Belgium trip cancelled

dazandandrea

dazandandrea

Joined
Oct 29, 2021
Posts
1,189
Likes collected
7,595
Location
Chesterfield, UK
Funster No
85,143
MH
autocruise Rhythm
Exp
Most of my life in one form or another
Just cancelled out little trip to Belgium in light of how things are going with new restrictions etc.
Cancelled campsite bookings , managed to get full refunds.
Ferry cancelled and got credit for next year.
Funnily enough the only thing we have lost money on is the travel insurance. Bit ironic.
 
Funnily enough that was the one payment i didnt expect back , thankfully it was only £15 .
I can just about live with out that .
 
ctc said:
Surely you didn't expect anything back from an insurance company.
Click to expand...
Actually they do pay back, it depends on the terms of the policy and what the underwriters say, so certainly worth checking. We had Virgin Travel insurance, when it became apparent that we couldn't go away again I contacted them and after a bit of toing and froing they gave me back a pro-rata amount without deducting an admin charge.

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

Travel/Medical Insurance

Any one able to advise on a company that will give sensible priced cover for 2 people over 66 years old with 90 day duration for Europe? Currently we are with Avanti. Just called to ask if any rebate was available as due to the current situation we are unable to travel abroad. Their reply is we...
www.motorhomefun.co.uk www.motorhomefun.co.uk

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
It’s made us think twice about next year.

We were all for going to France over Easter, what then happens if a new variant is found?

Red list and quarantine hotel, you really do travel at your peril at the moment.

What a nightmare.
 
Googlebot said:
It’s made us think twice about next year.

We were all for going to France over Easter, what then happens if a new variant is found?

Red list and quarantine hotel, you really do travel at your peril at the moment.

What a nightmare.
Click to expand...
After two 'lost' summers abroad largely due to Covid I booked the Newhaven - Dieppe ferry last week for next June as the situation was looking more relaxed but I'm not holding my breath as the travel situation is so volatile.
 
We are hoping that by June things might be ok ish . If not we will be waiting till December 2022 and maybe a trip ti Fussen.
20191210_123443.jpg
 
How long are people willing to put long held plans for travel on hold??

Certainly when we spent July and August in France we felt safer there than at home - various reasons for this, but motorhome travel made it pretty easy to distance ourselves.

Double (or triple) vaccination obviously would be a prerequisite to us, and following any legal restrictions / conditions imposed on border crossings, but I don't see Coronavirus going away completely for years. There's comes a point where we have to do what we can to mitigate risks and get on with life I think.
 
Last edited:
Skez said:
How long are people willing to put long held plans for travel on hold??

...........There's comes a point where we have to do what we can to mitigate risks and get on with life I think.
Click to expand...
Maybe I'm not typical but motorhome travelling is just one of my several hobbies/interests so life goes on anyway.
I've only toured with it abroad or for occasional long weekends in the U.K. to participate in specific events and activities although many were cancelled during the past 18 months so it has had little use. It's always ready in my drive but during the pandemic period I've spent more time happily doing other things.
 
Skez said:
How long are people willing to put long held plans for travel on hold??

Certainly when we spent July and August in France we felt safer there than at home - various reasons for this, but motorhome travel made it pretty easy to distance ourselves.

Double (or triple) vaccination obviously would be a prerequisite to us, and following any legal restrictions / conditions imposed on border crossings, but I don't see Coronavirus going away completely for years. There's comes a point where we have to do what we can to mitigate risks and get on with life I think.
Click to expand...
We were in France August till October last year and felt completely.
 
I am not sure why people are so scared. If you are sensible, and depending on where you go and when, a camper-van or motorhome allows you to travel around Europe or elsewhere in a very low risk way.
I imported a new van from Germany in August in 2020, and since then we have done 15k miles, two trips to Wales, two trips to Scotland, a two week trip to the Alps in July 2021, another sixteen days to France in September, and the last an eighteen day to Germany Austria and Italy on my own in October. We stayed in campsites, Stellplatz and Aires, and some France Passion sites. We used the on-board facilities rather than campsites toilets and showers, particularly when Covid case rates were higher, or anytime in the UK when the sites were rammed.
We avoided crowds when we came across them e.g. markets, and only ate out when we could do so outside in a well managed space..
For most of that period case rates in Western Europe were lower and some times, in some places much, much lower, than in the UK, plus mask wearing and social distancing always more common. Plus the weather means you can spend more time outdoors than in. As a result we felt safer there than in the UK. With vaccination rates reasonably high now in most places in western Western Europe, there really in no reason not to go as long as you observe the well established ways of minimising risk.

On the other hand if you behave idiotically and ignore the risk then obviously the chance of getting it increases. But then you'll catch it anyway in the UK.
The only caveat to this advice is if your motor-homing lifestyle is one that involves sitting in bars for long periods, especially indoors, or being hugger-mugger with loads of people then perhaps you should think twice.

Otherwise I'd go for it - assuming of course that you are triple jabbed and not averse to social distancing or wearing a mask.

If you're an Anti-Vaxer please stay at home, Darwin will be round shortly.

Covid is not going to go away, the best case scenario is that it becomes manageable through vaccination and avoiding crowds, as with many diseases. (I used to always get autumn flu, when I flew to the States regularly on business as a result of sitting in a plane for 7-10 hrs)
Plus pandemics are predicted to get more common in general, for reasons I won't dwell on here.
So unless you intend to spend your life under a rock I'd start planning your next trip. It can always be deferred if circumstances require it. Or sell the motorhome and spend the proceeds on some good books.
 
We have decided to cancel our trip to Belgium and France between christmas and new year not because of felling unsafe as have been over many times recently but because of the cost and hassle of the changing regulations and lack of commonality between countries.

As we have a 12 year old he is considered unvaccinated in some countries so needs a antigen test to go into France and one every 24 hours should we want to go into restaurants, cafes, museums or even christmas markets.

Nip next door to belgium for a couple of days no problem under 48 hours by same issue with hospitality stay more than 48 hours all 3 of us need a test.

Hop over into The Netherlands thats 3 more tests please so a simple week long trip along the french and belgium coast was ok but the final killer is the day 2 test and isolate on return meaning we needed to come back a day or so earlier to avoid the bank holidays and delays with getting back the pcr resultd before school resumes.

Unfortunately the under 16 were not given a recognised single dose vaccine only half a dose of pziser so causing many many problems for families wanting to travel overseas.
 
I have cancelled this trip as i have to work for a living, if i have to isolate when i get back for whatever reason , i dont get paid .
If you have the financial means to be away all the fime , fantastic , im pleased for you. But for those that have work to return to its a very unsettling time with new restrictions and testing requirements being brought in all the times by different governments in different countries.
I will be travelling abroad again when it becomes a bit easier for now we will be staying in the uk.
 
orridge said:
As we have a 12 year old he is considered unvaccinated in some countries so needs a antigen test to go into France and one every 24 hours should we want to go into restaurants, cafes, museums or even christmas markets.
Click to expand...
Yes that is a bummer. I don't understand why children have not been vaccinated in this country, given they mix more in schools, which has a knock on effect when they infect their households grandparents etc. Presumably if he had been vaccinated most of barriers you mention would not apply. ?
 
We got back a couple of weeks ago from a French/Spanish trip it felt much safer over there. Looking at going again in mid Feb, providing not too many restrictions we will go, if it looks like they are going to bring in quarantine again we can always dash back.
 
dazandandrea said:
I have cancelled this trip as i have to work for a living, if i have to isolate when i get back for whatever reason , i dont get paid .
If you have the financial means to be away all the fime , fantastic , im pleased for you. But for those that have work to return to its a very unsettling time with new restrictions and testing requirements being brought in all the times by different governments in different countries.
I will be travelling abroad again when it becomes a bit easier for now we will be staying in the uk.
Click to expand...
Apologies if my post seemed insensitive. I am very lucky to be retired and able to travel in my van. Work can be a great thing or it can be rubbish - I have had both. I am also very lucky that the last seven years of my working life were more lucrative than most of the others. I started worked in the 70's and then if you were off sick you automatically got sick pay, jobs came with conditions that were much better than they are now, with Zero hours contracts and similar nonsense. That included jobs working in a steel works in Sheffield, driving post-office trucks in Glasgow, unloading beer wagons in Reading, working in a brick works in Reading (the worst !) All of them gave you sick-pay if you were off, and I have no doubt if Covid had arrived then then isolation would have been covered. It is a disgrace how much more precarious the world of work has become. And apologies for hijacking this thread.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
slowdriver said:
Yes that is a bummer. I don't understand why children have not been vaccinated in this country, given they mix more in schools, which has a knock on effect when they infect their households grandparents etc. Presumably if he had been vaccinated most of barriers you mention would not apply. ?
Click to expand...
Yes all would be removed except the pcr test upon return which would mean cutting the trip a day or so shorter which would not be a problem just the cost of 3 pcr tests plus the cost for france & Belgium mounts up and changing the Eurotunnel dates adds additional cost.
 
Lenny HB said:
We got back a couple of weeks ago from a French/Spanish trip it felt much safer over there. Looking at going again in mid Feb, providing not too many restrictions we will go, if it looks like they are going to bring in quarantine again we can always dash back.
Click to expand...
We are planning our first trip over the water in February! Can we follow you? 🤣 I have been reading your adventures....awesome!
 
slowdriver said:
Yes that is a bummer. I don't understand why children have not been vaccinated in this country, given they mix more in schools, which has a knock on effect when they infect their households grandparents etc. Presumably if he had been vaccinated most of barriers you mention would not apply. ?
Click to expand...
When will people ,learn that being vaccinated does not stop you getting the virus or transmitting it. It only protects the vaccinated from covids worst effects.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
steve69 said:
When will people ,learn that being vaccinated does not stop you getting the virus or transmitting it. It only protects the vaccinated from covids worst effects.
Click to expand...
It's not really the point we are discussing that under 16 cannot get vaccinated so are being restricted on travel because of the UK policy on only a single dose currently for teenagers.

Or to look at it another way if people do not get their booster they wont be able to go to France (and other countries most likely) from January 15th.
 
Sorry if I’m wrong but I thought children 12 and upwards have been eligible for a single vaccine since September
sorry again - misread previous post - ignore me
 
Im off to tenerife next week ive been double jabbed so i can go,i think the most worrying thing is a country going onto red so youhave to pay £5,000 per couple to quarantine in a hotel 🧟‍♂️
 
slowdriver said:
I am not sure why people are so scared.
Otherwise I'd go for it - assuming of course that you are triple jabbed and not averse to social distancing or wearing a mask.

If you're an Anti-Vaxer please stay at home, Darwin will be round shortly.

Covid is not going to go away,
So unless you intend to spend your life under a rock I'd start planning your next trip.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure that we are "Scared" but we have certainly been hesitant, i think what you say makes perfect sense.
We have a Chunnel crossing booked, since early 2020 that we keep changing and putting back, at the moment it is for March 2022 and if we take your advice we will be going then.
I hope that where we are going allows us to go.
 
hi guys . if we can we will be in the tunnel 20th December & worry about our return in march . val

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Join us

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Latest journal entries

Back
Top