Travel to Northern France

[nsew]

For those with an interest in France

30 April: the head of the health authority, French Public Health Jérôme Salomon will begin giving data on the virus in each French department in his evening coronavirus figures. This data will be used to decide where lockdown restrictions will be eased and where some may continue.

7 May: Depending on where the virus is “circulating”, each department will be designated “green”, where restrictions will be lifted on 11 May, or “red” where they may not.

11 May: Masks will be available for the general public. Shops - excluding shopping malls and centres - and businesses will reopen. Public transport will be up and running but masks will be obligatory and half the seats on trains, metros, trams and buses will be left empty to maintain social distancing.

Nursery and primary school staff will return to work to prepare for the reopening of establishments. Places of worship can reopen but no services to be held. Some parks will open in areas designated “green”.

12 May: Nurseries and primary school school classes reopen. Children in groups no bigger than 10 with no contact between them.

18 May: The two lowest secondary school (collège in French) years open. These are 6ème - ages 11-12 and 5ème (12-13). Classes of 15 pupils maximum, masks mandatory for pupils and professors, and hand gel to be widely available in schools.

May/June: Decision to be made on when bars, cafés, restaurants, cinemas and cultural establishments can reopen.

2 June: Further easing or tightening of restrictions will be introduced depending on the presence and spread of the coronavirus in the previous three weeks.

[roubaixtuesday]

It’s not touring itself that I suspect will be the problem, it’s getting there and getting back. Would you really want to sit in an airplane for 3 hours with 150 strangers?

Your *personal* risk from such a flight, even now, close to the peak, is very, very low.

The risk is not personal, it's societal - whether the virus becomes out of control.

[nsew]

It’s not touring itself that I suspect will be the problem, it’s getting there and getting back. Would you really want to sit in an airplane for 3 hours with 150 strangers?

Your *personal* risk from such a flight, even now, close to the peak, is very, very low.

The risk is not personal, it's societal - whether the virus becomes out of control.

Not as low as not spending 3 hours in a confined space with 150 excited yapping people. It strikes me that the virus principally spreads by droplets emitted from the mouth. That we haven’t all been told to “shut it” in the company of others remains a mystery.

[ANTONISH]

Not as low as not spending 3 hours in a confined space with 150 excited yapping people. It strikes me that the virus principally spreads by droplets emitted from the mouth. That we haven’t all been told to “shut it” in the company of others remains a mystery.

We were only going an hour's ride from Calais so flying wasn't part of the plan

I hate flying but I have had to endure long distance flights and I have ended up with some illness or other ( 12 hrs with the passenger behind frequently coughing is usually an indicator that all won't be well ).

[nsew]

Not as low as not spending 3 hours in a confined space with 150 excited yapping people. It strikes me that the virus principally spreads by droplets emitted from the mouth. That we haven’t all been told to “shut it” in the company of others remains a mystery.

We were only going an hour's ride from Calais so flying wasn't part of the plan

I hate flying but I have had to endure long distance flights and I have ended up with some illness or other ( 12 hrs with the passenger behind frequently coughing is usually an indicator that all won't be well ).

Yes sorry, going off topic in the above comments. I don’t see anything being confirmed in your favour by May 21st, it’s much too soon. Best to hope for late summer / autumn travel at this point.

[Ray]

We'd booked two separate weeks in Gites de France in Provence from end May to mid-June. Travelling via Hull-Zeebrugge, and hotels on the way.

Given all the uncertainties, and having paid the initial 25% for the gites, we decided to be pro-active and ask for postponement until the same time next year, carrying the deposit over, and paying the balance 4 weeks before the trip as is usual. GdeF (Drôme, and Vaucluse) accepted within hours. Had we waited any longer we'd have been asked for the full balance, and refunds/postponement were not a given if we'd had to cry off. We're now negotiating with P&O to postpone the ferry. The hotel overnights en route had free cancellation.

Let's hope things will have settled down by next year, although nothing is certain. As we're both 77, hanging on until then may be the hardest part

[ANTONISH]

We'd booked two separate weeks in Gites de France in Provence from end May to mid-June. Travelling via Hull-Zeebrugge, and hotels on the way.

Given all the uncertainties, and having paid the initial 25% for the gites, we decided to be pro-active and ask for postponement until the same time next year, carrying the deposit over, and paying the balance 4 weeks before the trip as is usual. GdeF (Drôme, and Vaucluse) accepted within hours. Had we waited any longer we'd have been asked for the full balance, and refunds/postponement were not a given if we'd had to cry off. We're now negotiating with P&O to postpone the ferry. The hotel overnights en route had free cancellation.

Let's hope things will have settled down by next year, although nothing is certain. As we're both 77, hanging on until then may be the hardest part

Well you'll still only be 78 (say's he at a youthful 79 )
I'm now certain that we'll have to cancel -we can't be sure about next year - not sure if I can recover the deposit but fortunately nothing else had been booked.
Looks like it's a few days in Belgium in October(with luck) and maybe a late holiday in the UK and we haven't had one of those in a good many years.
I'm not sure where would be a good area (ideally a choice of flat rides and hilly rides).

[Ray]

maybe a late holiday in the UK and we haven't had one of those in a good many years.
I'm not sure where would be a good area (ideally a choice of flat rides and hilly rides).

We'll quite likely be looking for something similar, providing the worst of the virus and lockdown have gone away. Don't know where you live, and what would be a reasonable distance to travel, but three of my favourites would be:

Northumberland coast; South Shropshire/Bishops Castle area; North Norfolk

All have quiet, varied roads and places to visit in case of poor weather, tearooms etc.

[eileithyia]

We're contemplating that we won't be getting abroad this year... and where we might be able to go instead, guess it will depend on lockdown relaxation, likely climate.... and availability of places to take the caravan, which should have reverted from it's temporary role as greenhouse back to accommodation

[ANTONISH]

maybe a late holiday in the UK and we haven't had one of those in a good many years.
I'm not sure where would be a good area (ideally a choice of flat rides and hilly rides).

We'll quite likely be looking for something similar, providing the worst of the virus and lockdown have gone away. Don't know where you live, and what would be a reasonable distance to travel, but three of my favourites would be:

Northumberland coast; South Shropshire/Bishops Castle area; North Norfolk

All have quiet, varied roads and places to visit in case of poor weather, tearooms etc.

I quite like Norfolk - I've ridden quite a few audax events there. Some hills around the coast if I remember.

I had thought of Yorkshire - If I remember correctly there is flat around York but of course areas with plenty of hills - so good views and lots of freewheeling.

We live in Kent but having driven to the Pyrenees on a few occasions driving anywhere in the UK should be feasible - generally not such pleasant driving as France.

[Ray]

I had thought of Yorkshire - If I remember correctly there is flat around York but of course areas with plenty of hills - so good views and lots of freewheeling.

Ah, yes, of course I should have mentioned Yorkshire. Because I live here and know it pretty well, I tend to look further afield for holiday riding. You're absolutely right, it's a great county for cycling, with variety and quiet roads, providing you avoid the big urban centres. Plenty of flat around York, and good access in and out using cycleways. Quiet, rolling roads in the Wolds, seriously challenging slopes in the N.York Moors, and of course the beautiful Dales.

If you do decide to head north*, let me know and I'll try and be of more help.

*edit: as we've now veered off the original thread, you might want to PM - or start a new thread.

[chocjohn9]

@ ANTONISH - Belgium has plans to start to open up.
11th May all shops can open
18th May schools re-start, albeit with limited class numbers and years.
So, unless there is a re-run, you should be OK for October

[ANTONISH]

@ ANTONISH - Belgium has plans to start to open up.
11th May all shops can open
18th May schools re-start, albeit with limited class numbers and years.
So, unless there is a re-run, you should be OK for October

Well that's a bit of light at the end of the tunnel - I'm hoping France will be open by then so that we can get there.

Thanks to Ray - Yorkshire seems an attractive possibility.

[charlimoun]

At this time, you can go cycling. But I don't drive my car; I don't like to leave it outside my country. I travel by train from db fahrplanauskunft. They easily take a bike in their luggage. And even provide new information about the possibility of travel. And there are no problems with crossing the border. But every day, everything changes. And the last time I went 3-4 months ago. And I went to Amiens; it turned out to be a great trip. Do you have any new information? Did you go on a trip then?

[ANTONISH]

At this time, you can go cycling. But I don't drive my car; I don't like to leave it outside my country. I travel by train from db fahrplanauskunft. They easily take a bike in their luggage. And even provide new information about the possibility of travel. And there are no problems with crossing the border. But every day, everything changes. And the last time I went 3-4 months ago. And I went to Amiens; it turned out to be a great trip. Do you have any new information? Did you go on a trip then?

Train companies vary in provision for bicycles. DB is very good (from my limited experience).

Usually if I go by TGV in France I have my bike in a home made bike bag ( bike partly dismantled ).
My partner dislikes this practice so we generally ride from the ferry port (tour) or go by car for a fixed location.

We are hoping to go to a gite in the Picardy/ Somme region when Covid restrictions allow - we had one booked for 2020 but events....
I take it you are not a UK resident and your travel restrictions are different.