Flyguy

Hi All, I own a rental apartment in Nice and have a question I'm hoping some of you might be able to answer regarding a future guest. They are a Russian family - seem like nice people - and they have booked the whole month of August. But I'm not getting very clear answers when I ask them how they intend to get into France. Currently the rules for travel into France from Russia require the travelers to have been vaccinated with an 'approved' vaccine. They have apparently been vaccinated - but with the Russian vaccine, Sputnik, which is not one of the EU approved vaccines. If not vaccinated they are supposedly barred from entry 'except for exceptional circumstances', and tourism is not a valid reason.

When I pointed this out to my guests they said Greece accepts Sputnik and they would go there first and then travel on into France. I checked that and it is correct - Sputnik is approved by Greece. But I'm still unsure how this would work. They would need to get a Visa for entry into Greece, and then another for onward travel into France I presume. But the French Government websites say you must apply for your French Visa in your home country (Russia in this case). So would the French Visa application allow them to arrive from Greece? It all seems messy and complicated, not to mention a bit dodgy. The guests seem to think things are going to further relax in July and Sputnik will be approved across the whole EU. But I suspect they are just hedging their bets and plan to cancel the trip if that doesn't happen by mid or late July. That messes me up a lot because it will probably be too late by then to find an alternative booking.

So what do you guys think? Has anyone any experience or knowledge of the travel possibilities for Russian visitors at present?

Annetje

Not too sure about the requirements but I would say, make sure they pay the whole stay in advance and then it is not your problem whether they make it or not ...
Is that possible ?

EuroTrash

As Annetje says. Since the situation is outside your control it shouldn't be your business that has to bear the risk. I would give them a deadline (a month before they arrive?) by which they must pay in full if they want you to hold the reservation for them, and suggest they take out holiday cancellation insurance to cover themselves. That's what holiday insurance is for. Whether or not they can get it is another matter but that's not your problem. If no insurer is willing to accept that particular risk, why should you?

CamemBert

Greece and France are both in the Schengen zone so a single visa covers both. I think it is likely they will come whatever the rules say. That is on the basis of what I see my Russian relatives trying to do. But it is also perfectly conceivable that they would leave you in the lurch, and the advice to collect the entire month's rent in advance, ASAP, sounds spot on. Do you also charge a damage deposit? I would.

Flyguy

Thanks for those comments. The booking was made through a holiday rentals platform which has certain policies on cancellations. To cut a long story short - the guest can get a full refund up to mid July in the event of cancellation, and 50% up to one week after that. That cuts it very close, but that's how it is with these booking platforms. The way they've taken over the rentals market and inserted themselves into the relationship between owners and guests is a huge pain in the butt, and has driven lots of people out of the business. I may not be doing it much longer myself.
But that's another whole thread in itself!

That's interesting - I wasn't aware that one Visa would cover all. It seems like a glaring loophole in fact - the French can make all the rules they like so, but if another Schengen nation has more relaxed rules you can travel through there and the French can be ignored? Bizarre!