Notes to Self & Husband on Holidaying Abroad

[CDreamer]

1. Remember your EEIC Health Card - And

check it’s in date!!

2. Take 4-5 days worth of extra meds with FOR WHEN YOUR FLIGHT HOME IS CANCELLED!!

3. Read your texts & answer your phone so YOU KNOW WHEN A FLIGHT IS CANCELLED & then act IMMEDIATELY so you have a chance of rebooking a flight within a few days.

4. Don’t assume EasyJet will help you when they cancel - ESPECIALLY WHEN TOU CANT GET HOLD OF ANYONE EITHER BY PHONE OR ON THE WWW

5. Accept your choices are either pay for a flight on Monday - with another airline - to another UK airport than the you departed from & where your car is parked - then hire a car to get you to your parked car adding at least 2 hours into travel time. OR spend another week trying to contact EJ for flight out when we know they are all booked out until a week Monday!

On the positives-

No nicer place to be stranded.

The hotel rearranged rooms so we can stay in ours.

Hotel arranged for doctor to email over a prescription for missing meds

The Portuguese Health & Pharmacy are SO much more efficient than ours that all done, even though we did have to pay because SOMEONE forgot to renew their health card.

The Travel Insurance automatically extend cover if forced beyond our control ie: flight cancelled until we are back in UK.

No major falling outs - although my tongue is still bleeding.....

All return travel now booked so only real casualty is bank balance.

Both remained in NSR. Phew 😅

[Finvola]

Wow - apart from all that . . . I hope you enjoyed your break.

[CDreamer in reply to Finvola]

It’s been lovely but ready to be back home now.

[Hidden]

Where in Portugal are you?......

One things for sure......you wouldn’t wanna be here.....not t’il Tuesday anyway!?,

[CDreamer in reply to Hidden]

Flight on Monday afternoon. We are in Maderia so not exactly on the mainlanders.

[Hidden]

So sorry CD, still it could be worse, bank balance AND AF taking a hit. Why not try Bognor next trip 😂😂😂😂

John

[CDreamer in reply to Hidden]

NOT! No AF though, which is a blessing.

[jeanjeannie50]

Oh no, what a nightmare! Thanks for the tips though. When do you hope to fly back?

[CDreamer in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Monday, all being well.

[Bagrat]

Kudos to hotel. Somehow when you HAVE to stay all you want is to be home. In addition I suss out local system for ambulance and have no. in phone! It's taken me an age to convince oh to take extra meds. May read this out to him.

[Angie06]

Also might be a good idea to take an extra 14days of meds in case you get put into quarantine on your return.🤣🤣🤣

[CDreamer in reply to Angie06]

Too late now. As I’m still coughing that’s a thought although I would imagine meds would be supplied. I’m coming to the conclusion that the cough is either a side effect of meds I am taking or COPD - neither of which are good news!

[JaneFinn]

Oh CDreamer! What a catalogue of troubles.. 😩 Feel for you so much. Thank goodness for the good outcomes too - a great hotel and efficient medical services. And NSR!

Thanks for all the tips ...Hoping the enforced stay is ok and that you’ll be home before too long.

Jx

[Paulbounce]

I'm with you CD. I return to the UK tomorrow and keep checking my flight will be on time. I'm arriving in Birmingham from Malaga and theres often a side wind landing in Brum.

I totally agree with all you say - except for point number 2 ! I always take double the med's I need - just in case of delays or hold ups

I was in Portugal last month as it happens. Lovely people and the weather was warmer than the UK. Chilly in the evenings though. I holed up in Faro for a few days and really enjoyed it there.

Paul

[CDreamer in reply to Paulbounce]

It wasn’t me who failed to plan ahead.....least said & all that.

Hope you arrive safely & enjoyed some winter sun.

[Paulbounce]

Thanks CD - you too

Paul

[Padayn01]

Hope you had a lovely time

[Kaz747]

Sounds like an adventure CD 😜. I was thinking about all those passengers quarantined in their cabins on the Diamond Princess off Japan for 2 weeks - another reason to ensure we travel with lots of extra meds.

[Coco51]

Heroic stuff! Bon voyage and happy Sunday.

[jerseygirl49]

Well done, CDreamer you seem to have it all covered. It was probably quite stressful sorting it all but as other are saying on the forum, enjoy the remainder of your holiday and soak up that sunshine! All it seems to do back here is rain and then rain some more. Safe journey home.

[wilsond]

Oh blimey CD! I do hope you had a nice break despite all the drama!

Im trying to persuade OH to go to Madeira next Jan to escape the gloom here!

Take care

[allserene]

Is it true the EEC card will be invalid after this year ?

[CDreamer in reply to allserene]

Yep - we won’t be members of EEC so unless the government negotiate rights it will go - & we will all need to get new passports by Dec 20 - which will be printed in France🤬I understand.

Just for your info - EE card doesn’t entitle you to the healthcare we get in UK but on a par with what citizens of the country you are in get. We had to pay for the meds - then we can reclaim on return from NHS.

[allserene in reply to CDreamer]

I get US Medicare (gimmercare) and it covers me for emergency treatment abroad.. I visit Da Yookay 3 times a year, so I have that cover plus the NHS will never charge for emergency treatment (as distinct from medical tourism). Looks like after this year, I will be better placed than a Briton holidaying in Spain...

[CDreamer in reply to allserene]

Well we will have to see.

We always take out medical travel insurance anyway, you would be mad not to, as it’s usually the none emergency treatments you need.

Having lived in Spain I have to say the care was generally good - but very basic in the state hospitals & doesn’t include basics like food & water - but the private care was excellent without being prohibitively expensive.

[allserene in reply to CDreamer]

I am not mad and I have to disagree... If I am visiting Britain for week, then any non-emergency medical event is not going to stop me flying back home to the US at the end of the week, and by definition, a non-emergency is quite bearable for few days and can be fixed with an Imodium or whatever from the chemist. I can't think of a non emergency that would make travel medical insurance essential for visiting the UK.

[CDreamer in reply to allserene]

I wasn’t implying you were mad - just that we would be for traveling in Europe outside of UK without medical cover. Both my husband & I have serious health issues which would not be fixed with OTC meds.

[allserene in reply to CDreamer]

Indeed, without insurance you would have to pay for emergency in the EU as it isn't like the UK which doesn't charge for genuine emergency (not medical tourism). The NHS needs to be brought back up to be as good as it once was, coz I was shocked (no pun intended) that my son has to wait months for cardioversion... The wear and tear on the heart running at 150 beats for MONTHS must be enormous ! I get really anxious when I can't get it down to a 70 pulse within 6 hours... This getting older stuff is no fun... I can now rack up Multiple Sclerosis plus malignant cancer plus atrial flutter..I have dodged them all and I feel like Tony the Tiger, and I am on zero medications... but the grey wolf is always waiting, and watching...

[Madscientist16]

So sorry,,,but it looks like you were on top of it. Good for you! Would have loved to call my boss and say "sorry I won't be at work, stranded in Portugal".

[irene75359]

I have just read this and am really laughing, glad you kept a sense of humour in all of this!

[CDreamer in reply to irene75359]

You’re done if you lose that! Got back home 2am this morning after a long journey and the sun ☀️ has peeped out - for a short while.

[lixaian]

Hi CDreamer, what brilliant advice , thank you. Here is a tip for every one who has a military connection, when going abroad contact your local SSAFA rep and obtain the contact details of the local SSAFA rep as you will get quicker action than via the embassy. indeed we even have a SSAFA reps in Russia. All you need are the details of your relative be it ones Dad, Brother etc, you need their service details including their service number. good luck