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Brexit -- Travel Impacts April/May?

Hey All,

We're about to embark on our dream trip of a bit over two months in Europe and we leave 3/31. We start in Paris for a couple of weeks and then chunnel to England and spend the rest of the time slowly moving up to Scotland and then around Ireland. Not a crazy amount of stops on this trip since we have two little kids with us. We booked this around 8 months ago and I didn't think much about Brexit but now I'm hearing that getting from Paris to England could be an absolute nightmare. Traveling through Ireland could also be rough; there also seems to be a ton of uncertainty around political unrest. Reading online doesn't help as there is just a ton of confusion and unknowns. Does anyone in here have more concrete information, a better idea of what to expect and extra preparation/planning we should take?

Thanks!

Posted by
1334 posts

Don’t worry about it if you’re an American or Canadian, there are no changes to non-EU passport holders.

Strikes and/or industrial action in France can have an effect on you, but this has been true since the French Revolution. So, keep an eye out for whatever is currently happening. That’s been the issue with the Eurostar lately.

Posted by
7052 posts

Does anyone in here have more concrete information

I doubt that, as we still don't know what will happen next week. The speaker has ruled out a 3rd vote on the WA, so the prime minister has requested an extension of the Article 50 period but it is still unclear if the European council will grant the extension. If nothing happens, UK will leave with no deal, which could result in increased queues at borders, especially at the NI-RoI border.

Posted by
2201 posts

We are heading to England mid-May. I am concerned as well. My Google research, reading various financial and travel articles pretty much say what others have said - traveling from the US to the UK will not have a serious impact.

We have a wrinkle, though. We plan to travel to France from the UK to meet our grandson, who is finishing up his first year in college. He spent the year in Paris at Catholic University. We will travel to Loches to spend some time with his friends and do a little sightseeing, then head back to London. Our plan is to take the Eurostar. Fortunately, is sounds like both sides are working on the issue.

I don't think any of us have concrete information, since there isn't any yet.

I hope you have a wonderful trip! There's not much you can do at this point other then try not to worry and try to stay flexible.

Posted by
15020 posts

"...just a ton of confusion and unknowns." My solution to that...don't read on-line. I don't. Not interested in the"absolute nightmare." If I am lucky, I'll be there in England or France sometime after mid-May, if not, then it will be June.

Posted by
1298 posts

Who knows? After months of boring Brexit argy-bargy, it's suddenly got quite interesting. Thanks partly to the manoeuvres of those most opposed to leaving it now seems, ironically, that a proper no-deal departure next week (which was off the table) is now firmly back on it. So you might be visiting the UK during the early heady days of freedom from the EU menace. Or it might all go into extra time and you'll be there when nothing yet has changed, including the politicians still being all handbags at dawn.

Still unless you have a cunning plan, there's not much you can do about it at this stage. So I wouldn't worry and just go with the flow.

Posted by
16413 posts

I return to the UK in three weeks. I am not worrying about Brexit at all. Why? Because no one has any idea what it going on and I have no control over any of it. I will deal with any issue that comes up at the time.

Since no one has a clue as to what the future holds, all the "experts' spew out doom and gloom because that's what the media likes.

Go have a good time.

Posted by
6113 posts

How many more times do we have to say “Please don’t use the phrase CHUNNEL?” It’s irritating, as it hasn’t been called this for more than 20 years.

There have been delays /strikes on the French side this last week which is likely to continue into the summer.

No one knows what will happen about Brexit. It’s a farce.

Posted by
4657 posts

If you want a plan B, then research how to get from Belgium or Netherlands to UK. Consider buses is train stations are going to continue to be nightmares. It means more travel and stops with kids, but perhaps you can plan an alternate route so you don't have to even consider trains to UK from France. More stops less uncertainty and stress. One thing if mature experienced travellers, totally different with young kids in tow.

Posted by
5554 posts

If eurostar calls it 'chunnel', I think chastising us rebellious Colonials for using the term is unwarranted.

But with all this talk about "living like the locals" then surely referring to something that hasn't been referred to in such a way for decades defeats the purpose ; )

Posted by
1075 posts

They probably call it "chunnel" because they know Americans do, the same as some places offer "high" tea but it's really afternoon tea and Tower Bridge is often called London Bridge by "rebellious colonials".

Posted by
4657 posts

From this side of the pond, the chunnel was discussed and followed during construction as an engineering feat. Once completed, people lost interest. So, 'chunnel' sticks in the brain. For Europeans it suddently became useful, therefore stayed relevant.
Has nothing to do with rebelliousness.

Just for argument, wouldn't the 'chunnel' be the Channel Tunnel rather than the (Eurostar) train that travels the tunnel? So if one is traveling via the Channel Tunnel (whether train or car), why can't they 'chunnel'? But, chunnel as a verb falls into the realm of Google as a verb. In casual speak, we can chunnel and google away. Yes, in advice, correct terms are better. Why not just use them rather than poke fun?

Posted by
3135 posts

I don't think the Canadians are rebellious. I've oft wondered why the USA just doesn't take it over.

I guess "chunnel" annoys some people so I shan't use it.

Posted by
4657 posts

@BMWVBG, I don't think we are rebellious in general either, but we have had our moments ;-) Doesn't mean I can't shed some light on continental perspective (we watch a lot of the same media after all) and stick up for our neighbours :-)
@Douglas, I think Channel Tunnel is it.

Posted by
2055 posts

To the OP: As the old song advises "Don't worry, be happy". I doubt what ever happens will directly affect you other than a French rail strike and those seem to happen every time there's a holiday or vacation.

As for unrest in the UK, I doubt that the omnishamble that is Brexit right now would motivate any riots. More like gallows humor and politician twats who mobilize a march and then fail to show up for most of it. Come enjoy France and UK. Your kids will love it.

Posted by
5554 posts

Chunnel is a media created amalgamation of Channel Tunnel, much like Brexit...grrrr or staycation...grrrr. The tunnel is actually called the Channel Tunnel, someone thought it would be amusing to refer to it as the Chunnel (it wasn't) and it stuck. The train using the tunnel is the Eurostar and now when people refer to crossing the Channel using the train they refer to the Eurostar not the Chunnel.

Chunnel - defunct
Eurostar - the universally accepted reference to travelling by train via the Channel Tunnel

Posted by
15020 posts

"I've oft wondered why the US just doesn't take it over."

What is the antecedent? Canada? But they tried in 1812 and 1813, didn't they? Each time the US met with failure, be it undertaken by militia or Regulars. The result was the same...defeat.

Posted by
619 posts

If we take our car to France, we either take the ferry or the tunnel. The word channel is superfluous, and in the U. K. the Channel Tunnel is really the only one worthy of mention, so we just say tunnel.

Posted by
1298 posts

Fred

I've heard the War of 1812 called the most misunderstood war. The Americans lost but are convinced they won. Canada didn't exist but they're convinced they won. And the British (who did actually win), have entirely forgotten about it being much more interested in Waterloo.

Posted by
4657 posts

Mike, I think you must have edited your post.....<> or I would have replied differently. You really wouldn't want us. I'll leave it at that.

Posted by
1075 posts

The Eurostar is the passenger train, Le Shuttle is the train that transports vehicles, so there is not just one type of train that uses the Channel Tunnel, hence sometimes the need for clarification of what type of train to take.

Posted by
330 posts

I just finished reading a biography of Grant, and I hadn't known this, but the United States lobbied hard to annex Canada as part of reparations after the U.S. Civil War. But Britain wasn't letting go! The Treaty of Washington was finally signed in 1871.

Posted by
15020 posts

True, it's misunderstood, the last thing the British wanted seeing the big politics from their view was to take on the US when they were at war with Napoleon.

No British reinforcements reach Canada until after April 1814, ie when Napoleon abdicated., so Wellington's veterans victorious against les francais in Spain were sent over, only to be shot up grievously in Jan 1815 outside of New Orleans.

Posted by
15020 posts

Keep in mind that regardless of the reasons, justified, valid, or not, it was the US that declared war on Britain, however one may interpret that act.

The US did not win any "diplomatic victory" with the Treaty of Ghent, signed on a "status quo ante-bellum" basis in Dec 1814, both sides wanted simply to get out of the conflict, the US because the capital had been burned and the total number of battlefield defeats (some decisive victories too).

Of course, the British troops earmarked for taking New Orleans could not be informed and called back even though the war was formerly over.

Posted by
11948 posts

Brexit -- Travel Impacts April/May?

And now the War of 1812 is the center of discussion...??

as Mr. Spock would say 'fascinating', on how that came to be

Posted by
8293 posts

Yeah, Big Mike, you did edit your post about "oft" thinking the USA should have taken over Canada. Such an unfriendly thought. No wonder you removed it from your post. We await your next thought.

Posted by
11948 posts

CNN news flash

Here are the details of the Brexit agreement
EU leaders have come up with a two-part plan designed to avoid Britain crashing out without a deal on March 29.
According to the final text of the deal, leaders agreed to delay the Brexit process until May 22, if Theresa May can secure approval to the Withdrawal Agreement in the UK Parliament next week.
If May's deal fails, the UK's membership of the EU will be extended unconditionally until April 12, by which point the EU Council "expects the United Kingdom to indicate a way forward".

Still nothing definitive but narrowing the time frame on the 'when' ( maybe?)

PS--Why does the "Twilight Zone" theme music keep going through my head?