France travel: Latest updates and advice amid chaos at ports as thousands of tourists try to return to UK before quarantine deadline

The race is on to get back before 4am deadline

The Calais Ferry terminal in France is preparing for increased traffic on Friday as people rush to avoid new quarantine rules (Getty Images)

The race is on: British holidaymakers in France, Malta and the Netherlands, among other places, have until 4am on 15 August to return to the UK if they're to avoid two weeks of mandatory quarantine.

In another devastating blow to the travel industry, the government announced that these countries, along with Monaco, Turks & Caicos and Aruba, have been taken off its list of travel corridors from where arrivals are exempt from the blanket 14-day self-isolation policy.

There are currently around 500,000 British travellers in France, many of whom are desperate to get home before the deadline as they cannot afford to miss out on work or disrupt their children's return to school by quarantining.

Read below for the latest updates on the great travel exodus.

Key Points

• Government takes France, Malta and the Netherlands off quarantine-exempt list without warning
• FCO also removes countries from list of destinations exempt from non-essential travel advisory
• Brits struggle to return to UK early before 4am on 15 August to avoid two weeks of self-isolation

[14 August 2020 15:08 · helen.coffey]

Some travellers are so desperate to get back before the quarantine deadline that they're resorting to chartering a private jet.

PrivateFly, a UK-based private jet provider, reported it received three times the number of enquiries and bookings for flights out of countries set to be added to the UK’s quarantine list compared with 24 hours previously.

Adam Twidell, PrivateFly CEO, said: “Following the changes to the UK’s quarantine list overnight, we’ve received a surge in demand for private jet travel out of affected countries, with three times the average number of enquiries and bookings for flights to the UK from France, The Netherlands and Malta, before 4am on Saturday morning.

“We’ve also had a number of enquiries from clients booked to travel to these destinations in the coming weeks to change their travel plans in order to avoid quarantine zones.”

[14 August 2020 15:17 · helen.coffey]

Brits due to go on holiday to France, the Netherlands and Malta should be aware of their rights.

Emma Coulthurst, travel commentator from holiday price comparison site TravelSupermarket, says: "Now that the FCO advice has changed to essential travel only for these countries, if a flight or train (e.g. Eurostar) or ferry is cancelled as a result, you are legally entitled under EU 261 to your money back within seven days.

"However, your flight or train may still go ahead despite the FCO rule change. Transport providers are allowed to keep operating for people who still want to travel.

"You will need to look to change your journey to a different future date, when you can hope that the rules will have changed (see below for more info on this). If you had travel insurance in place before the pandemic became a known event back in mid-March or you have had an annual policy in place pre mid March which was automatically renewed, then you might be covered."

Those with package holidays booked to these countries have a greater level of protection and should be able to cancel and get a refund under the Package Travel Regulations.

[14 August 2020 15:23 · helen.coffey]

Stena Line's final departure from the Hook of Holland to Harwich today leaves at 10pm but doesn't arrive in the UK until 6.30am on Saturday - too late for travellers to avoid the quarantine.

However, the company has had confirmation from the Department for Transport that people travelling from exempt countries can continue to use the route as an exit point from the EU, as long as they don’t stop in the Netherlands on the way.

[14 August 2020 15:40 · helen.coffey]

A search on Skyscanner shows there are still last-minute flights from Amsterdam to London for travellers looking to return today.

EasyJet has a 7.10pm departure to Gatwick and a 7.20pm departure to Stansted, priced at £168 and £152 respectively.

British Airways has a slightly later departure to Heathrow at 9.20pm, but it's more than double the price at £356.

[14 August 2020 16:00 · helen.coffey]

Skyscanner says that, in the last 24 hours, it has seen an unprecedented number of redirects for flights departing from France to the UK as travellers scramble to get home. 

Despite the surge in demand, there are still options available; the flight comparison site is still selling seats on a Nice to Heathrow service departing today at 9.10pm, currently priced at £222, and tickets available for a Paris Charles de Gaulle to Heathrow flight departing 9.40pm for £190 one-way. 

[14 August 2020 16:30 · helen.coffey]

P&O Ferries has warned passengers that they should have a valid booking before turning up to the port in Calais today.

The company said it expects the port to be "busy", tweeting: "To avoid disappointment at the port, please book in advance.

"In light of the quarantine measures announced, we expect an influx of UK residents attempting to travel today. Please ensure you leave enough time to clear border controls and check-in queues."

[14 August 2020 16:44 · helen.coffey]

The UK isn't the only one imposing travel restrictions. Latvia has announced that, as of 14 August, all UK arrivals will have to quarantine for two weeks.

The country has imposed the restriction on all countries with a Covid-19 infection rate of 16 or higher per 100,000 residents The UK's rate is currently 18.5.

[14 August 2020 17:12 · helen.coffey]

Travellers who are tempted to ignore the FCO advice and travel to France regardless could face four weeks of quarantine - two weeks when they arrive in France and two weeks when they get back to the UK.

France said it would impose quarantine restrictions on travellers arriving from the UK in response to the UK removing it from the quarantine-exempt list.

“It is a decision that we regret and one that will entail reciprocal measures in the hope that we can return to normal as quickly as possible,” said Clément Beaune, France's Europe Minister. 

[14 August 2020 17:24 · helen.coffey]

There are still seats available on Eurostar's last service of the day from Paris to London.

Departing at 9.13pm and arriving at 10.39pm, it could be the last-chance saloon for travellers looking to make it back to the UK before the 4am quarantine deadline. 

Standard tickets cost £209.50 one-way.