Unlocking the lockdown

[Tony Gillam]

UK Motorways have always been beset by CLODS

[RachUK]

Hi RachUK, toll charges for that route are around €130, you can reduce them if you're not in a hurry and avoid the toll roads. The French side is around €100 of the total, all the tolls on the Spanish side are north of Zaragoza, some can be avoided by using the N121A and not the A15 from Irun to Pamplona.
Left Le Mans today at 0715 and was in Manchester at 1630.  Best ever run, sunny and warm all the way from GA and not a police check anywhere except crossing into France. Busier than I expected in UK though and I don't know if it's  me but is motorway lane discipline getting much worse, middle lane rolling roadblocks everywhere.
Dave

Thanks Dave...very helpful

[wilson]

https://mol.im/a/8373929

Seems us Brits won't be allowed to travel to Spain for the foreseeable future.

The irony will be that the great and the good and not just politicians and academics who have presided over this complete debacle in the uk, will no doubt be able to leave the country for essential travel to holiday destinations to fact find and share practises. The fact of taking the family along will be just a mere coincidence of course. Nothing to see here mlud.

[John H]

I've just read....

Just shows what a proper lock down delivers, not the sham we've had here in the UK.

Regards all

John

[Spurs]

Interesting John but the population of Spain is 47 million against 67 million in UK so as a proportion of population it is much higher in Spain than the Uk . The UK excess death rate is 59000 or 891 per million Spain is 921 per million . So who knows who has got the lockdown right . What I can’t understand is why countries like Germany and many in Africa have not had as big an epidemic as we have . The real concern is now in South America where it is rife in Brazil and Mexico

[John H]

Hi Spurs, the experts kept on telling us we were two weeks behind Spain......if we record 35 or less deaths in the 7 days to the 15th June I will be over the moon....we'll be no where near that figure.

Regards all

John

[Spurs]

Hi John yes it’s hard to know which stat is an accurate indicator but hopefully we are in the right road now and at least it’s getting less daily now . I’m still thinking it will be Oct / November before I’ll be ready to travel

[Tony Gillam]

Whilst population density and the age demographic influence the figures, Germany which is not so dissimilar to the UK has lower figure by a substantial margin. We have not, nor are we IMHO currently handling it well.

[chris and jackie]

I think it's the care home figures in U.K. And also Spain which has had a significant impact on deaths figures , maybe they have a lot better system in Germany for care homes but it's certainly been a disaster in UK .

[DaveG]

I have sat through the Spanish lock down from March 16th to leaving Spain last Friday; whether or not you agreed with the strictness of the lock down you always knew what the rules were at any given time and the likely consequences of not following the rules.
I have been in the UK since Sunday, driving up from Folkestone was like an ordinary Sunday after driving from GA to Calais on almost deserted roads. Here at home the lock down doesn't exist except for those who wish to observe it with no sanction for those that don't.
That the UK isn't handling it well is an understatement - it's a joke.
Dave

[Blue and white stripes]

What was the cost of your journey? I'm interested because I plan to do it myself later this year.

[kevinb]

I don't think the lockdown in the UK is a joke the town and roads where I live have been deserted and its normally a busy area, people here are good at social distancing and observing the rules.

[DaveG]

Hi Beachlife, not sure of this exact journey cost yet as I'm still waiting for some of the credit card charges to work through into £'s. I would say it's not far off the average of the last four trips which is £550 one way. There are so many variables though; e.g. we have to pay extra on the eurotunnel for pets, outbound we do three stops, inbound only two so that saves one overnight cost, we use tolls all the way for speed but that cost can be reduced (especially in France) by using the slower A roads but that may mean more stops or longer days. Also the exchange rate plays a part. I can recommend a few Airbnb's if your interested.

Kevin, here in Manchester in comparison to Spain the lock down doesn't exist, honestly. Very little distancing, and for one who is used to wearing a mask and gloves in a supermarket in Spain it's a surprise here as the instruction is only "advice" very few are doing it. In Tesco there is a one way system that's totally ignored and if you linger looking at something someone will push in front to reach what they want. Very badly managed so far, at least in this neck of the woods.

Dave

[Blue and white stripes]

Thanks Dave G. I estimated about £1000 - £1100 return from Birmingham with two stops each way although we'll probably do three so you backed up my thoughts.

I found these websites useful for tolls
https://www.autoroutes.fr/index.htm
https://www.sixt.co.uk/toll-roads/europe/spain/

[chris and jackie]

Has anyone gone from one of ports direct to Spain, cutting out the drive through France? If so which ports do the ferries go from/to and any advice as may do later in the year depending on borders etc