Traveling to Europe
Let's face it, the British
weather isn't normally inclined to encourage us to get naked
outdoors. So I go on frequent holidays in search of the sun in
Southern Europe. And As I book and do all that is needed to go on
another holiday what do I find?
To start with there is holiday insurance. It is so much cheaper for
Europe only. Why is that? Could it be because our health care is
covered by the blue EHIC card - a card which entitles residents of
one European country to get the same healthcare abroad as the
residents of that country would get. It has literally saved my life
on one occasion.
Then there is booking the flights. So many airlines say it is
easier for them with the UK in Europe. And that lets them offer
cheaper flights and more destinations. Actually in my experience
the airline which offers the biggest range of destinations is
Ryanair - an Irish airline trading in Euros. That actually matters
when I want to fly to the Algarve in the late autumn or to Salzburg
in the summer.
And talking about Euros, Have you noticed how much weaker the pound
is against the Euro since the referendum was announced. Not long
ago 3 GBP would buy 4 Euros. Now 5 GBP only buys 6 Euros.
So that's three ways in which all this Brexit stuff is, or could
be, making my search for the sun, and my nudism, more
expensive.
Add to that the low price of tobacco and alcohol in southern
Europe, thanks to the low taxes paid there. And because I'm
traveling in the EU I can bring a generous amount back with me.
Too true I have a vested interest in the UK staying in the
EU. But even if I didn't I think it would be rank stupidity to
leave.
So go vote Brexit, takea leap in the dark with eyes closed.
But don't kid yourselves that Britain is so important to the big EU
nations that they will let us carry on as if nothing changed. It
took us many years to get in thanks to the powerful European
countries shutting us out for years.
As I travel I'm aware that there are many European countries effectively without borders between them. They are called the Shengan countries. TheUK is not in that club so we do have border controls - we have to show passports when entering another European country. Even so it is a benefit to have an EU passport as us Brits have. We don't have to fill in a form justifying our visit, saying where we will be staying and for how long. When traveling with a friend with a USA passport it took them an extra half hour to get through passport control. Of course we are not in Shengan because we guard our borders jealously. Have you noticed you cant even get ONTO a flight to the UK without an extra passport control on the way to the departure gate.
I know they are popular politics but, given their lack of real
effectiveness in keeping undesirables out, we might as well join
the Shengen area, abandon the border controls and spend the
millions saved coping with the immigrants that we get anyway.
I assume that if we leave the EU we will all need to apply for new passports as the EU ones will no longer be valid.
I'm off to hike naked in the Austrian Alps with NEWT in a week's time so I just bought some more Euros. It made me think about what I get for my GBP. Back in December 500 GBP bought me 666 Euros. In February and March it dropped to 600 Euros. That fall could be put down to the uncertainty of the referendum. Now the uncertainty is over and my 500 GBP just bought me 575 Euros. That is a 14% drop since December. So my European holidays are costing me noticeably more.
For me the biggest risk is if we can no longer have the EHIC card which pays for medical treatment. It literally saved my life two years ago. Medical treatment will then need to be covered by holiday insurance, which will inevitably cost more. By that time I'll be 73 or 74 and I might not even be able to get holiday insurance. Then I will simply have to stop traveling - no more sun.
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