Will you travel? [Mod Note in Post #1 - Travel Discussion Only! Megathread]

UDAWINNER

MadYaker wrote: »

I thought you said masks were pointless? You feel safer there with everyone wearing masks?

I'd say he's another poster who says something else when it suits to have go at people who don't want to travel for the greater good.

fm

davemckenna25 wrote: »

Hence why I said to avoid Kildare which had 110 of those 174 cases. Read the full post in future....

Maybe all those 843 cases are in one small area of poland, so just avoid that area, how do you know?do you know? Facts behind numbers might help.

Wallander

fm wrote: »

Maybe all those 843 cases are in one small area of poland, so just avoid that area, how do you know?do you know? Facts behind numbers might help.

Large share of cases in Poland, something like one third to a half, are in the mining districts in the south - other side of the country around 12 hours drive from where I've been. I'm relatively close to Kildare but given the concentration in mines here and meat factories other there, if I exercise common sense and practice good hygiene I expect I'll be OK actually in both countries!

Mr rebel

I guess it just all boils down to what you want from a holiday.
If you are content to go on a beach/resort holiday and laze around the pool all day with a bit of sightseeing then it won’t feel too much different from before.
However, if you are a city break kind of person and love the bustle of city life, meeting new people while partying hard and staying out late until all hours then obviously it’s not a good time to travel.

Thephantomsmask

Assetbacked wrote: »

I'm sitting in a spa in Germany with an Erdinger, relaxing in the heat.

Deserted Munich Airport, bit busier in Dublin. Mask wearing 100%, half full plane and overall very pleasant flying experience. Masks pretty much everywhere indoors in Munich, possibly feels more safe than Ireland.

Lucky you, enjoy! I normally visit Therme Erding a few times a year.

Meglamonia

Coming to the end of my holiday in Spain and it has been as enjoyable as ever. Stayed in a house so had the advantage of being not in a resort.

Felt extremely safe here and even more so than at home. Masks had to be worn at all times even outside walking on the street when there was no one around. Social distancing strictly enforced in bars and restaurants with police regularly patrolling area to enforce this.

Arrival at airport was a breeze, a lot quieter than usual and health form was scanned while your temperature was taken. Whilst I wouldn't be advising anyone to go to Madrid or Catalonia at the moment do some research yourself on the region you're heading to. Mine in this case had a relatively low level of cases. If our government wasn't so lazy this travel advice should be regionalised like France and Germany whom have plenty of tourists here and won't need to quarantine on arrival home.

Assetbacked

MadYaker wrote: »

I thought you said masks were pointless? You feel safer there with everyone wearing masks?

In enclosed spaces everyone is wearing them as social distancing wasn't possible.

Although, to be honest in the water park and spa, covid must not exist as everyone is all over each other, brushing against each other, swimming in top of each other etc.

John O.Groats

:rolleyes:

Assetbacked wrote: »

In enclosed spaces everyone is wearing them as social distancing wasn't possible.

Although, to be honest in the water park and spa, covid must not exist as everyone is all over each other, brushing against each other, swimming in top of each other etc.

And that makes you feel safer? Right.................:rolleyes:

lainey_d_123

Gambled on going for the evening flight and it looks busy Was thinking it would maybe be half full or something, but there are barely any seats left. I'm hoping that the airline are artificially showing fewer seats to get people to pay for one....but I doubt it. Had at least hoped for the middle seats to be free. Quite surprised that a flight from London to Ireland would be busy on a weeknight.

Feeling very, very uneasy now. Probably busy train to probably busy flight. Sitting shoulder to shoulder with a stranger is going to be very stressful.

acequion

lainey_d_123 wrote: »

Gambled on going for the evening flight and it looks busy Was thinking it would maybe be half full or something, but there are barely any seats left. I'm hoping that the airline are artificially showing fewer seats to get people to pay for one....but I doubt it. Had at least hoped for the middle seats to be free. Quite surprised that a flight from London to Ireland would be busy on a weeknight.

Feeling very, very uneasy now. Probably busy train to probably busy flight. Sitting shoulder to shoulder with a stranger is going to be very stressful.

lainey you so need to stop stressing! You'll wear yourself out. For a virus which really isn't so prevalent as all the hysterics would have us believe. If it was then there would be enormous spikes everywhere since lockdown ended and people started moving about and holidaying. Those spikes just haven't happened and those that have are all traceable. So relax and go home to meet your folks and be happy to do so as life is bloody short!

Meglamonia

Meglamonia wrote: »

Coming to the end of my holiday in Spain and it has been as enjoyable as ever. Stayed in a house so had the advantage of being not in a resort.

Felt extremely safe here and even more so than at home. Masks had to be worn at all times even outside walking on the street when there was no one around. Social distancing strictly enforced in bars and restaurants with police regularly patrolling area to enforce this.

Arrival at airport was a breeze, a lot quieter than usual and health form was scanned while your temperature was taken. Whilst I wouldn't be advising anyone to go to Madrid or Catalonia at the moment do some research yourself on the region you're heading to. Mine in this case had a relatively low level of cases. If our government wasn't so lazy this travel advice should be regionalised like France and Germany whom have plenty of tourists here and won't need to quarantine on arrival home.

What's the health form?

RoryMac

[Deleted User] wrote: »

What's the health form?

People entering Spain have to fill in a form with some basic details about where they're coming from and if they've been to other countries in the last 14 days

Stevieluvsye

lainey_d_123 wrote: »

Gambled on going for the evening flight and it looks busy Was thinking it would maybe be half full or something, but there are barely any seats left. I'm hoping that the airline are artificially showing fewer seats to get people to pay for one....but I doubt it. Had at least hoped for the middle seats to be free. Quite surprised that a flight from London to Ireland would be busy on a weeknight.

Feeling very, very uneasy now. Probably busy train to probably busy flight. Sitting shoulder to shoulder with a stranger is going to be very stressful.

I'd recommend you take something to relax before the flight if you are so stressed out. London to Dub is a very busy route and in hindsight the flights between 12 and 4 would be a lot less busy on weekdays.

The train you can find a quiet area for yourself. I am told they are running at fairly low capacity ATM

joseywhales

I finally bit the bullet and booked my annual trip home this wednesday. I believe this will be the last chance in 2020 and I will have to forgo Christmas this year, which I have never done before since leaving Ireland 10 years ago. It might get messy yet as my intention was to stay with my parents in laois but considering that I have to quarantine anyway will make no net difference to my activities while I'm Ireland. I also see a potential new travel ban from the us, however I think it won't be active until Friday and also Irish citizens are exempt. So far so good but anything could happen during the two weeks and either government (usa or Ireland) could implement a new ban without notice. I will work remotely and can do so from anywhere indefinitely, so I think I have the flexibility to pull this off, whatever happens. Would be awkward to be seperated from the wife for more than 14 days though, fingers crossed.

lainey_d_123

acequion wrote: »

lainey you so need to stop stressing! You'll wear yourself out. For a virus which really isn't so prevalent as all the hysterics would have us believe. If it was then there would be enormous spikes everywhere since lockdown ended and people started moving about and holidaying. Those spikes just haven't happened and those that have are all traceable. So relax and go home to meet your folks and be happy to do so as life is bloody short!

The thing is I know several different people who have had the virus really, really bad and are still extremely sick after months, including 2 of my team at work (a team of less than 10 people!) so I think this has shaken me a lot. Back in March when it was probably far more dangerous to do so, I was still getting the train to work, sitting next to people, no masks and no distancing, but that was when I thought it was just a bad flu for most people...I feel like with what I know now, how badly the virus can affect even young people, it's hard to relax. I've also been plagued with health problems my entire life and have been relatively fit and well recently, so I definitely don't take that for granted and am being extremely careful.

But yeah, I'm also aware that life is short, and that I can't spend the next year or two just doing absolutely nothing.

lainey_d_123

Stevieluvsye wrote: »

I'd recommend you take something to relax before the flight if you are so stressed out. London to Dub is a very busy route and in hindsight the flights between 12 and 4 would be a lot less busy on weekdays.

The train you can find a quiet area for yourself. I am told they are running at fairly low capacity ATM

It's actually Belfast I'm headed to, as I'm going to stay with family on the other side of the border. Thought I'd done right by picking a weekday evening, so nobody heading over for the day for work meetings or anything like that (if that even still happens?) but apparently not.

I'm surprised to hear any of these routes are busy, to be honest. Where are people all going? If I could possibly avoid this flight, I would.

VG31

lainey_d_123 wrote: »

It's actually Belfast I'm headed to, as I'm going to stay with family on the other side of the border. Thought I'd done right by picking a weekday evening, so nobody heading over for the day for work meetings or anything like that (if that even still happens?) but apparently not.

I'm surprised to hear any of these routes are busy, to be honest. Where are people all going? If I could possibly avoid this flight, I would.

I wouldn't be too worried if I were you. For a start the chance of someone with covid being on your flight is tiny. The chance of the person sitting beside you having it is miniscule.

There was a man on flight from China to Toronto with a dry cough who later tested positive for covid. He wore a mask. They tested the 25 people that were seated closest to him and they all tested negative. I think that shows how safe planes are.

Stevieluvsye

Huge expat communities both sides and flights are pratically free. I priced flights to Lanzarote first weekseptember for 110 return. Crazy

Go to your local GP, they'll give you something to help with your stress. Don't worry you won't become a junkie overnight

lainey_d_123

VG31 wrote: »

I wouldn't be too worried if I were you. For a start the chance of someone with covid being on your flight is tiny. The chance of the person sitting beside you having it is miniscule.

There was a man on flight from China to Toronto with a dry cough who later tested positive for covid. He wore a mask. They tested the 25 people that were seated closest to him and they all tested negative. I think that shows how safe planes are.

I feel pretty safe and confident when people around me are wearing masks. It's when they don't and especially if they're also coughing or sneezing.

Seems a bit mad that you're allowed to remove them to eat and drink...does that not enormously reduce any benefit?

NegativeCreep

lainey_d_123 wrote: »

I feel pretty safe and confident when people around me are wearing masks. It's when they don't and especially if they're also coughing or sneezing.

Seems a bit mad that you're allowed to remove them to eat and drink...does that not enormously reduce any benefit?

Why are you flying if it’s clearly terrifying you?

VG31

lainey_d_123 wrote: »

Seems a bit mad that you're allowed to remove them to eat and drink...does that not enormously reduce any benefit?

While wouldn't be an issue on flights from the UK, even on 1.5 hour plus flights it would be unreasonable (and likely unhealthy) to not allow passengers to drink.

facehugger99

Mr rebel wrote: »

I guess it just all boils down to what you want from a holiday.
If you are content to go on a beach/resort holiday and laze around the pool all day with a bit of sightseeing then it won’t feel too much different from before.
However, if you are a city break kind of person and love the bustle of city life, meeting new people while partying hard and staying out late until all hours then obviously it’s not a good time to travel.

It's a great time to visit cities, much quieter than normal and not thronged with tourists. Bars and clubs are still open even in Barcelona.

smurfjed

@lainey_d_123, I have done 71 flights since March and I’m still here, for the majority of these flights I haven’t worn a face mask once the doors were closed.

Enjoy your trip.

BringBackMick

Are they handing out passenger locator forms at Dublin Airport on arrival? Or must we print out somewhere before arrival?

Thanks

copeyhagen

BringBackMick wrote: »

Are they handing out passenger locator forms at Dublin Airport on arrival? Or must we print out somewhere before arrival?

Thanks

theres an area before ther baggage recdaim with about 4 'stands' and pens thrown around and forms there.

was a cluster**** when we came back from spain.

H8GHOTI

copeyhagen wrote: »

theres an area before ther baggage recdaim with about 4 'stands' and pens thrown around and forms there.

was a cluster**** when we came back from spain.

Similar in Cork. The worst part of my trip, with regards social distancing and risk I’d say. Totally unorganised. The sooner they move it online the better.

Landing in Tenerife was easy. Scan a barcode on your phone. Takes only a second. No crowds congregating, nobody sharing pens, not everyone touching the same table.

If the government are so concerned about the safety of travel, they should make sure this form filling is done better.

irelandrover

lainey_d_123 wrote: »

It's actually Belfast I'm headed to, as I'm going to stay with family on the other side of the border. Thought I'd done right by picking a weekday evening, so nobody heading over for the day for work meetings or anything like that (if that even still happens?) but apparently not.

I'm surprised to hear any of these routes are busy, to be honest. Where are people all going? If I could possibly avoid this flight, I would.

People are flying for the same reason you are. For a holiday. Its not a bad thing but this is on of the issues. You see it as you have a legitimate reason for travel as you want to see family. they see it as they have a legitimate reason for travel as they need a break.


You could have avoided the flight. You just wanted to go home.

Acosta

I can't understand why people don't make the small effort to get the locator forms printed for themselves and their families prior to leaving Ireland to go on their holiday. You could have them all filled out before leaving the house resulting in you quickly getting through immigration when you return. You could even print it out and fill it out on the plane on the way back. Naturally the likes of Ryanair are not reminding people to fill it out or having the forms on the planes to hand out to people, but really its travellers own responsibility to have it done.. Instead loads of people are filling them out before they go through immigration surrounded by loads of others for their flight and other flights.

lainey_d_123

irelandrover wrote: »

People are flying for the same reason you are. For a holiday. Its not a bad thing but this is on of the issues. You see it as you have a legitimate reason for travel as you want to see family. they see it as they have a legitimate reason for travel as they need a break.


You could have avoided the flight. You just wanted to go home.

I'm not flying 'for a holiday'. You have no idea why I am flying. I don't 'want' to go home at all, I have a serious family issue to attend to, so please keep your assumptions to yourself.

I'm not even against people flying for holidays, btw, I'm just surprised they want to. I'm absolutely dreading it and would love not to have to go.

H8GHOTI

Acosta wrote: »

I can't understand why people don't make the small effort to get the locator forms printed for themselves...

Unless you have a printer at home then filling out at the airport is less effort than trying to find somewhere to print it.

The airlines could hand them out. It should also be online already. Personally I wasn’t worried about the risk. All I’m saying is they should mitigate that risk.

They tell us that travel is dangerous but other countries are doing this kind of thing better than us.