Real-life Events

Real-life events that caused unplanned time in the EU

We have collated a list of real-life events from comments sent to us. The events were distressing at the time but generally the unplanned days had no long-term consequences.

However, from January 2021 UK citizens will be subject to the Schengen 90/180-day rule. These unplanned days could result in the 90-day limit being exceeded or force people to re-plan future trips.

Illness and Injury

1. Broke my toe so could not return until the toe healed.

2. Partner was ill so delayed travel home by 5 days

3. Husband fell off the barn roof...hospitalised for 10 days and then wasn’t able to make the journey back by car for sometime…

4. Husband broke his wrist and was in plaster for 6 weeks. I have cataracts in both eyes so I can't drive! Long delay back to UK.

5. Husband fainted during the night and had to call the pompiers. Result: Broken ribs, punctured lung, week in intensive care. Unable to fly home for at least 4 weeks.

6. Child fell off a brick wall whilst playing with his cousins at grandmother’s the morning we were due to return to the UK. Cracked his head open, a dozen stitches, head scan, and 48 hours observation in hospital delayed our return.

7. My husband had a burst appendix in 2016. Then in 2018 an emergency bowel operation to remove a tumour.

8. Developed appendicitis whilst at our holiday home during the last few days of our summer stay. I had to be hospitalised and operated on. I then spent 10 further days in hospital on intravenous antibiotics having developed sepsis. We missed our return ferry and I was not allowed to travel on the ferry without a letter from the surgeon stating I was safe to travel. All of this took additional days which added up to nearly a 3-week extension to our stay in France.

9. We have had to extend our stay more than once to continue dental treatment.

10. In 2019 we were delayed because of emergency health reasons. My partner was in hospital for 5 days and then had to recuperate before he was well enough to travel.

11. Whilst on holiday I suffered a detached retina. The hospital told me it was too dangerous to fly home as planned. I had to extend my stay for two lots of laser treatment at the hospital.

Other

1. We delayed a trip home because an oil delivery didn’t arrive on a Friday as planned. It came on the following Monday so the trip home was delayed from Saturday to Tuesday.

2. The ever popular air traffic control strike: I'll go with that! Been caught up in it several times!

3. Unforeseen incidents of problems with water boiler and booking appointments for necessary work on the house.

4. Mains water pipe sprung a leak just before locking up and leaving for the winter. I was able to shut things off to stop more leakage but had to make an extra trip 7-day trip in the spring to get a new water-main laid and alter the plumbing in the house.

5. We have a second home in the Southernmost part of France. We were seriously flooded when there was major flooding in the area and the river near our house burst its banks. On another occasion a careless neighbour burnt down our garage. We were there on both occasions but had we not been we would have had to make an extra visit to the house.

6. We were burgled when we were in the UK. My husband needed to fly down to France and sort it out.

7. I spend several months of the year cruising on the inland waterways, so do many hundreds of other British boaters and barge owners. There has not been a single year since I have been doing this when there have not been canal closures as a result of lock or bank damage, lack of water in the reservoirs or even industrial action. Sometimes this involves enforced stays or route diversions resulting in delays of several weeks. A 90/180 Schengen limit with the threat of heavy penalties for overstaying would be a nightmare in this all-too-common situation!

Natural Events

1. We have had weather related delays with flights cancelled and also roads out closed by floods.

2. Snowed in for three extra days a few years ago.

3. Torrential rain caused gutters to overflow and water came into the house right at the end of the holiday. No workmen available to sort the situation for several weeks.

4. Discovered termite infestation within three weeks of purchase. Surveyor visits, revisits, and termite treatment meant we spent more than 90 days in France.

5. I bought a cottage in Umbria 16 years ago, in a "safe" distance from any previous earthquakes/faultlines. Since 2016 several earthquakes of far greater magnitude than ever before have impacted my area and meant several emergency trips to Italy to make sure the property had no structural damage.

Breakdowns

1. Automatic gearbox **** itself on the motorway (middle lane!), had to be towed to Reims. Took over a week for the insurance, manufacturer, and mechanics to sort their stuff out to get us back on the road.…………………

2. Van broke down and it took a week to get the part to repair it.

3. The gearbox in my motorhome with just 47k miles on the clock lunched itself; requiring a complete new gearbox, clutch and slave cylinder. Delayed us by 4 days.

Animals

1. Vet incorrectly filled in one of our pet passports. Subsequently could not take her on the ferry. Further 10 days in France until we could get the paperwork approved for travel.

2. Had to find a home for a rescue dog - couldn’t immediately take to UK due to poor state of health and in any case vaccination requirements.

3. We had to overstay until we could find a house sitter to take care of our horses, donkeys and dogs. We brought our pets with us five years ago.

Death

• My dad died when he was on holiday in Tenerife. I spent ten days there sorting things out.

About this list

Since May 2020 people have advised the 180daysvisa-free campaign of real life examples of events that had caused them unplanned stays of a day or more in the EU.

List last updated 21:32 September 3, 2020 Total Number 30