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

expectationlost

normanoffside wrote: »

No they didn't. Germany changed their rules overnight

why would you fly without taking a test?

theguzman

acequion wrote: »

Wow but you certainly have been messed about! What a pain! You'd want a very easy going temperament for that level of disruption which unfortunately I don't have.

But thanks so much for sharing all that here, it's really useful to know.

I'm really torn as to what to do. I get what a poster said earlier about flights probably being very expensive close to departure but it's so hard to book now with any confidence. Last Easter I had booked a mini trip to Portugal, Shannon to Faro on Ryanair. Cancelled as were my other flights in that March-June period. So I took the vouchers and did use some to fly to Spain in summer. But I've a good bit left on the vouchers so I'm wondering whether to chance rebooking the Portugal trip for this Easter. Flights are all up on website. Shannon to Faro twice a week starting 29th March and several flights a day from Dublin. I know Ryanair will let you change if necessary but while you can change destination they don't mention a route change. If I book from Dublin does that mean I'm stuck with Dublin if there's a change? Does anyone know that please? I rarely use Dublin. So all very messy hence I'm tending towards a wait and see for now.

If Shannon - Faro got cancelled they would give you a voucher or refund and use that to book for Dublin - Faro, for a lower chance of getting cancelled I'd nearly go with something like Dublin-Faro with Ryanair or even Dublin-Lisbon with TAP, Aer Lingus are the least reliable by far.

acequion

theguzman wrote: »

If Shannon - Faro got cancelled they would give you a voucher or refund and use that to book for Dublin - Faro, for a lower chance of getting cancelled I'd nearly go with something like Dublin-Faro with Ryanair or even Dublin-Lisbon with TAP, Aer Lingus are the least reliable by far.

If they cancel a flight do they not offer you another or from another airport at the same price or is that just wishful thinking? Dublin-Faro,for example, have approx 3 flights a day. If they cancel the one you're booked on would they not just put you on one of the others?

theguzman

acequion wrote: »

If they cancel a flight do they not offer you another or from another airport at the same price or is that just wishful thinking? Dublin-Faro,for example, have approx 3 flights a day. If they cancel the one you're booked on would they not just put you on one of the others?

I had a date and time change with Ryanair and I got an email to accept the change so yes they did put me on the earlier flight the day before but this would be cutting one day from my 7 days planned trip so I had no interest in doing that.

There was also the option to go for a voucher or refund, the option for the refund is sneakily almost hidden to try entice you to take the voucher. I took the refund. Ryanair does have a call centre but I have never had the need to call them.

ginoginelli

Talguetler wrote: »

I arrived back to Dublin yesterday on a nearly full plane from Italy and we all merely handed over papers to say we'd comply with restrictions blahblahblah. It seems so ridiculous that a testing requirement isn't in place for all arrivals.

It really is disgraceful. Its costs countless lives at this stage.

Due to the gravity of the current situation Denmark now require a test within 24 hours from every country. That is a sensible goverment that is protecting their people and economy.

Spanish Eyes

I’d blame the idiots travelling for non essential reasons.

But the Gov should take a stand to stop it.

Shakes head.

ginoginelli

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

I’d blame the idiots travelling for non essential reasons.

But the Gov should take a stand to stop it.

Shakes head.

Me too. But these people are literally too selfish and/or thick to stop. The government have to take action.

Spanishpoint

Full plane today as well

talulon

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

I’d blame the idiots travelling for non essential reasons.

But the Gov should take a stand to stop it.

Shakes head.

People still blaming travel instead of all those family/friends gatherings over Christmas?

The Continental Op

talulon wrote: »

People still blaming travel instead of all those family/friends gatherings over Christmas?

Well someone had to bring the original virus from China and spread these newer strains from the UK and Africa.

johnire

Yes but surely it's fair to say the family/friends gatherings you mention were attended by people who travelled??

talulon wrote: »

People still blaming travel instead of all those family/friends gatherings over Christmas?

talulon

Just looking at this https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/surveillance/epidemiologyofcovid-19inirelandweeklyreports/COVID-19%20Weekly%20Report_%20Week%2053_%20Slidset_HPSC%20-%20website.pdf

0.7% of cases (total number) are imported. Community spread is the main issue, not travel.

Of course virus came from somewhere but that's old news.

The Continental Op

talulon wrote: »

Just looking at this https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/surveillance/epidemiologyofcovid-19inirelandweeklyreports/COVID-19%20Weekly%20Report_%20Week%2053_%20Slidset_HPSC%20-%20website.pdf

0.7% of cases (total number) are imported. Community spread is the main issue, not travel.

Of course virus came from somewhere but that's old news.

No its not old news. We have the new variant from the UK that has only recently arrived.

Tenzor07

I think the time for Moralising over people who choose to travel is redundant at this stage, Irish airports are seeing a mere fraction of the average numbers of people passing through for December etc. so it can be said that the majority are traveling for essential reasons.

Testing at Airports is something people have been calling for since the cases were low during the Summer, and the Government had months to set up testing for passengers but failed to do so, now we have cases up the thousands yet still no testing at the airports as countries like Greece had all Summer.
If it's not been set up and running by now then it will never be done.

Those who have a fantasy about Ireland being New Zealand or some other Asian country should realise that closing ports of entry into a small Island off the far West coast of Europe and at the wrong side of Brexit Britain would do more harm than good at this stage..

talulon

The Continental Op wrote: »

No its not old news. We have the new variant from the UK that has only recently arrived.

I won't even argue you there ... xD

Of course new strains came from abroad (that's what 0.7% included, most likely to be a higher number) but I don't think those who brought it visited everyone's houses, went to Christmas parties, etc right?

John O.Groats

talulon wrote: »

People still blaming travel instead of all those family/friends gatherings over Christmas?

It was a combination of both really.

lawrencesummers

Tenzor07 wrote: »

I think the time for Moralising over people who choose to travel is redundant at this stage, Irish airports are seeing a mere fraction of the average numbers of people passing through for December etc. so it can be said that the majority are traveling for essential reasons.

Testing at Airports is something people have been calling for since the cases were low during the Summer, and the Government had months to set up testing for passengers but failed to do so, now we have cases up the thousands yet still no testing at the airports as countries like Greece had all Summer.
If it's not been set up and running by now then it will never be done.

Those who have a fantasy about Ireland being New Zealand or some other Asian country should realise that closing ports of entry into a small Island off the far West coast of Europe and at the wrong side of Brexit Britain would do more harm than good at this stage..

Yea, keep the ports and airports open.


Just close everything else.

Makes perfect sense.

Spanish Eyes

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

I’d blame the idiots travelling for non essential reasons.

But the Gov should take a stand to stop it.

Shakes head.

Travelled for 8 nights to a safe location at Christmas and had a lovely time. Upon return restricted movements for 14 days with shopping delivered etc. I live alone so the risk is very small.

Know a lot of people, family and friends with Covid. Had family pressuring me to come for Christmas dinner etc and didn't want to under current circumstances.

It was safer to be away than here. Travel is not the blame for this wave.

smurfjed

I would be very apprehensive about using online booking sites rather than making direct bookings with an airline, with a lot of expected disruption in 2021, do you really want to deal with a middle man?

Tenzor07

lawrencesummers wrote: »

Yea, keep the ports and airports open.
Just close everything else.
Makes perfect sense.

Without the ports open you may as well close everything at this stage, between Brexit and Covid the hangover from this will last a very long time.

acequion

Tenzor07 wrote: »

Without the ports open you may as well close everything at this stage, between Brexit and Covid the hangover from this will last a very long time.

The finger waggers just do not want to see this reality. Nor do they want to accept that travel is not causing the big surges. They want to blame someone, anyone and funnily enough they prefer to blame ordinary joes rather than the Govt.

Unless some of these people are welfare lifers, retired on very good pensions or somehow totally secure financially now and in the future, it's very tunnel visioned of them not to see the economic carnage that would ensue if Ireland acted like NZ. And if we have to spell it out for them here, enough said.

Testing travellers is a reasonable compromise in the short term, though exorbitant test prices will continue to depress tourism and aviation. But even with mandatory testing everywhere I could still see these people wagging their fingers and labelling travellers as "selfish" because they like to have a scapegoat and are probably inherently judgemental. Best ignored.

TomSweeney

They are saying that vaccinated people can still pass it on, so does that mean that we could get vaccinated and still need to take a PCR test and quarantine (depending on location) - take Australia for example that is very strict ?

Thelonious Monk

Brother getting married in Malta at the end of the month. Cases not doing great there and for all I know there'll be no flights then. What would you do? Probably the only wedding that will ever happen in my family between the 2 of us!
Still haven't met my nephew due to covid, he's 18 months old now.

Father Hernandez

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Brother getting married in Malta at the end of the month. Cases not doing great there and for all I know there'll be no flights then. What would you do? Probably the only wedding that will ever happen in my family between the 2 of us!
Still haven't met my nephew due to covid, he's 18 months old now.

If you can isolate when you get home. WFH and don't mind paying for PCR, etc. I would go if the wedding goes ahead.

Can never get the same wedding going ahead again, get to meet your nephew and visit brother and partner.

Thelonious Monk

Thank you Father. Yeah I live alone and and haven't seen anyone since New Year's Eve. I guess I'll keep an eye on the situation there, they are also having record numbers in Malta at the moment.

Tenzor07

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Thank you Father. Yeah I live alone and and haven't seen anyone since New Year's Eve. I guess I'll keep an eye on the situation there, they are also having record numbers in Malta at the moment.

Last time I check Malta's case rate was half of Ireland's rate..

Though during the late Summer I recall Malta's case rate was double that of Ireland, yet Bars, Restaurants and shops all remained open.

Thelonious Monk

Tenzor07 wrote: »

Last time I check Malta's case rate was half of Ireland's rate..

Though during the late Summer I recall Malta's case rate was double that of Ireland, yet Bars, Restaurants and shops all remained open.

Yeah I was there in August, everything was open. They opened too soon though and cases aren't great now, you can still go out for a drink or meal though, or to the gym.
My brother got covid there and was hospitalised for a week, got his own room etc. They have an excellent healthcare system unlike us so that's probably why they are able to keep functioning somewhat.

Tenzor07

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Yeah I was there in August, everything was open. They opened too soon though and cases aren't great now, you can still go out for a drink or meal though, or to the gym.
My brother got covid there and was hospitalised for a week, got his own room etc. They have an excellent healthcare system unlike us so that's probably why they are able to keep functioning somewhat.

Amazing the way one of the most densely populated countries in Europe with a massive immigration problem has managed to maintain normality and now have half the case numbers of Ireland...

323

embraer170 wrote: »

Vaccination requirements are not that unusual, and even very strictly enforced in some cases (yellow fever for example).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaccination_requirements_for_international_travel

Plenty of stories of travellers from Brazil being denied boarding (or returned on arrival) due to a lack of a yellow fever vaccine administered at least 10 days before travel.

Never been asked for Yellow Fever cert entering Brazil.



Must be presented to public heath officials on arrival, before passport control in all of west Africa from Angola round to Senegal.


Renewed Yellow Fever this morning, as is a requirement for Suriname, heading there. tomorrow.

Thelonious Monk

Tenzor07 wrote: »

Amazing the way one of the most densely populated countries in Europe with a massive immigration problem has managed to maintain normality and now have half the case numbers of Ireland...

It has a massive immigration problem? Not something I ever noticed there!
You get some temporary boat people I guess.