DucdeNormandie Posted August 29 Share Posted August 29 Also with FCO advising against nonessential travel to France and all the insurance implications, a French trip looks increasingly dfficult regardless of quarantine rules or availability of crossings. My Club voyage membership is due for renewal on Monday but doubt if I will be able to use it for some time. Link to post Share on other sites
David Williams Posted August 29 Share Posted August 29 The final nail will be if the French introduce proper quarantine for Brits or start to restrict movement within France. I am still planning on a trip in early October. Link to post Share on other sites
Khaines Posted August 29 Share Posted August 29 What are the current passport regulations for France. Do we have to have 6 months left - someone told me passports are still valid now up to the expiry date, but not sure. What with whatever happens as from January next year - very confused. Link to post Share on other sites
Gardian Posted August 29 Share Posted August 29 42 minutes ago, David Williams said: The final nail will be if the French introduce proper quarantine for Brits or start to restrict movement within France. I am still planning on a trip in early October. The last thing I’d want to be is a killjoy, but if the infection rate continues to rise I think that movement restrictions are definitely on the cards. Quarantine requirements have been rumoured for weeks, but haven’t come to anything. Makes no sense to introduce it when France’s infection rate is (apart from Spain) as high or higher than anywhere in Europe. We’ve decided to ‘lay low’ for the next couple of weeks. No weekly market visit, cancellation of a couple of non-essential hospital appointments, etc, etc. No plans being even contemplated for a return to the UK at Christmas / NY. It’ll be see where everything is in early December - we’re rather pessimistic though. Link to post Share on other sites
David Williams Posted August 29 Share Posted August 29 (edited) deleted Edited August 29 by David Williams Link to post Share on other sites
David Williams Posted August 29 Share Posted August 29 (edited) 52 minutes ago, Khaines said: What are the current passport regulations for France. Do we have to have 6 months left - someone told me passports are still valid now up to the expiry date, but not sure. What with whatever happens as from January next year - very confused. Up to 31 Dec 2020, you can use any valid passport with no extra rules, it does not matter what the expiry date or return date is. The 6 month rule is only relevant next year when we have truly left. It is even worse than that as the passport is only deemed valid for 10 years after issue and then 6 months needs to be added to that. Up to 18 months ago we were issuing passports for up to 10 years and 9 months depending on when the previous one expired, rules are on https://www.gov.uk/visit-europe-1-january-2021 Edited August 29 by David Williams 3 Link to post Share on other sites
straightfeed Posted August 30 Share Posted August 30 20 hours ago, Gardian said: We’ve decided to ‘lay low’ for the next couple of weeks. No weekly market visit, cancellation of a couple of non-essential hospital appointments, etc, etc. No plans being even contemplated for a return to the UK at Christmas / NY. It’ll be see where everything is in early December - we’re rather pessimistic though Morning, Nice to hear from someone who sets their own agenda rather than slavishly follow instructions from politicians. Good on you mate. Bank holiday coming up so lets pray for bad weather and hopefully the rush down here in Devon to lick an ice cream on a crowded beach will not happen. When the shops opened down here the rush was awful. Link to post Share on other sites
AmigoCirculo Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 I've just renewed my Club Voyage membership for another year, but sadly it feels more like a charitable donation to the shareholders' benevolent fund than the key to good deals on a service I have come to love since my first voyage as a poor student heading for the University of Salamanca in the early seventies. Desperately hoping that BF pull through and not just because of the Refund Credit Notes I have. Link to post Share on other sites
colin Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 Word is coming out that French government WILL provide any support needed to BF to ensure survival. Various options being considered from loan extension and reduced social contributions through training grants anD other employment support schemes to specific Covid-19 loss related financial aid. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites
ZinedineBiscan Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.ouest-france.fr/bretagne/roscoff-29680/le-gouvernement-s-engage-pour-sauver-la-compagnie-brittany-ferries-6954016 Link in French to news report here stating @colin 's update 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Nick Hyde Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 1 hour ago, colin said: Word is coming out that French government WILL provide any support needed to BF to ensure survival. Various options being considered from loan extension and reduced social contributions through training grants anD other employment support schemes to specific Covid-19 loss related financial aid. Thank goodness the French government will support them. Link to post Share on other sites
Cabin-boy Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 7 minutes ago, Nick Hyde said: Thank goodness the French government will support them. It's cheaper to support them now, hopefully just for a shortish period of time, than have them on the unemployment register for goodness knows how long if BF were to go 'seins dans l'air' (and I know that's not a real French expression) and another operator employing cheaper international crew were to step in and takeover certain routes. Ed. Link to post Share on other sites
LHCity Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 1 hour ago, Nick Hyde said: Thank goodness the French government will support them. The minimum would be for the British government to support shipping companies such as Brittany Ferries. The English need ferries more than the French. Paradoxically, the UK is heavily dependent on foreign companies. It is far time in British grandeur at sea ! Link to post Share on other sites
David Williams Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 (edited) 11 minutes ago, LHCity said: The minimum would be for the British government to support shipping companies such as Brittany Ferries. The English need ferries more than the French. Paradoxically, the UK is heavily dependent on foreign companies. It is far time in British grandeur at sea ! Why, we are a free market economy & if the French, Swedes, Danes and Dubai want to own the crossings fine. I find it amusing that BF go the French taxpayer to subsidise crossings between Spain and Ireland plus Spain and the UK. Edited August 31 by David Williams 1 Link to post Share on other sites
colinschandler Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 1 hour ago, Cabin-boy said: It's cheaper to support them now, hopefully just for a shortish period of time, than have them on the unemployment register for goodness knows how long if BF were to go 'seins dans l'air' (and I know that's not a real French expression) and another operator employing cheaper international crew were to step in and takeover certain routes. Ed. I don't think that the French Maritime unions would ever let a dubious flagged company with a non french crew operate out of Roscoff? Link to post Share on other sites
Cabin-boy Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 2 minutes ago, colinschandler said: I don't think that the French Maritime unions would ever let a dubious flagged company with a non french crew operate out of Roscoff? They let DFDS run ships from Dieppe, Calais and Dunkerque and not all of their crew are French (although many are) and Condor operates a Bahamian-flagged vessel out of St Malo. By 'cheaper international crew' that could be a mix of nationalities, including French, but with contacts based on different terms. Ed 1 Link to post Share on other sites
LHCity Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 1 hour ago, David Williams said: Why, we are a free market economy & if the French, Swedes, Danes and Dubai want to own the crossings fine. I find it amusing that BF go the French taxpayer to subsidise crossings between Spain and Ireland plus Spain and the UK. That's why a lot of English people live in the idea of an idealized past = Brexit = Boris. The market economy is at the end of the road and without an economic model - "A la Française" it would be a long time ago that there would be no more cross-Channel links between Brittany, Normandy and the South of England. As proof, with P&O ... 2 Link to post Share on other sites
David Williams Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 I am afraid that Europe does not want us to subsidise any business 1 Link to post Share on other sites
hhvferry Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 54 minutes ago, David Williams said: I am afraid that Europe does not want us to subsidise any business Not really true - the EU state aid rules aren't that hard to get around, particularly for industries and businesses which don't face direct and clear-cut competition. Often it's been the UK government ideological choice rather than being bound by EU rules. 5 Link to post Share on other sites
jonno Posted September 1 Share Posted September 1 15 hours ago, David Williams said: Why, we are a free market economy & if the French, Swedes, Danes and Dubai want to own the crossings fine. I find it amusing that BF go the French taxpayer to subsidise crossings between Spain and Ireland plus Spain and the UK. All depends who owns the tonnage and the routes they sail. Six of the ships are owned by the local regional governments anyway, BAI only operate them. It also depends on the composition of the funding, is it for the group or SOMABRET & SOMANOR? If it's the latter there'll be no subsidy for the Rosslare routes - unless of course Etretat does indeed head to Ireland - Cap Finistere, Normandie Express, Connemara or Pelican. Link to post Share on other sites
Andy Posted September 1 Share Posted September 1 16 hours ago, colinschandler said: I don't think that the French Maritime unions would ever let a dubious flagged company with a non french crew operate out of Roscoff? Don't forget Irish Ferries ran out of Roscoff with 'Normandy', which was flagged in the Bahamas. However, I'm sure the local authorities will want to support BF wherever they can and would not welcome cheaper competition in the current climate, at the expense of French jobs. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
veryoldbear Posted September 1 Share Posted September 1 And here comes the cavalry .. French Government, big loan ... https://www.lamanchelibre.fr/actualite-903751-economie-le-gouvernement-vient-en-aide-a-la-brittany-ferries 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Ryan_H Posted September 1 Share Posted September 1 15 hours ago, hhvferry said: Not really true - the EU state aid rules aren't that hard to get around, particularly for industries and businesses which don't face direct and clear-cut competition. Often it's been the UK government ideological choice rather than being bound by EU rules. Very true. There hasn't been a single UK-owned ferry operator between GB & mainland Europe for many years, has there? Nowadays it is even hard to find any UK-flagged ferries, never mind their owners. Market economics is one thing, but it is striking just how little national infrastructure is actually in British hands today - if this model were such a great idea, then it seems odd that it doesn't seem to have been replicated elsewhere, to such a degree, in other similar-sized economies? 1 Link to post Share on other sites
elaine80 Posted September 1 Share Posted September 1 2 hours ago, Ryan_H said: Very true. There hasn't been a single UK-owned ferry operator between GB & mainland Europe for many years, has there? Nowadays it is even hard to find any UK-flagged ferries, never mind their owners. Market economics is one thing, but it is striking just how little national infrastructure is actually in British hands today - if this model were such a great idea, then it seems odd that it doesn't seem to have been replicated elsewhere, to such a degree, in other similar-sized economies? Calmac only operates within Scotland but its ferries are registered in Scotland. Link to post Share on other sites
jonno Posted September 1 Share Posted September 1 28 minutes ago, elaine80 said: Calmac only operates within Scotland but its ferries are registered in Scotland. Which is owned by the Scottish Government so has similar funding to BF & Transmanche. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
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