0044 7481 479 057
Dear Fellow Motorhomer,
November can be a quiet time for travel, however, at GB Motorhome Tours travel continues. With the Magical Bruges and Amsterdam tour just a couple of weeks from starting, and the over winter Canary Islands tour starting at the beginning of January, there remains a lot going on. For those on the Cyprus and More 2022 tour, they have just returned to the UK over the last week. This tour is a real adventure, covering 6,000 miles UK to UK, passing through 10 countries, touring the Black Sea coast of Turkey and the whole of Cyprus.
Camping Aphrodite, Southern Cyprus 23/10/2022
Cyprus is a divided Island, separated in 1974 between North and South 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, Cyprus enjoys a summer climate extending into late autumn. The Cyprus and More tour is being repeated again for next year, the tour is now fully booked but if you would like to go onto the reserve list, send us an email and this will be done for you. Some reviews from this years tour
‘GB Motorhome Tours took us to places that we would never have imagined exploring in our motorhome. Meticulously planned throughout, nothing was too much trouble for our Tour Directors, Nurcan & Kevin. Many, Many thanks.’ Ruth and John Bateman
‘A very good tour, maybe not for the faint hearted. We felt like pioneering adventures, but always safe and secure. Top marks Kevin and Nurcan.’ Sue and John Bunning
‘The balloon ride was amazing. The tour an adventure we could never have done without the guidance of Kevin and Nurcan.’ Julie and Bill Hine
‘This tour is an adventure where you will need to use the facilities of your motorhome. Two halves, Turkey & Cyprus, then the two parts of Cyprus (North & South) both quite different. All excellently put together by Kevin and Nurcan, well done both.’ Carolyn & Roger Metcalfe
Whilst on route to Cyprus, Turkish national TV took an interest in the groups journey. TRT, the Turkish equivalent of the BBC, filmed the group and produced a short clip which they featured in their evening news programme, this can be viewed by clicking on the link TRT Newsclip of GB Motorhome Tours in Turkey
For next year there is another new tour that is yet to be made available, this is the Romantic Strasse 2023 tour, which will take place over the middle of September. The tour will travel along Germany’s Romantic Road taking in the great scenery that this route is rightly known for, along with the medieval fortified towns dotted along the way and the stunning Bavaria castles, including those of King Ludwick II reign. The full itinerary for the tour will be available early in December, in the meantime if you would like to pre-register your interest in the tour, to receive the itinerary in advance of it being made generally available, send us a quick email and this will be done for you.
November is a time when many people make plans for travel in the forthcoming year. With Covid travel restriction now having been set aside by all European countries, planning for future travel is much easier. Spain was the last country to remove their Covid entry restrictions, which they did on 21 October 2022. It means that all travellers, regardless of vaccination status, can now travel to all European countries without the need to produce or complete any additional paperwork. However, 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 time to understand, 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, Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria, so time in these countries does not count towards the 90 days (Note: It is likely Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria will become Schengen members during 2023). 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. 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 any way around the rule, so that 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 not to 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