On the occasion of its 5th anniversary, La Toupie Bleue launches its first section, with an original nod to padel : “Make a “par 5” while staying padel !"

This monthly column aims to give you 5 tips/recommendations/shares around the theme of travel padel and the practice itself.

For this first part, we share here 5 tips and good practices to follow before leaving for your stay padel in Europe.

Leaving with your National Identity Card, or a Passport

Passport-La-Toupie-Bleue

One of the advantages of residing in Europe is being able to move freely within the European Schengen area. Note that Switzerland and Norway are not EU countries but are members of the Schengen area!

Without VISA therefore or particular obligation (except pandemic), we can travel equipped with a national identity card or a passport.

Since the 1er January 2014, the national identity card is no longer valid for 10 years but for 15 years (same for cards issued between 1er January 2004 and December 31, 2013). Be careful, however, to inform yourself about this point before leaving for a sporting stay. padel abroad. Indeed, this extension of the validity period of the national identity card is not validated by all the countries of the Schengen area.

A short tour of some key European destinations in the padel to know everything:

CountryConcerning an expired national identity card
ItalyAgrees to extend the validity of the card by 10 years
BelgiumDoes not recognize an extension of the validity of the card (it is therefore advisable to bring a passport if your card has expired or to apply for renewal)
PortugalNo comment (it is therefore advisable to bring a passport if your card has expired or to apply for renewal)
SpainNo comment (it is therefore advisable to bring a passport if your card has expired or to apply for renewal)
United KingdomNo comment (it is therefore advisable to bring a passport if your card has expired or to apply for renewal)
SwedenNo comment (it is therefore advisable to bring a passport if your card has expired or to apply for renewal)

Without focusing specifically on the passport, it still remains the most common identity document internationally. We recommend that you lean as soon as possible on a 1st ask if you don't have one yet, especially if your desires for other places push you outside our old continent. Note that delivery times can vary from 2 to 4 weeks in France (not to mention the time to obtain an appointment) and that you will have to pay the duties of a tax stamp.

European Health Insurance Card

Still too little known to French travellers, the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) should be considered your “carte vitale” when you travel. Taking up some basic information about you, in particular your SECU personal identification number or your CPAM to which you are attached, this document allows healthcare or health organizations abroad to facilitate treatment.

If you don't have it yet, you can request it on the ameli.fr website.

Finally, if unfortunately you do not receive it in time before leaving, rest assured, you can apply for a certificate, still on the ameli.fr website, which will prevail.

Be vigilant with identity theft (before the trip) and with pickpockets (during the trip)

To avoid any disappointment or bad surprise before or during your internship padel, or his holidays, let's adopt good practices.

IDENTITY THEFT – A common currency for online pirates, this phenomenon of identity theft has been gaining momentum in recent years. We recommend that you prefer to send official identity documents via networks like Whatsapp rather than by email. On the other hand, if you have two minutes, take the time to scan your identity document, by crossing it out (from side to side) for example and notifying it: document communicated to (…) for information only.

The objective is thus to prevent malicious people from using your identity for actions that are not yours.

THEFT OF PERSONAL BELONGINGS – Pickpockets are present in the European metropolises of the padel. Since risk 0 does not exist and above all to anticipate their actions, send yourself a scan of your identity elements (with the precautions notified just above in the article). Be aware that to allow you to board at the airport and return to France (if your personal belongings are stolen), it may be that a declaration of loss to the "Competent Police" is not sufficient for the airlines. We therefore recommend that you approach the French Embassy in the country where you are at the same time.

On the other hand, this basic advice not to travel with too much cash remains valid. Imagine the “catastrophic moment” if your holiday budget is stolen from you…

The mishmash of insurance, but in the end...

The French are compared to many Europeans considered as “over-insured” travelers.

Indeed, going on a trip requires a whole organization and requires you to prepare as well as possible in order to take full advantage of your trip.

Initially, you may have taken out an extension of civil liability (on your classic RC) to go abroad.

Then, many other insurance contracts make it possible to cover such or such unexpected, unfortunate event, complex to manage.

It is true that you also often have guarantees with your bank card (the most famous in travel insurance for high-end credit cards: Gold MasterCard, Visa Premier, Visa Infinite, Platinium, American Express). However, in practice you will realize the complexity of taking charge of a claim or when an unforeseen event disrupts or even jeopardizes your trip. Insurance not being the 1er business of banking companies, they do not hesitate unfortunately it must be recognized to sometimes ask for a plethora of certificates or administrative documents to initiate claim support or partial/total reimbursement, for example.

It is for this reason that we advise you to identify all the insurance contracts available to you and in addition to refer to a registered travel operator, who is a professional in the sector and has insurance solutions that meet a wide spectrum of problems or misadventures encountered during trips abroad.

The expertise of travel operators to leave with peace of mind!

The official European operators in the stay padel are few. To recognize them, all you have to do is ask them if they have a personal national registration number, which allows them to simply sell stays.

This highly regulated business sector is organized to protect, advise and support the end consumer.

Indeed, beyond the company's financial guarantees (unlimited financial guarantee in France), travel operators duly in good standing provide the customer with:

  • send a travel contract containing all of the company's commitments
  • communicate their official contact details
  • to commit to specific services (3 hours of individual lessons of padel cannot be replaced by 3 hours of group lessons for example)
  • to explain that there is in addition to the sale of an internship padel insurance that is made available to him (cancellation insurance, multi-risk, complementary to credit cards, assistance insurance, etc.) for the trip as such but also, for example, for the practice of certain sports activities (sometimes considered to be at risk by insurers and therefore potentially excluded from ordinary contracts).

While the 2022 World Championships in Dubai are in full swing, perhaps you too have desires elsewhere now?

Remi Collat

The founder of the agency La Toupie Bleue offers themes on internships and vacations padel in Europe. The accommodation specialist padel don't hesitate to give us your opinion on these topics.

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