Getting my daughter home from France

I doubt you want advice from us as we are not the authorities on the matter. I'm sure you'll get opinions, but none of it will be binding.
Is your daughter an adult? If so, I wouldn't think your presence would be deemed essential.

She’s 21 in an apartment with all her belongings. How else can she bring everything home?

Hi gixers,

Have you had any luck contacting your embassy for help or guidance?

There is a poster by the name of Bets. https://community.ricksteves.com/users/29473

I believe she has dual citizenship - one being with France.

Perhaps she can give you some suggestions?

There must not have been a pandemic when she arrived in Lille for the start of their studies, but what process was used to bring her possessions when she moved there? Maybe you were there to help with the move-in, and did she accumulate a lot more things while in France?

You'd certainly feel better helping her, but if you can't... , you might need to go to plan B, a shipping service. She can pack her boxes and have them sent by DPD or Send my Bag (sendmybag.com). I've seen those recommended by students with small moves between France, UK, Germany.

Surely that’s classed as essential travel?

What does France and UK define as 'essential'?

I have doubts that "I have to help my adult daughter pack", is going to be persuasive.

Good luck.

Here are the new rules as of this morning, 1 June:

https://www.interieur.gouv.fr/Actualites/L-actu-du-Ministere/Attestation-de-deplacement-et-de-voyage

You can take a look and see if you qualify for entry.

Tocard has provided the correct link above — make sure to click on the section pertinent specifically to travel to/from the UK (you’ll see the French government has also provided the page in English as well as in French).

Your daughter is 21 and has been studying abroad? She certainly should be able to pack and or ship her possessions home by herself.

Before I begin planning a foreign trip, I go to travel.state.gov → International Travel → Country Information → type in country name in the Learn about your destination → and you’ll get this page: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/UnitedKingdom.html.
This is where you’ll learn what you need to know. Travel.state.gov also recommends all international travelers enroll in STEP which you can do by scrolling all the way down until you see “Enroll in STEP” on the right. This way you’ll be notified by email of all changes that occur. This is also where you’ll get the most current information.

while the US State department is helpful for US folks, it seems more appropriate and closer to the "horse's mouth" for gixers who is in the UK to look at French and UK government sites.

It is the French government which is going to determine if he/she is able to enter France who just a couple of days ago banned most travel from UK to France due to the variant of concern, and a 7 day quarantine plus tests, and the UK/England (are you in England or a different home nation?) who set the law for return, France at the moment is an Amber country with the associated quarantine and tests.

It appears that the OP is in the UK, not an American. A U.S. based travel forum may not be the best place for the information you seek.

My husband helped one of our sons at 23 move out of his Strasbourg studio. He happened to be close by for a conference and was glad to help him. It was less jarring than when our other son moved to NY: he sold or gave away all the gifts we'd given him. I wish I hadn't been close by to see that.

I think there are a few replies here that may come across as a little harsh. I'm sure that was not the intent. I would totally want to go help my adult child move as well. It is not unreasonable.

However, since that is not to be at this time, I notice there are several good suggestions on ways to deal with this issue without actually going to France. I am not sure just how much your daughter has with her. She may want to do a cost analysis. Is the price of moving this item more than the cost of replacing it? Could she sell some of the items to other students? Are one way van rentals a possibility?

Yesterday I walked across the street to introduce myself to the new neighbor who just moved in as she was on her hands and knees pulling weeds from the sidewalk. Turns out my real neighbor is a thirty something year old physician and her strapping boyfriend; I was talking to mom from Michigan who came to help them move. My two cents? God bless ‘em all.

My daughter lived in France after one year twice and then home from UK after 5 years, starting at 21. Your daughter can and should (IMO) do this on her own. At various times my D gave to charity shops, sold items, and threw out items. She also shipped a small amount after London. While you might like a trip, she does not ‘need’ you and by claiming essential you are diminishing those who are essential, IMO Sorry that I sound rude as I am typing on my phone... There is also BA cargo so maybe Air France has the same. Or she can pay for more luggage.

It must be frustrating with Lille so close.

A friend of mine who is British, with a British husband and two young British children spent the last year teaching at a school in Czech Republic, who own a British car were trying to return to the UK by car a couple of weeks ago.

All tickets in hand for the Eurotunnel, all packed up in the car, with a letter explaining the situation and how she had left her job two weeks early to attend the funeral of a close family member, were 75km into Germany when they were stopped by German police and told they were not allowed to enter Germany due to Covid restrictions even though it was essential travel. They were turned around and escorted back to the Czech border by the German police.

Missed the funeral, car still there, she flew a few days later with the girls, he stayed. The flat was already in use by another family - he's paying hotel rooms.

Stuff happens. Especially now.

Nigel, my goodness, I am so sorry for your friends. What a mess to have to deal with — and missing the funeral on top of it all.

It indeed shows that things are far from normal unfortunately.

I am laughing as I read some of these comments, as I sit at my daughter’s house several states away after a week helping her paint and put together furniture. (Well, we also squeezed in the Van Gogh Immersive and a great French lunch.) :) I absolutely love helping any of my four daughters with major projects like moving and will do so whenever I can. With four young kids of my own, I remember fondly when my mom and dad would come help. Could I (and can my kids ) have done it on my own? Well, sure. Things are just a LOT easier with help.

That being said, you may not have that option this time. My youngest moved from Thailand to Dubai by herself last summer - physically helping wasn’t an option. I couldn’t get into either country, whether I wanted to or not. And she did fine and conquered - we spent time on video calls and it wasn’t especially fun, but it all works.

So I am not much help on “how to do it” because you may not be able to go help. Staying up with entrance restrictions, as you have been, is your best source. But you can still help with planning and decisions - and most of all encouragement that she is capable!