France IS next ☹️

[Andy P]

Have been in France for 3 weeks going home on Wednesday via Santander instead of Bilbao, due to ferry cancelled. Hardly any Brits out here. Weather has been amazing. Know body cares about social distancing in France. Obviously going to be a spike in infections. Just like the uk with hundreds crammed into beaches and in bars. Remember we are a few weeks behind most of Europe.

 

[Zebedee]

Regrettably on Wednesday cancelled my Brittany Ferries booking for 14th as have to be back in school on the 1st and didn’t fancy my chances with my headteacher if needing to quarantine! Can’t find any campsites with electric hook up left in Southern England and in this heat I fancy keeping something cold in the fridge! So it looks like it may be camping on the drive to avoid the daughter who will be quarantined after her trip abroad! I’ll pass meals through the letterbox. Neighbours are just back from France with pictures of totally empty campsites.... Defo going stir crazy after only 1 night away in nearly 9 months!!!!! Aaaagghhhhh

 

[Elsiethewestie]

We live in SW France, around Limoges. The French are taking the staycation advice seriously and it's very busy in the camp sites around here. The corona numbers are on the increase, true, but it's in just a few areas and there are huge areas of France with little or no cases reported.

Lakes, aires and no doubt the coast (I have no desire to head for the beach so only going by local TV) are v busy. And as someone else reported the temperatures inland are crazy at the moment. About 47 in the sun in our garden and 39/40 in the shade. Night temps are 23 ish. We have a camp site within walking distance of our house and it's pre-bookings only with half a dozen camper vans a day being turned away.

It's a gorgeous place to live and personally I wouldn't be put off by government posturing, but I'd be less inclined to turn up somewhere without a booking though.

 

[jeff]

Regrettably on Wednesday cancelled my Brittany Ferries booking for 14th as have to be back in school on the 1st and didn’t fancy my chances with my headteacher if needing to quarantine! Can’t find any campsites with electric hook up left in Southern England and in this heat I fancy keeping something cold in the fridge! So it looks like it may be camping on the drive to avoid the daughter who will be quarantined after her trip abroad! I’ll pass meals through the letterbox. Neighbours are just back from France with pictures of totally empty campsites.... Defo going stir crazy after only 1 night away in nearly 9 months!!!!! Aaaagghhhhh

Never used electric at campsites I can usually get 4 days out of the batteries before having to drive somewhere to charge them up again. No solar panel and the batteries are still the original ones

 

[Adamvanman]

Never used electric at campsites I can usually get 4 days out of the batteries before having to drive somewhere to charge them up again. No solar panel and the batteries are still the original ones

I totally agree, we also get 4 nights without hook up even in hot weather like this , remember all you are really powering is the fridge as interior lighting and phone charging uses hardly any amperage .

 

[Kirx]

I’m in France now, trying to get back before quarantine is declared! Although being stranded in the Cote d’Azure, does seem like an option I could live with!

 

[westfalia]

Never used electric at campsites I can usually get 4 days out of the batteries before having to drive somewhere to charge them up again. No solar panel and the batteries are still the original ones

What year is your van Jeff?
Mines 2006 and the batteries are mint, i think they must have
made cheaper batteries late 2000`s and onwards cos there has
been a lot of failures on later models.

 

[Velma's Dad]

What year is your van Jeff?
Mines 2006 and the batteries are mint, i think they must have
made cheaper batteries late 2000`s and onwards cos there has
been a lot of failures on later models.

Our van is 2015 so leisure batts now 5 years old but they still seem to hold charge like new, even though I almost never connect them to the mains to 'maintain' them as some advocate.

Usually we never draw down more than 20% as we move on every day, but recently I accidentally left the fridge on while van was parked up in hot weather and after remembering 60 hours later the control panel was still showing 50% charge.

On our last trip of two weeks I never ended up getting the hook-up cable out of its bag. The standard leisure batts - so far! - have been completely adequate for all modes of touring with the van (hence I've never bothered with solar either).

That's just a sample of one of course and maybe others have had issues with theirs.

 

[westfalia]

Our van is 2015 so leisure batts now 5 years old but they still seem to hold charge like new, even though I almost never connect them to the mains to 'maintain' them as some advocate.

Usually we never draw down more than 20% as we move on every day, but recently I accidentally left the fridge on while van was parked up in hot weather and after remembering 60 hours later the control panel was still showing 50% charge.

On our last trip of two weeks I never ended up getting the hook-up cable out of its bag. The standard leisure batts - so far! - have been completely adequate for all modes of touring with the van (hence I've never bothered with solar either).

That's just a sample of one of course and maybe others have had issues with theirs.

I once panicked when ours was showing 30%
sorry for this thread.

 

[Aidy P]

Just back from France. Had a great trip. Cut it short though as we need to be back at work and can’t afford to quarantine.
My experience over the last ten days were if you use small sites out of the way of popular places... you can probably socially distance. Unfortunately, popular places / larger sites, you can’t.
Covid controls are very hit and miss.
Eating out is basically the same as pre Covid.
Make sure you protect yourself if you are concerned. Take hand sanitizer (& soap and a mask) everywhere.
Inevitably it will spike and the U.K. Government will need to react. If you are not concerned about quarantine when you get home, enjoy your trip.

 

[jeff]

What year is your van Jeff?
Mines 2006 and the batteries are mint, i think they must have
made cheaper batteries late 2000`s and onwards cos there has
been a lot of failures on later models.

Hi westfalia mines a 2008 van think your right about the batteries

 

[jts46]

2006 and still have original leisure batteries

 

[Elly Swanson]

Never used electric at campsites I can usually get 4 days out of the batteries before having to drive somewhere to charge them up again. No solar panel and the batteries are still the original ones

We need to stretch a day or 2 over 4 sometimes, especially when we're at festivals and as we pitch and stay put. Would rather have a solar panel than turn the engine on. Have been on the receiving end of that before and it's not pleasant.

 

[Adamvanman]

BBC News - France to be added to UK quarantine countries

Coronavirus: France to be added to UK quarantine countries

Many of the 160,000 Britons in France face a scramble to return before 04:00 BST on Saturday.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Wongo]

Need a better system, test on arrival then home until result.

 

[briwy]

BBC news. Quarantine coming back from France from 04.00 Saturday. No doubt the French will do the same.

 

[CaliforniaBen]

Well, there goes our holiday to South of France cancelled, van was all packed and ready to go on Saturday

 

[WelshGas]

Need a better system, test on arrival then home until result.

Can take unto 7 days for symptoms to show and at least 5 days for a test to become +tve after infection and that's for 1 person in a household. The rest of the household may not become infected until the 1st person starts shedding virus and they may not have a +tve test until at least another 5 -7 days.So that brings you unto 10-12 days.
A -tve test means nothing unless repeated after at least 5 days, only a +tve test means something.

 

[TwoDogs]

Not really a surprise..we had 2 weeks planned in September but I wasn't sure about going anyway - now the decision is out of my hands

 

[Jabberwocky]

.....and the Netherlands.

 

[Wongo]

Can take unto 7 days for symptoms to show and at least 5 days for a test to become +tve after infection and that's for 1 person in a household. The rest of the household may not become infected until the 1st person starts shedding virus and they may not have a +tve test until at least another 5 -7 days.So that brings you unto 10-12 days.
A -tve test means nothing unless repeated after at least 5 days, only a +tve test means something.

No system is perfect, its about balance, we have no data we can rely on, our own government wont tell us how many people are tested daily, Germany tests people on arrival from high risk zones so they must see some value in it. We need an international protocol so developed countries act in concert.

 

[WelshGas]

No system is perfect, its about balance, we have no data we can rely on, our own government wont tell us how many people are tested daily, Germany tests people on arrival from high risk zones so they must see some value in it. We need an international protocol so developed countries act in concert.

We are not alone in having a Quarantine period for some countries in common with many. In fact Germany is in the minority even within Europe.

A comprehensive guide to travel restrictions across Europe

POLITICO’s guide to where you can and can’t visit.

www.politico.eu

 

[Wongo]

I note the Netherlands us not going to reciprocate. What happened to the 10 day idea? Coincidental it was annouced the same day as the A level controversy?

 

[GSX1300R]

Oh well we knew it was going to happen. Don’t fancy spending 2 weeks quarantining in France then another 2 weeks when I got back so have now changed the dates to the same time Next Year.. Just hope I’m not presuming too much...

 

[GSX1300R]

And now Brittany Ferries say they have 25% off if you book by the end of the week..Only thing is there doesn’t appear to be any discount when you book..It May be taken off if you go right through the process..Other than that 14 day quarantine when you get back..At least there will plenty of room on the ferry and social distancing shouldn't be a problem..