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Useful Information
Insurance
We will be insuring the trip through Unity Insurance, which is the same company used for insurance by The Scouts. This covers most things you would expect travel insurance to cover, including medical and emergency repatriation expenses up to £10 million, but does have a limit of £1,000 for personal belongings, with a £250 limit for any one item, so you may wish to purchase additional personal travel insurance, as some items, such as phones, may exceed the limits.
You can find further details on the insurance policy on the Unity Website here. If you have any concerns about insurance, please get in touch with us by email at [email protected].
Passports
You will require a passport to go on Witan as we will be travelling internationally! We will require everyone to have a passport with at least 6 months left to attend, as this is a requirement for some countries. If your passport runs out before April 2029 you will need to get a new one before we travel. There is no requirement to have a British passport to come on the event, but if you have a non-British passport you may encounter different checks to most participants.
The EU Entry/Exit Scheme will be in place by the time we travel for Witan. This means non-EU citizens will have to submit biometrics such as a photograph and fingerprints when crossing the border. This will not cost anything, but you should be aware in advance that this data will be taken.
We will be collecting photocopies of everyone's travel documents before the event to ensure they are valid and so we have a central copy in case they get lost or stolen. This will likely be a few months before the event, so please make sure to renew any documents you need to in good time.
Travel
On Saturday the 26th of August 2028, we will be departing by coach from two pick-up points in the UK. Previously, for Witan 2024, these were from Birmingham New Street and Slough, but this is subject to change. We will then take the Dover to Calais ferry and continue onwards to Ribe, hopefully arriving in the late afternoon on Sunday the 27th.
The return journey will start on Saturday the 2nd of September 2028, with a return ferry crossing likely to be in the early hours of Sunday the 3rd, aiming to arrive at the original pick-up locations in time for onward train travel that takes account of Sunday timetables. It is each participant’s own responsibility to travel to and from these pick-up points before and after Witan.
While in Denmark, longer day trips will use our coaches, and due to EU laws, we can only transport participants within Denmark who travelled into the EU onboard the coaches themselves. Because of this, all attendees are required to travel with our main group, and independent travel to Witan is not allowed. Please get in contact with us if you have any questions about this, or if you would like to discuss your accessibility needs!
Accommodation
We will be staying at Danhostel Ribe, a fully catered hostel that we have booked out in its entirety for Witan 2028.
Participants will sleep in dormitories ranging from 2 to 5 people, and bed linen and towels are fully provided by the hostel, so you do not need to pack your own. Rooms will be allocated to prioritise accessibility needs (such as securing a lower bunk), and we will offer options for gender-split rooms in a later form. To ensure everyone feels comfortable, we will have a rooming buddy system so you can request to share with people you get on with.
Three meals a day are included (we check about sweet treats for pudding!), though some lunches will be packed depending on our daily activities; please tell us about any dietary requirements as soon as possible so we can coordinate with the hostel.
Can I go?
Anyone with an active SSAGO membership during any of our booking phases is eligible to attend Witan 2028! This means that you don’t need to worry if you graduate between the point you book and the event itself.
Warm-up camps
We will be hosting two warm-up camps in 2027 to allow participants to meet and get into the Danish spirit! It will also be an opportunity for everyone attending to get to know our committee, and for us to answer any questions you may have about the event.
There will be one southern and one northern warm-up camp; dates and details will be announced when confirmed.
We ask that all participants aim to attend one warm-up camp so that we can get to know you! If you cannot make either warm-up camp, we will be in contact with you before Witan to make sure you’re happy with everything you need to know before we head to Denmark! 😊
GHICs
We would insist on all participants having a GHIC if they are eligible.
The UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) lets UK residents access necessary state healthcare during temporary visits to the European Union and select other countries on the same basis as a local resident. Cover includes emergency treatment, as well as medically necessary care for pre-existing or chronic conditions that cannot wait until you return home.
The card is completely free, lasts for up to 5 years and replaces the old European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).
ETIAS
Visas may be required at the time of travel. The EU is introducing ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) in early 2027. The system will require you to apply, pay a €20 fee and enter your passport information. Your travel authorisation will remain valid for 3 years or until you replace your passport, whichever comes first. If you replace your passport, you will require a new ETIAS travel authorisation. This authorisation will be required to travel into and out of the EU and you will be denied entry without it.
The ETIAS system is currently not in place, with no date given for when it may be introduced, but we will monitor this and contact you when these become required so you have enough time to apply for one.
If you experience any issues in the booking process, please contact [email protected].