After COVID, travelling with our car.

[PeterJRolt]

Many of us are probably frustrated by the necessary restrictions the COVID-19 pandemic has forced upon us, we have some extra time to consider our options for when these are lifted, what are you going to do?

Safety may become an important aspect and for those averse to air travel, touring in our cars in relative isolation via the channel tunnel to France or perhaps by ferry may be the answer. I have revisited some of our open top adventures, they have taken us through much of Europe, on beautiful roads to stunning locations as far away as Sicily and as local as Scotland and Ireland.

What do you plan on doing in the future, will you consider driving holidays over air travel? Do you have any suggestions for routes that you may have driven or are planning to explore?

It is time to stir the imagination and plan for the time we can release our cars from their enforced hibernation.

I have detailed in the pdf file our introduction to European driving trips, our first excursion to Monte Carlo followed by an escorted tour through France to Turin for a film themed driving holiday with like minded owners, hopefully you too will feel it is time to visit far flung places in your Porsches.

Download

 

[bigfella70]

Thanks for sharing Peter, really interesting considerations for post lockdown.

I'm a previous PCGB R7 member (993 and 993) and looking at re joining the club and acquiring an "entry level" 991.

We have a small apartment in Southern Spain and have discussed that once lockdown is lifted, and a few more months passed we would rather take a drive down than frequent crowded airports and flights.

The tours you highlight look fantastic and certainly something we would be interested in !

Best regards.

Dave

 

[PeterJRolt]

Thank you for responding Dave, we have taken our both our cars on trips to Spain although only to the North and West. Our first visit was by ferry exploring the Paradores in the region of the Picos de Europa National Park.

The roads are almost deserted but generally of excellent quality with beautiful scenery, we returned last year and explored further into Spain before crossing into Portugal and returning across the high plains of Extremadura on the journey home, sadly we had to trudge through France as our ferry developed faults which curtailed the sailings to Santander.

We too have a property in Southern Spain although we have always flown in the past when visiting, living close to Luton airport at the time of purchase made that decision a simple one. Maybe in the future we would drive down, as you will probably know the Spanish road network is superb and it is a lovely place to tour with a car.

I will attempt to compile another document with our other trips, hopefully there will be some interest in doing a TOTY at some point for R7 and perhaps our neighbours in R4 and R3.

Your plan of a 991 sounds ideal, I am sure it would be great fun, there is a test which stated the base model is all you need in the real world, I would prefer a NA but the 991.2's have that turbo torque, choices, choices
[h4] [/h4]

 

[bigfella70]

Thanks Peter, a TOTY sounds like a great idea. I've always enjoyed driving in Europe, particularly Spain.

991 wise, a base 3.4 NA Carrera or Cabriolet would suit us very well. I do like the idea of a manual although appreciate the PDK is streets ahead of the Tiptronic set up hence keeping an open mind on any perspective vehicles that appear!

 

[spsutton4@hotmail.com]

Not sure if anyone can help me on this theme? Bit of a long pre-amble but here goes:

At the moment we have a ferry booked from Plymouth to Santander on the 5th/6th July. Originally it was to debut my new 992 Cab to European roads, initially once disembarking at Santander on the Monday lunchtime then immediately travelling across the border to Biarritz. Therefore no actual stay in Spain. Staying in Biarritz for a few days then up thru France, spending 3 nights in La Rochelle over Bastille day.
My best friend has also recently ordered a 992 Cab and the plan was for him to meet us in La Rochelle. His car has been delayed in pre-production and it is touch and go if he gets it by July (real shame as it was a wedding present for a wedding that has also been cancelled!).
We then were all due to get a Ferry from Roscoff back to Plymouth around the 18th July to return to the UK.

Now, my latest understanding is that wherever we go we will have to accept the 14 day isolation once back in the UK which is ok and not really a problem as Devon is nice!

Also as of this morning Britanny Ferries aren't saying the July Ferry out to Spain is running but they have now taken my crossing monies and are issuing positive signs it will run and it is on the latest timetable re-published. There is however no news on Ferries to and from France.

Other crossings from Spain back to UK are also now on the latest timetable.

I further understand Spain are not at present asking visitors from the UK to isolate for 14 days on arrival.

My "Plan B" would now be to book a Ferry back from Spain to the UK sometime in late July (in lieu of the Roscoff crossing) and just spent two to three weeks in Spain (and Portugal as they are also "open").

However and this is the rub, and no-one can give me a definitive answer to these questions:

if I get on that ferry about current FCO advice, is my annual personal Travel Insurance invalid (I suspect so) but as importantly therefore is my CAR insurance also invalid?? That's the question, my insurers don't know or are being deliberately "vague" and I'm worried about the what might be scenario if something happened accident wise.

In addition, I can't find anything on any Spanish official sites confirming it's even ok for a Brit to take a UK registered car in and around Spain now?

All very vague.

I know in these unprecedented times its a bit rich to be asking these things when people are still massively at risk but there you go.

Any advice please?

Steve

 

[AndrewCS]

Hi Steve,

If you have to make the decision now … as you say, Devon is good … stay home.

Otherwise it`s a continual risk assessment, always compromised by a level of uncertainty … is it worth it ?

 

[PeterJRolt]

Very tricky at the moment Steve, we were due to tour the Pyrenees in a couple of weeks, Brittany ferries are still stating there are no passenger services to Spain or France before the 15th June even if restrictions are eased, they have been reasonable in allowing us to alter our booking if we are unable to travel this June for up to twelve months. The company we tour with have already rescheduled this trip for 2021.

There are voluntary fourteen day quarantines in place which will start on the 8th June, the duration of which may be extended but nobody really knows, therefore our trip is toast and I would imagine in all likelihood yours will be too. Currently the quarantines do not apply, but when Britain starts quarantining people travelling to the UK on the 8th, the French will do the same for us going there.

Sadly this summer is probably history, we are due to travel in September but that is still very much in the balance, all we can do is keep watching and waiting.

The situation in Spain is even more fluid and complex, the FCO information is not exactly clear.

Sorry that the news is not good, a very difficult time and our first world problems, no matter how inconvenient are of little importance in the overall picture.

From 25 May a voluntary 14 day self-quarantine will apply to those arriving in France from outside the UK, EU (except Spain where arrivals by air will be asked to self-quarantine) Andorra, Holy See, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Monaco, Norway and Switzerland. The UK has announced that it will introduce self-isolation measures for arrivals at its borders from the 8 June; the French Ministry of Interior has indicated that after the UK introduces these measures, France will then also ask arrivals from the UK to observe a voluntary 14 day self-quarantine. Full details and a list of exemptions to self-quarantine in France are set out in a Ministry of Interior press statement (in French) and its translation (in English).
Travellers showing signs of a Covid-19 infection upon arrival in mainland France will have to carry out a mandatory 14 day quarantine at home or in a dedicated location indicated by the French authorities if home quarantine is not feasible.
All travellers to French overseas territories will also have to carry out a mandatory 14 day quarantine.
Border checks are also in place on the borders between France and Italy, Spain, Belgium and Germany.

 

[Rufus]

I am booked for a holiday in September with Petrolhead Tours whose first visit to Spain is in early July and their information is that there is likely to be an air bridge from the end of June thereby negating the need to self isolate on return. Their trip out and back is on the ferry so presumably sailing

 

[spsutton4@hotmail.com]

Thanks all for comments, guess it's a question of just waiting, I can cancel hotels in France uptown the 15th June without losing Amy monies so I'll work to that as a suit off.

I'll post on here what I eventually don't do and where I don't go!

Steve

 

[PeterJRolt]

Brittany ferries have updated their cancelled crossing information.

Nothing until 28th June now.

 

[Simon P]

Just to say we have organised a trip to the Picos do Ropa, Andorra and the Pyrenees including the Pau classic festival from 21 May to 1 June 2021. The trip includes overnight stays in a number of Paradors, the ferry to Santander and return from Caen to Portsmouth. About 5 cars are already booked including a couple from G7.
Let me know if you are interested and I can send details

 

[PeterJRolt]

Just to say we have organised a trip to the Picos do Ropa, Andorra and the Pyrenees including the Pau classic festival from 21 May to 1 June 2021. The trip includes overnight stays in a number of Paradors, the ferry to Santander and return from Caen to Portsmouth. About 5 cars are already booked including a couple from G7.
Let me know if you are interested and I can send details

Sounds excellent.

It is likely we will be on the road to the Pyrenees around the 23rd May to the 6th June, we were planning on taking the "other car" originally as we had two big tours planned for this year, it may be that our Autumn trip still happens though.

I am working on the second "travels after Covid" post, in that we go to quite a few Paradors, it's almost done but needs a proof read first.