France Ferry & Campsite info (use Search function) mod warning post 1

beggars_bush

MizMix wrote: »

Due to fly to france in late June. Ryanair emailed to say times changed over 2 hours so we're entitled to a refund- availed of that today. Neither campsite will even give us a credit against a visit in 2021....one emailed saying they've extended their season till end November so we can go then! Yeah right- campsite in north of france in winte r. Guess we'll just have to suck up the loss (approx 350 paid on both campsites).

If they are not allowed to open by the ministry in France surely they will refund you

gnf_ireland

MizMix wrote: »

Due to fly to france in late June. Ryanair emailed to say times changed over 2 hours so we're entitled to a refund- availed of that today. Neither campsite will even give us a credit against a visit in 2021....one emailed saying they've extended their season till end November so we can go then! Yeah right- campsite in north of france in winte r. Guess we'll just have to suck up the loss (approx 350 paid on both campsites).

My FIL passed away the day before we were due to travel last year - and Yelloh absolutely refused to any sort of credit or refund. The only supplier who did not offer anything given the circumstance. I guess it’s just their way of working !!

gnf_ireland

MorganIRL wrote: »

Received an email from Canvas holiday's stating that they have extended the balance due dates to 6 wks out from hols, which is great and we should know what things are like in France by then (heading mid June). They also have stated if holiday is cancelled they will issue credit note worth 120% of the holiday value for next yr or a full refund.. pretty decent I thought..

Al-Fresco have done the same thankfully. We are due to travel at the start of August, meaning we don’t have to make final payment until the middle of June. Hopefully we will all know the story by then !

santry

This is on Eurocamp's website - "During this time, we recognise flexibility is more important than ever. That’s why we’re adjusting the balance due date for all 2020 holidays.
Full payment will now be required 6 weeks before your departure date, instead of the normal 12 weeks. However, please note our cancellation terms and conditions remain the same."

We are due to travel to Spain mid July

Gavlor

santry wrote: »

This is on Eurocamp's website - "During this time, we recognise flexibility is more important than ever. That’s why we’re adjusting the balance due date for all 2020 holidays.
Full payment will now be required 6 weeks before your departure date, instead of the normal 12 weeks. However, please note our cancellation terms and conditions remain the same."

We are due to travel to Spain mid July

We’re due to go to south of France in late June/early July. I won’t be paying the balance next month it’s not worth the risk. If things magically settle down there’ll be no shortage of options to book a site closer to the time. Flights are booked etc hopefully aer lingus will be flexible

To be honest I can’t see macron allowing campsites to open until July at the earliest.

CelticRambler

Gavlor wrote: »

To be honest I can’t see macron allowing campsites to open until July at the earliest.

It could be sooner. The PM yesterday described a range of options under review at the moment, including a possible relaxation of movement restrictions on a regional basis, and the government will be keen to get as many sectors of the economy back into action as quickly as possible. Outdoor summer activities are relatively low-risk, so I'd expect those to be top of the list, with limitations on close-contact activities like children's clubs and discos.

Most of the places that Irish people would be going to are in areas that are relatively untouched by the epidemic. On the other hand, Irish people tend stick close to their campsite, rather than engage in the out-and-about holidays that the French do, so it still might not suit ...

54and56

Gavlor wrote: »

We’re due to go to south of France in late June/early July. I won’t be paying the balance next month it’s not worth the risk. If things magically settle down there’ll be no shortage of options to book a site closer to the time. Flights are booked etc hopefully aer lingus will be flexible

To be honest I can’t see macron allowing campsites to open until July at the earliest.

You need to assess 2 risks:-

1. You pay the balance, the holiday is cancelled due to travel restrictions and you don't get your money back because the campsite operator refuses to refund or your travel insurance doesn't cover Pandemic's/Force Majeure.

2. You don't pay the balance, the contract with the campsite operator is terminated because you didn't pay the balance according to the contract but the travel restrictions are lifted and your flights go ahead but you have to re-book a new campsite and compete with a rush of people who were booked for June and are now trying to re-schedule for July/August so they haven't missed out all together.

MorganIRL

54and56 wrote: »

You need to assess 2 risks:-

1. You pay the balance, the holiday is cancelled due to travel restrictions and you don't get your money back because the campsite operator refuses to refund or your travel insurance doesn't cover Pandemic's/Force Majeure.

2. You don't pay the balance, the contract with the campsite operator is terminated because you didn't pay the balance according to the contract but the travel restrictions are lifted and your flights go ahead but you have to re-book a new campsite and compete with a rush of people who were booked for June and are now trying to re-schedule for July/August so they haven't missed out all together.

Yes that's the dilemma we face as a group. I'm happy to go if restrictions are lifted but I think that the other party that travel with us wouldn't be comfortable after the Covid 19. So I think we have to try and claw back as much as we can.

Odyssey 2005

sceach16 wrote: »

Due to the COVID-19 circumstances, your sailing will now be operated by the Epsilon ship, instead of the W.B. Yeats.



Please be advised the French Government has implemented restricted movement throughout France, and any non-essential travel can result in fines by the authorities.

• For those travelling to France, at Dublin port check in for your sailing, you must have completed a form indicating your justification for essential travel, supported by relevant documentation. As these documents are likely to be inspected on arrival in Cherbourg and when in transit in France, completed forms will need to be presented for verification at Dublin Port check-in. To avoid unnecessary delays at check-in, Irish Ferries request that you confirm 48 hours in advance of travel, that you are in receipt of the required documentation to the following email: frenchdocumentation@irishferries.com stating your booking reference and date of travel in the email header.
• If travelling for professional/business reasons, the employer of the passengers also needs to have completed an additional form.

• To assist customers who no longer want to travel and in order to provide greater flexibility, customers who have booked with Irish Ferries for travel up to 31 May can avail of the following options:
• Free amendment: Customers can amend their booking to a later travel date anytime up to 18 December 2020 with no amendment fees. Fare difference may apply where applicable.
• Cancellation: Customers who are booked to travel up to May 31 and who wish to cancel, can do so. Any applicable cancellation fee will be refunded as a credit for use on a future booking (for travel anytime up to 18 Dec 2021 on either Ireland - France or Irish Sea routes (subject to availability).

So no refund ?. Am I reading that correctly?
Surely that can be contested

Gavlor

54and56 wrote: »

You need to assess 2 risks:-

1. You pay the balance, the holiday is cancelled due to travel restrictions and you don't get your money back because the campsite operator refuses to refund or your travel insurance doesn't cover Pandemic's/Force Majeure.

2. You don't pay the balance, the contract with the campsite operator is terminated because you didn't pay the balance according to the contract but the travel restrictions are lifted and your flights go ahead but you have to re-book a new campsite and compete with a rush of people who were booked for June and are now trying to re-schedule for July/August so they haven't missed out all together.

The second one is relatively low risk in my opinion. There will be thousands of families not willing to risk holidays this year. I’m happy to take that risk. If it doesn’t work out it’s no big deal.

The two risks are
1: lose flight and campsite costs
2: lose flight costs

Bit of a no brainier in my opinion

josip

I think that if the campsites are open it will be to French citizens only.
There's no way that they'll allow the Belgians and Dutch to import their own brand of Covid 19 to France.

Gavlor

josip wrote: »

I think that if the campsites are open it will be to French citizens only.
There's no way that they'll allow the Belgians and Dutch to import their own brand of Covid 19 to France.

Agreed, you can add the UK to that list

54and56

josip wrote: »

I think that if the campsites are open it will be to French citizens only.
There's no way that they'll allow the Belgians and Dutch to import their own brand of Covid 19 to France.

What are the different brands?

average_runner

54and56 wrote: »

You need to assess 2 risks:-

1. You pay the balance, the holiday is cancelled due to travel restrictions and you don't get your money back because the campsite operator refuses to refund or your travel insurance doesn't cover Pandemic's/Force Majeure.

2. You don't pay the balance, the contract with the campsite operator is terminated because you didn't pay the balance according to the contract but the travel restrictions are lifted and your flights go ahead but you have to re-book a new campsite and compete with a rush of people who were booked for June and are now trying to re-schedule for July/August so they haven't missed out all together.

Be interesting to see what Siblu will do. We only paid the deposit. If we can't go hopefully they will allow us to move it to next year. Aer Lingus voucher will be grand as will use it next year

54and56

average_runner wrote: »

Be interesting to see what Siblu will do. We only paid the deposit. If we can't go hopefully they will allow us to move it to next year. Aer Lingus voucher will be grand as will use it next year

Yeah, I'm fully paid for this year due over in early July. I've been dealing with Siblu for 10 years more or less and have always found them very professional and flexible. Someone mentioned earlier about a death in the family preventing them from travelling and the campsite operator wouldn't allow them to move the booking or give them a refund etc. I had exactly the same situation 6-7 years ago and Siblu were super. They allowed us to move the booking back a couple of weeks to a busier time of year but squeezed us in, no extra charge or anything. IIRC StoneDeaf4Ever of this parish helped me at the time as he was onsite.

This is an existential crisis for many hospitality/tourism type businesses who rely on summer income for survival so who knows how the refund process will work. Companies with strong balance sheets might be ok but weaker companies who have already spent customer deposits on staff wages, preparing the sites for opening, finance repayments etc etc may simply not have the cash to make refunds.

Three likely outcomes as far as I can see all of which I'm reconciled with:-

1. Circumstances improve, travel restrictions are lifted and we are free to travel.
2. Travel restrictions remain in place, ferry and Siblu costs are refunded.
3. Travel restrictions remain in place, ferry and/or Siblu costs are not refunded for some reason so we make a travel insurance claim.*

* Travel Insurance is with Vhi MultiTrip who issued a Coronavirus Covid-19 Customer Advice notice stating "Vhi will provide cover for customer's trips to affected areas where there is advice from the DFA not to travel, provided the policy and the trip was in place before the DFA advised against non-essential travel."

MizMix

beggars_bush wrote: »

If they are not allowed to open by the ministry in France surely they will refund you

No they have both stated they won't refund even if they are not open- with one campsite they said we would only get a refund if we took out their cancellation insurance (we're not cancelling but they're claiming force maeujeur or something).
2nd campsite have just stated the only option is to transfer within 2020 and they have extended their season to late Nov.

The attitude seems different there- both stating June is a long way off and they hope to be open!

gnf_ireland- first campsite is yelloh. Will rethink next time- eurocamp etc seem to be very fair.

average_runner

54and56 wrote: »

Yeah, I'm fully paid for this year due over in early July. I've been dealing with Siblu for 10 years more or less and have always found them very professional and flexible. Someone mentioned earlier about a death in the family preventing them from travelling and the campsite operator wouldn't allow them to move the booking or give them a refund etc. I had exactly the same situation 6-7 years ago and Siblu were super. They allowed us to move the booking back a couple of weeks to a busier time of year but squeezed us in, no extra charge or anything. IIRC StoneDeaf4Ever of this parish helped me at the time as he was onsite.

This is an existential crisis for many hospitality/tourism type businesses who rely on summer income for survival so who knows how the refund process will work. Companies with strong balance sheets might be ok but weaker companies who have already spent customer deposits on staff wages, preparing the sites for opening, finance repayments etc etc may simply not have the cash to make refunds.

Three likely outcomes as far as I can see all of which I'm reconciled with:-

1. Circumstances improve, travel restrictions are lifted and we are free to travel.
2. Travel restrictions remain in place, ferry and Siblu costs are refunded.
3. Travel restrictions remain in place, ferry and/or Siblu costs are not refunded for some reason so we make a travel insurance claim.*

* Travel Insurance is with Vhi MultiTrip who issued a Coronavirus Covid-19 Customer Advice notice stating "Vhi will provide cover for customer's trips to affected areas where there is advice from the DFA not to travel, provided the policy and the trip was in place before the DFA advised against non-essential travel."

And Siblu relies on exisiting customers a lot, hence they look after us. I say they will allow us to push it out to next year.

Macy0161

Booked with Yelloh Village, and paid cancellation insurance. Final payment due. They're saying medical evidence not to travel as things stand. Have VHI multitrip otherwise.

tbh, we'll be happy to bump to 2021 both ferry and site, if travel is off.

54and56

Macy0161 wrote: »

Booked with Yelloh Village, and paid cancellation insurance. Final payment due. They're saying medical evidence not to travel as things stand. Have VHI multitrip otherwise.

tbh, we'll be happy to bump to 2021 both ferry and site, if travel is off.

Same here. Just did that for an annual golf trip I go on with a bunch of pals to Portugal. The golf resort offered us a refund or to move the booking to any other time we wanted and more or less begged us to move the booking so they could keep the deposit. We agreed knowing they have always been very flexible and facilitating to us so we know it'll be remembered and appreciated. Now booked for April 2021. Not sure we'll get any golf in this summer in Ireland any way so the traditional curtain raising trip to Portugal won't be missed as much

First world problems in the scheme of things.

First Up

54and56 wrote:

Same here. Just did that for an annual golf trip I go on with a bunch of pals to Portugal. The golf resort offered us a refund or to move the booking to any other time we wanted and more or less begged us to move the booking so they could keep the deposit. We agreed knowing they have always been very flexible and facilitating to us so we know it'll be remembered and appreciated. Now booked for April 2021. Not sure we'll get any golf in this summer in Ireland any way so the traditional curtain raising trip to Portugal won't be missed as much

The right thing to do and will help ensure the course is still there next year!

We all have to help each other out.

Padraig Mor

.
Eurocamp cancellations

Eurocamp have changed their balance payments as posted earlier:
"Full payment will now be required 6 weeks before your departure date, instead of the normal 12 weeks. However, please note our cancellation terms and conditions remain the same."

However, their terms and conditions state that the cancellation charge is 50% for cancellations made less than 12 weeks before travel. This reads to me that anyone who cancels between 12 weeks out and the new 6 week payment date, will actually get hit with a 50% charge. Has anyone had contact with them to confirm that? I ask as we're 85 days out - i.e. I need to cancel today if they're applying a charge from 12 weeks. Can they even apply a cancellation charge to my card without authorisation?!

Padraig Mor

Padraig Mor wrote:

Eurocamp cancellations

Eurocamp have changed their balance payments as posted earlier:
"Full payment will now be required 6 weeks before your departure date, instead of the normal 12 weeks. However, please note our cancellation terms and conditions remain the same."

However, their terms and conditions state that the cancellation charge is 50% for cancellations made less than 12 weeks before travel. This reads to me that anyone who cancels between 12 weeks out and the new 6 week payment date, will actually get hit with a 50% charge. Has anyone had contact with them to confirm that? I ask as we're 85 days out - i.e. I need to cancel today if they're applying a charge from 12 weeks. Can they even apply a cancellation charge to my card without authorisation?!

OK, to answer my own question, I got in touch with EC via chat. Good and bad news depending on your payments. Yes, the 12 week cancellation policy is still in force. However, they will not be chasing anyone who has only paid deposit (incl me). I presume though if you've already paid in full, they will take the 50% from the refund.

SusanC10

Padraig Mor wrote: »

OK, to answer my own question, I got in touch with EC via chat. Good and bad news depending on your payments. Yes, the 12 week cancellation policy is still in force. However, they will not be chasing anyone who has only paid deposit (incl me). I presume though if you've already paid in full, they will take the 50% from the refund.

Thanks for that. We are booked with Eurocamp too.
We have only paid €99. Balance due 6 weeks out on May 9th. We will be making a decision in early May.

flangemeistro

Hi guys looking for a bit of advice,

We're booked for the 6th of June and going this year for 5 weeks as opposed to our normal 4.

We move around from campsite to campsite so I go to a lot of planning and work every year because I book with a few different agencies and companies.

This year I was even more adventurous and booked a site near Puy Du Fou on top of the other 3 campsites, what it means under the current circumstances though is that I'm trying to move everything to August which is a logistical nightmare as I'm dealing with Kelair, Eurocamp, Puy Du Fou and Yelloh.

I think what a few people are saying here about having your pic in July and August is incorrect as I can't move my La Pointe St Gilles booking to August as it's fully booked out and I also can't go to my second choice of Les Ormes as that's also booked so Eurocamp have given me the option of these three sites so I'm wondering if anyone have any experience in any of these of recommend one over the rest
• Le Mane Guernehue,

· L’Atlantique

· Le Ty-Naden Iris Park

I also took a few peoples advice on here and chose La Littoral as our new campsite this year but the move from June to August has quadrupled the price, I expected increases obviously as August is peak but this is scandalous compared to the increases in my other 3 bookings so can anyone else recommend another site I could ask Kelair to move my booking to in that area with similar facilities?

Thanks in advance

MizMix

We are due to go end June too (also close to Puy Du Foy). Both campsites are only offering us to move dates within 2021- which I'm not happy to do as I honestly think the entire summer is going to be write off holiday wise. Also not an option for us as August is more expensive and we don't have our pick of dates , pitches etc....it tends to be busier as last week of June schools still on.

average_runner

Siblu just told us if we need to we can move it to next year, so happy with that

goldenhoarde

flangemeistro wrote: »

Hi guys looking for a bit of advice,

Thanks in advance

We went to la Ty naden last year beginning of July and had a great time (kids 9,7,5). Would recommend but haven't been to the other two.

Pool was good with 2 outdoor slides and one indoor and kayaking on the river was good.

Did a night activity called the dropping which was excellent.

On a side note looks like our hols are off this year we were going end of June/beginning of July. Wednesday was our 12 week cutoff so we cancelled as we would have lost 50% as we had paid more than just the deposit with eurocamp. Bummer but it is what is it.

flangemeistro

goldenhoarde wrote: »

We went to la Ty naden last year beginning of July and had a great time (kids 9,7,5). Would recommend but haven't been to the other two.

Pool was good with 2 outdoor slides and one indoor and kayaking on the river was good.

Did a night activity called the dropping which was excellent.

Thanks very much for that.

Just wondering if you've been to La Grande Metarie, La Pointe St Gilles, Les Ormes, Les Mouettes or Domaine De Kerlann that maybe you could compare it to?

goldenhoarde

flangemeistro wrote: »

Thanks very much for that.

Just wondering if you've been to La Grande Metarie, La Pointe St Gilles, Les Ormes, Les Mouettes or Domaine De Kerlann that maybe you could compare it to?

We went to la pointe st Gillies the year before and it was good They loved it too . The two camps are comparable in my opinion. La Ty is inland is one thing but we had the pool Also we went beginning of July to both so not as busy as later in the season

flangemeistro

goldenhoarde wrote: »

We went to la pointe st Gillies the year before and it was good They loved it too . The two camps are comparable in my opinion. La Ty is inland is one thing but we had the pool Also we went beginning of July to both so not as busy as later in the season

That's great, thanks very much for the info.