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

faceman

TomSweeney wrote: »

Exactly, it's almost as if the masks make no f*cking difference ?

60% of cases in Spain occur in the home where masks obviously aren't worn. There is the same issues as every other country with socialising in houses.

acequion

faceman wrote: »

The Spanish prime minister bizarrely today has said that Spain won’t be welcoming tourists until after the summer. It’s raised more than a few eyebrows

Plus Ireland’s Legion of Doom are pushing for their short sighted mandatory quarantine facilities paid for by travellers in what amounted to a circle jerk webinar

Mandatory travel quarantine should be introduced by Ireland, experts urge
via The Irish Times
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/mandatory-travel-quarantine-should-be-introduced-by-ireland-experts-urge-1.4464184

Trying to keep away from all media lately as it's just a constant barrage of bad news.:( But had a quick peek just before lunch break and really wish I hadn't. Not good for the appetite.:(

But lads let's be logical!! Spain depends on tourism. Spain allowed tourists in last year and tourists didn't cause any major surges. So I reckon they'll do likewise this year, allbeit with mandatory testing. Whether it's still expensive pcr or inexpensive antigen, remains to be seen, I reckon it will be the latter. They were also all gung ho around May last year implying no one would be coming in and then suddenly they were opening up. To everyone.

As for that rubbish re Ireland and mandatory quarantine, I'd be worried if it was coming from anyone other than those nutters Stains and Ryan. Throw McDonkey in with them! :rolleyes: Their wet dream is the unrealistic zero covid. And I cannot see the very sensible and very pro European Germans introducing such a thing. And even if Govt here did say they'd look into it I can't see it happening. I could be all wrong and you'd have to be uneasy with the clowns in charge of the country, but I don't think so.

virginmediapls

Every time I read this post, it makes me lose a little more faith in humanity.

It would be great if we could lock all the anti-maskers/people who want to travel all over the place on the one island, so they could only kill each other.

virginmediapls

virginmediapls wrote: »

Every time I read this post, it makes me lose a little more faith in humanity.

It would be great if we could lock all the anti-maskers/people who want to travel all over the place on the one island, so they could only kill each other.

anti maskers are people who travel are not the same type of people at all.

I travel, some essential, and will get PCR tests, wear a mask, and self isolate.

normanoffside

virginmediapls wrote: »

Every time I read this post, it makes me lose a little more faith in humanity.

It would be great if we could lock all the anti-maskers/people who want to travel all over the place on the one island, so they could only kill each other.

If they aren’t frail and elderly the 99.9% of them would survive.

munchkin_utd

By summer we will have a very different situation.
ALL of Europe should be near or completed with 70% of their populations vaccination. Being Summer, its summer. I know in ireland that means just slightly less cold rain, but elsewhere in Europe it means people eat/ drink/ socialise outside and the numbers will plummet just like last year and the whole continent will be on the green list.

The only proviso to all that is if Ireland gets classed as being a haven for the UK variant AND that this is still a live issue come the summer. Theres an EU meeting this evening where the UK variant is the main topic so there could be interesting news from there !! Still and all.... Summer is a good 5 months away so anything can change, but you'd think things will get better not worse.

acequion

I don't know why ye're bothering to reply to that post. We could well be looking at two lost years before Covid is eventually under control. Anyone who expects people to blithely give up their lives and livelihoods for that length of time and suffer the horrendous consequences of poverty, bankruptcy, relationship breakdown, isolation and a plethora of other mental health and social /economic issues is either very selfish, very naïve, very tunnel visioned, a combination of all three or else very fanatical.

No point engaging with anyone still going on like that at this stage.

Tazz T

munchkin_utd wrote: »

By summer we will have a very different situation.
ALL of Europe should be near or completed with 70% of their populations vaccination. Being Summer, its summer. I know in ireland that means just slightly less cold rain, but elsewhere in Europe it means people eat/ drink/ socialise outside and the numbers will plummet just like last year and the whole continent will be on the green list.

The only proviso to all that is if Ireland gets classed as being a haven for the UK variant AND that this is still a live issue come the summer. Theres an EU meeting this evening where the UK variant is the main topic so there could be interesting news from there !! Still and all.... Summer is a good 5 months away so anything can change, but you'd think things will get better not worse.

This is it. The problem is will our government still be requiring a test making greenlist travel financial restrictive and problematic for most.

virginmediapls

virginmediapls wrote: »

Every time I read this post, it makes me lose a little more faith in humanity.

It would be great if we could lock all the anti-maskers/people who want to travel all over the place on the one island, so they could only kill each other.

why dont we who need to travel continue to do so and YOU stay on an island away from us?

Covid: where the healthy and young are locked away so the ill and old can live free and go for walks.

So completely backwards to how any other issue is dealt with.

Imagine locking everyone away so the poor lepers could go to the beach :P

Tazz T

Tazz T wrote: »

This is it. The problem is will our government still be requiring a test making greenlist travel financial restrictive and problematic for most.

NYPHET calling for even more strict travel restrictions today.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/holohan-warns-of-up-to-1-000-covid-19-deaths-in-january-calls-for-tighter-air-travel-rules-1.4464294

RobitTV

Discussing introducing mandatory quarantine 10 months into a pandemic is so typically Irish and laughable. This will be the final hammer blow for the aviation industry. They should of introduced a testing system at the airports, like I have mentioned time and time and time and time and time again....

Mark my words, NPHET will also demand that the quarantine measure remain in place for the rest of 2021.

Anyway I'm not sure if this will ever happen, how can they possibly force EU arrivals into forced hotel quarantine? legal issues here.

agoodpunt

I think travel in europe should continue with tests but out side restricted unless strict quarrantine
why is the pcr test so damn expensive think ireland leads the world nobody should be profiting from this.

RobitTV

RobitTV wrote: »

Anyway I'm not sure if this will ever happen, how can they possibly force EU arrivals into forced hotel quarantine? legal issues here.

How so? EU Countries can restrict arrivals and place limits on them as seen against the UK a few weeks ago or in Slovakia back in April.

We also arent in Schengen so we dont have open borders

Tenzor07

RobitTV wrote: »

Anyway I'm not sure if this will ever happen, how can they possibly force EU arrivals into forced hotel quarantine? legal issues here.

Individual EU countries can take whatever Health emergency related measures in that they like..
However if Ireland demands a mandatory 14 day quarantine in an approved hotel(owned by DOB)...I'm sure other countries will implement the same measures for all Irish citizens traveling to their country...

The other issues are who pays? If the traveler has to pay a 2 week hotel bill then you can guarantee that only very extremely limited numbers will come to Ireland where their company will pay the bill.
If the State pays then it will cost the Taxpayer another multi-million €uro contract with a Hotel group...
Plus a private security company to monitor the people who are in quarantine or take Gardai from front line duties...

Either way it's going to be a lot of organising and cost to the state, who don't have a good track record in anything relating to preventing the spread of the virus...

smurfjed

dartboardio wrote: »

Thanks will do!

So tourists are allowed to buy alcohol in specific supermarkets now without a licence or do you mean we are allowed to buy from duty free

i have to do a bit of research today on health insurance, any recommendations?!

You can now buy from both duty free and permitted store.

As for health insurance, emirates are offering Covid insurance for people traveling to dubai with them

smurfjed

Sri Lanka has reopened for tourism, PCR test before arrival, on arrival and again 7 days later. People will be required tostay in travel / vacation bubbles with no mixing with non-bubble locals allowed.

Tenzor07

Tenzor07 wrote: »

Individual EU countries can take whatever Health emergency related measures in that they like..
However if Ireland demands a mandatory 14 day quarantine in an approved hotel(owned by DOB)...I'm sure other countries will implement the same measures for all Irish citizens traveling to their country...

The other issues are who pays? If the traveler has to pay a 2 week hotel bill then you can guarantee that only very extremely limited numbers will come to Ireland where their company will pay the bill.
If the State pays then it will cost the Taxpayer another multi-million €uro contract with a Hotel group...
Plus a private security company to monitor the people who are in quarantine or take Gardai from front line duties...

Either way it's going to be a lot of organising and cost to the state, who don't have a good track record in anything relating to preventing the spread of the virus...

You've got to do something about the 1500-2000 trucks and drivers that come in to the state every day. Some of which will be going home to their families, some of which will want a quick turnaround so that they can get back to the UK or elsewhere in Europe. We already have Brexit related slowdowns....we cant have COVID related slowdowns as well

TomSweeney

virginmediapls wrote: »

Every time I read this post, it makes me lose a little more faith in humanity.

It would be great if we could lock all the anti-maskers/people who want to travel all over the place on the one island, so they could only kill each other.

Hyperbole nonsense, you really think people are "killing others" when they don't wear a filthy rag over their face when out on the street ???

Cop on, how many people have you inadvertently killed by passing on the flu over the years....

Tenzor07

Deleted User wrote: »

You've got to do something about the 1500-2000 trucks and drivers that come in to the state every day. Some of which will be going home to their families, some of which will want a quick turnaround so that they can get back to the UK or elsewhere in Europe. We already have Brexit related slowdowns....we cant have COVID related slowdowns as well

Testing of 2000 truck drivers a day again comes down to who will organise and pay for it?
Pass the cost onto the Haulier and that will ultimately be passed onto you and me the consumer...
Who will organise it? A private company? The State? Who'll police it? The already under-Brexit pressured Customs staff?

Any delays to the delivery of fresh foods may also mean that by the time the foods get to the shelves they'll have a day maybe two before they have to be disposed off, leading to shortages and Supermarkets introducing rationing....

daydorunrun

virginmediapls wrote: »

Every time I read this post, it makes me lose a little more faith in humanity.

It would be great if we could lock all the anti-maskers/people who want to travel all over the place on the one island, so they could only kill each other.

I got on a flight 2 weeks ago that was 60% full, everybody tested, plane well spaced and mask wearing excellent. Rented a car that was the cleanest rental ever (cling film And sterile notices on every touch point) have been staying in a villa on an island with 20 or 30 times less cases than home. I’ll be tested before my return and again 5 days after but wfh anyway so will basically be self isolating. My point is you can travel responsibly and safely. Christmas proved where the real dangers of Covid are although I will say it’s beyond ridiculous the government didn’t bring in mandatory PCR’s for all inbound passengers before Xmas.

The biggest surprise to me was the age profile on my flight- a huge amount of 60/70 year old couples rather than 18-30’s party animal’s.

RobitTV

I see the 'granny killer' brigade are back to gain more attention for themselves. This level of disgusting blackmail no longer matters to many people, 10 months later and you aren't going to get away with sprouting that utter nonsense any longer.

I'm afraid people are going to get back to living sooner rather than later. The forces of misery will just have to deal with this reality.

LuasSimon

https://www.euroweeklynews.com/2021/01/21/spain-wont-welcome-tourists-until-the-end-of-the-summer/

Looking at whats been said in Spain it looks like holidays to Spain this summer are highly unlikely to happen, time to eventually try get last summers vouchers back into credit card from Ryanair.

LuasSimon

LuasSimon wrote: »

https://www.euroweeklynews.com/2021/01/21/spain-wont-welcome-tourists-until-the-end-of-the-summer/

Looking at whats been said in Spain it looks like holidays to Spain this summer are highly unlikely to happen, time to eventually try get last summers vouchers back into credit card from Ryanair.

But you can go to Spain now as a tourist, can you not? I guess that he’s meaning inviting tourists to a place where everything is open and there is no need for a PCR test

Golfman64

Deleted User wrote: »

But you can go to Spain now as a tourist, can you not? I guess that he’s meaning inviting tourists to a place where everything is open and there is no need for a PCR test

That's my take on it as well. Perhaps a mis-interpreted/lost in translation understanding of a 2019 style tourism season. There's a world of difference for the local economies of Spain between 'No international tourists' vs 'a curtailed tourism season' such as 2020.

acequion

LuasSimon wrote: »

https://www.euroweeklynews.com/2021/01/21/spain-wont-welcome-tourists-until-the-end-of-the-summer/

Looking at whats been said in Spain it looks like holidays to Spain this summer are highly unlikely to happen, time to eventually try get last summers vouchers back into credit card from Ryanair.

Oh for god's sake where does it say "holidays to Spain this summer are highly unlikely to happen"???? Is it necessary to spin and exaggerate to that extent? :mad:

At no point is Sanchez saying people won't be able to come to Spain. At no point does he say they are looking at tightening restrictions. He's basically sounding a note of caution. At this point of time you can enter Spain once you have a negative PCR no older than 72 hours. That's the only restriction and until that changes let's not get carried away with potential calamities!

johnire

Hardly sounds like a holiday!

smurfjed wrote: »

Sri Lanka has reopened for tourism, PCR test before arrival, on arrival and again 7 days later. People will be required tostay in travel / vacation bubbles with no mixing with non-bubble locals allowed.

johnire

With due respect this is what Sanchez said-

The Prime Minister went on to say that once 70 per cent of Spain’s population had been vaccinated, which he expects to happen by the end of the 2021 summer season, the country would “progressively” prepare to welcome international tourists.

That to me sounds like tourists are not going to be particularly welcome in Spain until the end of the 2021 Summer season.

acequion wrote: »

Oh for god's sake where does it say "holidays to Spain this summer are highly unlikely to happen"???? Is it necessary to spin and exaggerate to that extent? :mad:

At no point is Sanchez saying people won't be able to come to Spain. At no point does he say they are looking at tightening restrictions. He's basically sounding a note of caution. At this point of time you can enter Spain once you have a negative PCR no older than 72 hours. That's the only restriction and until that changes let's not get carried away with potential calamities!

acequion

johnire wrote: »

With due respect this is what Sanchez said-

The Prime Minister went on to say that once 70 per cent of Spain’s population had been vaccinated, which he expects to happen by the end of the 2021 summer season, the country would “progressively” prepare to welcome international tourists.

That to me sounds like tourists are not going to be particularly welcome in Spain until the end of the 2021 Summer season.

I haven't yet read a transcript of the speech in its original Spanish but plan to. As Golfman64 said a certain amount will be lost in translation. The verb and concept of welcome in Spanish is wider than its English counterpart. It means "cater for" "look after" "accommodate" "facilitate" "entertain."

Sanchez didn't say tourists couldn't come to Spain until the end of the summer.

LuasSimon

Northern Ireland kicking on their lockdown to March 5 at least .
Boris Johnson is saying restrictions could last to the summer , hardly sounds like going on holidays on aeroplanes will be very normal come June or July .

Mars Bar

dartboardio wrote: »

Sick of all of this now! Was in Poland in october for 1 week and decided to stay for 7 weeks because what was the point in coming home....

Got flights to Dubai for €179 each way for the 3rd of February so I am outta here until god knows when! lol. (tests either side obviously!)

Dubai is shutting down a bit. Announced a ban on all live entertainment and non essental surgeries are suspended for the moment. That's a very unusual move.

And Dubai is absolutely riddled with the virus so it's not a very wise move.