Simon Hargreaves, contributor
As Covid-19 drags on through 2021, will British bikers be able to ride on the Continent this summer?
Much as I love riding in this country, I can’t wait to get back into Europe. I wonder when...
‘One paying customer in the past 14 months’ CLIFF EDDLESTON, BIKING ABROAD
NEW CORONAVIRUS VARIANTS have led to extra travel restrictions recently and it’s now becoming harder to pack up and head abroad, as the current Traffic-light system threatens to cut us off from our favourite destinations.
The Traffic Light system — sounds simple enough
Well, it’s simple in theory
— red means travel to that country is either forbidden or strongly discouraged, amber means it might be OK and green means it is OK.
In theory all EU countries — and the UK — have adopted the same system, which should make it even simpler. In practice though, it’s still a mess. Even within the EU, different countries have the power to set different rules for each level and with the UK’S new non-eu status, they’re not always the same both ways. It can also all change very quickly.
But amber’s OK, yes?
Well, no, not really. You are allowed to travel to amberlist countries, and they might actively welcome you, but UK Government advice is that you shouldn’t. That has implications for your travel insurance among other things. In addition, at the time of writing, anyone returning to the UK has to provide a valid Covid test, AND book and pay for expensive private tests on the second and eighth days, AND quarantine for up to ten days on arrival, though you may be able to test-to-release after five days. It’s travelling back that’s the real problem here.
Stick to green, then?
At the time of writing, the
UK’S green list wasn’t exactly exciting — unless you fancy a biking holiday in Australia or New Zealand. More countries were added, including Spanish islands like Ibiza and Mallorca, where there are plenty of bike-hire options for a fly-ride, but nowhere we can actually ride to yet — especially as France is still pretty restrictive.
We suspect the first mainland European country to welcome UK visitors will be Spain and possibly Portugal (again). When that happens, that Santander ferry will be particularly busy for British bikers.
Will I need a test before I travel?
For most EU countries, you need a valid PCR test less than 72 hours before travelling or an antigen test
less than 48 hours previously. You’ll need the same before coming back to the UK as well — so make sure you know how and where to get a test done.
What if I’m fully vaccinated?
It’ll help. To take France (amber list at the moment) as an example; if you’re fully vaccinated at least two weeks before you go, then you have to provide a negative PCR test carried out no more than 72 hours before travel, and there’s no need to quarantine on arrival in France. However, if you’re not fully jabbed-up, then there’s a ten-day quarantine on arrival in France, so it’s unlikely to be worth the bother. Even fully-vaccinated people still have to quarantine for ten days on return to the UK from amber countries but there are proposals to scrap that soon, so double-jabbed folk will be able to come and go without any quarantine restrictions.
Vaccinations and negative tests likely as necessary as passports
How do you prove you’re jabbed-up?
Ideally by joining the EU’S Digital Green Pass scheme, which was due to go live at the beginning of July. But the roll-out has been slow and although there are plans to open it up to non-eu citizens, at the time of writing, no-one knows exactly how (or when) that will work. Also, proving your vaccination status differs according to which UK country you live in. In England you can either download a PDF from the NHS website once you have an account, use the NHS mobile app
(note: NOT the Track and Trace app) or call 119 and request a confirmation letter.
In Scotland, you can access it via the NHS Inform website, or call 0808 196 8565. For Wales the number is 0300 303 5667. For Northern Ireland, you should have a vaccine registration card anyway but at time of writing, no-one could say for sure that would be accepted as proof at border controls.
So...
Are we going to be able to head off to the Continent this summer? The best we can say is yes, probably, as more people are vaccinated and more countries get green-list status. But it’s going to be tricky to plan very far ahead.
It’s probably best to shelve those plans for an extended three-week, multi-destination tour — keep that for next year. Instead, why not make a virtue out of necessity? Keep your touring kit ready to go and try a series of shorter out-and-back trips with the option to bail and head for somewhere in the UK instead if it all goes wrong.
‘It’s going to be very tricky to plan ahead’