We’re thinking of coming to France for a couple of months’ holiday in the autumn. I’d like to bring some music making gear:keyboard, mic, interface, laptop etc. All for personal use. Not working or even performing for free.
Just wondered if anyone on here did anythIng similar. I spoke to British customs and the bloke was half asleep. French customs misunderstood my question. No idea if I’d fall foul of duty, TVA etc if the stuff going home with me.
Carnets seem aimed at business and the ‘self declare through the green channel” info looks sketchy! If anyone has actual experience of this, I’d appreciate some advice!
Just wondering… do you have a holiday home here?
I think that 2nd home owners seem to have an easy/easier time of things when bringing stuff back and forth.
Wouldn,t even give it a minutes worry or thought,was talking to someone last night at Ouistreham who had a coach load full of instruments and musicians,coach wasn,t even looked at,no problem,i think the Brexit nonsense is dwindling by the day,looks like UK will be trying to rejoin EU soon anyway so no worries.
Yep… from what I’ve seen checking through and wracking my memory banks… I don’t think you should have any trouble.
Some folk have been listing the articles, prepared just in case… and not even been asked/checked… but it’s comforting to be prepared.
Frankly, will your stuff be highly visible and look expensive? or will it pack nicely out of sight and even if checked … not look worth much… it’s only holiday gear, going back home to UK with you… eventually…
Was speaking to a French violinist who’d come to the UK at the weekend. He said they just wanted to check he didn’t have a gun in the case! Hopefully sense will prevail. As for joining the EU, not sure they’d want us with the present lot in charge!
I bring that sort of stuff every time and tbh it never crossed my mind to ask the question (obvs I take it back afterwards). I generally don’t get a chance to use it, but just in case inspiration hits me
I’ve no idea what cover for health is contained in normal travel insurance…
I simply mention this, as so many folk think the NHS travelcard will enable them to receive health care in France “for free” if they ever have need… and, of course, it doesn’t.
I think the UK Govt site mentions this insurance need, plus repatriation of course…
That would be their fault, my sympathy for anyone who believes it will cover all of their health costs is limited in the extreme as it is part of basic due diligence for travel.
That said, you’d probably have to try quite hard to avoid health cover if you take out travel insurance.
Having witnessed people discovering the horrible truth… too late… I throw the reminder into the mix, with regularity.
As is suggested… a decent travel insurance should be ok… but always worth double checking that cover is safely in place…
and don’t presume that “one’s other half” has arranged things (only to find, too late, that they thought you had !!!)
It’s a good reminder. Knowing we would be over several times a year I took out annual insurance, and that covers health care and repatriation. It’s easy to think of France as being similar to the UK thanks to the tunnel, where there’s not an obvious stretch of water between us.
I always have health cover. It comes with my bank account. European breakdown cover’s pretty handy too, as I found when a brake shoe seized in France a few years ago. Covered the labour at least. You guys seem to pay a fortune for garage services!
Yes to both breakdown cover and travel/ health insurance having used both over the years.
I fell from a metre plus high terrace 3 years ago resulting in 2 broken wrists. Jim gave my EHIC card to the pompiers to pass on to the urgence team. When he arrived he provided the insurance details to the finance department and all bar 20 euros dealt with by them . The 20 euros and prescription charges and cost of slings were refunded.
We have an annual policy in place in the same way as house and car insurance.
Pete - we’re in exactly the same position. My bandmates and I are all travelling separately in family cars with instruments/small PA and meeting up in the holiday home to play privately at one of the lads birthdays. We were wary of tax/duty position on the very nice instruments some will be carrying and tried to get the official position. Drew a complete blank from DCMS who said we would ‘probably’ be ok in private cars and provided the gear didn’t look like it was being parcelled up for sale. We’re waiting to see how the first traveller gets through early August … but we’re all a bit jittery! I’ll let you know!
