So that's it then, France is off! Quarantine from Sunday 4.00am

Thank you anna. I truly don’t think many retired people understand how vital a holiday is for key workers who have been working flat out through this pandemic. It’s so easy to say, oh just stay at home, you don’t need a holiday. If you’ve both been working many extra hours looking after patients including Covid19 patients, and organising primary services in your area (my daughter’s additional job as well as her work as a doctor) and childcare is taken away, baby hurriedly put into a nursery as no GP childcare, children in key worker childcare but not receiving much in the way of education, keeping house, shopping, teaching children whenever and wherever, then at the end of all this, with another winter looming and it all happening again, then those people need a break.

Otherwise they will not be fit to look after you all again next winter.

A quick ? to any French residents ....
Is there online supermarket shopping these days en France?

I agree with your final sentence maddyone. These workers must be exhausted and drained, both mentally and physically. They so need a break and a change of scenery.
All jobs can be stressful, but some are highly demanding and carry such responsibility. An individual can only take so much.
I'm searching my brain for a holiday alternative for your daughter and family.

We cancelled earlier this year. It was all set up-gîte with a pool, Premium Tickets for Futuroscope and Puy du Fou, near the beach and not too remote from places we wanted to see. I cried when we cancelled, but I’m so relieved now.
Just read a post from someone who designated themselves as a rebel and says they don’t need BJ to make decisions for them so they’re going!
They bitterly criticise others with the same ‘rebel’ attitude who won’t wear masks, cram onto beaches, park at the roadside in the Lakes and other tourist spots when they can’t get onto sites.
We’re staying here. Let’s hope we stay safe.

I think most of us knew that once people started doing their own thing again the virus would strike. A pandemic takes months on end to disperse-----18 months to 2 years at least until it's gone through the seasons.

To all these people saying holiday in this country I would like to know where. Believe me I have looked. Everywhere is booked solid. Even September is more or less fully booked and September is no good to people with children anyway. It also overpriced and so crowded if you do manage to find something. We have friends is Cornwall who are not venturing out until the holiday crowds have gone. Even beautiful Northumberland is fully booked.

The French transport minister says France will introduce the same quarantine measures.

Grammaretto

Why is a holiday absolutely necessary?
My DSis and BiL set off to France as if there is no pandemic. They justify it to themselves.
Can't we go without just once? It would seem not.

Some holidays were booked way before there was any news of a virus. My family cancelled their once in a lifetime holiday but have lost out quite a lot.

I am told that Australia has closed its borders until some time in 2021 and that means many families will see one another for a very long time.

Will not see one another

I would have thought that the British were a more dangerous infection risk to other countries and should have been banned from going elsewhere in the first place.

Thank you for your understanding Ellianne and anna.
Today is daughter’s day off so we’ve had the children, Grandad took them to the park whilst I wasted spent time on Gransnet. My daughter has been frantically looking and found a lovely villa in Norway. She says it’s near lots of outdoor things to do, walking, maybe paddle boarding, chair lift rides etc. They are a very outdoor type of family anyway. Daughter runs a lot, even runs marathons, and the running has provided an important outlet for her stress levels during this time. Unfortunately for the lockdown period, we weren’t able to babysit, and so it fell to her overworked husband, who was already working excessive hours, evenings and weekends as well as his normal hours.
When the children go home shortly, we’ll tackle our regular Friday house cleaning. Oh joy, and no longer a little break to look forward to. I expect we’ll be dog sitting now instead.

We came to Australia to live near our only daughter and husband and our 3 gorgeous grandchildren (who we never thought we would ever have) 20 months ago. We sold the house in the UK on the day we put it up for sale which was fantastic but also a shock.....we had to pack up and get out! We left in December 2018 planning (& fully expecting) to go back after 6 months to tidy up loose ends and see our families but we had issues with building work we were having done here and couldn't do it. We considered going for Xmas 2019 but decided that the cost (double or triple) was unnecessary and decided to go in April/May. We were all (our kids and grand kids) going for a week in Thailand first and then we were going on to the UK for a month to visit family we hadn't seen for what seemed like forever ! Yes, you've guessed correctly.................along came Covid-19 :-( We had the flights, accommodation in all the countries paid for and then cancelled) It's now 20 months since we saw our family in the UK, it's 6 months since we had a 2 night break on the Coast. We are now in strict lockdown, can't travel more than 5Km, gyms, shops, bars, restaurants are all closed, masks are compulsory and we have to be indoors by 8pm. .......but if you look at the figures for Australia we are way down at the bottom of the pile when it comes to cases and deaths! I want it to stay that way!!... I wish I could go to the UK to see family and friends I didn't get time to say goodbye to, (it's not just WHERE you go, it's all the people you have to meet along the way) I would be happy to just go to the coast, I would just be happy to go to local mall, in fact....I would be delighted to just take my grandchildren to the fabulous local park that has just been built in our town....but...... the last thing I want to do is contract this ba****d of a virus and die so...............let's hang on in there, keep your chin up (or in my case chins after the lockdown ?...................
P.S. I quite like lockdown,? I like the lack of traffic and the noise it creates, I like the lack of crowds........but I also realise the isolation is not good.....for anyone.

We weren’t a danger to anyone else until we didn’t act soon enough at the beginning!

Does that apply to the whole of Aus. Callistemon? Our DS is in Perth and was planning to come back for Christmas. It could be then 2 years before we see him again.

For the disapproving among you..

Our few days in France was to visit our own property (which has had one other set of visitors this summer) in our own car . Travelling from an area with a low infection rate to Normandy, also with a low infection rate. Only potential problem areas were the ferry and the local French supermarket. We were prepared to quarantine back in the UK.

Not being able to go now is no big deal.

(Might lose the ferry fare though...Mr M won't like that )

TBH, we weren't even thinking of it as a 'holiday', just a break..

I do feel sorry for people who really feel that they have to get away from the UK for a while..

I’m so sorry Callistemon. We all have our different worries and concerns don’t we? I know you were hoping to visit your family in Australia soon.
We’ve got flights booked to Canada for end of September, no accommodation booked thank goodness. Canada still has closed borders so theoretically no problem, we can’t go. But if they open the borders, it’s still 14 days quarantine on arrival, and if the borders open the flight may still go. I hope not, because I don’t want to go and quarantine and then come home. We booked the flights before the Covid19 crisis, so we’ve just waited to see what happens. I hope BA will allow us to rebook for next year, but who knows?

I’m sorry for those that have booked a holiday but to be honest, I think government encouragement was given, to get the tourist industry making money again and was poor judgement if they considered the consumers point of view! There must be countless people whose holidays have turned into a nightmare one way or another and we just don’t need that kind of stress right now do we. I don’t think a holiday is vital this year....although of course it would be nice....I won’t be taking one.

’(Might lose the ferry fare though....Mr M won’t like that )

That made me laugh, I’d have to write the exact comment about Mr M if he risked losing money.

Maybe the ferry company will let you rebook next year Maizie without extra cost. ?

Must be disappointing for those who had a holiday booked before Covid situation. For those who have booked during lockdown and since don't think they appreciate just how volatile the virus situation is worldwide. People travelling to UK from France may well have been through other countries too. I even have doubts about travelling 300 miles in the UK.

When the air tunnels were opened, the Government did say that the situation could change at any time. People must have realised this and should have taken it into consideration when they booked holidays abroad.

We have friends in France at the moment, staying in their own property. They said before they went that if they needed to self isolate on their return they were prepared to do so, and considered that possibility before going.

Staycation - the word of the moment! So many wonderful places in our own country to visit. DH and I and younger daughter have just had a great holiday camping in Scotland - mostly dry and sunny, and thankfully without the extreme temperatures down south. And we are lucky enough to have a holiday home ourselves on the Norfolk coast: since restrictions were lifted we've had masses of new bookings. Try a holiday cottage - especially if you can go out if school holidays.
(Smug? Moi? Nah!)

What is the situation with Italy - do you have to quarantine on return from I ?

I believe it is reciprocal (perhaps a more positive spin than "retaliation"!) so visitors to France will not be able to get out and about for 2 weeks, as well as having to hibernate for two more weeks on return to UK.

We go camping in France for 4 weeks in June and September every year. But right at the start of lock down we accepted that we wouldn't be going anywhere this year.

Instead we have purchased a new lounge suite!

everyone saying who needs a holiday - well sorry but my DD and SIL are in remote rural France staying with his elderly parents whom they have not seen since Christmas and who were desperate to see the grandchildren. No COVID cases anywhere within a hundred miles. They drove it in one hit stopping nowhere and they have been nowhere whilst there - not shopping - not going into town - . Now they are faced with children missing their return to school for the first time in months and whilst in the UK people can go to the pub, have their nails done etc etc - they will be forced to stay at home when they are no danger to anyone at all. Its madness.