Rules for Belgium

[Chesterboy]

Doing Leger All Quiet on the Western Front Tour.  In the next week or so. 
 

staying in France for 5days / 4nights.  But going into Belgium from France for less then 13 hours.  Honour form to be filled in for France.  
 

does anybody know do we need to fill in a PLF or not for Belgium 
 

Leger on there travel documents states ‘it’s your responsibility and when I spoke to them, same thing again.  
 

to me, this is very unhelpful and you would think that they would find out and pass it on as it is only half a day.  As they are providing a service and a have legal department 

so do I fill in a Belgian PLF or not. 

[AOK4]

Hello,

It is all very complicated it seems, but I think you may need to fill out the Belgian PLF.

Jan

[sassenach]

The Eurostar (updated yesterday) and FCDO websites still say that you need to complete one.

Edited 19 March , 2022 by sassenach

[stripeyman]

Camera Returns team nipped into Belgium (Abeele) in February, no one there, are they really bothered ?

Just go....

[bruce]

Abeele Aerodrome Cemetery…..not a single member of RFC, RNAS or RAF!

often the first CWGC I pass after coming from Calais.

bruce

[Terry_Reeves]

2 hours ago, stripeyman said:

Camera Returns team nipped into Belgium (Abeele) in February, no one there, are they really bothered ?

Just go....

No, don’t “just go”.  If you are stopped your trip goes out of the window and there will be no refund because your travel company has told the document is a must.  
It is all very people making off-the-cuff remarks, but they or not the ones who will be out of pocket

TR

Edited 19 March , 2022 by Terry_Reeves

[sassenach]

57 minutes ago, Terry_Reeves said:

No, don’t “just go”.  If you are stopped your trip goes out of the window and there will be no refund because your travel company has told the document is a must.  
It is all very people making off-the-cuff remarks, but they or not the ones who will be out of pocket

TR

I agree with that, but it appears from the original post that the travel company has passed responsibility to the customer, adopting a "nothing to do with me" approach, which seems strange.  

[Terry_Reeves]

PLF instructions for travel to Belgium:

https://travel.info-coronavirus.be/public-health-passenger-locator-form
 

TR

[Chesterboy]

Thank you for all your replies, to be very honest I’m extremely disappointed by the attitude of Leger Holidays. 
 

if we were doing the tour solely in France, that would be fine but spending less then 13 hours or half a day, you would think they would send the correct information to there customers.  
 

sorry for the pun, but it is a minefield out there.  
 

I even asked for help on Facebook and Twitter,  there seems, like here a divided opinion. 
 

anyone, I have now submitted the Belgian PLF, it was so easy.

Will 

[sassenach]

10 minutes ago, Chesterboy said:

Thank you for all your replies, to be very honest I’m extremely disappointed by the attitude of Leger Holidays. 
 

if we were doing the tour solely in France, that would be fine but spending less then 13 hours or half a day, you would think they would send the correct information to there customers.  
 

sorry for the pun, but it is a minefield out there.  
 

I even asked for help on Facebook and Twitter,  there seems, like here a divided opinion. 
 

anyone, I have now submitted the Belgian PLF, it was so easy.

Will 

I (and I'm sure others) would be interested to hear how you got on when you return. Many of us haven't been able to visit for a couple of years and are thinking about venturing over again. 

[Chesterboy]

4 minutes ago, sassenach said:

I (and I'm sure others) would be interested to hear how you got on when you return. Many of us haven't been able to visit for a couple of years and are thinking about venturing over again. 

I will do so but it won’t be until the day after I come back 

[stripeyman]

3 hours ago, Terry_Reeves said:

No, don’t “just go”.  If you are stopped your trip goes out of the window and there will be no refund because your travel company has told the document is a must.  
It is all very people making off-the-cuff remarks, but they or not the ones who will be out of pocket

TR

Terry

Who is going to stop you going into Belgium on a very minor road? No-one.

It is not an 'off the cuff' remark by me ,obviously others may see it as.

Travel company: never ever used one to go to the old Western Front.

[Neil Mackenzie]

I think the advice is confusing to say the least.

The GOV UK website on Belgium starts by saying you have to fill in a PLF but then later says you don't have to fill in a PLF if staying less than 48 hours.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/belgium/entry-requirements

 

The Belgian website says you do have to complete a PLF if travelling from outside the EU/Schengen area - so that includes us now - but I contacted a friend in the Belgian police and he wasn't sure you needed to do anything!

https://travel.info-coronavirus.be/public-health-passenger-locator-form

https://www.info-coronavirus.be/en/travels/#NotBelgium

As you can fill in the Belgian PLF up to 6 months before travelling you could fill it in now just to be on the safe side.

 

Neil

 

[tootrock]

From the link in the previous post:

What should I do?

1. Fill in the Passenger Location Form (PLF) if necessary.

The PLF must be filled in by everyone who, directly or indirectly, travels to Belgium from a country OUTSIDE the European Union or Schengen area that is not on the white list, by train (e.g. Eurostar), bus, boat or plane. In all other cases, you may fill in the PLF, but it is not mandatory.

So if arriving by car it does not seem to be mandatory to fill in a PLF.

Martin

[healdav]

19 hours ago, tootrock said:

From the link in the previous post:

What should I do?

1. Fill in the Passenger Location Form (PLF) if necessary.

The PLF must be filled in by everyone who, directly or indirectly, travels to Belgium from a country OUTSIDE the European Union or Schengen area that is not on the white list, by train (e.g. Eurostar), bus, boat or plane. In all other cases, you may fill in the PLF, but it is not mandatory.

So if arriving by car it does not seem to be mandatory to fill in a PLF.

Martin

I drove through Belgium last week. I had no idea there was a form, but no one was looking for anyone, anyway. In the same way I had French 'On my Honour' forms. No one was in the slightest bit interested, And the form's date was 2020!

My wife and I were in Bastogne a couple of weeks ago, and not a mention of these things.

I would say that they are irrelevant.

 

Edited 20 March , 2022 by healdav

[Chesterboy]

Even though I’m following the head guide of Leger Paul Reef on Twitter and also a number of there guides.  One of guides, who I follow and he follows me, is actually doing a tour a All Quiet on the Western Front tour this weekend.  Despite him living in France.  
 

no response, how ever on the The official Leger battlefield Facebook page.  Some else has  asked the same question and I’ve attached a photo of the response.  
 

it seems strange, that they tell you it’s your responsibility but when you start to ask them, they come up with an answer.  
 

Will

[sassenach]

7 hours ago, Chesterboy said:

Even though I’m following the head guide of Leger Paul Reef on Twitter and also a number of there guides.  One of guides, who I follow and he follows me, is actually doing a tour a All Quiet on the Western Front tour this weekend.  Despite him living in France.  
 

I don't think he lives in France now. According to his "Old Front Line" podcast he lives in Barnsley.

[Chesterboy]

12 hours ago, sassenach said:

I don't think he lives in France now. According to his "Old Front Line" podcast he lives in Barnsley.

I know that Paul Reed, no longer lives in France.  The guide I’m typing about is Gary, I can’t think of his surname at the moment.  Lives in France and was doing an All Quiet on the Western Front tour, which went out on the 17th March.  He posts a lot of where he goes for lunch on twitter.  

[sassenach]

2 hours ago, Chesterboy said:

I know that Paul Reed, no longer lives in France.  The guide I’m typing about is Gary, I can’t think of his surname at the moment.  Lives in France and was doing an All Quiet on the Western Front tour, which went out on the 17th March.  He posts a lot of where he goes for lunch on twitter.  

Ah, OK, sorry; misread your post.

Hope the trip goes well. Looks like you should get some decent weather. 

[julia jeffries]

Morning

We also have this query as we are travelling to Ypres (via the Shuttle and France) on Thursday 7th April.

Following TOOTROCK's post I emailed the Belgian Embassy who signposted me to a website that has links to the 'regional' governments.  I opted for the Flanders one and completed the online form with my query.

I will report back when/if I get a reply.

Will probably take the view that 'better safe than sorry' and fill them in and submit etc.  Still unsure about completing French honour certificates for the return journey.

More than happy to comply any admin necessary.  We were due to go on 24th March 2020 but of course lockdown here started and the Belgians were already under restrictions. We go every year and have missed it.

Regards

Julia

[Chesterboy]

2 hours ago, julia jeffries said:

Morning

We also have this query as we are travelling to Ypres (via the Shuttle and France) on Thursday 7th April.

Following TOOTROCK's post I emailed the Belgian Embassy who signposted me to a website that has links to the 'regional' governments.  I opted for the Flanders one and completed the online form with my query.

I will report back when/if I get a reply.

Will probably take the view that 'better safe than sorry' and fill them in and submit etc.  Still unsure about completing French honour certificates for the return journey.

More than happy to comply any admin necessary.  We were due to go on 24th March 2020 but of course lockdown here started and the Belgians were already under restrictions. We go every year and have missed it.

Regards

Julia

Julia, 

thank you for your help in this matter, when you do have a reply, please can you post the reply here. 
 

Will

[Chesterboy]

Hi, 

just to let you know, that I may not be going now.  
 

we have at work, a desk free for all policy.  It was reported into a email to us, this morning that a person who was reported to be in the office on the same day I was in.  Has reported as having COVID

They have said to have used the desk opposite me.  however, on the day I was in, as was the only person on that bank of desks.  I’m looking into it, 

yet so near again in making my first visit to the battlefields of Great War.  
 

Will

[julia jeffries]

Morning

Well, that wasn't entirely successful.

The reply I had only confirmed that the information on the website is correct (I never doubted it) but didn't address the question about car 'arrivals' not being list and therefore exempt.

I have filled the form in now (very straightforward).  It has a section for 'how are you arriving' and one of the options there is motorised travel which includes cars.

Sorry not to be the bearer of good news.

Julai

[Chesterboy]

On 24/03/2022 at 06:15, julia jeffries said:

Morning

Well, that wasn't entirely successful.

The reply I had only confirmed that the information on the website is correct (I never doubted it) but didn't address the question about car 'arrivals' not being list and therefore exempt.

I have filled the form in now (very straightforward).  It has a section for 'how are you arriving' and one of the options there is motorised travel which includes cars.

Sorry not to be the bearer of good news.

Julai

Julia, 

thanks for the update, it’s still showing on the Belgian government website that you need to fill in a PLF

as you said, it was straightforward and easy to fill in.  
this topic is still being talked on the Leger Battlefield tour Facebook page, in fact the head guide and another guide are still stating that you don’t need to fill in a PLF for Belgium as it’s been removed, it’s still showing a couple of minutes ago at 06.55 on the 25th March 2022, that you need to fill it. 
 

I filled mine in and roll on Monday 

 

will

[Chesterboy]

Looking at Facebook page for Leger battlefield holidays.  
 

it’s seems some passengers weren’t aware of the French form.  So were asked for at passport control and some weren’t.  
 

another thing that gets me is that that the forms are being checked before you get on your tour coach at Stop 24.  
 

it seems that people have been turned away for not having the right documents or been fully vaccinated.  
 

people could be travelling as far north eg as Preston like me and spending about 6 to 7 hours on a coach only to be told at the change over point, that they cannot go any futher 

Why can’t the feeder coach crew do this, when they get to the pick up points, the documents do state you will have your temp checked and to wear a mask throughout the journey.  
 

it seems that nobody was wearing a mask on the coach or in the hotel, as one guy put it. 
 

Will