Changes for travellers from 1 January, post Brexit

[kalos]

15 minutes ago, wowzz said:

For information,  Shapps the transport minister, confirmed yesterday that Brits will not need an International Driving Permit when driving in Europe.  

 

The lorries seemed to be flowing through the tunnel after midnight, so that's good news .

Whether it remains like this as the week goes on remains to be seen .

 

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jan/01/first-lorries-cross-into-france-as-britain-and-europe-wake-to-new-brexit-reality

[yorkshirephil]

10 minutes ago, kalos said:

 

The lorries seemed to be flowing through the tunnel after midnight, so that's good news .

Whether it remains like this as the week goes on remains to be seen .

 

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jan/01/first-lorries-cross-into-france-as-britain-and-europe-wake-to-new-brexit-reality

I think once we are let loose to travel a lot of the niggles will have been ironed out

[davecttr]

24 minutes ago, kalos said:

 

The lorries seemed to be flowing through the tunnel after midnight, so that's good news .

Whether it remains like this as the week goes on remains to be seen .

 

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jan/01/first-lorries-cross-into-france-as-britain-and-europe-wake-to-new-brexit-reality

Being a holiday here and in France helps, apparently only about 400 trucks are expected to travel today and it gives time to iron out any unexpected problems. I see they are still requiring negative test results

[Ardennais]

Some lorries heading to Ireland have been turned away from Holyhead, Pembroke Dock and Fishguard. 

[Snow Hill]

15 minutes ago, davecttr said:

Being a holiday here and in France helps, apparently only about 400 trucks are expected to travel today and it gives time to iron out any unexpected problems. I see they are still requiring negative test results

The average I believe is around 4000 trucks per day Dover to Calais through the tunnel & 10000 per day on ferries. With U.K. citizens now barred from travelling to EU after 11.00pm last night except for specific reasons then tunnel passenger traffic will be lighter, so perhaps they maybe able to run more freight trains. 
 

 

[terrierjohn]

52 minutes ago, kalos said:

 

The lorries seemed to be flowing through the tunnel after midnight, so that's good news .

Whether it remains like this as the week goes on remains to be seen .

 

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jan/01/first-lorries-cross-into-france-as-britain-and-europe-wake-to-new-brexit-reality

The BBC news were explaining that pre-prepared new documentation for each consignment was bar coded and this is scanned at the port to provide all the necessary details which if correct enable the vehicle to quickly pass through customs. So again all the concerns about lorries being delayed at the ports seems to have been over hyped.

[zap99]

2 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

The BBC news were explaining that pre-prepared new documentation for each consignment was bar coded and this is scanned at the port to provide all the necessary details which if correct enable the vehicle to quickly pass through customs. So again all the concerns about lorries being delayed at the ports seems to have been over hyped.

Apparently 6 were turned around at Holyhead as they didn't have the correct paperwork. I guess they won't do that again. There are bound to be a few teething problems. Don't know about the South Wales routes to Ireland, but Dover seems quiet today.

[AndyMichelle]

29 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

The BBC news were explaining that pre-prepared new documentation for each consignment was bar coded and this is scanned at the port to provide all the necessary details which if correct enable the vehicle to quickly pass through customs. So again all the concerns about lorries being delayed at the ports seems to have been over hyped.

We have lorry checking points down here, one just outside Winchester, to stop queues at the ports. 

No reported issues. 

Andy 

 

[Ardennais]

35 minutes ago, zap99 said:

Apparently 6 were turned around at Holyhead as they didn't have the correct paperwork. I guess they won't do that again. There are bound to be a few teething problems. Don't know about the South Wales routes to Ireland, but Dover seems quiet today.

I don’t now the actual numbers involved, but up to early afternoon, 20% of lorries had been refused passage at Holyhead due to incomplete paperwork according to Stena. Most returned with the correct documentation and were let through. 7% failed to proceed - whether that’s 7% of the total or 7% of the returnees I don’t know.  I think it’s going to be fairly quiet there for the first few days of 2021 which hopefully means that things will be sorted by the time  lorries are at full flow again.

Edited January 1, 2021 by Ardennais

[terrierjohn]

24 minutes ago, Ardennais said:

I don’t now the actual numbers involved, but up to early afternoon, 20% of lorries had been refused passage at Holyhead due to incomplete paperwork according to Stena. Most returned with the correct documentation and were let through. 7% failed to proceed - whether that’s 7% of the total or 7% of the returnees I don’t know.  I think it’s going to be fairly quiet there for the first few days of 2021 which hopefully means that things will be sorted by the time  lorries are at full flow again.

Hopefully there will be a very steep learning curve, and the next time these firms vehicles head for a port they will get it right.

[Ardennais]

1 hour ago, terrierjohn said:

Hopefully there will be a very steep learning curve, and the next time these firms vehicles head for a port they will get it right.

Yes indeed. It appears that many managed to sort out their paperwork quickly today which is good news.

[Dermotsgirl]

8 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

The BBC news were explaining that pre-prepared new documentation for each consignment was bar coded and this is scanned at the port to provide all the necessary details which if correct enable the vehicle to quickly pass through customs. So again all the concerns about lorries being delayed at the ports seems to have been over hyped.

Only about 800 lorries went through today as it was a bank holiday, so there was nowhere near the normal amount of traffic.

 

I think we need to wait and see what happens on a full capacity day. This might not happen for a while as lots of overseas hauliers may not come into the country in the first place, as they have concerns about back logs when they try to leave. 
 

 

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, Dermotsgirl said:

Only about 800 lorries went through today as it was a bank holiday, so there was nowhere near the normal amount of traffic.

 

I think we need to wait and see what happens on a full capacity day. This might not happen for a while as lots of overseas hauliers may not come into the country in the first place, as they have concerns about back logs when they try to leave. 
 

 

Since warehouses on both sides of the channel are full to bursting with stock bought early in case of a no deal then, other than perishable fresh food supplies I think it might take several weeks for things to return to normal.

Edited January 2, 2021 by terrierjohn

[Dermotsgirl]

8 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

Since warehouses on both sides of the channel are full to bursting with stock bought early in case of a no deal then, other than perishable fresh food supplies I think it might take several weeks for things to return to normal.

Yes, several weeks at the very least

Edited January 2, 2021 by Dermotsgirl

[zap99]

8 hours ago, Dermotsgirl said:

Yes, several weeks at the very least

There was an article in the Times today where they interviewed a Romanian lorry driver who brings Chickens to the UK from Romania, takes 5 days so they may stop doing it. I'm not too sure if that bothers me ,or not.🤔

[Host Sharon]

On 12/26/2020 at 10:37 AM, jeanlyon said:

I am not sure why people are so worried about the EHIC card for cruising.  You have to have full insurance cover anyway, so what use would you make of the EHIC?  Most people are treated on the ship if they fall ill, which is not covered by EHIC?  Am I missing something?

Most insurers required you to have them to mitigate costs incurred.

[tring]

11 hours ago, Host Sharon said:

Most insurers required you to have them to mitigate costs incurred.

 Yes, some serious illnesses need people to be taken off the ship and others could see a doctor ashore, if they took bad then.  I had to have X-rays in ashore when on a cruise.

 

EHIC cards can now be replaced on the EHIC website now if due up soon, we have done ours as were due 1/1/21, but will be sent one of the new GHIC's.  Still covers all EU countries but no longer covers Norway, Iceland and Switzerland, unless agreement with those countries is made in the future.  They intend to re brand the EHIC site as the GHIC website and may have been done by now.  Valid EHIC's remain valid until the expiry date, but again only for EU countries.

 

 

Edited January 3, 2021 by tring

[brian1]

Now we have a deal,I think things will change all the time.Apparently Italians are allowed 180 days continuous in the UK.I am hoping they will reciprocate otherwise it's the residency road for us.

[zap99]

43 minutes ago, brian1 said:

Now we have a deal,I think things will change all the time.Apparently Italians are allowed 180 days continuous in the UK.I am hoping they will reciprocate otherwise it's the residency road for us.

I thought it was said you could buy a visa. A few euro for 3 years validity. That gives 180 days I think

[brian1]

29 minutes ago, zap99 said:

I thought it was said you could buy a visa. A few euro for 3 years validity. That gives 180 days I think

Hope you're right,I'll have to research it.Rules are changing all the time.

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, zap99 said:

I thought it was said you could buy a visa. A few euro for 3 years validity. That gives 180 days I think

My understanding is that whilst the visa validity would indeed be for 180 days, in actuality it is for a maximum of 90 days in any rolling 6 month period. In other words, you cannot stay for 180 days consecutively.  How easy that would be to police, is another matter.  

[brian1]

You don't nead a visa for the 90 in 180 rule.I think the visa may be for study etc.

[zap99]

18 minutes ago, wowzz said:

My understanding is that whilst the visa validity would indeed be for 180 days, in actuality it is for a maximum of 90 days in any rolling 6 month period. In other words, you cannot stay for 180 days consecutively.  How easy that would be to police, is another matter.  

I don't know, but I think the overall rule is 90 out if 180, but that over 90 is subject to national rules

[NSWP]

On 1/2/2021 at 11:52 AM, terrierjohn said:

Since warehouses on both sides of the channel are full to bursting with stock bought early in case of a no deal then, other than perishable fresh food supplies I think it might take several weeks for things to return to normal.

Have you observed any fresh food shortages in the supermarkets? Like meats, cheeses, fruit and veg?

[NSWP]

10 hours ago, brian1 said:

Now we have a deal,I think things will change all the time.Apparently Italians are allowed 180 days continuous in the UK.I am hoping they will reciprocate otherwise it's the residency road for us.

Gday Brian, perhaps the residency road to Australia mate. Stay safe.