G2: The Roof Fell In

An unplanned trip to fix a roof results in shorter summer holiday

Peter and Sue have had a little house near Poitiers for twenty years. They usually stay from mid-April until late May, July and August, and then a few weeks in the autumn when they close up the house until the next year. They book the ferry early because they need to have a cabin and these get fully booked quite quickly.

They know 2021 will be different due to Schengen rules. Peter works it all out and books the ferry with a cabin. Their first trip can only last three weeks due to Schengen and needs to start in March.

They have an enjoyable trip in Spring 2021 and return home. In April, a neighbour calls to say a fallen tree has damaged their house. Peter goes out to repair the damage so that the house can be ready for their main summer holiday. This eats into their Schengen 90 day allowance and consequently their summer trip has to be altered. He tries to change the booking for their overnight ferry journey but all the cabins are now fully booked. They have to book a day crossing which means leaving home one day earlier and staying in a hotel.

Peter later works out that it has cost them an extra £300 and the days spent at their house in Poitiers were reduced from 60 to 51.

If the the government had negotiated win-win 180/360 travel arrangements this could have been avoided.