Re: Driving down and renting in lockdown.
 

Maybe in the world, but apparently not what's happening in France.
For example, yesterday evening the French PM announced that, among other regions, most of the "Hauts de France" (including Calais and Dunkerque which has already been targetted), the Paris Region and the Eure & Loir (south of Le Havre and Ouistreham) will be under strict surveillance. Even if you managed to leave the UK and get through a port of entry in Bretagne, your UK-registered car would be like a beacon for roving gendarmes anywhere. Not to mention the nationwide curfew after 18h00, and driving through France after that time to look for a place to rent in Spain isn't covered by the Attestation justifying exemptions....
Presuming that there are no restrictions, have you considered going to the Republic of Ireland temporarily if your situation in the UK is desperate? When the Covid Situation is under control, you could continue with your Spanish dreams from there....

Re: Driving down and renting in lockdown.
 

Mark- what on earth is so desperate about your situation in the UK that you need to drive in the middle of a pandemic to a foreign country and live there?

Re: Driving down and renting in lockdown.
 

Maybe, maybe not. If the new global travel health card is the same as the EHIC, it won't cover you if you travel against Home Office advice. Likewise many travel insurance policies. You would in fact be breaking UK law which is one up on travelling against advice. If either of you were to get sick or have an accident while in Spain, you might wish you were back in the UK.

Another thing, what if Spain gets into a bad place with Covid and goes onto the UK's mandatory quarantine list when your 90 days run out and you have to leave? You would have a choice between taking the rap for overstaying in Schengen, and paying for 10 days isolation in a UK hotel. Again it might take the shine off the trip.

If neither of those would be a problem for you, clearly money isn't a problem. In which case, why not find somewhere more pleasant in the UK to hole up until this thing is over? The end is just about in sight. Is it really worth putting yourself legally and morally in the wrong at this stage by behaving anti-socially, and risking eye-watering costs and consequences?

Re: Driving down and renting in lockdown.
 

Because someone kept reading from trump's book and went shaking hands to everyone in hospital, while allowed Cheltenham to go on.
Someone also kept skipping Cobra meetings, as was to busy in pub. And so on...
Still wondering why?
Still wonder why USA has over half mil dead?

Re: Driving down and renting in lockdown.
 

Fugitive, on run from Police?
I cant think of any other good reason.

Re: Driving down and renting in lockdown.
 

Criminal activity is not the first thing that comes to my mind, in fact it would be way down the list. There are many varied reasons why life can become so intolerable to individuals that they wish to relocate and change the situation.

Rosemary

Re: Driving down and renting in lockdown.
 

Again, that explains why infections went through the roof. I don't see it explains why there is a higher mortality rate out of those infected.

Re: Driving down and renting in lockdown.
 

State of the NHS after years of underfunding, higher proportion of BAME among frontline workers, health and care staff, variant viruses with higher mortality.

Re: Driving down and renting in lockdown.
 

:focus:

Please stay on topic for the sake of the OP.

Rosemary

Re: Driving down and renting in lockdown.
 

To me the OP is beyond help.

Re: Driving down and renting in lockdown.
 

I am potentially very sympathetic to the OP because I am also in potentially the "wrong" country for my best interests and debating with myself what if anything to do about it.
But at the risk of talking in clichés, I think there are relatively few situations where moving countries magically solves all your problems. Your baggage tends to go with you. Plus the stress of finding your way round an unfamiliar country, maybe in an unfamiliar language, without the extra weight of Covid and Brexit.
I fear the OP is clutching at straws, and with no safety net in case the straw breaks that could be disastrous.

Re: Driving down and renting in lockdown.
 

Interested to know what you mean by the wrong country for your best interests? Do you like bullfighting or something?

Re: Driving down and renting in lockdown.
 

Very sensible post. I hope you can do what you wish.
I would say anyone wishing to move to the EU now from the UK has to research and research again and even research a third time just to be sure. If it takes a couple of years at least you will be sure its right for you.
Even retirees can spend 90 days, that at least gives anyone enough time to form a proper opinion, travel around to visit different areas and even experience the fact that it aint always holiday weather.
Due to the visa requirements and costs now, just think if you did all that work only to get here and hate it.

Arrivals from the Uk cannot now just upticks and try another EU country. They would have to return back to the Uk and start again.
Although those of us who took residency under the WA terms are also stuck, but at least we wont have spent out for the visa, police checks etc.

Re: Driving down and renting in lockdown.
 

LOL no. Although, watching the bull runs where the bulls don't get hurt, is quite fun.
Too complicated to explain in any detail and off topic, but basically having lived in France 2007-2019 I have permanent residency rights there under the WA, however I came back to work in the UK a couple of years ago and am currently locked down here. And if I don't get back to France soonish I might have trouble swapping my existing residence card for the new one. So not really comparable to the OP's situation, but I think I understand his frustration.

Re: Driving down and renting in lockdown.
 

I thought the clock had stopped ticking due to Covid?

Re: Driving down and renting in lockdown.
 

Not that I know of.

Re: Driving down and renting in lockdown.
 

A bit off-topic, but doesn't your Titre de Séjour allow you to be absent from France for xxx (5 or even more?) years?

Re: Driving down and renting in lockdown.
 

The WA says 5 years. In theory it should be clear cut but in practice it seems a number of préfectures are wrongly insisting on recent proof of residence. I just feel I need to not leave it too late in case there's going to be to-ing and fro-ing about this, or about my card having been posted out and returned undeliverable, or about some other aspect that I'm blissfully unaware of as yet.