BRITTANY: TRAVEL INFORMATION, HEALTH AND INTERNET ACCESS
Update 10th July 2020
The Uk and France quarantine has been cancelled and it has been announced that there are no longer restrictions on people travelling to and from France from the UK or anywhere in Europe. You are free to come on holiday to France and re-enter the UK as per normal with no quarantine or delays to worry about
Here in Brittany things have long since returned to normal. The shops, restaurants, bars and places to visit are open again and welcoming visitors. Easy-Jet are now flying to France and Brittany Ferries are running a nearly full timetable
Brittany and the Coronavirus
Brittany is the least affected area of France and with a land area of over 13,000 square miles consisting mainly of wide open space that's not really surprising. As of today's date there are less than 70 people in hospital accross the whole of Brittany and that is decreasing daily (Brittany's population is over 3.3 million)
Brittany's death rate from the virus accounts for approx. 0.86 (nought point eight six) percent of France's total deaths. The French government classify Brittany as a 'Green' zone using their traffic light system of risk across the country. The East (towards Germany) and Parisian sectors of France are where most of the remaining cases are located. The daily death rate for the whole of France currently stands at a total of 13 per day (as of the 8/07/2020). Brittany's daily death rate is now zero. The governement have officially announced the end of the state of emergency and have declared the virus under control.
All of the above information is obtained from the French governments official coronavirus website....... https://www.gouvernement.fr/info-coronavirus/carte-et-donnees and we would encourage you to have a look at it yourself
Preventative measures still in place in France
Anyone travelling on public transport is obliged to wear a mask
Some (but not many) shops require the wearing of a mask (no supermarkets do)
Hand sanitising gel is the norm on entering many shops and is supplied near the entrance
No kissing or handshaking is allowed
Note: Unlike the UK, bars and restaurants do not require any advance reservations- if you fancy a coffee or a beer you can just drop in as usual
This will be the last update for the foreseeable future as there is nothing much to say anymore
CAR HIRE
Car hire is available at all the French airports but we recommend you book in advance from the UK. Locally you can hire a car at Europcar in Ploermel
BIKE HIRE
You can hire push-bikes 'around the corner' in the village of Monteneuf from the Games Centre. The price for an adult bike is about 15 Euros per day. They also offer Bed and Breakfast if you want to stay and extra day or two or arrive early
DOCUMENTATION
You need to bring your Vehicle Registration, Insurance, MOT and Driving Licence. It is advisable to take out European breakdown cover. You may need a warning triangle and a yellow jacket. Note: If in doubt please check with the AA, RAC or other reputable source before you travel
SPEED CAMERAS
Although there are not too many fixed cameras, they do exist, particularly on the motorways. You will see large white signs with black pictures of different vehicles followed by radar lines. Recently these warning signs have been giving way to LED signs showing your actual speed. Normally within three miles of passing one of these there will be a speed trap camera. Hand held speed traps are also used and normally an on the spot fine of ninety euros or more will be given
The speed limit on Brittany's motorways is 110 Km/h whereas the speed limit on the paid autoroutes plus some others (e.g from Caen to Calais is usually 130 Km/h. As of the first of July 2018 the 'national speed limit' (i.e where it is not indicated to the contrary) dropped from 90 km/h to 80 Km/h. In towns and villages it varies between 50 and 30 Km/h. Speed limits are constantly changing on many roads so please check the signs as you are drivie along to be sure
PRIORITY TO THE RIGHT- Priorite a droite
A yellow diamond shaped sign with a white border indicates that drivers on main roads have the right of way and don't need to give way to the right. When the sign appears with a diagonal black line through it, then this reverses and you do not have priority so you must give way to the right. Also a triangular 'crossroads' sign with all axis of the cross the same width means you must give way to the right as well
PETROL STATIONS
Motorway and dual carriageway stations are normally manned twenty four hours. There is one about ten minutes away on the N24 at Ploermel. Supermarket and local petrol stations are normally manned from nine in the morning until midday and from two until seven in the afternoon. Automated twenty-four hour pumps are available at all petrol stations and usually take UK credit and debit cards. All the large supermarkets have petrol stations - e.g Casino and Super U at Malestroit which are less than ten minutes drive from the gites. There is a small petrol station at Treal (less than two minutes from the gites) which is open all day and you can pay by card or cash
CHANGING MONEY
You can use British credit /debit cards in most cash machines in Brittany to obtain your Euros. Most banks have an cashpoint machine
INSURANCE
Check that you are insured to drive in France and that you have adequate European Breakdown Insurance. Also make sure that you have medical and travel insurance. Holiday cancellation insurance is also recommended. Normally a bank or home insurance company will be able to assist you with these policies. We do not offer any insurance at all so you will need to arrange this yourself
HEALTH: Doctors, Dentists and Hospitals
Brittany is well served for its medical needs, having the highest percentage of doctors per head of population in France. It's important to know that there is somewhere you can get immediate treatment in an emergency so we have found a local doctor and dentist who both speak fluent English. Full details of both of these are included in the House Folder supplied in each gite. The doctor is in Ploermel, less than fifteen minutes away and you can see him six mornings per week by appointment (usually within 24 hours). The dentist is in Malestroit. The local A&E is also at Ploermel and is open 24/7. Many doctors speak English. Ploermel hospital is large, new and very efficient. There are huge hospitals in Vannes and Rennes as well- just over half an hour away
FREE Wi-Fi
There is free Wi-Fi at Maisons Bleue, Rose, Violet, Orange, Blanche and Crème and you will need to bring a tablet, laptop or smartphone with you if you'd like to use it
Please note that the internet speeds here in Brittany are not as fast as you may be used to in the UK (we have the highest available). It's fine for e mail, general internet use, social networking sites etc but we cannot guarantee its speed, reliability or functionality as we offer it as a FREE service. We are in the hands of France Telecom and Orange, and although it tends to be fine most of the time it does have hiccups occasionally
Many local cafe's and bars have a free Wi-Fi service as do most large supermarkets and restaurants. Mobile phone coverage is very good in most areas
BREXIT TRAVEL INFORMATION
The following is Brexit information (as of June 2020) as far as we can find out- we can't guarantee any of it unfortunately as things seem to change so please do check for yourself !
The UK left the EU on the 31st January 2020 but there will be a transition period until the 31st December 2020. During that time nothing will change as far as UK citizens rights in Europe are concerned. No extra paperwork, visas etc will be required to travel to France. The European Health card will still be valid during this eleven month period
Brittany Ferries have said on their website ......"Whether you have already booked or are thinking of travelling with us, deal or no deal, Brittany Ferries will continue to operate all routes after the UK has withdrawn from the European Union. The fundamentals of travel by sea will not change regardless of the post-Brexit landscape, so please continue to book with confidence"
Passports: The Goverment advises that you should ensure that there are at least six months duration reminiang on your passport from your date of arrival abroad. For the latest information, visit the government’s webpage on passports
EHIC Health Cards: EHIC cards are reported to be valid during the transition period. Don’t forget that an EHIC is not a replacement for travel insurance. It is always best to be covered when travelling abroad and ABTA recommends you take out a comprehensive travel policy before making any trip
All of the above travel, health and Brexit information is advisory only. If you would like more specific details then please speak to the French embassy in the UK or a travel organistion such as the AA or RAC. We carry no responsibility for the accuracy of this information
