Travel - would you go?

Grizzly said:
Am I right in saying that citizens of other countries who hold an EU digital passport can fly in to Ireland, have a holiday and then fly home again? But Irish citizens cannot fly to an EU country for a holiday......... and risk being stopped by the Garda at Dublin airport and fined if they attempt to do this?
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Unless you have a valid travel reason - and this is wide open for interpretation....

My neighbor went on holidays (to a Non EU country), my hairdresser was beginning of June for two weeks in Romania, two of my colleagues went to Spain, three of my colleagues went to France and (one returned already but he will go again later in the summer. One colleague went with his GF to Italy last week. Another one is flying next week as well to a Non-EU country.

Travelling is already happening (it never really stopped in my opinion) - I am looking at August dates for myself.
 
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Enjoy this. The travel chaos from the UK and the beautiful photos from Estepona in Spain. The heat....you can almost feel it.
 
As I type this I'm in the airport and it was the easiest journey through the airport I've ever experienced..no queues at check in or going through security. A total breeze
 
Anyone travel without being vaccinated ? would be great to hear their experience ? Where did they get their PCR test and any problems going through ferry ports or airports ?
 
I was travelling last summer for holidays - I did not need a PCR test either way. I never did a PCR test actually....
Airport was empty and also plenty of space in the plane.
PCR Tests in Dublin are quickly done with Randox apparently - but not every country requires a PCR Test or a vaccination for entry.
 
When entering a plane.....are people loaded as before? As in Ryanair, priority first...... or are people called as in row number......I would imagine back rows called first until the front rows are the last to fill?

Do you still get the tossers with seats at the back of the plane putting their hand luggage in the lockers at the front of the plane...
 
No priority. Boarding passes scanned by person themselves and directed to back or front entrance of plane. passport not checked. Surprised that normal hand luggage was allowed on.

3 rows at a time were called to depart plane on arrival with all others remaining seated until your row was called
 
Bluefin said:
No priority. Boarding passes scanned by person themselves and directed to back or front entrance of plane. passport not checked. Surprised that normal hand luggage was allowed on.

3 rows at a time were called to depart plane on arrival with all others remaining seated until your row was called
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That sounds very organised, are you sure you flew from Ireland?
 
I liked this in the post about Estepona.

"Saturday, up and out very early, walked round the deserted Marina, along the , stopping all the while to take photos. Interesting to see the new contactless push buttons for the pedestrian crossings"

Looking forward to when Dun Laoghaire Rathdown start doing this while they continue with all the traffic calming measures in the area.
 
Yep, just back from Tenerife, PCRs out and back, only 30 people on the AL flight and a mere 10 on the way back - closest to a private jet you'd get. In Dublin, airport staff were putting more yellow queuing stickers all the way down the arrivals terminal to passport control, evidently for the onslaught from the 19th.
Safest time to travel before chaos next week!
 
My experience of flying in covid times for urgent family reasons is with Ryanair so 4 flights in total. Same boarding as usual, and priority got on first, no boarding row by row. On my last flight which was 80% full there was only one set of steps to board with so as my seat was at the back, I had to walk past all these people. Then the flight was delayed an hour because an extra bag was on plane so all had to be taken off and checked and we were left sit... with one door open and vents overhead not working. NO I was not happy, to me most of fellow passengers were younger people and probably unvaccinated? and with drinks and snacks served, masks were removed .... but thankfully I passed both PCR tests on returning.
 
Question on the EU Digital Covid Certificate: Will I need a PCR test to return home to Ireland from my holiday in Spain if I'm unvaccinated and have recovered from Covid-19 within the last 6 months?
 
I think recovery from Covid counts toward the passport but needs to be entered on it? Also individual countries can apply their own rules with regard to the covid passport so keep up to date as best you can.
 
For anybody travelling to Spain and Until Further Notice you must complete an online Passenger Locator Form 48 hours before arrival in Spain. You may be challenged by your airline for proof and if unable to provide you may not be allowed to board.

You can complete the form on www.spth.es

But, with the issue of the Irish Covid Passport form it might be no longer necessary to complete the Passenger Locator Form from 19th July; I'll keep you updated.
 
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With the heat of the past two days here in Ireland, especially at night, I don't think that I would want to be going somewhere where it is even hotter. Air conditioning would be a must in any accommodation that I would stay in.
 
We arrived in Almería airport earlier from Dublin. I never thought I'd say this. The staff of Ryanair were excellent from the bag drop through boarding and in-flight and on arrival. I like to give credit where credit is due and on this trip Ryanair get all my praise. No problems, no delays, staff on hand to answer any question and give help. I talked to several people on the flight and they were delighted too. Most of them picked up cheaper and better holiday options than what were available in Ireland. Many complained about being screwed by some Irish hotels.

The message is clear here in the south of Spain. Come and Enjoy! You'll pay less and they not only want your business but seek it. There's a message there somewhere for the Irish tourism industry.

I don't know how long we'll stay. It all depends on Cork V Kilkenny next Saturday. If Cork win I'll be returning for the All Ireland Final and back to Spain again within days no matter what the result.
 
I am glad that its back to normal for you Leper but I will leave travelling for a while yet , despite the high fives for Ryan Air. The numbers in Spain are quite high, I see from yesterday. It should be a great game next Saturday , whatever the result.
 
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Leper. I would be interested to know how it was like at the airport? Were people social distancing or wandering in to other people's space. Was there much of a queue at security etc. When queueing, waiting to board the Ryanair plane did you all have to walk down the stairs and wait at the closed door for someone to come and open it for you at the bottom of the stairs. If so was everybody on top of each other?

How did people behave while taking their seat on the plane and after it landed?

Just one other thing. Are you the type of person that would be aware of other people and if they were observing the Covid rules? Because if you have a laid back approach then you might not notice these things. :)
 
Kimmagegirl said:
Leper. I would be interested to know how it was like at the airport? Were people social distancing or wandering in to other people's space. Was there much of a queue at security etc. When queueing, waiting to board the Ryanair plane did you all have to walk down the stairs and wait at the closed door for someone to come and open it for you at the bottom of the stairs. If so was everybody on top of each other?

How did people behave while taking their seat on the plane and after it landed?

Just one other thing. Are you the type of person that would be aware of other people and if they were observing the Covid rules? Because if you have a laid back approach then you might not notice these things. :)
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1. People in the airport seemed to be aware of their distancing most of the time, but on boarding people just behaved as usual like the back of the plane was going to arrive at a different time to the front of the plane. I can't blame Ryanair for this; it's just in Irish DNA not to queue properly.

2. On the arrival airport people behaved just as bad as they usually do and self distancing was a no-no but on presenting oneself at Spanish Passport Control and collecting bags from the baggage carousel. Some things never change I am embarrassed to say.

3. Worse again, on the coach to Dublin Airport from Cork there were two women and one "gent" who put their own rules into operation i.e. remove the facemask once seated in Cork and refused to behave properly in the three hours it took the coach to arrive in Dublin. I was glad they got out in Dublin City Centre. I did correct them in Cork, but I was wasting my time; I'd have had a better journey if I had said nothing.

4. Once you arrive in Spain you receive a text from the Passenger Locator Team advising of telephone numbers to ring if you experience certain Covid traits.

5. Mrs Lep and I have been self isolating for nearly 18 months and are fully aware of the Covid threat and we live each minute of the day in that frame of mind. Pity that didn't apply to the bus passengers I referred to earlier.

6. In the resort, restaurants and bars appear to have an anti-Covid plan in operation. There are exceptions though and things are not a lot different than in say pubs/restaurants in Cork.

7. I wouldn't get hung on up the Covid situation in Spain as it is a huge country. It has autonomous regions and the bad figures in Almeriía are way lower than say in Madrid or Barcelona. Residents in our resort are not shy in informing people to wear masks and behave safely etc. We Irish could learn much from them in this respect.
 
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