Covid restrictions abroad: updates & observations

[kristiang85]

I don't think my Eurostar trip to Belgium/Netherlands at the end of December is going to happen, is it?

 

[yorkie]

I don't think my Eurostar trip to Belgium/Netherlands at the end of December is going to happen, is it?

I would look at re-arranging it now to be honest

It might blow over by then but it's going to go to the wire.

I've just booked another trip abroad but this is departing on 31st March, returning on 3rd April, by when I am very confident everything will be okay. My next trip is to Switzerland via Eurostar departing 23 February, which I am reasonably confident about.

 

[Horizon22]

I don't think my Eurostar trip to Belgium/Netherlands at the end of December is going to happen, is it?

This is a fear we have - we already have tickets booked to see my partner's family in France over the Xmas period, but we have no idea at this stage what will happen. Luckily, we have back up plans with my parents but it would be the 4th year in a row my partner hasn't spent with her family at Xmas.

I personally don't mind waiting until as late as possible as we'll get the money back anyway.

 

[Mag_seven]

As more and more are vaccinated and more treatments are found, we appear to be going backwards when it comes to international travel.

 

[kristiang85]

I would look at re-arranging it now to be honest

It might blow over by then but it's going to go to the wire.

I've just booked another trip abroad but this is departing on 31st March, returning on 3rd April, by when I am very confident everything will be okay. My next trip is to Switzerland via Eurostar departing 23 February, which I am reasonably confident about.

I can't see the restrictions in place being stood down quickly - certainly the opposition will not stand for it. And even if I did go to those countries and sucked up the testing, it would be pretty miserable if I can't enjoy bars/restaurants in the evenings.

So yes sadly I think we will need to reschedule (again).

As more and more are vaccinated and more treatments are found, we appear to be going backwards when it comes to international travel.

I know, it's mad.

 

[roversfan2001]

Spain now mandating only fully jabbed Brits can enter from December 1st as well as negative test.

That's not the way I'm reading the latest update. The requirement for a test looks to be only for people travelling from a "High Risk" country - the UK being a "Risk" country until at least December 5th.

 

[westv]

I'm still confident my trip to Greece next May will be all back to normal.

 

[bramling]

Sturgeon and Drakeford are pushing for 8 day isolations on return. But they won't be the ones stumping up the cash to bail out the travel industry.

Not to mention the question of whether it’s justified to put people under 8 days of house arrest. We shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that this is, itself, a big deal.

I’m not saying isolation doesn’t have a role to play, but the politicians need to make a damn good case for it - properly debated, scrutinised and implemented, not just because Mark and Nicola jump on a bandwagon.

 

[Mintona]

Think I’m going to cancel my trips to Canada/USA in March and Netherlands/Germany in September. Can’t be doing with all the uncertainty.

 

[TFN]

I'm currently in Tanzania hoping that it won't be added to the red list as I'm returning to the UK in a week. Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia are all bordering us to the south and were added but fingers crossed.
To add to this, I have a same day trip booked for Lille just before Christmas.

I've got a trip to Amsterdan booked for early February but the first two trips are the ones living rent-free in my head.

Not looking good for travel.

 

[Butts]

Think I’m going to cancel my trips to Canada/USA in March and Netherlands/Germany in September. Can’t be doing with all the uncertainty.

That's nearly a year away - are you being serious ?

 

[Mintona]

That's nearly a year away - are you being serious ?

Yeah it’s never going to end. Have tickets for the Dutch GP at Zandvoort and a place in the Berlin Marathon three weeks later. If I cancel now I’ll probably be able to get a refund.

 

[adc82140]

Whilst I utterly disagree with the testing regime for returning travellers as a concept, at least Canada has made it easier.

They are giving out a free PCR test for each returnee at the airport for them to take home and send off. No scalping of the public like here, or mucking about with whether you have the right booking code for your locator form.

 

[Watershed]

Whilst I utterly disagree with the testing regime for returning travellers as a concept, at least Canada has made it easier.

They are giving out a free PCR test for each returnee at the airport for them to take home and send off. No scalping of the public like here, or mucking about with whether you have the right booking code for your locator form.

Yep, it shows the difference between border policies that are designed to make travel as inconvenient and unattractive as possible, and those that are ostensibly implemented with public health in mind (even if testing everyone isn't the right answer).

 

[Jamiescott1]

Think I’m going to cancel my trips to Canada/USA in March and Netherlands/Germany in September. Can’t be doing with all the uncertainty.

I'm going to Canada in 2 weeks time and still expect to go and return

 

[Cowley]

I'm going to Canada in 2 weeks time and still expect to go and return

One of our girls is going to Vancouver in three weeks time to spend a month with a family over there and I am a bit worried about it.
I haven’t been following this thread all that much but it was interesting that when I clicked on it yours was the most recent post.
So you think it’ll be alright then?

 

[Butts]

Whilst I utterly disagree with the testing regime for returning travellers as a concept, at least Canada has made it easier.

They are giving out a free PCR test for each returnee at the airport for them to take home and send off. No scalping of the public like here, or mucking about with whether you have the right booking code for your locator form.

It's crazy in the UK, they hand out free tests like smarties unless they are to be used in connection with Foreign Travel !!

 

[AlterEgo]

I'm off to France and Guadeloupe in ten days, and the USA, UAE and Spain in early 2022 and expect it all to go ahead.

 

[Cdd89]

I'm off to France and Guadeloupe in ten days, and the USA, UAE and Spain in early 2022 and expect it all to go ahead.

Fingers crossed for you!

I booked another trip to the US leaving on Monday, as I don’t have the same confidence over January. I think things will either be better by then, or travel bans galore, and didn’t want to flip the coin.

 

[AlterEgo]

Fingers crossed for you!

I booked another trip to the US leaving on Monday, as I don’t have the same confidence over January. I think things will either be better by then, or travel bans galore, and didn’t want to flip the coin.

Biden has shown he's going to hold his nerve on Omicron, which is very welcome.

 

[nw1]

I would look at re-arranging it now to be honest

It might blow over by then but it's going to go to the wire.

I've just booked another trip abroad but this is departing on 31st March, returning on 3rd April, by when I am very confident everything will be okay. My next trip is to Switzerland via Eurostar departing 23 February, which I am reasonably confident about.

I certainly hope so. It will not be good if we get a repeat of the last two years when international travel isn't fully opened until July. I do think this is very unlikely though, the consequences for certain sectors of the economy will be catastrophic, not just directly, but it will also trigger a long-term crisis of confidence in the tourist industry ("is it going to be like this every year?")

I still fail to see any rationale whatsoever for mandating travel restrictions within Europe, unless a given country has many, many more cases of this new mutation than all others.

I've said this in another thread but governments need to present a clear, and unambiguous rationale, including a proper assessment of the risks in allowing free travel between two countries with a low number of cases of a new mutation - or indeed between two countries with a high number of cases.

Without a rationale it just comes across reactionary: "we need to be seen to be doing something".

 

[Cdd89]

Biden has shown he's going to hold his nerve on Omicron, which is very welcome.

He didn’t hold his nerve over banning South Africa, and experience has shown that in relation to travel bans, countries cravenly copy each other.

 

[adc82140]

I'm not due to go to France again until April. It's too ruddy cold in the house there this time of year. But I managed a great trip in September, and I have no reason to believe I'll have any problems in the spring.

 

[nw1]

I'm off to France and Guadeloupe in ten days, and the USA, UAE and Spain in early 2022 and expect it all to go ahead.

One factor which comes into play in the coming weeks is Christmas, will governments want to impose over-harsh restrictions during a time when people might want to travel to visit friends, family etc in their own country unless it is absolutely necessary?

One might suggest January is the most likely period for harsh bans, as few people travel then anyway, but who knows. I do doubt we'll see a long-term shutdown until June again, I think governments will come under too much pressure if that is suggested. I suspect the holiday industry - and I don't just mean the airlines, but also owners of small hotels, restaurants etc in countries heavily dependent on tourism - will enter a truly devastating crisis if that happens. I suspect any government which tries that (unless we actually get a new mutation that genuinely is very dangerous) will be finished.

 

[Eyersey468]

I have a trip to Auschwitz booked for February 2023, hopefully by then things should have settled down

 

[adc82140]

One factor which comes into play in the coming weeks is Christmas, will governments want to impose over-harsh restrictions during a time when people might want to travel to visit friends, family etc in their own country unless it is absolutely necessary?

One might suggest January is the most likely period for harsh bans, as few people travel then anyway, but who knows. I do doubt we'll see a long-term shutdown until June again, I think governments will come under too much pressure if that is suggested. I suspect the holiday industry - and I don't just mean the airlines, but also owners of small hotels, restaurants etc in countries heavily dependent on tourism - will enter a truly devastating crisis if that happens. I suspect any government which tries that (unless we actually get a new mutation that genuinely is very dangerous) will be finished.

Don't forget January is ski season. The resorts can't weather another cancelled year.

 

[island]

Don't forget January is ski season. The resorts can't weather another cancelled year.

They may not have much choice if the other ski locations follow the Swiss lead.

 

[scarby]

Don't forget January is ski season. The resorts can't weather another cancelled year.

Not only that, as we well know from the rail industry, not everyone has holiday over Christmas, for some it is a busy time. A lot of people in hospitality take leave in January, as it is the quietest month of the year when they can shut restaurants and so on before half-term in February when things pick up again. Why should they be punished?

 

[nw1]

Not only that, as we well know from the rail industry, not everyone has holiday over Christmas, for some it is a busy time. A lot of people in hospitality take leave in January, as it is the quietest month of the year when they can shut restaurants and so on before half-term in February when things pick up again. Why should they be punished?

For clarification: I am certainly not advocating any unnecessary travel restrictions or lockdowns in January - just predicting that *if* they do happen, Christmas might come into play as a decision as to when. But like most, I hope they do not happen at all, beyond what has already been done by certain countries.

The ski season is a good point. As well as Switzerland, Austria are of course imposing a full-on harsh lockdown so tourists are not going to travel there. One can imagine the Swiss and Austrian ski industry is going to place quite some considerable pressure on their governments to relax restrictions.

The issue is, it's not just this year. If winter lockdowns and restrictions are seen to be becoming the norm, it will cause a long-term crisis of confidence in all sorts of areas of industry.

 

[scarby]

For clarification: I am certainly not advocating any unnecessary travel restrictions or lockdowns in January - just predicting that *if* they do happen, Christmas might come into play as a decision as to when. But like most, I hope they do not happen at all, beyond what has already been done by certain countries.

The ski season is a good point. As well as Switzerland, Austria are of course imposing a full-on harsh lockdown so tourists are not going to travel there. One can imagine the Swiss and Austrian ski industry is going to place quite some considerable pressure on their governments to relax restrictions.

The issue is, it's not just this year. If winter lockdowns and restrictions are seen to be becoming the norm, it will cause a long-term crisis of confidence in all sorts of areas of industry.

Yes, Nick, sorry, I didn’t mean to suggest you were advocating any of these things - you make some very good points.