0044 7481 479 057
Dear Fellow Motorhomer,
November and with winter approaching it can be a quiet time for travel; however, at GB Motorhome Tours travel continues. With the Wonderful Christmastime and Scottish Hogmanay tours still to take place before the end of this year. Also, those on the Cyprus and More 2023 tour are still away as they make their return to the UK, crossing Europe having now left Cyprus. This tour is a real adventure, covering 6,000 miles UK to UK, passing through 10 countries whilst touring the Black Sea coast of Turkey and the whole of Cyprus.
Camping Aphrodite, Southern Cyprus 23/10/2023
Cyprus is a divided Island, separated in 1974 between North and South where it has only more recently become possible to cross between the two sides, particularly so with your own vehicle. With the organisation of GB Motorhome Tours, tour participants were able to take their motorhomes across the ‘Green Line’ freely and without many formalities, meaning both sides of this fascinating island could be explored, and all in great weather. Being the Mediterranean’s eastern most island it enjoys a summer climate extending into late autumn. Some reviews from this years tour
‘The Cyprus and More tour was truly an adventure and we enjoyed every day of it, seeing much more of both Turkey and Cyprus than we could possibly imagine. Kevin and Nurcan were excellent guides who went out of their way to make the tour an enjoyable experience, even organising an optional trip to Istanbul. We would recommend the tour to anyone who wants to truly learn about the sites, life and customs in both Turkey and Cyprus.’ Howard and Margot Smith
‘A mixture of cultures, history and adventures on this tour. Taking your motorhome to places you never imagined you would go. Very much a driving adventure with beaches, forests and mountains thrown in. It’s definitely a tour to tick off your bucket list.’ Kim and Allan McKelvie
‘What an incredible adventure, surpassed all expectations. Not for the faint hearted but Kevin and Nurcan led us on a trip of a lifetime; travelling to places not many motorhomes go. We loved it.’ Carolyn and Nick Griffiths
‘Our second adventure with Kevin and Nurcan that took us out of our motorhoming comfort zone. We would not have ventured into Turkey or Cyprus without the support & guidance of GB Motorhome Tours. Highly recommended.’ Mike and Sheila Brooks
‘Once again Kevin and Nurcan have gone out of their way to look after us. They gave 100% all the time and never seem to be off duty. This tour is not for everyone, but if you want to see the non-tourist side of Turkey and Cyprus it’s not to be missed. Many thanks.’ Howard and Yvonne Hogton
The Cyprus and More tour is being planned again for 2025, if you would like to express an interest in this tour, send us an email and this will be done for you. The tour itinerary will then be emailed to you in advance of it being made generally available, giving you first opportunity of requesting a tour place if you so wish at that time.
For next year there is a new tour that is yet to be made available, this is the French Atlantic Coast 2024 tour, which will take place throughout September. The tour will travel along the Atlantic Coast of France and includes a 2-night stay at the wonderful Puy du Fou, where we have just secured tickets for the magical Saturday night Cinescenie performance. The full tour itinerary will shortly be emailed to those with pre-registered interest, followed with being placed onto the GB Motorhome Tours website towards the end of this month.
November is a time when many people make plans for travel in the forthcoming year. It is worth remembering when travelling in the EU that post Brexit, British citizens can no longer be in the EU for more than 90 days out of 180. This rule can take some understanding, as it is assessed over an ongoing rolling 180 day period. In the simplest of definitions, it means British citizens can spend within the EU, up to any 90 days out of the previous 180 days. These days do not need to be consecutive and can be accumulated over any number of trips. For the purpose of the rule, reference to the EU refers to those countries who are members of the Schengen visa scheme, which are most EU member countries plus a few others of Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. However, there are a few EU countries who are not currently in the Schengen visa scheme, namely; Ireland, Cyprus, Romania and Bulgaria, so time in these countries does not count towards the 90 days. Also, time in non-EU countries like Turkey and Morocco is not included. Further details on the scheme can be found on the EU’s official website.
For calculating the 90 days you go back 180 days from the time you wish to check your entitlement for being in a Schengen country and add up all the days you have already spent within Schengen countries within that period. If this is less than 90 days you are fine to be there for that day. To assist with making the check there are a number of apps/calculators available on the internet. Our recommendation for accuracy is to use the one contained on the official EU website, this is found at Short-stay Visa Calculator (europa.eu). If you are looking to join a tour and would like us to also make a check for you, then feel free to contact us and we’ll happily assist with this.
We have been asked if there is a way around the rule, so more than 90 days out of 180 can be spent in the EU. The simple answer is not really. Maybe over time the situation will change, but for now it is best for British Citizens to stick within the permitted time, so as to not face a fine and possible restrictions for re-entering a Schengen country. For most people it will not be a problem as they will not get close to the permitted time, but do be aware and check yours if you are spending longer periods out of the UK.
If there is anything you wish to ask about our tours, or motorhome travel in general, feel free to contact us; we are always happy to assist.
Kindest regards,
Tel. 0044 7481 479 057
Info@gbmotorhometours.com
www.GBMotorhomeTours.com