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

Clonmel1000

Surely in the next few months with the slow roll out of vaccines some change witll have to occur with travel though. The cheaper antigen tests at a very minimum removing the 14 day quarantine nonsense. Although for those of us working in the civil service I’m not sure if it’ll make much difference. Has anyone been able to clarify for certain what the story is if CS want to travel?

acequion

Clonmel1000 wrote: »

Surely in the next few months with the slow roll out of vaccines some change witll have to occur with travel though. The cheaper antigen tests at a very minimum removing the 14 day quarantine nonsense. Although for those of us working in the civil service I’m not sure if it’ll make much difference. Has anyone been able to clarify for certain what the story is if CS want to travel?

We[teachers] got a letter yesterday prior to the xmas break reminding us that if we travel we must do the 14 days on return. But it went on to state that ALTERNATIVELY we could avail of the option to doing the pcr after 5 days. So some comfort there I think, albeit an expensive one given the cost of pcr. But if allowed in one branch of civil and public service it will be allowed in all.

Clonmel1000

acequion wrote: »

We[teachers] got a letter yesterday prior to the xmas break reminding us that if we travel we must do the 14 days on return. But it went on to state that ALTERNATIVELY we could avail of the option to doing the pcr after 5 days. So some comfort there I think, albeit an expensive one given the cost of pcr. But if allowed in one branch of civil and public service it will be allowed in all.

Thanks for the reply. So this means that if you were to take a weeks holiday you’d have to take another week effectively waiting to do the PCR test? Surely this isn’t sustainable going forward??

acequion

Clonmel1000 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. So this means that if you were to take a weeks holiday you’d have to take another week effectively waiting to do the PCR test? Surely this isn’t sustainable going forward??

That's about the size of it Clonmel. You'd still have to take an extra week but I guess it's a bit better than two.

But I agree completely. It's dreadful and very prescriptive. We have a French language assistant working with us and she's gobsmacked at this rule and more so by how we [and our unions] put up with it. Needless to say it doesn't exist in France, a country much worse affected by Covid.

I'm keeping my fingers tightly crossed that the vaccine will eventually put an end to it and hopefully by summer.

Clonmel1000

acequion wrote: »

That's about the size of it Clonmel. You'd still have to take an extra week but I guess it's a bit better than two.

But I agree completely. It's dreadful and very prescriptive. We have a French language assistant working with us and she's gobsmacked at this rule and more so by how we [and our unions] put up with it. Needless to say it doesn't exist in France, a country much worse affected by Covid.

I'm keeping my fingers tightly crossed that the vaccine will eventually put an end to it and hopefully by summer.

Paddy knows best of course. We’ve already staycationed held firm stayed safe stayed local and of course saved Christmas. I wouldn’t bet on a rerun for 21 and more finger wagging at travel etc.

acequion

Clonmel1000 wrote: »

Paddy knows best of course. We’ve already staycationed held firm stayed safe stayed local and of course saved Christmas. I wouldn’t bet on a rerun for 21 and more finger wagging at travel etc.

Agreed. But I very much hope people will be less inclined to tolerate it in 2021 and that they will start to travel again. Our aviation sector is doomed if 2021 is anywhere near as bad as 2020. And that would be a disaster for those of us who need the connectivity.

So maybe it's wishful thinking on my part but you and I can't be the only ones who hate Irish weather. Irish people staycationed in 2020 in miserable weather, often forking out exorbitant prices, the sort of people who normally holiday abroad. Will they be prepared for a re run in 2021? Add in all the vested interests who depend on a functional aviation and tourism sector. Which is what makes me hopeful for a much improved situation next year.

But I'm not holding my breath either.

Irish Aris

acequion wrote: »

Agreed. But I very much hope people will be less inclined to tolerate it in 2021 and that they will start to travel again. Our aviation sector is doomed if 2021 is anywhere near as bad as 2020. And that would be a disaster for those of us who need the connectivity.

So maybe it's wishful thinking on my part but you and I can't be the only ones who hate Irish weather. Irish people staycationed in 2020 in miserable weather, often forking out exorbitant prices, the sort of people who normally holiday abroad. Will they be prepared for a re run in 2021? Add in all the vested interests who depend on a functional aviation and tourism sector. Which is what makes me hopeful for a much improved situation next year.

But I'm not holding my breath either.

I'd agree with you - I'm also hopeful that we will see more people travelling next year. I think the vaccine roll-outs will also help in this direction. Hopefully we will see that from March-April onwards the situation will be more stable and there will be less need for strict restriction levels around Europe, so planning will get easier.

My recent travelling experience was that people have started travelling again. I travelled to Greece last Saturday (Christmas with the family). I flew through Amsterdam, which was very very busy. Not sure if this is because there are less flights to choose from and many flights go through Amsterdam or the build-up for Christmas (or both ), but there were long queues in various check points. Both my flights (Dublin to Amsterdam and Amsterdam to Athens) were full - and interestingly enough there were 2 flights leaving from Dublin to Amsterdam in the space of 10 minutes - the KLM check in counter in Dublin Airport was very busy.

Iago

ShineOn7 wrote: »

Thanks for the update

What part are you in again? It sounds very safe

Over 2k cases a day, yeah, very safe.

ancapailldorcha

I booked a flight to Belfast for the holidays with Aer Lingus from London. Got a weird email from them about a tracking form that the British government says does not apply to domestic travellers. I did the same thing in September while leaving my parents' house as little as possible as I'm from just across the border. Thinking of just cancelling to be honest.

ShineOn7

Iago wrote: »

Over 2k cases a day, yeah, very safe.

There's 2,000 cases a day in Valencia alone?

On one hand; it has a population the same as Ireland at 5 Million. On the other; 2,000 cases a day is still too high

Iago

Yeah, just in the valencian community. 3rd highest incidence rate in Spanish communities, 16% positive rate on tests.

Areas that are less affected and more affected but the reasons for the expansion of the restrictions are clear enough.

Frank Bullitt

acequion wrote: »

I guarantee you Gintonious that Kerry is worse. The most miserable climate I've ever lived in and I've lived in a fair few places. It's pretty much raining continually here and that's no exaggeration. And summers are poor too. Now before someone comes on and says I must hate it and I should pyss off somewhere else, let me add that Kerry is my home and I was born here. But I won't retire here and weather is the single biggest reason for that.

Vancouver is a temperate rainforest more or less, it's job in the winter is to rain...that is all.

Depending on which part you live, it can get 1,189mm in per year, or as high as 2,477mm in per year. Kerry gets about 1068mm.

It must be an irish thing to think that it has the worst climate on gods earth :P

Granted, summers in Vancouver are magic.

Mars Bar

Niner leprauchan wrote: »

Theres a coffee shop exactly to the left of arrival and its open until midnight!

McDonalds upstairs is 24 hour.

Terminal 2? I landed in Terminal 1 but couldn't enter Terminal 2 because I wasn't deparing. Wrights was closed.

Maybe I missed something in Terminal 1!

acequion

Gintonious wrote: »

Vancouver is a temperate rainforest more or less, it's job in the winter is to rain...that is all.

Depending on which part you live, it can get 1,189mm in per year, or as high as 2,477mm in per year. Kerry gets about 1068mm.

It must be an irish thing to think that it has the worst climate on gods earth :P

Granted, summers in Vancouver are magic.

And therein lies the big difference. Summers in Kerry are pretty much more of the same except for the obvious seasonal changes in light though not always in temperature, ie often 13C in winter and 16C in summer. Back yonks ago when I was a child summers used to be decent enough and compensated for winters. But global warming has changed all that. Muck all year now except for the odd nice spell which come come anytime of year.

But does Vancouver get over 300 rainy days a year? Because Kerry does. Do remember that Kerry is the wettest county in Ireland and I'm talking specifically about Kerry's climate, not Ireland in general.

sy_flembeck

acequion wrote: »

But I agree completely. It's dreadful and very prescriptive. We have a French language assistant working with us and she's gobsmacked at this rule and more so by how we [and our unions] put up with it. Needless to say it doesn't exist in France, a country much worse affected by Covid.

I'm utterly dumbfounded at the silence of unions around this. 6 months later and still not a whisper. Absolutely staggering this has been allowed to continue in a supposedly progressive country.

KnicksInSix

Verona airport was a disaster this morning. Our flight landed with one from Bristol and another from Catania (I think). Absolute chaos with three border control guards only for passport control and two(!!!) members of the civil security department checking Covid19 test results. From the time the door of the plane opened to when we got to baggage claim 2 hours had passed.

Btw I am a Civil Servant and I was advised I would be required to restrict movements for 5 days and PCR test then if I wished to return to office. I WFH mostly but my position is within an internal government area. It doesn't apply to me regardless as I am on six weeks unpaid leave.

Clonmel1000

sy_flembeck wrote: »

I'm utterly dumbfounded at the silence of unions around this. 6 months later and still not a whisper. Absolutely staggering this has been allowed to continue in a supposedly progressive country.

I’m going to get onto the union next week see what the story is.

acequion

sy_flembeck wrote: »

I'm utterly dumbfounded at the silence of unions around this. 6 months later and still not a whisper. Absolutely staggering this has been allowed to continue in a supposedly progressive country.

Only we're not such a progressive country. That's wishful thinking. In Ireland, what the Govt wants the Govt generally gets. People power here is very weak. Same old Ireland that was once church dominated with a timid, apathetic and generally very conservative population.

As for unions, they're generally useless, though I've been very involved in mine, one of the feistier of the PS unions. And I've kicked up about this but tbh not enough union members have. Many of my colleagues would be following the cult of Tony and would actually be ok with that crazy rule and be very disapproving of my being bold enough to protest. Enough said. :rolleyes:

Credit Checker Moose

Mars Bar wrote: »

Terminal 2? I landed in Terminal 1 but couldn't enter Terminal 2 because I wasn't deparing. Wrights was closed.

Maybe I missed something in Terminal 1!

I landed in Terminal 1 Thursday night and I had no problem walking straight into T2 to wild away hours until my bus. No one said a word to me.

sy_flembeck

acequion wrote: »

Only we're not such a progressive country. That's wishful thinking. In Ireland, what the Govt wants the Govt generally gets. People power here is very weak. Same old Ireland that was once church dominated with a timid, apathetic and generally very conservative population.

As for unions, they're generally useless, though I've been very involved in mine, one of the feistier of the PS unions. And I've kicked up about this but tbh not enough union members have. Many of my colleagues would be following the cult of Tony and would actually be ok with that crazy rule and be very disapproving of my being bold enough to protest. Enough said. :rolleyes:

Hence my insertion of the word 'supposedly'.

Pre my retirement a year ago I too was very active in my PS RB and I believe they have (unsurprisingly) caved on this also. I just don't get it, that grown adults get this edict and shrug their shoulders and simply accept it.

I fully get your last paragraph, unfortunately. I'm no spring chicken myself but I guess the difference is I think for myself and don't expect some randomer to do it for me...

acequion

sy_flembeck wrote: »

Hence my insertion of the word 'supposedly'.

Pre my retirement a year ago I too was very active in my PS RB and I believe they have (unsurprisingly) caved on this also. I just don't get it, that grown adults get this edict and shrug their shoulders and simply accept it.

I fully get your last paragraph, unfortunately. I'm no spring chicken myself but I guess the difference is I think for myself and don't expect some randomer to do it for me...

Totally and fully agree with the above. And with your last point about thinking for oneself.

Pity you've retired because you are exactly what the unions need. Unfortunately there are few like you.

Living Off The Splash

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewoeE6vxnfE

I think I would rather stay at home to be honest.

silverharp

I know I made a mistake watching the old 1984 movie last night

https://twitter.com/IrishRail/status/1339951089739833344

Sam Hain

Living Off The Splash wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewoeE6vxnfE

I think I would rather stay at home to be honest.

Hard to tell which would have been worse 2019 or 2020.

faceman

Living Off The Splash wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewoeE6vxnfE

I think I would rather stay at home to be honest.

I’d rather stay home than go to Benidorm covid or no covid!

smurfjed

Taken from the aviation forum.

https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/1220/1185542-covid-19/

suspension of travel from UK expected.

Acosta

smurfjed wrote: »

Taken from the aviation forum.

https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/1220/1185542-covid-19/

suspension of travel from UK expected.

The line that stands out in that for me is that essential travel will be allowed. So that means the flights might still operate. If that's the case how can they stop people from coming in? The airlines and airport staff in the UK are not going to do it. Immigration can't really stop people from coming in once they're already here as all flights will be fully booked going back to the UK.
So as far as I can see if they don't make the airlines cancel the flights there's not much they can do to stop people from coming back.

theguzman

Acosta wrote: »

The line that stands out in that for me is that essential travel will be allowed. So that means the flights might still operate. If that's the case how can they stop people from coming in? The airlines and airport staff in the UK are not going to do it. Immigration can't really stop people from coming in once they're already here as all flights will be fully booked going back to the UK.
So as far as I can see if they don't make the airlines cancel the flights there's not much they can do to stop people from coming back.

To be seen to be doing something, this will have zero impact other than impacting those who want to get out of Ireland and with already much minimal flights operating the loss of connectivity to Heathrow will be a bad blow.

Acosta

Eamon Ryan just confirmed on VM news that flights will not operate and ferries will be freight only

embraer170

Gintonious wrote: »

Vancouver is a temperate rainforest more or less, it's job in the winter is to rain...that is all.

Depending on which part you live, it can get 1,189mm in per year, or as high as 2,477mm in per year. Kerry gets about 1068mm.

It must be an irish thing to think that it has the worst climate on gods earth :P

Granted, summers in Vancouver are magic.

Kerry no doubt gets its fair share of rain, but there are also several micro climates within the county. The Reeks and far end of the Dingle Peninsula both get far more rain the rest of the county.