France open for business

[PhillM]

Sounding like as soon as we are allowed, I shall be coming over!

If the West Country has started to sound like a friendly place when its time to come back , I may make a triangle trip

 

[doug748]

I can only speak for my town and what I see on French news and the intensity of French 'worry' over Covid is far lower than the UK. when I look out of my window the bars and restaurants are all open and ready for tourists to return... Nothing like the West Country!

I read somewhere that France is the country most visited by tourists in the world and with a struggling economy, before the virus. they just want tourists and visitors to bolster their income. Most French people have good feelings about the Brits and enjoy us spending our Euro in their country. I think generally they think we are as 'romantic' as we think the French are... I am 100% certain you will be very welcome in Brittany..

Grand to hear.

I don't have inside or up to date knowledge but have never had anything but an astonishing kindness in West France. Apologies, I have told this tale before:

I once picked up a private mooring at the top of an obscure river in Brittany. In the distance I saw a group of fishermen on the bank, shrugging, pointing and gesticulating in a ferocious Gallic manner. One jumped into a dingy and rowed the quarter mile against the tide, really putting his back into it.
As he approached I thought "I am going to be told to sod off here, after a full bollocking". He stemmed the tide and shouted at me in English:

"My friend says that mooring is too shallow for you, take his, which is the large one over there"


.

 

[PhillM]

Grand to hear.

I don't have inside or up to date knowledge but have never had anything but an astonishing kindness in West France. Apologies, I have told this tale before:

I once picked up a private mooring at the top of an obscure river in Brittany. In the distance I saw a group of fishermen on the bank, shrugging, pointing and gesticulating in a ferocious Gallic manner. One jumped into a dingy and rowed the quarter mile against the tide, really putting his back into it.
As he approached I thought "I am going to be told to sod off here, after a full bollocking". He stemmed the tide and shouted at me in English:

"My friend says that mooring is too shallow for you, take his, which is the large one over there"


.

Thats a great story. I had a mobile home just outside of Montpelier for a decade, on a mixed french / British site. I never found the french anything other than wonderfully hospitable. My friend has a second home on the banks of Lake Geneva (french side) and she says exactly the same. They do have "their ways" but then again, don't we all.

 

[Roberto]

kindness in West France.

A lot of Britons say they feel more similar to Anglosaxons (preferably Celts) than to the average rest-of-France people, or worse God-forbid-Parisians

 

[DJE]

A lot of Britons say they feel more similar to Anglosaxons (preferably Celts) than to the average rest-of-France people, or worse God-forbid-Parisians

Bretons?
Vannes (56). Qui se cache derrière le graff autonomiste de Conleau ?

 

[PhillM]

I asked and as ever, got a prompt and very helpful reply:

HAMON MAGALI	08:41 (10 hours ago)
to me

Bonjour Phil,

Until the 30th June, the French government applies the reciprocity that is imposed on the British land, but the quarantine is on a voluntary basis - we hope that the situation will evolve after the 30th June but it is too early to confirm anything.

Have a lovely week-end,

Magali HAMON Cheffe d'équipe relations usagers / Promotion Port Chantereyne

 

[[3889]]

Grand to hear.

I don't have inside or up to date knowledge but have never had anything but an astonishing kindness in West France. Apologies, I have told this tale before:

I once picked up a private mooring at the top of an obscure river in Brittany. In the distance I saw a group of fishermen on the bank, shrugging, pointing and gesticulating in a ferocious Gallic manner. One jumped into a dingy and rowed the quarter mile against the tide, really putting his back into it.
As he approached I thought "I am going to be told to sod off here, after a full bollocking". He stemmed the tide and shouted at me in English:

"My friend says that mooring is too shallow for you, take his, which is the large one over there"


.

I remember those days. They seemed to end about 4 years ago. My last encounter with French fishermen in a restaurant in l'Aber Wrach resulted in them urging my Irish crew to mutiny. This was before I'd said a word.

 

[Lightwave395]

I arrived here last evening and now very happy to be on board in Port Haliguen, nice warm sunshine, lots to do!
Apart from never having crossed from Newhaven before, the journey was easy if a little longer drive than usual with hardly anyone on the ferry.
Otherwise France seems pretty much normal, lots of Sunday traffic and people about, bars open and straight off the ferry as usual.
The only differences were signing a UK piece of paper at Newhaven that confirmed I had no symptoms, few facilities and some social distancing on the ferry.

 

[doug748]

I arrived here last evening and now very happy to be on board in Port Haliguen, nice warm sunshine, lots to do!
Apart from never having crossed from Newhaven before, the journey was easy if a little longer drive than usual with hardly anyone on the ferry.
Otherwise France seems pretty much normal, lots of Sunday traffic and people about, bars open and straight off the ferry as usual.
The only differences were signing a UK piece of paper at Newhaven that confirmed I had no symptoms, few facilities and some social distancing on the ferry.

Thanks. Good work. Hope to be moving south myself quite soon. Give us updates if you have the time.

.

 

[Carib]

Does anyone know anything about the info below from Noonsite please (as of 15/6)?

"Foreign flagged yachts note however: The new prefectoral decree for the French Mediterranean border is not published yet.
So for the moment the entry into French territorial waters of a pleasure vessel flying a foreign flag and coming from a foreign port is prohibited, if the destination of this vessel is a port, a stop or anchorage located on the French coast. "

I don't understand the reference to the 'Mediterranean' border here. The quarantine aside (albeit voluntary at the French end!), what needs to change before UK boats are permitted to sail over?

 

[Koeketiene]

I don't understand the reference to the 'Mediterranean' border here. The quarantine aside (albeit voluntary at the French end!), what needs to change before UK boats are permitted to sail over?

There are 3 different maritime areas in France (Prefecture Maritime).
Manche (Channel) from the Belgian border to St Malo
Préfecture maritime de la Manche et de la mer du Nord

Atlantique from St Malo to the Hendaye/Spanish border
Préfecture maritime de l'Atlantique

and Med
Préfecture maritime de la Méditerranée

The 'rules' are not the same in all areas.

 

[Bobc]

I arrived here last evening and now very happy to be on board in Port Haliguen, nice warm sunshine, lots to do!
Apart from never having crossed from Newhaven before, the journey was easy if a little longer drive than usual with hardly anyone on the ferry.
Otherwise France seems pretty much normal, lots of Sunday traffic and people about, bars open and straight off the ferry as usual.
The only differences were signing a UK piece of paper at Newhaven that confirmed I had no symptoms, few facilities and some social distancing on the ferry.

Glad to hear that you got there ok. Hoping to be joining you in late July.

 

[Carib]

There are 3 different maritime areas in France (Prefecture Maritime).
Manche (Channel) from the Belgian border to St Malo
Préfecture maritime de la Manche et de la mer du Nord

Atlantique from St Malo to the Hendaye/Spanish border
Préfecture maritime de l'Atlantique

and Med
Préfecture maritime de la Méditerranée

The 'rules' are not the same in all areas.

Thank you. I'm not sure why Noonsite refers only to one of the areas. I'll try and find out what the current regulation is on UK boats arriving in Préfecture maritime de l'Atlantique, unless anyone here knows..

 

[Bobc]

Thank you. I'm not sure why Noonsite refers only to one of the areas. I'll try and find out what the current regulation is on UK boats arriving in Préfecture maritime de l'Atlantique, unless anyone here knows..

Looked on the website but can't see any reference to it. I would be interested to know for Le Manche area too.

 

[westhinder]

I write this from Boulogne. Everything operates normally here, as was the case in Dunkerque. Mind you I am Belgian and the boat is Belgian-flagged, so different rules apply than for Brits. It is still very quiet here, just a couple of Belgian and Dutch boats, and fewer Dutch than usual. Obviously no U.K. boats.
I’ll update as I progress towards Cherbourg.

 

[Bobc]

I write this from Boulogne. Everything operates normally here, as was the case in Dunkerque. Mind you I am Belgian and the boat is Belgian-flagged, so different rules apply than for Brits. It is still very quiet here, just a couple of Belgian and Dutch boats, and fewer Dutch than usual. Obviously no U.K. boats.
I’ll update as I progress towards Cherbourg.

Thank you. That will be very helpful.

 

[Carib]

Yes, thank you Westhinder. I've looked at the Premar site (links above) and can't make head or tail of it..

 

[Koeketiene]

I write this from Boulogne. Everything operates normally here, as was the case in Dunkerque. Mind you I am Belgian and the boat is Belgian-flagged, so different rules apply than for Brits. It is still very quiet here, just a couple of Belgian and Dutch boats, and fewer Dutch than usual. Obviously no U.K. boats.
I’ll update as I progress towards Cherbourg.

Following in your wake shortly.

 

[[178529]]

Of course they do. The law requires you to stay at home overnight, where you stay whilst breaking the law has no relevance.

I'm not British so when in France I can do what I like as long as it is within French law.

 

[newtothis]

I'm not British

Lucky b'stard.