Travelling back from Spain and France. My experience.

Not related to the Covid.
What was your experience with the new restrictions about what you could bring back into the u.k? ( wine, beer, cigs?)
 
Jays2 said:
Not related to the Covid.
What was your experience with the new restrictions about what you could bring back into the u.k? ( wine, beer, cigs?)
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Only brought back allowance, but no checks at customs. I suspect they were too busy ensuring Covid reg were being followed e.g. passenger locator forms and tests.
 
Jays2 said:
Not related to the Covid.
What was your experience with the new restrictions about what you could bring back into the u.k? ( wine, beer, cigs?)
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We bought back our max allowance, no more or no less. We were not going to give anyone any ammunition to delay us. As already said, they didn't seem interested in our wine and gin stock, only in our covid papers and if anyone was hiding in the van. Yes, we were searched, but did not have to unload anything. The cheeky customs guy at Portsmouth did have the nerve to say we had some nice bikes, but our garage was not as tidy as the previous motorhome, Colin was wounded!

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Thanks for that and i'm glad you made it. This is just what the forum wants. Many of us are ready to get on the starting grid for Europe but we don't know what to expect. I don't know if its relevant to you but what changes to phone charges are evident in Europe?
 
Parrot Face said:
Thanks for that and i'm glad you made it. This is just what the forum wants. Many of us are ready to get on the starting grid for Europe but we don't know what to expect. I don't know if its relevant to you but what changes to phone charges are evident in Europe?
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Haven't noticed any change to phone charges or usage terms.
 
Parrot Face said:
Thanks for that and i'm glad you made it. This is just what the forum wants. Many of us are ready to get on the starting grid for Europe but we don't know what to expect. I don't know if its relevant to you but what changes to phone charges are evident in Europe?
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As Bolti said. I haven't had any changes to my roaming charges with 3.

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what is the rule for travelling into France. Do you need a test to transit through or not? I'm trying to avoid having an expensive test here in Switzerland 200CHF. We are considering go back via Germany to avoid motorway tolls and get a cheaper test (lateral flow versus the doodgy PCR).

Are tests being checked at the French borders?
 
ADJF said:
what is the rule for travelling into France. Do you need a test to transit through or not? I'm trying to avoid having an expensive test here in Switzerland 200CHF. We are considering go back via Germany to avoid motorway tolls and get a cheaper test (lateral flow versus the doodgy PCR).

Are tests being checked at the French borders?
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We needed a full PCR test to get into France from Spain and we were checked at the border. I am no expert, I can only tell you what we experienced, you really need to do your own research for your journey. In our experience the French police take the approach of either Black or White with no grey area in between.
 
We have just arrived at Calais today we also had to wait 48hrs in Spain for our results and when we crossed the border into France all our paperwork was checked We also got checked at a toll booth 400k from the border had to show paperwork again .
We had to login into a website in Spain and France for our results because they cannot send texts to English numbers

We get the tunnel in the morning and Covid tests booked again
I think it’s cost us around £750 for tests
 
Just got to the tunnel had to show Covid tests etc at the check in booth also at the English customs booth

No sign of anyone in the French booth lol
 
Our neighbours returned back to the U.K. on Monday. Unfortunately things hadn’t worked out in Spain for them and they were unable to get residency. They travelled home on the ferry from Bilbao. My reason for posting is to let people know about their antigen test incase anyone is in the same area of Murcia and needs one. They used the analytical farmacia in Isla Plana near Puerto de Mazarron. The cost is 30 euros, he has his own laboratory on site and they had the results within thirty minutes.

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Zepp said:
We have just arrived at Calais today we also had to wait 48hrs in Spain for our results and when we crossed the border into France all our paperwork was checked We also got checked at a toll booth 400k from the border had to show paperwork again .
We had to login into a website in Spain and France for our results because they cannot send texts to English numbers

We get the tunnel in the morning and Covid tests booked again
I think it’s cost us around £750 for tests
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Zepp as a word of caution re the company dealing with the test kits. Check your account and make sure they have actually taken the payment. Our friends paid, got the all important invoice to prove at the port, then when we got to their home, our tests were already on route and their payment had been rejected and no tests kits were sent. They have had a nightmare trying to get it sorted out. With the threat of a £10,000 fine they resorted to ordering straight from the NHS (exactly the same kit).

If your payment has been bounced back, this is not your fault but theirs and there is no way to get in touch, they do not answer the phone or respond to emails. If you go into their Facebook or Twitter page there are loads of complaints. Some people stuck in hotel rooms very stressed out by it all.

If this happens to you, you have the all important invoice proving that you booked the tests so you can get through the port checks. Once home Track and Trace will contact you to advise you that you need to do tests on day 2 and 8. The fact that they advise you this means when you go on the NHS website to order replacement kits, there is an option to tick that you are ordering them because T&T told you to test. This was the only way our friends could get out of the mess created by the appalling service from CTM.
 
Armytwowheels said:
Zepp as a word of caution re the company dealing with the test kits. Check your account and make sure they have actually taken the payment. Our friends paid, got the all important invoice to prove at the port, then when we got to their home, our tests were already on route and their payment had been rejected and no tests kits were sent. They have had a nightmare trying to get it sorted out. With the threat of a £10,000 fine they resorted to ordering straight from the NHS (exactly the same kit).

If your payment has been bounced back, this is not your fault but theirs and there is no way to get in touch, they do not answer the phone or respond to emails. If you go into their Facebook or Twitter page there are loads of complaints. Some people stuck in hotel rooms very stressed out by it all.

If this happens to you, you have the all important invoice proving that you booked the tests so you can get through the port checks. Once home Track and Trace will contact you to advise you that you need to do tests on day 2 and 8. The fact that they advise you this means when you go on the NHS website to order replacement kits, there is an option to tick that you are ordering them because T&T told you to test. This was the only way our friends could get out of the mess created by the appalling service from CTM.
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Thank you the payment has been took also got a message saying the Royal Mail is delivering them today let’s just hope we get there before they arrive
 
Thanks for that. Much appreciated.
Have now booked bilbao dogfriendly to Portsmouth 18th May. Couldn't take all that stress going through france.

Hopefully requirements will be clearer by then.
 
Theonlysue said:
Thanks for that. Much appreciated.
Have now booked bilbao dogfriendly to Portsmouth 18th May. Couldn't take all that stress going through france.

Hopefully requirements will be clearer by then.
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Don't blame you Mrs Irish Passport holder!,

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Armytwowheels said:
a word of caution re the company dealing with the test kits.

If you go into their Facebook or Twitter page there are loads of complaints.

appalling service from CTM.
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I have just been looking at the Facebook and Twitter pages for this company - CTM - Corporate Travel Management. They make depressing reading.

Lots of problems, not just with failing to send out test kits but also with providing the invoice number needed to complete the Passenger Locator Form.

They don’t answer the phone or emails or reply to Facebook messages. Apparently the only way to get a reply out of them is on Twitter as they can’t ignore or delete tweets!

Just who are this group of shysters? On Facebook they’re listed as a Travel Agent! How on earth did they get awarded the government contract for something as important as this? Friends in high places?
 
@mazwho can you complain to about the company??

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maz said:
I have just been looking at the Facebook and Twitter pages for this company - CTM - Corporate Travel Management. They make depressing reading.

Lots of problems, not just with failing to send out test kits but also with providing the invoice number needed to complete the Passenger Locator Form.

They don’t answer the phone or emails or reply to Facebook messages. Apparently the only way to get a reply out of them is on Twitter as they can’t ignore or delete tweets!

Just who are this group of shysters? On Facebook they’re listed as a Travel Agent! How on earth did they get awarded the government contract for something as important as this? Friends in high places?
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It really is a joke.
 

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