Canceled Winter Camino Due to Travel Restrictions: Rescheduling for Oct/Nov

[Malachiuri]

Well, it is official. We had to cancel our Jan/Feb camino. I received an email from Air France stating that starting 2 Jan, FOR THOSE WHO ARE UNVACCINATED, France will require pressing need for travel, a 10 day quarantine, a neg test, etc to enter France. As of yet I have not seen this posted on the French govt website, but it makes sense. Just too much to deal with for a vacation, would just be silly.

While we decided to postpone our plans about a week ago, that email made it all official.

Rescheduling for Oct/Nov! Lets hope for the best!

Cheers,
M

 

[Malachiuri]

I hate replying to my own post but...

Within the past 10 mins I received a correction email from Air France regarding entry requirements. The additional steps of quarantine, pressing need to travel, etc are for NON-Vacced folks.

I opened the 2 emails side by side to double check and it was a type

M

 

[Lexicos]

Hmm… so, what’s the verdict?
I’m confused.
Going or not going?
If your vaccinated your fine, oui?

 

[Malachiuri]

While it is possible for the 3 of us since we are all triple vaxed, we have decided against the trip till fall. A Camino is hard enough without dealing with health passes, testing, etc.

I spent Sept of this year in France and it was pleasant as usual, all the added stress kinda dulled my yearly vacation in Dinan.

M

 

[Former member 99290]

I hate replying to my own post but...

Within the past 10 mins I received a correction email from Air France regarding entry requirements. The additional steps of quarantine, pressing need to travel, etc are for NON-Vacced folks.

I opened the 2 emails side by side to double check and it was a type

M

Gosh, thank you for the prompt second post clarifying. We are flying Air France from Sydney to Paris at the end of March. Reading your first post, I let out an audible gasp! Was about to call out to my French husband with this development. But, crisis averted - for now

 

[Malachiuri]

Watching the data out of South Africa and the UK, my guess is things will calm down long before March.

M

 

[Former member 99290]

Watching the data out of South Africa and the UK, my guess is things will calm down long before March.

M

We are optimistic. And it’s been more than two years since seeing daughters and grandchildren so our ‘pain and risk’ threshold is probably a little different to some.

 

[Kev&Kath]

Well, it is official. We had to cancel our Jan/Feb camino. I received an email from Air France stating that starting 2 Jan, France will require pressing need for travel, a 10 day quarantine, a neg test, etc to enter France. As of yet I have not seen this posted on the French govt website, but it makes sense. Just too much to deal with for a vacation, would just be silly.

While we decided to postpone our plans about a week ago, that email made it all official.

Rescheduling for Oct/Nov! Lets hope for the best!

Cheers,
M

That's a pity Malachiuri. I would have been very interested to follow your winter Camino. My wife and I finished the Frances on 6 Dec. There were a few challenging days (in terms of open bars) but had no problems securing suitable accommodation. The only 'wintry' conditions encountered was in the O Cebreiro region...certainly we didn't hit anything that would put me off walking in the deeper winter period. I hope your plans for later this year hold up. I thought leaving StJPdP in late October was absolutely marvelous....fall colour was a particular highlight.

 

[jsalt]

I have a return ticket for a flight from South Africa to Bilbao (via Frankfurt) for 19 January. I’m not holding my breath that I shall be on it, but I’ll get my booster shot, and my covid test, and if the flight still isn’t cancelled, and they let me on, well, you just never know these days. If I make it as far as Bilbao I’ll probably get a bus to Pamplona, and start from there.

 

[maruska89]

Gosh, thank you for the prompt second post clarifying. We are flying Air France from Sydney to Paris at the end of March. Reading your first post, I let out an audible gasp! Was about to call out to my French husband with this development. But, crisis averted - for now

Me too! I had the same reaction. I'm due to fly into Paris April 5th. Glad its not as first written, thanks for clarifying.

 

[maruska89]

We are optimistic. And it’s been more than two years since seeing daughters and grandchildren so our ‘pain and risk’ threshold is probably a little different to some.

I sure hope you do get to see them soon. Hugs!

 

[Jim]

Well, it is official. We had to cancel our Jan/Feb camino. I received an email from Air France stating that starting 2 Jan, France will require pressing need for travel, a 10 day quarantine, a neg test, etc to enter France. As of yet I have not seen this posted on the French govt website, but it makes sense. Just too much to deal with for a vacation, would just be silly.

While we decided to postpone our plans about a week ago, that email made it all official.

Rescheduling for Oct/Nov! Lets hope for the best!

Cheers,
M

Biting nails that a May Camino with a late April prequil will be set to go on schedule. I'm flying in and out of Paris on Air Tahiti Nui in and out LAX. No word yet from the carrier.

 

[Aloha From Kauai]

While it is possible for the 3 of us since we are all triple vaxed, we have decided against the trip till fall. A Camino is hard enough without dealing with health passes, testing, etc.

I spent Sept of this year in France and it was pleasant as usual, all the added stress kinda dulled my yearly vacation in Dinan.

M

I'm not sure the Fall will provide much, if any relief from protocols; don't let that stop you when you're ready! Wishing you a healthy and happy 2022...

 

[peregrina2000]

I'm not sure the Fall will provide much, if any relief from protocols; don't let that stop you when you're ready! Wishing you a healthy and happy 2022...

What I have seen on the forum is that people who originally thought they would wait till ”covid was over” are now gradually realizing that it is not likely to be “over” in our lifetimes. Now it’s a question of how everyone sorts out their individual levels of acceptable risk and social responsibility. As you say, @aloha, there will surely be some protocols in place for a long time to come, but we just can’t predict what they will be.

Being flexible with travel plans, having a Plan B or two, and being committed to following the rules in place on the ground are all good basics for any camino 2022. Based on the “sign-up” threads for the spring and summer on the forum, it looks like lots of forum members are ready to get going if the circumstances permit.

 

[ivar]

I don't know... I feel that this might be "over" sooner than we think. Omicron is really sweeping Spain right now, way more cases than we have ever had in any wave. Most just home with fever a day or two (since we have high vaccination reates). Since omicron seems to protect agains delta... we (Spain) might get herd immunity soon. Crossing my fingers...

I feel people that have tickets for April/May or later should feel optimistic.

Sixth coronavirus wave in Spain continues to spike, with record 372,000 new cases over New Year weekend

Latest data shows the highest growth in infections since the pandemic began, with levels far above those seen last week after Christmas. Hospitalizations are also rising

english.elpais.com

 

[peregrina2000]

I feel people that have tickets for April/May or later should feel optimistic.

Oh, don’t worry, I feel optimistic that I will go, and I feel optimistic that Omicron will be under control, but I think that global vaccination is still a long way off, so more variants seem, according to what I read anyway, to be likely. I think more and more of us are accepting the likelihood/possibility that we will have a new, milder virus that will be endemic and that will stick around. But hopefully it won’t kill us off in large numbers.

A relative who works at the CDC, recommended that I read this article —

Beyond Omicron: what’s next for COVID’s viral evolution

The rapid spread of new variants offers clues to how SARS-CoV-2 is adapting and how the pandemic will play out over the next several months.

www.nature.com

It seems balanced and based on science, so that’s a winning combination. I thought the comparisons to known viruses made sense, but I am a non-scientist. And of course there’s still a lot of unknown about the trajectory.

But I think there has definitely been a mindset change on the forum among many people. And I also think that the plans to walk will spread as people hear reports about how the risks of walking in Spain have been managed by many pilgrims. But I also predicted that the Camino Invierno would be overrun by pilgrims years and years ago, so I am obviously not in possession of the right crystal ball.

 

[Former member 99290]

Very interesting article Laurie, thank you. Ssshhh re the Invierno - I don't want it to be overrun before I eventually get there. (Smiley face)

 

[DoughnutANZ]

A good article.

What I have seen on the forum is that people who originally thought they would wait till ”covid was over” are now gradually realizing that it is not likely to be “over” in our lifetimes.

I am not clear that this is what is happening.

I can't speak for anyone else but I am not waiting for Covid to be "over", I am waiting for Covid to be predictable.

For me predictable means not only a lower risk but also a lower cost.

I can't afford to travel halfway around the world without affordable travel insurance. Nor can I afford to be locked down in a foreign country or locked out of my own country.

I am not in any particular hurry, I am quite happy to wait several years if necessary.

The Camino's are not going anywhere and there is a good chance that I will still be around and walking for many years from now.

Other people may be in a different situation, such is life.

 

[Bill's_Walking]

I'm keeping my hopes up for my May start. I think we'll be past the wave so I don't think I'll have to cancel, but will deal with that if the time comes.

 

[Malachiuri]

The Universe has paused my last Camino 3 times now. First was Covid when I was walking in Jan/Feb of 2020, then closure of the world in Jan 2021, then a broken leg 90 days before my scheduled return to complete my 2020 Camino from Astorga last October and now Omicron.

I will do another Camino when I am allowed to. The one up side is that by rescheduling our trip to Oct/Nov I will have walked a Camino in all 4 seasons. Should be amazing!

Cheers,

M