- With the arrival of summer, travelers are preparing their holidays, some of them abroad. To help them, 20 Minutes asks the questions to remember before leaving.
- It is essential to regularly inquire about the situation in the country of destination on the diplomatie.gouv.fr website.
- To avoid a complicated situation in the event of a resumption of the crisis, it is better to check your travel insurance and the possibility of repatriation.
At the start of this summer, with the heat announced and the deconfinement continuing, many French people are thinking of going abroad to enjoy an “exotic” vacation. However, the pandemic is far from over.
In order not to go blind in this very special period, 20 Minutes has listed the questions to ask.
- Do I have to ask for a special authorization before leaving?
In Europe :
If no authorization is requested to go on a trip abroad, this does not mean that it is possible to go everywhere freely. The European Union has strongly recommended the opening of its internal borders since June 15. However, each country can set its own rules.
Countries like Germany, Spain, Italy and even Greece have already reopened their borders to European nationals.
Others apply certain restrictions. The Netherlands, for example, requires the reservation of a place to stay on site to be allowed to enter the country. The Batavian Kingdom also requests a health declaration for travelers from areas at high risk of contamination, of which Ile-de-France is a part (See the list established by the European Aviation Safety Agency). These travelers are invited to observe a fortnight period upon their arrival and if they answer "yes" to a question on the form, they will not be allowed to enter.
Ireland, in a still delicate situation, imposes a strict fortnight on anyone arriving from abroad. Travelers must self-isolate, declare their resort and checks are carried out to ensure proper compliance with this rule. Same thing in Norway, where the isolation period is 10 days.
Some countries prohibit entry altogether, except in exceptional cases such as family reasons. This is the case of Denmark.
Out of Europe :
Countries very strongly affected by the Covid-19 crisis, such as the United States or Brazil, prohibit French nationals from entering their territory unless they hold a permanent residence permit. This is also the case for Thailand and Morocco, other popular destinations for French tourists.
Tunisia, it reopened its borders on June 18 to anyone able to provide a negative PCR test and performed 72 hours before departure. These people must observe a 14-day self-isolation and tourists must stay in approved hotels that meet the conditions established by the Tunisian ministries of health and tourism.
To find out about the situation in real time in the country of your destination, consult the government's website www.diplomatie.gouv.fr under the section Traveler advice.
- Can I cancel my flight ticket if new cases of coronavirus occur before my departure or if the country of destination closed its borders?
The possibility of having your ticket reimbursed depends on several criteria. If it is a plane ticket alone, it is possible to be reimbursed if the airline cancels the reservation, whatever the cause. This is why even if the destination country closes its borders or announces containment, you must ask the company for a situation report and above all, do not cancel your ticket yourself. This reimbursement is compulsory and cannot be replaced by a credit note without the traveler's consent.
If the initiative is taken by the traveler, it must be verified that the ticket is modifiable or refundable according to the conditions of the airline. It is therefore very likely that the traveler will pay fees or penalties.
As part of a stay organized by a travel agency, any cancellation made between March 1 and September 15, 2020 is refundable, whether it is the traveler or the agency that cancels. The agency must either offer an immediate reimbursement of the entire service if the cancellation is justified by sanitary measures due to the pandemic, or offer a credit valid for 18 months, and within 3 months of the cancellation. , offer a service identical or equivalent to the first, without additional cost.
To find out their rights, travelers can go to the UFC-Que Choisir website which has set up a simulator.
- What happens to me if the crisis starts again in the country where I spend my holidays?
The first thing to do when going abroad for your vacation is to have your trip listed on the Ariane website. Travelers who register for this national program receive security information about the country of destination and can, via an application, receive alerts, via email and SMS, such as that of a renewed pandemic or closure next borders.
In the event of a resumption of the crisis which would require emergency repatriation, it is better to have quality travel insurance. It is essential to look at what tour operators and airlines offer, but also to get information from your home insurance and bank to ensure that you have the clauses that would allow you to organize and take charge of repatriation.
In some countries such as China or Cuba, this insurance is compulsory, while in others, it is strongly recommended due to the high medical costs.
- Could I take advantage of all the activities on site, such as amusement parks or leisure centers?
Not all countries with open borders are completely confined. Some of our more or less distant neighbors are still going through a sensitive period and only allow certain businesses to open. Thus, to find out the situation in each country, it is preferable to consult the page dedicated to the country of destination on the site: www.diplomatie.gouv.fr.
Recreation is accessible according to the local deconfinement phase. Example: theme parks, like Europa-Park in Germany, can limit the number of people present in their premises. A reservation is then compulsory, and it is preferable to go far enough upstream so as not to find your mouth watering at the last minute. Similarly, in Italy, leisure centers on the beach for children limit the number of registrations to 9 or 10.
- Can I rent a vehicle at my vacation spot?
As public transport is at risk and often restricted during this period, car rental can be a solution for getting around by limiting contact. In the majority of non-standard countries, rental companies have resumed their activity. If it is not necessary to delay in taking a reservation due to the high demand, it is also better to find out about the sanitary measures applied by professionals. In addition, it is essential to learn about the health rules to be observed in certain countries. For example, in Spain, it is compulsory to wear a mask even inside the vehicle if all the passengers are not part of the same household. Rental contracts are to be detailed with a ladle, in particular the cancellation clauses to ensure the possibility of being reimbursed in the event that it is impossible to make your trip following a possible evolution of contamination in France or in the country of destination.
- Should you have your own stock of masks and gel to go abroad?
The shortage of masks that occurred at the start of the pandemic seems to have been resolved in the majority of countries. However, when going abroad, it is difficult to be 100% sure of finding all the necessary equipment (masks, gel ...) in health protocols and of ensuring that these products are up to standards to fight against risk of contamination. This is why several insurers encourage travelers to leave with their own stock of hydroalcoholic gel (beware of the size of the bottles if you take them in hand luggage on an airplane), and a small stock of masks. For fabric masks, you must have enough to change them while washing them regularly.
In general, it is strongly advised to contact the embassy in France of the country in question to obtain all the required information.
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