Portimao 29-31 May 2021. RTTL Extravaganza

[Dodgy69]

Almost sounds like we will be going after all from those optimists

The power of positive thinking.

[weeksy]

Portugal hopes to be able to welcome UK visitors from 17 May, the country's tourism minister has said.

Rita Marques told BBC News: "For now, non-essential travel needs to be restricted.

"But I do believe that Portugal will soon allow restriction-free travel, not only for vaccinated people, but those who are immune or who test negative."

Portugal is currently on the UK's "red list", with arrivals who have been there in the previous 10 days banned from entry, unless they are UK residents or Irish nationals, who must quarantine in a hotel.

The UK government have said that the red list remains under review and that public health remains the UK’s top priority.

International travel from England for non-essential reasons will not be allowed until 17 May at the earliest and this depends on the success of the vaccine rollout, infection rates and the impact of new variants.

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have not set a date for the restart of international travel.

[fil2]

Portugal hopes to be able to welcome UK visitors from 17 May, the country's tourism minister has said.

Rita Marques told BBC News: "For now, non-essential travel needs to be restricted.

"But I do believe that Portugal will soon allow restriction-free travel, not only for vaccinated people, but those who are immune or who test negative."

Portugal is currently on the UK's "red list", with arrivals who have been there in the previous 10 days banned from entry, unless they are UK residents or Irish nationals, who must quarantine in a hotel.

The UK government have said that the red list remains under review and that public health remains the UK’s top priority.

International travel from England for non-essential reasons will not be allowed until 17 May at the earliest and this depends on the success of the vaccine rollout, infection rates and the impact of new variants.

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have not set a date for the restart of international travel.

[Tricky]

I've got my first Covid vaccination booked for next Monday 15th March ( yeah I is proper old ) - you have to book the second one at the same time- first date it gave me for that was 31st May, which I obviously didn't take, as I might not be here....

So the second jab is booked it for the end of that week

[weeksy]

At this rate the only people not going may be me and mine LOL.

[Tricky]

Won't be the same if you're not there matey, so we might have to wait a bit longer and you might be more than 50 but it will happen eh!
I'll be making the decision when we're closer and you and others make yours.

[weeksy]

That's where the world gets complex.... I want you lot to go even if we can't

As long as you all go next year (doesn't need to be Portimao)

I'd rather have you lot not arsing about with changing flights, losing money, hire car stuff and NL hassle and just going away and having an absolute blast. Our decision may well be completely taken out of our hands here, so we won't necessarily be 'deciding' whether we go... But that doesn't mean you lot cannot go... Sure it would be a damn shame if that's the case, but it can't be helped.

[Bigyin]

I've got my first Covid vaccination booked for next Monday 15th March ( yeah I is proper old )

Bloody hell , I knew you were older than me but not THAT old

[Dodgy69]

Won't be the same if you're not there matey, so we might have to wait a bit longer and you might be more than 50 but it will happen eh!
I'll be making the decision when we're closer and you and others make yours.

Will we be making a group decision or an individual one, now that's a question.

[Tricky]

Won't be the same if you're not there matey, so we might have to wait a bit longer and you might be more than 50 but it will happen eh!
I'll be making the decision when we're closer and you and others make yours.

Will we be making a group decision or an individual one, now that's a question.

Most likely it'll be a group of individual decisions

[fil2]

so weeksy if you don't go to porto this year you are 100% doing a euro next year and you don't mind where.?....as I'm only going to porto for your 50th and if you don't end up going but are 100% on a euro next year then that may play a part in my decision as want to be on a euro with you to celebrate

[weeksy]

In simple terms, as you can imagine, our trips are set by dates rather than preference. That's all due to being a time when the boy isn't at school or loses the least number of day. So for example even if it was Portimao but say a Tues/Wed/Thu on track in a school week, then he's missing 5 full days with travel. Which isn't really going to happen for us.

So even if it's a circuit that isn't topping our list next year but is in half-term week/easter/whenever, that would be the preference of course.

But as we're only in the early stages of this year, then i have no say in next year. It's not impossible that next year may not work at all in that context, the dates may simply not work and we'd end up not doing one at all. If for example No Limits don't credit/refund etc but we can't go this year, they'll be struck off the list as you'd imagine, so we'd only really have Focused Events and potentially one of the smaller euro specific companies. But if their dates don't work, they don't work. I'm not going to go away for a family holiday and not take my boy for example. Whereas if it were just me and a boys jolly, then of course i'd happily leave him at home.

In honesty, i can't say/don't know what will happen fella i'm afraid. As you know, we planned this and it all fell perfectly into place, right track, right dates, right mates, but that hasn't worked out.
I'm pretty sure Ceri would like to do a Euro next year so that's what we'll try to make happen.

But next year the 50th will have passed, the moment will have gone, so will it be the same... Mmmmmm not so much.

As i'm sure you'll have guessed, i'm less worried than her and if it doesn't happen and me and the family spend 10 days in Morzine, Les Arcs, Finale Ligure instead, then i'm more than happy with that.

I doubt any of the above really helps with much in the way of a decision for you, But i don't really know what more to say there i'm afraid. But once again it all leaves me in a position of feeling responsible for others decisions which i don't really want and don't really like. My honest answer is, we all tried, circumstances played a curve ball to us and base whatever decisions you make upon yourselves, be that this year, next year, whenever. Make decisions that suit you, if it works out that i'm there, great... if not, then no biggy.

[weeksy]

Obviously this only covers March. But Portugal don't seem to like UK much

https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/p ... om-brazil/

[Tricky]

Hmmm, yeah- if I'm reading that right, Portugal's stance needs to change or it's a definite no-go, as self-isolating on arrival in Portugal for 14 days isn't feasible for a trip like this
Still plenty of time for that to happen though (hopefully....)

[2xtwins]

Hmmm, yeah- if I'm reading that right, Portugal's stance needs to change or it's a definite no-go, as self-isolating on arrival in Portugal for 14 days isn't feasible for a trip like this
Still plenty of time for that to happen though (hopefully....)

Can't disagree with that assessment, or your final sentence, Tricky.

As we've seen over the past year, the rules / protocols in these situations can change virtually overnight....here's hoping..

Kev

[weeksy]

I hate putting doom and gloom posts up....

Well this could be a bit of a game changer for the Portimao crew.

UK looking at international travel certification

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has told the House of Commons that the government's Global Travel Taskforce will introduce a travel certification to allow people to travel abroad.

He says this could be done by using schemes like the International Air Transport Association's travel pass or the World Economic Forum's common pass.

He says he has been having conversations with his US counterparts and "many others around the world" in order to get "travel going again".

The transport secretary says the Global Travel Taskforce report will be made public on 12 April

Which i can't say would shock me, in fact chatting on phone with Fil2 the other day i said i thought it would be highly likely that in the first 4-6 weeks after opening up flights they'll only be for the vaccinated. I think that's a pretty likely outcome to start with.

[Dodgy69]

1 or 2 jabs. ??

[Yorick]

I'm still not sure. Spain will be ok for us, not sure about Portugal yet.

[weeksy]

1 or 2 jabs. ??

your guess is as good as mine but i'm not convinced we'll have had either.

The closer we get, the more unlikely it's looking on our side.

[Yorick]

From Sky News..

Portugal

Portugal has said those who test negative for coronavirus, or were "immune", can visit from mid-May.

Rita Marques, Portugal's secretary of state for tourism, told the BBC: "I do believe that Portugal will soon allow restriction-free travel, not only for vaccinated people, but those who are immune or who test negative. We hope to welcome British tourists from 17 May."