Latest Moan From You and Me 2024

Nice one @Fat Controller Belgium still has priority to the right on smaller roads but they changed it on roundabouts in about 2010. For a while before then new roundabouts were normal with priority given to traffic already on them but old ones stayed with priority to traffic joining them.

Entertaining to say the least!

 

The two second gap has been around for as long as I can remember. Every car that squeezes in between your own car and the one in front means continually dropping back to sustain the two seconds. That in turn makes the journey longer and the impression of one forward two back.

 

As you drop back the one behind gets peed off and then becomes the next one to jump in the gap in front, its almost like going backwards all the time.
Travelling on motorways is easy, if you keep up with the rest of the traffic, start going slower and its down right hard work.

 

With all these new and increase's in tourism tax that Europe is imposing I'm unlikely to visit Europe again. Many European countries now have a regional tax plus a town/city room tax depending on where your staying. Then from later this year non EU citizens will also be charged another 6 euros' to enter the EU.

So why do these countries spend millions in promoting tourism to now complain about over tourism. Prime example, the French launched operation seduction to woo more Chinese tourists back in 2018.

France launches ‘operation seduction’ to woo more Chinese tourists with cashless payments, KOLs and influencers | South China Morning Post (scmp.com)

China was the most populated country at the time, so it's inevitable you could end up with a large influx of more tourists if all goes to plan, or was that the plan from the start, a source of income. Paris recently increased the hotel tax by 200% or should I say Macron did with out there being a vote. So a 3 star hotel will now cost 6 euro's per person per night, plus non EU citizens will soon be charged 6 euro's entry tax to the EU. I know other countries have a tourism tax but it is mainly an entry tax, your not hit again on hotel bookings.

Thailand are going to introduce an entry tax like Bali, which is roughly £8 based on a 30 day stay free visa, stay 30 days in a 3 star hotel in most of the popular cities in Europe and that is likely to cost you close to £160+ per person in tourist tax. Europe now has some of the highest and unfair tourism tax's in the world, okay, charge an entry tax but to tax you numerous times is unfair.

Going to Europe? Be Prepared for New Visitor Taxes. - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

 

I have no beef with tourist tax. It tends to be a pittance. The holiday still works out cheaper than staying in the UK. And I think it's fair enough. Us Brits as a whole seem to enjoy moaning about foreigners coming here and placing strain on our resources. We do exactly the same to others. We swarm on certain towns and little islands and completely overwhelm local resources. While we're staying in a cheap apartment for the week, some local family can't find anywhere to live that they can reasonably afford. While we're all crowding their beaches, a young local couple, just starting out together, can't even have a romantic walk along their local beach without navigating thousands of orange Brits on plastic loungers and cheap colourful beach towels.

I think as British holidaymakers abroad, I think we get a better deal than the locals, even with the miniscule tourist tax.

 

If we are talking eu etias @gks it's a one off 6 quid cost for 3 years. My biggest gripe is the hassle...

 

If it's any consolation, actually living in the EU, especially the western bit of it, is becoming increasingly expensive too Probably something to do with Governments handing out billions of €s in aid when their own economies are on the slide? It's hard to make sense of that....just as it's illogical spending millions on hosting the Olympic Games when the Paris streets are lined with homeless.

 

People need to stop travelling en masse. It is unsustainable. Holidays abroad should be really precious time exploring a different place, not spent drinking to excess and sleeping it off in the sun ... IMVHO.

 

What's a holiday i've only had 2 in my life and they were in the UK

 

Wales is going to have a tourism tax. I don't know much about it and I don't know how it will work, but I think it is hoped to be implemented in 2027.

 

Not that I go anywhere these days but after the age of around 15 I never wanted to spend time on beaches.
I get bored sitting around and need to be on the move if I go anywhere new.

Some people even sit around reading books.

 

It'll be interesting to see how that works. Maybe all the hotels, B&Bs, campsites etc will have to collect it. I drive to Wales a few times a year to visit my sister and I don't see how a tax could be collected if I don't pay for accommodation.

 

They will take it when they stamp your passport at the border.