Our trips are inherently safe

Given the circumstances in which the new corona virus that causes covid-19 thrives or not, our trips are relatively safe in themselves:

  • We travel in small groups of usually not more than 10 people.
  • You sit in your own car, usually with just one other person, who is someone you know and in whose neighbourhood you probably already are a lot of the time.
  • We stay in thinly populated areas, where there is a low risk of the virus being present.
  • When we get out of our cars, we are in the open, there is usually a wind and sun (we hope), which is an environment in which the virus quickly disappears.
  • There is a lot of space around us when we stop, so social distancing is easy.
  • The hotels and restaurants we go to provide a safe environment, otherwise they wouldn’t be open and we wouldn’t visit them.

The guidelines we stick to

We have to be careful and have developed a number of rules to make our trips as safe as possible. These rules are based on rules and guidelines from the health authorities of Portugal, The Netherlands and other EU countries.

  • We take care of good hand hygiene and actively encourage you to do the same.
    Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer that has at least 70º of alcohol. Cover all surfaces of the hands and rub them until they are dry.
  • We keep a bottle of hand sanitizer in our car and provide each customer car with one.
  • If you have to cough or sneeze, make sure the aerosols don’t spread.
    Cough and/or sneeze in the inside of your elbow. To blow your nose, use a paper tissue, which you throw away at once. We have a special garbage bag for this in our car.
  • During stops and picnics we stick to the 1.5 meter rule of social distancing.
    So no standing close together in groups, no shaking of hands, hugs or kisses between people who are not in the same car. This is a tough one, but we must do it.
  • No sharing of food, utensils, glasses and towels.
  • At the start of a trip, we ask you to sign a form that says you don’t have any symptoms that could point to covid-19.
    The most prevalent early symptoms are: coughing and sneezing; a fever; feeling of being tired.
    You cannot join the trip if you show two or more of these symptoms.
    Your guide(s), too, have to declare that they are free of symptoms.

Before the trip starts:

  • We will have found out where the nearest testing facility is on our itinerary and we will share this information with all participants.
  • We will have found out what the local protocol is in case of infection with serious symptoms and will share this, too.

What if…

Here’s what we do if a member of the group starts to show mild symptoms at any moment during the trip:

  • The person involved tells the tour guide at once.
  • Everyone keeps calm.
    Since the symptoms are mild, and if you are otherwise in good health and not in a high-risk group, our focus will be on preventing further contamination.
  • You stay in your car as much as possible.
    If you have to get out, for instance because nature calls, you keep as much distance as possible.
  • You get yourself tested as soon as possible.
    We will support you as much as we can.
  • Until the test result comes in, you stay in self-isolation.
  • If you have been tested positive, you have to stay in isolation for the remainder of the trip.
  • We will make sure you are registered as infected with the health service.
  • You self-assess every day.
    Measure body temperature twice a day and record the value and time of measurement; check for cough or difficult breathing.
  • Inform the tour guide how you are doing every day.

Here’s what we do if the symptoms are severe or develop into severe:

  • We will follow the local protocol.
  • We inform the other participants.