Tag: travel advice

Police issue travel advice issued ahead of Storm Jocelyn

The Met Office has issued a new Amber warning for wind across parts of western and northern Scotland.

The warning is in place between 6pm tonight (Tuesday, 23 January) and 8am tomorrow – Wednesday, 24 January.

The following areas are expected to be affected by the Amber warning:

  • Grampian (Aberdeenshire and Moray)
  • Highlands and Eilean Siar
  • Orkney
  • Strathclyde (Argyll & Bute and North Ayrshire)

A Yellow warning for wind affected all of Scotland is also in place between 1600hrs today (Tuesday, 23 January) and 1300hrs Wednesday, 24 January.

Additionally, a Yellow warning for rain is in place and is valid between 0700hrs and 1800hrs on Tuesday (23 January).

Further information about the weather warnings and flood information is available on the Met Office and SEPA websites.

General advice for road users:

  • Plan ahead and avoid unnecessary travel
  • All road users should consider if they really need to travel during adverse weather
  • Consider delaying travel until conditions improve
  • If you are travelling on the roads, prepare yourself and your vehicle for the conditions
  • Ensure your mobile phone is charged and plan your journey, including an alternative route
  • Have sufficient fuel, warm clothing, food and water in case you’re delayed
  • Do not ignore road closure signs – they are for your safety
  • Congestion caused by vehicles may restrict emergency services and recovery vehicles from providing essential assistance
  • Listen to media broadcasts, including radio, for updates Traffic Scotland radio player | Traffic Scotland or visit Traffic Scotland | Trunk road traffic updates & route planner
  • Follow your local authority for the latest updates in your area via Facebook, X or their website
  • Other information can be found on the Met Office and Ready Scotland websites. For public transport information visit www.travelinescotland.com
  • Follow @trafficscotland on X for up-to-date travel information.

Wind

HGV and bus drivers should drive with extreme caution and be aware you may be asked to park at a suitable position by the police.

Drivers of vehicles vulnerable to being blown over should plan their route to avoid exposed areas or consider cancelling your journey until conditions improve.

Cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians should consider the risk of being blown over or into the path of other road users.

Rain / Surface Water

Drive to the conditions. Spray can reduce driver visibility.

Be aware of increased stopping distances. In wet weather, stopping distances will be at least double those required for stopping on dry roads.

Driving through areas of flooding can result in catastrophic damage to your vehicle. It may also result in the road becoming blocked with recovery required and may delay emergency services and road maintenance workers.

Bringing Britons home

The government increases efforts to bring home travellers stranded abroad by coronavirus (COVID-19) with extra flights and 10 more airlines joining its scheme.

  • charter flights from Bolivia, Ecuador, Philippines and India to bring back thousands of Britons
  • 10 new airlines join government’s scheme to get more British travellers back to the UK
  • FCO extends advice against travelling overseas for an indefinite period

The government is ‘ramping up’ efforts to bring home thousands of travellers stranded overseas by coronavirus with a new package of extra flights and 10 additional airlines joining its scheme to keep commercial routes open and get British people back to the UK.

From next week the government will start to bring stranded British travellers back from India with flights from Delhi, Goa and Mumbai. Passengers interested in these flights from India are advised to check the travel advice for India which we will be updating when booking for these flights opens.

The number of airlines signed up to the Government’s scheme to get Britons home now stands at 14 after 10 new airlines, including British Airways, Norwegian, TUI and Ryanair, joined Virgin Atlantic, Titan, easyJet, and Jet2 who signed up earlier this week.

Since Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced on Monday (30 March) that the government had reached an agreement with airlines, more than 1,450 British travellers have flown home on specially chartered flights.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: “Travellers are facing an unprecedented challenge on a global scale, and I know people are understandably desperate to get back to their homes and loved ones.

“We are committed to supporting Britons getting home either through commercial routes we have helped keep open or through specially chartered flights. With more airlines signing up it should mean more flights available but also a fairer deal for travellers by providing more flexibility over tickets and costs.

Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps said: “We continue to work with airlines round the clock to reunite British citizens with their families and loved ones.

“With more airlines pledging support, this huge operation becomes a little easier, speeding up the process and helping ensure a greater number of people return home quickly and safely.”

Where it is possible to get back to the UK on commercial routes by any carrier, the FCO continues to encourage all British nationals to take such opportunities.

The Department for Transport is working closely with airlines to bring those with pre-booked tickets home, either with the airline they booked with or on alternative routes where available.

This includes airlines allowing passengers to change tickets between carriers, where permissible, and offering them the latest information and advice as the situation changes.

  • the 14 airlines that have signed up to the FCO plan are: Air Tanker, Blue Islands, British Airways, Eastern Airways, easyJet, Jet2.com, Jota Aviation, Loganair, Norwegian, Ryanair, Titan Airways, TUI, Virgin and Wizz
  • where commercial flights are available, we strongly urge all British travellers to take those opportunities

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) advises all British travellers to return to the UK now. Read our latest coronavirus travel advice.

Russia vs Scotland: travel advice for fans

Travel advice for fans travelling to Moscow for the Russia v Scotland UEFA EURO Qualifiers – Qualification round – match on Thursday 10 October 2019.

Date: Thursday 10 October 2019

Venue: Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow

Kick off time: 9.45pm (local time)

As well as this advice, check out our travel advice for RUSSIA Continue reading Russia vs Scotland: travel advice for fans

Foreign Office issues Rugby World Cup travel advice

Award-winning UK-based Japanese comedian Yuriko Kotani has teamed up with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office to produce some special advice for fans travelling to the Rugby World Cup in Japan this autumn.

Yuriko’s humorous tips are designed to help the 50,000 or more British fans expected to attend the tournament to support Wales, Scotland, England and Ireland to avoid pitfalls. Continue reading Foreign Office issues Rugby World Cup travel advice

Safety and travel advice ahead of SPFL League Cup Semi Finals

“Plan ahead, be responsible and enjoy the matches.”

That’s the message from Police Scotland as Hearts prepare to play Celtic at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium and Aberdeen and Rangers meet at Hampden Park in Glasgow in the SPFL League Cup semi-finals on Sunday. Continue reading Safety and travel advice ahead of SPFL League Cup Semi Finals

Travellers: know before you go!

Don’t get caught out by local customs: advice to holidaymakers from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office:

did you know Every year British nationals risk getting caught out by local laws and customs when travelling overseas. From driving a dirty car in Russia, to wearing camouflage clothing in Barbados, travellers could end up with a hefty fine or may even be arrested if they are caught unaware.

According to new research issued by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, while 70% of people believe that researching local laws and customs would make their holiday more enjoyable, less than half would actually make this part of their preparations when visiting somewhere new. For those visiting places they had been to before, just 40% said they would do this research, despite the fact that local legislation and even local customs can change at any time.

In 2014, the following changes in local law were introduced:

  • fines were increased to $500 for swearing publicly in certain parts of Australia
  • new requirements were introduced for parents travelling with children in or out of South Africa
  • e-cigarettes are now banned from being brought into the United Arab Emirates
  • from January 2015 tourists must have passport valid for at least 60 days from expiry date of their visitor visa when travelling to Turkey

FCO Minister Mark Simmonds said: “It’s easy to throw caution to the wind when on holiday but it’s important to be aware of the local laws and customs before you set off. We want people to enjoy their holidays so we encourage them to be prepared. Laws and customs vary widely from country to country and visitors should respect them to avoid causing offence or even being arrested. Spending five minutes reading our travel advice may save travellers a lot of time in the long run”.

Just last year, two British tourists were arrested for swimming in the Emperor’s moat at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. This might sound like a bit of harmless fun, but their actions were the equivalent of attempting to break into Buckingham Palace – and being arrested in Japan for even a minor offence can mean remaining in custody for 23 days while awaiting an investigation.

Jaywalking in the USA, the Czech Republic and Poland; entering churches or mosques with arms or legs uncovered in Italy or Turkey; and leaving the beach still in swimwear in Mallorca and Barcelona; are just a few examples of common laws and customs broken by foreigners who didn’t research their destination before going on holiday.

How many cigarettes can you legally bring into Thailand? What equipment should you carry in your car when driving in France? What is appropriate attire to wear in public in Saudi Arabia? Wherever you are going, the FCO’s travel advice pages have a laws and customs section for each destination and are a great place to begin your research. Also take a look at our Local Laws and Customs visual graphic (below) for some interesting examples from around the globe.

J3089_Local_Laws_and_Customs_Infographic_Final_AW