puzzled about why post about planning travel to France in 2021 has disappeared

Maybe there was some link posted by a responder with malware you never know with the internet so your post was deleted when someone unaware clicked a link and it infected someone's computer. On the other hand I've had posts deleted but I kind of knew that it was on the verge of that when it became too political or went off topic. That may have happen to your topic due to no fault of your own.

The Webmaster seems to be off on weekends, so hopefully you’ll get a response (and reinstatement of your post thread) on Monday. Unless you personally deleted your post, which would’ve eliminated the responses, but even if you accidentally hit the Delete link, you would’ve gotten a second-chance notice asking if you really wanted to remove it), it shouldn’t have disappeared, provided it didn’t violate the Webmaster’s rules.

Hope your second shots go without any hitches, that your teaching also is problem-free, and that the helpful replies to your original post get reinstalled.

Thank you both for the reminder that the internet has quirky ways of its own and there are different scenarios that could have happened in addition to my post being removed by the RS webmaster. Cyn, thanks for the good wishes. I hear that the 2nd Moderna shot is a real kicker. I did some research and apparently the Moderna vaccine has 3X the dosage than Pfizer's which explains reports of stronger reactions. Still it's a small price to pay for 94% protection and a better chance of traveling sooner.

It appears that I was using the wrong email address for the webmaster so I'll send another inquiry and hopefully all the great ideas from our forum travelers will be restored. Safe and happy travels to all.

I certainly don't mean to be a Debbie Downer, but please don't book anything that you can't get a full refund on. Just because the USA is SLOWLY vaccinating, doesn't mean the EU is - in fact, they've barely started and travel to the EU is looking doubtful this year. Many articles from WSJ, NYT, Allianz, and EU papers are saying the same = as is AAA. We have a trip booked in NOV/DEC to Austria and Germany (we go over every other year) which are afraid will also cancel. We are planning, but not booking anything that isn't fully refundable. The rest of the world isn't vaccinating at a fast enough rate unfortunately.

And, I'm a Nurse, got both vaccines in December, but still don't feel hopeful about international travel this year.

Now the Moldova trips post is gone? Sad.

Adrienne, I had my second Moderna dose earlier this week, and it wasn't horrible. Other than not being able to raise my left arm above chest or shoulder level, the main side effects combined to feel like the flu, but not as long lasting. I had my shot on Tuesday afternoon, felt pretty crappy all day Wednesday, better on Thursday, and by Thursday evening I felt back to normal, still a bit tired, though.

Thanks for being specific about your timeline, Jane. I get the second dose on Friday.

Jane, thanks from me as well. 1st Moderna last Friday so early March for #2.

Adrienne, I hope you have luck on Monday. I find the webmaster and staff on this forum very responsive. They area actual people, lol. (And they like to travel. too!)

I'm also interested in hearing what people are planning for the future. We are currently on 'vacation' in France which is telework for for me and a vacation for my family in a low covid area. It's lovely and different. Have to plan for next month! It's even odder right since there aren't many tourists around, even less than it was recently. We had a similar experience this past summer on vacation elsewhere in Europe.

Do keep in mind that you should probably not book a trip that is not fully refundable unless you have the unrestricted right to travel to France. I also wouldn't want to become a counterparty to a French company whether it's a hotel or other booking without travel insurance that covers it since French business failures have increased lately.

I increasingly doubt that France will have re-opened to non-EU tourism by summer and late summer is perhaps not something you want to bet money on. As time has gone on, the entry restrictions have become more restrictive - not less and non-EU tourists are still not allowed and neither are EU ones at the moment. Current entry restrictions include having a right to be here, which generally means residency or citizenship, plus a pressing need to travel and a negative PCR test. This is followed after arrival by a 7 day self-isolation period followed by another PCR test - which was added in recent weeks.

When France does lift it's restrictions on tourists traveling here (which for the moment essentially means all non-French residents), it's not going to be because those tourists are vaccinated. It's going to be because covid is under control in France and all the French people the state wants to have vaccinated before re-opening, are. It will also require recipricol action to allow travel by the other state. It will first start with a re-opening of borders to all EU citizens, then external borders at some future point. External borders have to be decided collectively so is perhaps more challenging. Given how France and the EU are having a slow vaccine rollout due to shortages, this could take some time. French thinking is also that since the covid vaccines are not 100% effective at preventing infection in the first place, it is possible for a tourist or anyone else outside of France to bring in covid and in particular of a strain they don't want. Also, to people that think the French will re-open tourism because tourism is very important to France, remember that non-French resident tourism is only 2.5% of GDP. France cares more about the other 97.5%.

We are planning an early September trip, but only booking refundable rooms, etc. We are cautiously optimistic that vaccinations will be a game changer for the EU, as well as US travelers.

Thank you, all. I heard from the 'webmaster' and his staff today and you're right, they are wonderful. It was respectfully explained that when a thread becomes too politicized, it will be removed from the forum. I don't remember any responses being overtly political but then again, due to work demands, I hadn't logged in for two weeks but as the webmaster pointed out, a lot can happen in two weeks, particularly if the topic includes the pandemic, vaccine rollout and its implications. So now we know why, which is what Jazz+Travel had predicted earlier.

It sounds like many of us are getting the vaccine which is great because it's one less thing that we need to check off on that long list of hopeful to-dos that will get us back to traveling again even though things are looking iffy for a trip to Europe as expressed so clearly and thoughtfully by folks on this forum. Thanks again everyone. Stay healthy and be well so we can all get back.

Can you ask the question again, and ask for people to nix the political comments, and we can see if people can play nice rather than screw up your honest questions....

I'd say - go for it.

I'm sorry you got squashed

My observation has been that Andrew, et al, no longer have the time to sift through and delete the offending portions/comments as it was able to do in 'normal' times.

Now they have to use the 'nuclear option' rather than the 'surgical strike', due to time constraints.

75018 is accurate, except one thing: even French citizens cannot automatically enter France at this time. We are French citizens but we chose to return to the US to get vaccinated much earlier than in France. We do not have the right to return at this time because our French home is not our primary residence. I've heard it will be late April or May before we are allowed to return. In fact, we had to prove to passport control that we had the right to leave. This reinforces what 75018 wrote.

At this time, it's a strange situation. Italy is opening a little in some places, whiie France is tightening hours, borders, closing malls, trying to manage the caseload without another lock down. Doctors want another full lock down due to the contagious variants. The President is resisting.

I was hopeful when vaccinations in France started with talks of large centers and 70 year olds being vaccinated in February, but the roll out has been painfully slow, even absent. Very few 80 year olds have gotten vaccinated. So here's my prediction: I'm very sorry to say that I think it looks doubtful for many months, perhaps the whole year. IMO, intra-European borders will be reopened for summer travel, just like last year, and maybe some Asian countries that have controlled the virus will be allowed, but I don't think that most of the world will be able to visit.

Thanks all. It turns out the day after I heard from the webmaster's office, the thread was reinstated which I appreciate despite coming to accept that celebrating our postponed 50th wedding anniversary/2020 is not going to be happening in Paris this year. Thanks to 75018 and Bets for taking the time to let us know what the current conditions in France are regarding COVID and vaccinations. Pretty dismal, I'm afraid. I also just got an email from my next door neighbors who moved to Pau four years ago. They have been told by their doctor that due to their situation (he is 82 and she is 75 with lung disease) they should be vaccinated as soon as possible. However they have been on the phone for days on end trying to find a clinic where they can get vaccinated without any luck. Bets, I'm relieved that you were able to fly home to get your shots. Be well everyone so we can travel again soon.

OK, glad the uncertainties about the original posting were answered, and that it was even restored. I guess it would be inappropriate to insert some political or medical remark, so I’ll just wish you a happy anniversary trip, when it happens.

the previous, now restored to full vim and vigour, thread is at https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france/when-will-you-begin-planning-for-summer-travel-to-france-in-2021

Thank you Cyn and Nigel for the good wishes and for reposting the original thread. It was delightful to read your posts. May vim and vigor sustain us all until we get to travel again.