InvictaMoto's Family Travels

Finally arrived. Less the £75 cancellation fee. If it had been me cancelling because I didn't want to go, all very fair. But it's a ripoff when it was forced and the airline cancelled on me. Travel-Up have seen the last of my money.

Another weekend and another "staycation" drive out. This time to Standen House, another National Trust managed property. This one is special as the finest example of the William Morris' Arts and Crafts movement at the end of the 19th century. The house is as it would have been with the dining room restored to "as is" from from the 1920's. It took a while to get there with the route TomTom decided on. Only 71 miles but it took nearly an hour and a half. Only the ground floor is open as the upstairs isn't wide enough to allow social distancing. As with any property trying to stay open during the pandemic and aftermath, public safety is a top priority. Entry is by pre-booked ticket (booked online) with limited numbers and timed entry. There was a small queue to get into the house itself, controlled by a traffic light system and a one way route around the ground floor. William Morris Arts & Crafts Wallpaper William Morris Arts & Crafts Wallpaper As w

Dare to dream? "Please note that your refund in the queue now and you shall receive your funds in account with in next 02 weeks. Once again apologies for delay as the number of refunds and cancellation are very high therefore it is taking longer than expected." Two weeks eh?

Today we are at Scotney Castle. When you can't go anywhere as there is still Covid-19 everywhere or if you go you quarantine for 14 days when you return, staycation is the only option. For us. Stay at home and venture out to places for day trips. Staycation has extended now to mean staying in your own country not just at home. The castle is about an hour's drive from home and we had booked entry time of 1130. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/scotney-castle

Another month comes along and still waiting for any idea of a refund. Even the charge back claim with MasterCard seems to have got nowhere. (It's just a case of copy and paste each month!!)

Another month comes along and still waiting for any idea of a refund. Even the charge back claim with MasterCard seems to have got nowhere.

If only.... If it wasn't for Covid-19..... The road home  Two long days on the road to cover 591 estimated miles home. Of course in the car it is much easier to knock off mile after mile in comfort and not get too tired. One overnight in Belgium to give us a short day on the 8th... That would have been today folks but Covid-19 doesn't care for our holiday!!! By now we should have picked Reggie up from his holiday at the kennels.  Let's hope 2021 is better 

After a day in Lake Como taking in the sights and eating and drinking we are back on the road Today would have been the Passes day. A whole day of taking in the high passes around southern Switzerland. http://devalltravel.blogspot.com/2019/12/rt20-day-12.html Except of course ...

If only.... If it wasn't for Covid-19! Today a day at leisure around Lake Como. Maybe a boat trip or a visit to the funicular railway? Tomorrow after two nights here we head northwards into Switzerland, avoiding toll roads, we visit a lot of alpine passes to check off the list... Instead today at home I go and get a hired trailer so that tomorrow, I can take my GT to a guy to sort out the engine and get it usable again.

If only.... If it wasn't for Covid-19!!!!! Today we have another relatively short day with the drive from Bologna to Lake Como and a hotel there right on the lakeside. The main event today was the visit to the two Ferrari museums in Modena and Maranello! It's not that far to the north-west of Bologna.  Luckily for us Ferrari like to have visitors in August, whilst the other museums are closed. So we would have been to: https://www.ferrari.com/en-EN/museums/ferrari-maranello https://www.ferrari.com/en-EN/museums/modena-foundation Sadly of course, bloody Covid-19 has pissed on that particular parade. From Modena we would have continued to Como and our hotel  there. The last few nights in Italy and we are already pointing northwards towards home.....

Still sweet fanny adams from Travel-Up except for their monthly (or so) email in tiny print to blame everyone except themselves for the long waits for customers to get a refund or even a credit note/voucher. The latter could have been sorted quickly and they would still have all the money and commission in their bank account ... So a friend suggested that I apply to my bank for a chargeback. It worked for her with Barclaycard.  I checked on the Tesco MasterCard site and found the form. All details entered today and submitted. Fingers crossed.  It took about 15 minutes to complete so hopefully something will come from it. I'll not get my hopes up until I see it credited into my account.

If only.... If it wasn't for Covid-19 today we would be heading for Bologna from Lucca.  I haven't been since 1986 and it would have been nice to go when all the universities were closed and the city a little quieter. The hotel not the grandest but it is one overnight stop..... Bologna was one of the most expensive cities for hotels on the entire trip. But we are at home in Kent instead.

If only.... If it wasn't for Covid-19... Today after our second night in Lucca we would be heading down the road to the station once again. Today a trip to Florence. Tickets pre-booked for the Uffizi Gallery. Here's where the Canon camera would come in handy. Although, being in the car I have room for a collection of cameras and their chargers. Except of course. Covid has put paid to this.

A new month starting and here we are. We should be waking up this morning in the hotel in Lucca. After breakfast a stroll down to the station to buy return tickets on the train to Pisa. It's only about 45 minutes away. But which station to get off at? We will see as we get nearer. The main attraction being the Leaning Tower. I promise u wouldn't have done the lame pretend to hold it up picture.  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leaning_Tower_of_Pisa Except due to Covid-19 it's not happening.

If only.... If it wasn't for Covid-19. Today we would be heading along the Mediterranean coast with our destination of Lucca.  Our hotel just outside the city walls. The Hotel Stipino.  Our home for three nights and the chance for the car to cool down! Ready for a few days sightseeing in Pisa and Florence and letting the train take the strain. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucca 

If only.... If it wasn't for Covid-19. We would have been up early to have breakfast and get over to the station to pick up the Train des Merveilles for a day on the train up into the mountains towards Italy. Luckily, I had waited before buying tickets. So no refund necessary.

If only.... If it wasn't for Covid-19. Today we would be travelling from Cuneo in Italy, down through the Alps to Nice. Our hotel for two nights is the Durante. City centre with included parking! Hotel Durante, Nice The reason is not to visit Nice itself, but we are intending on going on " Train des Merveilles " up through the Alps on less accessible and scenic routes.

If only.... If it wasn't for Covid-19.......... Today should have been the day we crossed the Alps from France to Italy with our stay at the  Best Western Plus Royal Superga Hotel in Cuneo. It is actually a very short day, 85 miles,  but the route from  L'Argentière-la-Bessée, covers a good few alpine passes including the Vars and Larche. We did this area way back in the 00's on the GS.

If only.... If it wasn't for Covid-19 I toiled over this overnight stop and originally we would have been overnighting in Annecy. However, I wanted to go over some of the alpine passes into Italy and then down on the Italian side of the border. So I chose a night at the Hotel La Gare in    LʼArgentière-la-Bessée. This is across the border in    Hautes-Alpes, department 05. Hotel de la Gare Today would have been about 250 miles but much of it on mountain roads and over some of the highest passes in the French Alps. 

If only.... If it wasn't for Covid-19 we would be in France and for our first night on the holiday I had booked us into a Kyriad hotel in Nuits St Georges.  As we are in the car we could easily knock off some higher mileages and with the Emovis tag in the window, we can easily go through the tolls without any hassles. I chose a chain hotel for the first night as we would be on the road a long time and a hotel that was easy to find, and has a restaurant onsite would be most welcome. May well have used the pool!! But of course.  We are still very much up to our necks in the Covid-19 pandemic and so we had to cancel the whole shooting match!

Another month has passed.  Another month with no refund from TravelUp. What we have had is slightly different bullshit email. Instead of telling us how hard they are working, as they usually do. They have now a bright idea where we can write to our MP to get the Government involved. Looks like we are no nearer getting out money back. It's only £332!. 

Still nothing from Travel-Up. On the MSE consumer website they are lists as being the 66th "best" performer when it comes to refunding to clients that had to cancel because of Covid-19.  Out of 70 that's pretty damning. https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2020/07/latest-travel-survey/

Whilst I have in lockdown I have read more travel books than is healthy for one person. Not only that but a motorcycle magazine I subscribe to, as well as one I have let lapse, keep filling my had with places to go. Claire is still keen on another cruise. Maybe a river cruise on the Danube or the Douro.  So that will most likely be a destination when I retire, or at least after 23rd December 2021! Being on a term-time-only contract at work means that I get school holidays, the same as the kids.  It also means that it's the most expensive time to have a vacation/holiday.  Cruising is no different coupled with fewer options in JulyAugust.  However, a pensioner can go any time. So I am looking at places to go. I would prefer the bike, and actually put some miles on it, but I know Claire would prefer the car. I plan for the bike and then give in to pressure to use the car. At the moment I am looking at a youth hostel based trip across Germany to Berlin. I've pick

At last. Another refund has arrived in my MasterCard account.  This time it's Cartrawler with the refund on the car-hire. All that remains is for Travel-Up to refund the air-tickets and we'll be done and dusted. Who knows when that will happen.  Every few weeks we get the same bullshit email from them telling us how hard they are working.  Not bloody hard enough. The lesson I have learned from this is that when I look for flights, Travel-Up will not get a look in.  Despite being a regular customer with them, you still get treated like shit.

RCI were very quick to reimburse the costs of the exchange and to credit my account with the trading points for 2020. So I have been looking to see if I can use the points before the end of 2020 otherwise we lose them. The credit for the exchange fee is there and can be used whenever. I am looking at the October half-term and the possibly being away at Christmas for the first time in years and years. This is proving difficult at the moment as countries are still coming out of the pandemic lockdowns and many are enforcing a 14-day isolation for foreigners arriving in their countries. Maybe we lose the points we have for 2020 and move on and look at next year?

Given the problems with cruising at the start of the pandemic, I expect a lot of people have decided to take a back seat and let it pass for a while. I have seen a few programmes on the TV where river cruising has been the main subject.  Either the Rhine or the Danube.  Both look attractive if not a little pricey. As with most things it is cheaper to go outside the school holidays.  As I work in Education I have a contract that means I have school holidays off. That is really good as I finish in late July and go back in early September after a long summer.  Of course, I get paid less than I used to when I was on a 52-week contract with paid leave. Claire is already retired and able to go at any time.  I retire on 23rd December 2021.  Unless the Government changes it again I am a wage slave a little longer! So it makes sense to look at cruises and holidays in 2022 when it will be cheaper outside the tie of the school holiday system! Where to go? I like the idea of the Danube.

When my MasterCard statement for 13th May finally arrived it showed that one of the refunds had come through! Although dated 13th, it is always at least the 20th before it arrives on the doormat. This one for the car excess insurance with AXA through Cartrawler.  Still waiting for other refunds.to arrive and hopefully we'll see if either have made it.   I don't hold out much hope for seeing the airfare from Travel-Up as they constantly email every few weeks to say how stressed they are and how they have employed more staff.  I expect that last bit is to cover their arses for the cancellation fee that they have said they will charge. I know they have a lot of clients but it's getting on for three months that all our money has been in their bank account accruing interest.... So we wait.

Another month has slipped by almost unnoticed. Another month of the lockdown that means that we only get to go out once a day for up to an hour of exercise or taking the dog for his walk. Another month of working from home. Another month queuing outside supermarkets or arranging (when you can) for them to deliver to the door. Another month of no refunds from Travel-Up and CarTrawler?  I expect the last point will also become a statement of fact rather than a question. Despite CarTrawler emailing weeks ago to say that both refunds had been made, this week they emailed to say "by 31st May"...... Travel-Up email every week or so to say that they are overworked and will do it as soon as possible.  Their phones are constantly engaged. It does mean that once all this is over and the world of travel is back to normal there are two companies I might ignore when I am looking to book airfares and car-hire?   Anyone guess which two?

Out of the ashes of both  RT20 and SP20 it looks as though we might get a chance for a holiday in 2021. I have even been whiling away some hours over a hot laptop (so hot that it decides to power off) and looking at the Vercors again.  Ideally this is a bike trip but Devall Travel is no longer a bike touring blog! When?  Has to be summer as many of the passes are still shown as closed today (6th May 2020)  on Google maps. So this looks like August 2021!   The current plan, such as it is, is just the Vercors.  No plans on how the get there or back. The loop is based on a start/finish at Saint-Jean-en-Royans.

One of the places I had planned to pass through on the way to Nice. The Vercors. At least I have the map to look at and plan for another time.

Well another MasterCard statement has arrived. Still no refund from Cartrawler or Travel-Up. Only takes seconds to pay and months to repay.

So back in March I cancelled the hotels I had booked with booking.com. 👍 RCI gave a credit for the exchange fee to use later and our points back. 👍 Still waiting for the airfare from Travel-Up. 👎 I also logged into Cartrawler and cancelled the car hire and emailed the excess insurance. Both replied on March 16th - refund in ten days. My MasterCard statement dated April 13th came today. I guess March 16th to April 13th is less than 10 days!! 👎 More bloody emails... Update 19/04/2020 Gatwick Parking.  One email sent on the 18th. Today email from them and then from PayPal to say that they have repaid the money.  👍👍 Cartrawler replied to say that they are sorry and that thir 10 day refund has gone longer and that they are experiencing unprecedented calls for refunds and therefore it is taking longer.  We'll see.

Instead of having a lay in and then later this afternoon checkout out of the apartment in Denia, we are of course at home in Kent on lockdown. We have had a drive out to Tesco in Cheriton.  I happened to look on their website and saw that there were free "click and collect" slots today.  Marvellous. We could do most of our week's shopping and pay online and collect. We were also able to get some things for our neighbour, Connie, who is in her 80's and lives alone after her husband passed in January. Our flight home was to be tomorrow morning but of course, it was cancelled and we are here.  Still waiting to see what, if anything, has been credited back to my MasterCard.  Why am I not feeling confident that anything has arrived there yet?

Or rather Locked down at home instead. So instead of a nice Sunday meal out we'll eat at home and have a few glasses of Sam Miguel! ¡Salud!

I managed to cancel the car hire and the extra top-up insurance to update the rather piss poor insurance cover the car comes with as standard. I lodged a claim with British Airways as they cancelled the flights under the Foreign Office instruction and Spain in lock down as well as the UK.  They said they'd send a voucher for the cost. Then they reneged on that and said to go to the travel agent.  Waiting for them now! RCI were easy to deal with with an online chat session. They said they would give me a credit for the points used to book the apartment in Denia.  Plus they said that they would credit my bank with the cost of the booking. The credit has to be used by the end of September 2020.  As far as I am aware that means a booking has to be made by then! Not having online banking for my MasterCard I can't see whether or not any money has been paid back yet.  The April statement due in the next week or so. It usually triggers on the 13th of the month.  Fi

A bit late now but I suppose I can add it to my pile of maps and when we next get a chance I can dust it off.....

... not to cancel. That is the question. With vast areas of Spain now being on lockdown including Madrid and Barcelona, it will be a matter of time before it extends down the coast. Luckily British Airways have introduced a voucher or free re-book for flights up to 31st May 2020. BA Voucher Will have to see. At least we don't lose money that way. We will lose the RCI fee but car hire and hotels can be cancelled without cost to us. Update 16/03/2020 So far have cancelled the hotels that topped and tailed the apartment stay. Also managed to get onto the Carcrawler website and cancel the car-hire and the AXA extended insurance.  Awaiting the emails to say that the money is coming back. Logged onto the BA site using the link above and requested my voucher.  In total the flights and car hire are worth about £460 ($570) that hasn't been lost.   Admittedly BA still have my money but at least we can use that next year as long as we book in

With the UK Government looking to contain and delay the coronavirus outbreak into the summer I have decided to cancel the Road Trip now. We have not paid anything, unlike the Easter trip to Spain, and so it makes sense to kill it now.

The bug seems to be spreading across the globe and quickly.  With Italy shutting borders and closing access to vast parts of the north it looks pretty bad. What this will do to the Italian economy is a worry. Our RT20 trip goes in a big loop from the Mediterranean border with France to Tuscany and then across to Bologna and then up to Milan and Como. Unless things get better I may have to start cancelling the hotels etc.  It's still six months away and so we have time to see if things run their course. This is of course small beer. Nothing to compare against the tragedy that people are being taken sick and dying.  Let's hope it blows its course and we can all relax and be safe.

It is one I have had for a number of years. To take the bike and tour in the US. Either Spring and early summer. April/May or May/June. I retire in December 2021. The projected income looks okay. Without my fares getting to work now I'd be quite well off.  The lump sum though is good enough for a few decent holidays but not to live the life of Riley. My work and State pensions (projected) is less than my current gross salary but not paying national insurance and the accursed fortune to travel to work and pay to park means I might have more disposable income! Plus we will only have one car.  Mine will be worth nothing by then, but I'll save the £175 a year road tax and £200 insurance plus running costs. So I dipped my toe in the water so to speak. I completed a form on James Cargo website. I was a bit vague as I have no idea of dates.  So I put May 1st 2022 to June 30th 2022. I am aware that Claire needs to be onboard and that she wants a cruise to the

With the current outbreak spreading across the world and affecting travel maybe things will change for our summer holiday.  At the moment I am letting things lie. Luckily nothing has been paid for and bookings can all be cancelled if need be.  RT20 could be in jeopardy. No doubt this is a "first world" problem especially as  people  are falling  ill and even dying as a consequence  of this new strain of flu/disease. It's just a holiday/vacation. No biggy. Currently our planned trip to Italy is to nearby one of the hotspots. The province /city of Piacenza is directly in the line of the planned Bologna-Milan-Como route I have planned. This was sent out to Claire's company from a partner company in Italy. " Please be informed that following to coronavirus outbreak several towns in the provinces of LODI -CREMONA-PIACENZA-PADOVA (Postal codes 26, 29, 35) have been put on lockdown by the Italian authorities  Any access to these towns is forbid

Rather than get up at about 5am for the drive back to the airport from Denia, we decided to leave in the afternoon on Friday and drive back to Alicante area.. So I booked the Ibis Budget again. Time to get up and breakfast on Saturday before the short drive back to the airport for the 1020am flight home.

Although I plan a lot using Google and Here Maps online, I do love the feel of a map in hand. Today's buy is the Michelin 561 that covers the entire area of where we will be going on the road trip. This copy came secondhand from a bookshop on Amazon.

Cuneo- Nice A relatively short day today. MyRouteApp calculates it at 88 miles door to door. The standard route is to head down the main route to the coast and then along past Monaco.  And looking at the map book I saw the Col de Tende . Even with that the estimate is a little over 3 hours. So no rush in the morning to get going. Then when I took a look at it on Google I decided against it. If I had an SUV I would be up for it, but not in a road car. So. It will be the tunnel instead. We can have a leisurely breakfast and a walk around Cuneo to see the wonders of the city before we set off.

Well, that's it for now. Planning the overall route at least.  I have hotels booked on booking.com with the "free cancellation" and "no prepayment" option.   I have roughly mapped out a complete route but this doesn't take into account the waypoints that each days route has coded in to ensure we go the way we want! As far a Point 3 I have left toll roads switched on and so it will add to the trip cost it will mean we get the first long day over reasonably quickly between 1 and 2. From there it is no tolls from 3 to 6. Points 6 to 7 are currently set to no toll.  The road seems to parallel the toll motorway for the entire 225 miles. The Insignia currently has a range of about 650 miles in my day to day running.  With the first few days being motorway I hope to extend that when I can set the cruise control! Later in the year I will start to scope out the cost of a crossing to France. I expect we will take the Shuttle option simpl

Once we had "bagged" the passes and arrived in Fribourg we have one and a half days to get home to collect Reggie from his holiday. The non-toll exit from Switzerland is a bit convoluted getting into France around a few lakes. Once across the border. The route runs up through Belfort towards Belgium.  The last night is near Namur. It's a long day on the road but it will enable us a shorter journey to the coast and the Shuttle or ferry home. Namur to the coast is around 150 miles so if we are away early enough we should get a lunchtime shuttle and be in good time to collect the dog. The kennel closes at 5pm so we need to be hurry  to get Reggie home.