting with SWIMBO last night we just commented that its the same for all rules in life, we are given rules, regulations, ways to live our lives and then warned of the consequences. This scares most of us enough that we are good citizens, enough that big brother can relax and not check us too much. My experience tells me that I worry more than I need to. As I was commenting with a friend the other day, 'I am quite happy to do most things as long as I wont go to prison' I think I am OK there, but lets see how this goes.

Good that's killed half an hour and I am a little more awake now, catch you later I hope, never posted before from my mobile or my tablet so its all a great adventure.

 

[Raul]

I wish you a farewell and please take re open Eu with a pinch of salt. About 4weeks ago we did UK-Romania , and transited few countries, no restrictions. We showed the nhs jabs at the border with Ro and no quarantine. If you don’t have the time to cross into UK, re test in Germany for free.

 

[Northern Boy]

I wish you a farewell and please take re open Eu with a pinch of salt. About 4weeks ago we did UK-Romania , and transited few countries, no restrictions. We showed the nhs jabs at the border with Ro and no quarantine. If you don’t have the time to cross into UK, re test in Germany for free.

Thanks and yes I take your advise and just chill and enjoy the trip.

 

[Northern Boy]

Here I am in southern Lithuania having done 800 km, ah thats an easy conversion 500 miles. Left home at 6am so it took me 14 hours but that did include shopping, covid test and IKEA pick up. So about 9 hours driving.
Uploaded PLF for Latvia and Lithuania via my mobile, but no forms for tomorrow. Plan tomorrow is to transit Poland and find somewhere to put my head down in Germany.
Negative covid test (thank god) arrived by email link to site and downloaded to onedrive for uploading soon.
No checks annywhere, no police, just as i remember pre covid days. However they are wearing masks in fuel stations in Lithuania.
Time to get head down in this very nice site i found on pitchup.com, actually i think it was the only site they had in Lithuania. Paid about 2 euro to book and when i arrived the nice man did not appear to know anything about the booking but he and i did not speak the same languages. Anyway its jolly nice and only 3 campers here inc me and space for 30 or so. Good facilities, a lake, but its getting dark now. 20 euro inc leckie.
Lots of funsters on the roads, lots of waving, mainly German. But i could be wrong as its difficult to drive and read the numberplates.
Leaving when ever tomorrow, nice man gave me gate code if a want to leave before 8. Amazing what you can communicate with fingers, funny arm movements and a world wide knowledge of very bacic english!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Northern Boy]

48 hours later, I was to tired last night to post. Spent last night in two parts and two places. Firstly in Poland in an acceptable motorway stop but with some lorries refrigeration unit internaling combusting away, close to the German border where i had a good 5 hours. Woke at 03.30 got up drove for 2 hours into Germany and then put my head down for 2 more hours. The joy of being alone in free flow. Oh yes and changing a blown headlight bulb at 03.30 in the dark too, God is with me as the other one blew at home a few weeks back so i had had a trial run at home in the light.

Today I had a problem, no water, tank half full but nothing at the taps but a splutter. Stopped and had a good think, must be the pump i thinks, so google motorhome shop as i am near Hanover in Germany. Not to far and new pump fitted. Oh bother same problem, so lots of fiddling and looking. Bingo i had turned off the electrics and the frost stat had dropped and dumped the hot water and then emptied everything else as i ran the taps and fiddled about. So i now have a spare water pump!

Transited Germany, Netherlands and now holed up just east of Brussels in a edge of town park up, thanks to park 4 night. 15 euro, leckie and water and drainage. No photos for you as its very uninteresting and raining. About three hours run to tunnel tomorrow for 10.30 crossing,

So far there are no covid checks, no sign of police or burocrats. Its very normal as we remember normal. Just done the UK PLF and uploaded into eurotunnel site with covid test and 2 day check test code. Euro tunnel site gives me green ticks for go.

Thats it from the coal face, steady as she goes. Will update you funsters as i can and as i go. Thats all the fun i can offer today.

 

[paddymcc]

Always worth carrying a spare pump so no harm in that. I wouldn't want to change a bulb in the dark so

 

[deleted79651]

Always worth carrying a spare pump so no harm in that. I wouldn't want to change a bulb in the dark so

Naw, it's something you need plenty of light to do! Always need 2 extra hands, 1 to focus the torch, the other to hold back the springy bulb holder clip, and sometimes a 3rd hand for the rubber bulb cover thing; at that stage a 4th extra hand comes in useful to muffle the obscenities which signal that the job is not proceeding smoothly ...

Steve

 

[Northern Boy]

Naw, it's something you need plenty of light to do! Always need 2 extra hands, 1 to focus the torch, the other to hold back the springy bulb holder clip, and sometimes a 3rd hand for the rubber bulb cover thing; at that stage a 4th extra hand comes in useful to muffle the obscenities which signal that the job is not proceeding smoothly ...

Steve

It was OK as I was well trained and parked myself under a street lamp. I am also trained to take things slowly, and that's the key.

 

[Northern Boy]

I have arrived in the United Kingdon, what a fair isle and oh joy to see hills. The drive to Calais was uneventful except for my excitment and learning that Waterloo is just south of Brussels. Oh lordie, Brussels, i was routed by a nice american company owned by alphabet right through the middle of the hub of modern europe, i could sence the burocrats supping wine, spending money on cycle tracks and supporting wife carring competitions. The dear aforementioned company routed me through parts of the fair city where campervans should not see with their headlights on. The girl with smeared lipstick on her way home with used euros in her purse and a smile on her face looked at me with eyes that said, nice looking man, but driving a Motorhome! Merde.

Oh the tunnel and borders, boring is a good word. I had done everything, PLF, covid test and a like. It was slow and to cap it all i was sent to garage 1 for a customs check. 'Where have i been where have i stopped' etc etc, bingo, as i got where they were going.........why not just ask 'any possibility any one could be hidden in your motorhome?'

Flexi plus waste of money as so few passangers we were all put on the next train available, i think but dont know. Enjoyed trip on train, used my conveniences! Mid channel, ate chocolate mint ice cream at my dining table. Then my first experience of driving a left hooker in the UK with a brain thats trained to drive a right hooker. And after re programing my brain to drive a left hooker in the EU, so far so good.

Bloody hell diesel is pricey here, in Estonia we are getting in a fiddle at 1.2 euro a litre, thats under 110 pence a litre!

Next post some photos from the New Forest.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Northern Boy]

The Hobby in a very quiet New Park Farm Campsite, no leckie but thats ok,

 

[Northern Boy]

UK done, all those i wanted to see are ticked off the list.

Its been over three years since i have driven in the UK, what i observed is the poor state of the roads. How narrow and overgrown the small country lanes are, not a good place to be in MH but my best old mate of 50 years lives in the sticks.

Its maybe just me being in an EU registered MH but i could feel the eyes of others saying 'what are you doing here in a vehucule thats too big' I feel more welcome in the EU, just an observation.

Very clean and easy transit via tunnel into France, the French side just wanted to see my EU covid passport, did not even scan the code.

Headed south to find a nice Aire sur la lys, i guess it was an hour and a half or two south of Calais. Google had a laugh finding it. But it had everything and i was the only one there.

I was tired so relaxed for 18 hours and had a good kip, nice waterway next to site and even a electric bike to borrow. Good and clean facilities.

Nobody in any uniforn or any brightly spotted cars with blue light to be seen anywhere as i crossed into Belgium or Germany.

I am watered up, food a plenty, cool squash in the fridge, just need fuel but right now i am tanked.

I am now in the middle of Germany squeezed into a parking spot surrounded by juggernaughts.

I am thinking shall i head east tomorrow and go through Prague before turning north into Poland? Lets see how i feel whenever i awaken.

 

[Northern Boy]

I tell you, I know how to live. Found a great spot for a park up, close to main S8 in Poland, not far to re join main road and its popular. Very close to toilets and if you like internal combustion engines there are loads starting and stopping as well as very interesting refrigeration units.

To set the scene better, i cooked turkey burgers and black puding in the saucepan and mixed them into a half pot of potato salad with tommy ketchup. Eaten with wooden spoon so just the pan to wash up.

If only SWIMBO was here, she would love it, just need to dip my hands in some diesel and check the oil without washing my hands and get into bed, perfect.

 

[Northern Boy]

I made it home after 5,500 Km and a lot of fun. Been rather busy putting the garden back to how I like it. Garden had turned into a meadow and I found 6 cubic meters of logs to stack.

Looking back at my trip, I see nothing has changed traveling across Europe for me in an EU registered MH with a covid passport although I was never asked for it once. The internal borders were not there, no police, no people in hazmat suits, just dilapidated buildings from a bygone era.

France into UK obviously needed the correct forms filled in; as I had done these I sailed through, I guess as the number plate recognition picked up my plate and the computer did its stuff. The UK border force commented that they did not often see an Estonian registered camper coming through border control and asked me to wait by garage 1. Migrant check!

UK into France, I was asked to see my covid passport but that was it. No questions about food, wine, cigars or drugs, no dogs with wet noses.

I was a bit flummoxed by the conflicting information traveling through the EU after being in the UK and routed around The Netherlands to avoid any issues. Upon reflection I was most likely over cautious. I guess once I was back in the EU in an EU registered vehicle I became invisible.

What it would be like doing this in a UK registered MH I can not comment on, but that was my observation on the trip.

Glad to be home, autumn is here, the trees are starting to turn and soon I will hang up my shorts for longer lower wear.

 

[gpat]

About 36 hours to departure and I have got the grass cut.

View attachment 526581
It takes me about 5 hours to cut the grass and 5 liters of benzene, job done. And, now I am exhausted and a little bit excited I must say too.

Covid test at 8.30am in Tallinn on Sunday morning which is an hours run for me, booked a gargle as I really don't fancy the Q tip nasal exploration. Apparently its the same quality as a nose job but much nicer, just cant smoke, eat, drink, talk, or sing for an hour before the gargle but that's OK.

And then, I hit the road south, to the Estonian/Latvia border where according to the re-open EU app (worth a look if in EU) I need to have registered my transit on Covidpass.lv looks simple as I have a green EU covid pass. Then across Latvia into Lithuania where I plan to have a look on Park 4 night or whatever and zzzzzzzzzz before crossing into Poland the next day.

I am doing this with no night bookings in advance except in the UK, going to fly by the seat of my pants and go in free-flow. I have to enter the UK at the latest on the third day after my covid test in Tallinn, so, Wednesday 18th. I have a flexi plus ticket with euro tunnel but still booked for around midday. Then I can get to my campsite in the New Forest around beer o'clock.

I have booked my day 2 covid test on line and have an email with the code for the passenger locator form that needs filling in online at UK.GOV before I enter the UK and also I can upload onto euro tunnel site to hopefully ease my way into the UK. The day 2 covid test booking was an arse, there are about a hundred possible companies to use on the UK.Gov website and the costs vary from 55-100 quid. A lot of the information is out of date as they say I need to quarantine if I have been through France and that was stopped on 8th August. The day 2 test is in fact counted from the day after you arrive, arrival day is day 0. I arrive on Wednesday and my test needs to be done on or before Friday. I have the option to send the test to a family member who I will be seeing on the Friday, I can fiddle with my nose and tonsils in my own time and space, I apparently need to access the website and fill in when I take my test, then follow the instructions to pack it up like a Xmas pressie and post into one of your super special post boxes. Which I have found on the Royal mail website. So If I post it on Friday evening it will get to the laboratory on Sunday, Processed on Monday and I will know the result on Tuesday when I should be half way home to Estonia!

re-open EU app says its no problem going into and staying in Lithuania. Now this app is good but not perfect, it tells me I need to isolate when I return to Estonia which is not true. They do admit on the site that they do their best to update information when its available and they are using automated translation, so some writings may not make sense. And that pans out all over the internet when looking for covid world movement information, its just not all correct. However I have found that if you keep going, keep looking you do find everything you need, just don't have a drink until you have finished.

Done a early shop, got sort of stuff that lasts, jars of goulash, pilaf rice, wraps, soups, tea, coffee, pasta and tomato sauce. Going to pick up fresh breads, milks, sausages, fruit and veg on my way to the Latvian border before I leave Estonia. Oh yes, I got loads of chocolate as gifts for my family as well as local food stuff like the Borscht soup in jars, lets hope I don't eat it all before I get to the UK. Can I take milk chocolate into the UK? Who knows, I will let you know in time.

Thats all I can think of for now. I expect to keep waking up through the night as I think of things to pack, must put a pen and paper beside my bed before I go to sleep.

Benzene?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Northern Boy]

Benzene?

Possibly spelt wrongly due to dyslexia (why do they make the word explaining difficulty in arranging letters so hard to spell?) But Benzene is what everyone here calls, what you in the UK or the British Crown Dependencies (hopefully being politically correct noting your location flag) call Petrol. So I guess a person here in the Baltics who likes cars are called 'A Benzene head'

 

[Geistguy]

Northern Boy, I've followed your journey with great interest and amusement, thanks so much.

Although a very keen motorhomer I've been planning a Baltic motorcycle trip for 2 years, firstly this was cancelled due to Covid then a badly timed broken leg out paid to this year. I am now planning the same trip for next year. My plan includes Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia returning via Finland, Sweden and Denmark. The Baltic countries look as though there are some beautiful areas.

Thanks again for an insight of what to expect, hopefully 2023 will be even easier.

 

[Northern Boy]

My plan includes Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia returning via Finland, Sweden and Denmark.

Its a great round trip, look out for the Danes, I have seen them vacuuming their lawns! Although they make up for it with great bacon