bicabica

OK, I've been trying to get home to Portugal. I was stuck in Australia due to numerous cancelled flights but I finally got a flight to the UK last week. As I had brought my car to the UK I had planned to take the ferry to Spain but Britanny Ferries has now cancelled all ferries until May. My only option now seems to be to take the Eurotunnel and drive through France, then into Spain and finally into Portugal.

I have a Portuguese registered car. I am a resident of Portugal and have proof of residency with me. I can demonstrate that I have journeyed from Australia. I am confident that I can enter France with the appropriate attestation which allows transit to other EU countries. There appears to be some hotels available en route trhough France. I am less sure about travelling through Spain. I own no property in the UK and am currently staying in holiday accomodation so staying here is not really an option.

I would just welcome any advice or observatons from anyone here who has perhaps made a similar journey recently.

Thanks.

fergus

I can't add any practical advice but I am sure there will be some that can. You might learn something from this site www.motorhomefun.co.uk/portal/
There are some stories of people (mostly doing the opposite route) but it may be helpful to you. Good luck.

GeniB

I am not 100% sure on this, but I believe the Portuguese police were stopping people from crossing the borders between Spain and Portugal The coronavirus is running rife in Spain with huge numbers of infected people and many deaths. Not really the time to be travelling if you can help it

dingg

Whether stopping people or not you are entitled to come back to your home......

GeniB

In principle I would agree dingg, but looking at the countries the OP has come from and stayed in on his way to his 'home' I would want to be assured that he was not carrying the virus. Spain has at this moment the second highest rate of infection after the USA.The UK is not that far behind them .Portugal has battled valiantly with limited resources to keep down to 17,000+ cases. We are all in 'Lock Down' to help that goal... To be able to travel 'freely' is now a luxury. My ED is trapped here in Portugal. her 'home' is thousands of miles away in the USA. She is not prepared to risk her or others lives by insisting on repatriation .

dingg

Yes, that's her choice, the OP is resident here, no need for inverted commas to suggest it's not his home.

He's entitled to come home whether you want him to or not is immaterial to that fact.

philat98

I would be careful where you encounter two way traffic. Some drivers in Italy think that they have a private race track just for personal use. On my short trips to the supermarket I have encountered cars coming round corners on the wrong side and not stopping at junctions. I hope Spanish and French drivers are doing better.

toots sweet

OP has a right to return to his place of "Habitual Residence". They would need proof of address in PT(bank statement,electric bill) proof of residency etc etc. Also he could double check with the embassy in PT on facebook(Brits in Portugal).

Pulaski

You and your family are very sensible, and we are also adopting a fairly harsh set of lock-down rules, far more strict than are generally being enforced in the US (where we live), but you cannot push your attitude an opinions on others when the EU's travel rules are clear and explicit, that everyone has the right to return to their place of habitual residence, including crossing international borders and transiting other countries to do so.

FWIW under the circumstances of the OP, I would seek to remain contained within my car for the entire journey so far as humanly possible, i.e. buy food and drinks once to carry with me, and sleep in my car even though that would mean 1-2 uncomfortable nights on the journey to Portugal.

bicabica

Hi again,

Thanks for all the replies.

Just for clarity Portugal is my only home and I wouldn't be making the journey if it weren't necessary. I left Portugal for Australia in the middle of February and at the time there was no debate about whether I should or shouldn't go. Arriving in Australia I was only asked if I had visited China recently. A few short weeks later everything had changed. My flights were cancelled several times and, to be honest, the information coming out of the British Embassy in Australia was pretty useless but that was, in part, because things were changing so rapidly. In the event I think I was lucky because I know there are many thousands of people still stranded in Australia who can't get out due to cancelled flights and being unable to get refunds from the airlines so that they can rebook.

By the time I get to France I will have self-isolated in the UK for two weeks. In France I propose just one overnight stay in a hotel away from any centres of population. In Spain I have booked into a hotel, again away from any centres of population. In between overnight stops I will stop only for fuel as I intend to take ready-prepared food for the whole journey. When I get home I will be self-isolating for another two weeks. I am not sure I can do much else to reduce the risk to me and others but I would be grateful for any suggestions.

Thanks, fergus, for the motorhome link. As you say most of those would be trying to get back to the UK. In fact almost all the information and official advice I can find online is about Brits going to the UK.

I think my main concerns are about crossing the border from France to Spain and then again between Spain and Portugal. I have residency papers but because I live up a dirt track my only address, and that shown on the residency certificate, is my post office box which is a kilometre away. In fact my property has no discernable address. Is this likely to be a problem?

Also, a few people have suggested that from Spain I drive to the nearest border crossing which would be somewhere in northern Portugal but I would prefer to drive down through Spain and cross at Vila Real on the A22 as I know the route well, I think it would be significantly quicker, and it's nearer to my home. From a risk point of view I can't see it makes any difference but I would welcome any opinions on this.

Pulaski

Per my post above (no doubt posted while you were typing), I would skip the hotels and sleep in my car - parking in a truck stop/ rest area/ service area at night.

fergus

I have never and will (I hope) never have to do this, so I am only suggesting stuff and wish you the best of luck. But I have some appreciation of your blight. I was in Portugal when all this started and had to decide what was best, stay there or return to uk. As it turns out Portugal seems to be the safer bet but here I am in UK. I wonder whether the embassy is able to offer some help? Maybe if you explain to them your situation and then your travel plans perhaps they can get you some documents that would support you when you are challenged at borders and elsewhere? Your plans seem quite sensible and not so unreasonable to me, in the circumstances. Good luck.

EsuriJohn

The international bridge at Ayamonte/VRSTo has been locked down for several weeks now. The only way to transit from Spain to Portugal is to be returning to your habitual abode as an EU CITIZEN. For me going the other way that would entail showing my Passport and NIE which has my address and permenante residency status on it. If you have similar documentation I am sure that would get you through. France-Spain should be the same but the PO Box might be queried there so it might be useful to have some supporting docs for that one. Are you sure your intended hotels will be open? Certainly all hotels in Spain are locked down but that may have changed since Monday this week.

dmu

Hi, you should post again in the France forum for up-to-date info on arriving in France, travelling through France and crossing the France/Spain border.
https://uk.ambafrance.org/Coronaviru...vers-la-France
gives the most recent Attestation for your case as an EU resident returning to your main residence in the EU....
Theoretically it will be valid in France, but be prepared for several Gendarme checks along the way, and practise explaining to them how come an English person is driving a Portuguese car...
The majority of family-owned hotels are closed, as no one is allowed to travel in France for pleasure, but you may find a hotel along the Autoroute, which might provide breakfast in your room. For info, the French radio announced that the Accor chain (Ibis, etc..) is now proposing accommodation for those with the Virus who don't need to be hospitalised, which they are already offering for medical staff, in order to protect their families. Which would imply that they are normally closed.....
Members on the France forum may be able to recommend some hotels along the way which you could contact, if you say which France/Spain border you'd be passing through.
HTH and I wish you luck!

toots sweet

Well, we are trying to do the reverse trip.Have been waiting for our return ferry crossing ,but they have now canx us for the third time. So... we will wait a week or so after all the upcoming public hols(poss no exit from conselho again) then reluctantly will attempt your opposite journey.
There are hotels open in Spain and France. There is an official list which advises what hotels are open in Spain throughout the emergency. However when I have tried to book online many are shut,or state no vacancies so all little waste of time.I did find one near Burgos that is open and they have confirmed that to me. I will try and find some updates on Spanish hotels.Premiere Classe hotel group have some of their hotels open(inc Campanile,Kyriad) and a few Ibis are also open,in France.Most will not serve food,but you are organising that,so the biggest need is the roof over your head.
Best of luck. Pls post when you arrive home.