Will We Make It? 13 June, 2021

So, France is now allowing fully vaccinated Brits to visit for other than 'Exceptional' reasons, provided they had their second vaccination at least 2-weeks before entering France, and provided they jump through some hoops (some reasonable, such as a pre-visit test, and some less so, such as proof that you have somewhere to stay).

Sally had her 2nd vaccination last week (a few weeks after  me) and so we're ready to finally visit our little house for the first time in 2021.

There's a whole range of things to check and/or arrange, including:

  • Travel Insurance - check (including cover despite France being 'Amber')
  • Covid test booked - check
  • Tickets purchased - check (we're going by train this time)
  • Overnight stay with our daughter arranged on the way out - check
  • Proof of abode prepared - check (well, we have house insurance and utilities docs with my name on - hopefully the fact Sally is my wife will suffice.
  • Sworn Testament (that we're not likely to be infected) form ready for filling in  - check
  • Calculations completed to ensure we are spending no more than 90 days in France in a rolling 180 day period - check
We are having the houses rewired this year (hopefully). The electrician has been very flexible with us, but he's now not available until September (due to having booked other work in (quite reasonably) and having July/August holidays booked). So, we'll be going out again in September, but this visit will just be a 'working' holiday. As such, because we'll not need to have a car, we've decided to try taking the train. In theory this should be far more relaxed than a 12-hour door-to-door drive - but we'll see. Just booking the tickets (ensuring reasonable connections and economical days/times) was a nightmare. Getting the trains sorted and sorting the Covid test (finding somewhere reasonably local that was a reasonable price)  took the best part of a day.

Anyway, at least we're now ready - I think. The train journeys (Hinckley - St Albans (via Milton Keynes and Watford Junction), St Albans to St Pancras, St Pancras to Paris, Paris to Uzerche, Uzerche to Paris, Paris to St Pancras) are all booked. We'll hang-fire on the UK leg or the return journey until we know we got to France (things are so unpredictable at present).

Despite all the moaning above, we're really looking forward to seeing our 'other home' soon. 

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