Do you disapprove of people who are planning an overseas holiday this summer?

[Bahnhof Strasse]

I’m going back to the U.K. October for a week and have just been told that I don’t need a test to embark on the flight back here as EU vaccine passport holders are exempt . Going to have to check this out with Jet2 but if it’s true , very good .

....the situation by October could be very different

The current regulations coming to the UK are that you do need a test before travel, a completed passenger locator form and a test on day 2 after you arrive. This is expensive and arduous and really needs to end for fully vaccinated people not arriving from high risk (red) countries.

But to return to Portugal no tests needed.

 

[smmudge]

It doesn't really make much sense to insist on all the tests coming in when they're happy for it to spread around within the borders as much as possible.

 

[miss direct]

Coming up with a plan B for my pre travel PCR test. Times make everything awkward. Test must be taken within 72 hours of arrival. Arrival is 5ish on Saturday. So the earliest I can take it would be 5ish on Wednesday. However, the local drop off place (the only one in the entire region!) only accepts the tests between 9 and 4 (of course!) So I can't drop off till Thursday morning. Doesn't give much time. They say most results are back within 24 hours after arriving at lab - how am I supposed to know when they get to the lab? And what do I do if it gets to late on Friday and I haven't got my certificate? Have a feeling I will end up paying hundreds for a quick result service. The whole thing stinks.

Read through the plethora of information more carefully and it says: "For samples returned via Randox drop box, we aim to provide next day results up to 11.59pm."

11:59pm the night before a very early start to the airport. Friday may be a bit anxious.

 

[zora]

Hmm, tricky and stressful, miss direct :/
As I said, I had success with my in-person test that advertised same day results - I had my result 10 hours after the test. (Though I guess if something had gone wrong at the lab end, that could have failed, too.)

Something like this, maybe? Seems to say next day results and they have appointments between 5 and 6pm.

Calendly

calendly.com

Or this Fit to fly test and cert | Fit to fly Sheffield

(Disclaimer - just having a little google on my phone. This is the type of service I would probably go for, but would have another thorough look at small print/reviews/any cut off points for timings)

Have you booked yours already? If yes, I would have thought that the time window you have described is pretty decent and there's a good chance it will come through. I know that's only moderately reassuring!
ETA: Just seen your edit, and it looks like you have booked your test already.

 

[miss direct]

Thank you. Yes, I ordered the test (which takes 4-6 working days to arrive - WHY when Amazon can manage next day delivery?) but good to have a back up.

 

[The39thStep]

The current regulations coming to the UK are that you do need a test before travel, a completed passenger locator form and a test on day 2 after you arrive. This is expensive and arduous and really needs to end for fully vaccinated people not arriving from high risk (red) countries.

But to return to Portugal no tests needed.

Up the Portuguese

 

[oryx]

We looked at a week in Cornwall and the cheapest we could find was £3k

 

[kebabking]

We looked at a week in Cornwall and the cheapest we could find was £3k and there were non available until October so far we have settled for a day trip to Stratford and another to Whitby.
It rained both days so yay for the British weather

We didn't even look at the south coast - we went to Northumberland.

We got this place for £900. 3 miles from the beach, sleeps 8, absolutely gorgeous. Stopped off in York at an air-b&b for few days on the way home.

Probably bought 2 parking tickets the whole week, never had a problem with crowds or being ripped off.

Went to Edinburgh for the day, did a boat trip to the farne islands, went to Bamburgh castle, mooched around Berwick.

It was shit, obvs...

 

[Dogsauce]

The current regulations coming to the UK are that you do need a test before travel, a completed passenger locator form and a test on day 2 after you arrive. This is expensive and arduous and really needs to end for fully vaccinated people not arriving from high risk (red) countries.

I can guarantee It will end next week, because I’ve just forked out £129 for three testing kits for when we get back.

 

[trashpony]

I have just come back from the Azores (part of Portugal) because I was unable to move my flights again except at vast expense.

My advice would be to double triple check the requirements as if you don’t have the right paperwork, they won’t let you on the plane.

There were loads of people going who had misunderstood the vaccine requirements for going out. Some thought if they were double jabbed in the U.K., that was the same as an EU vaccine passport. It’s not. Others thought they would be allowed on the plane to quarantine and test at the other end (azores regs). Again, not true.

You have to have a PCR in the U.K. or they won’t let you board.

Similarly, massive queue at check in to come home yesterday but the plane took off half full. I guess because people hadn’t had a test before leaving and/or booked their day 2 test.

It’s a pretty brutal system. And if you can avoid travelling, do. It was chaos at the airport.

 

[Dogsauce]

I have just come back from the Azores (part of Portugal) because I was unable to move my flights again except at vast expense.

My advice would be to double triple check the requirements as if you don’t have the right paperwork, they won’t let you on the plane.

There were loads of people going who had misunderstood the vaccine requirements for going out. Some thought if they were double jabbed in the U.K., that was the same as an EU vaccine passport. It’s not. Others thought they would be allowed on the plane to quarantine and test at the other end (azores regs). Again, not true.

You have to have a PCR in the U.K. or they won’t let you board.

Similarly, massive queue at check in to come home yesterday but the plane took off half full. I guess because people hadn’t had a test before leaving and/or booked their day 2 test.

It’s a pretty brutal system. And if you can avoid travelling, do. It was chaos at the airport.

My other half nearly didn’t get out here at the end of July as she thought an NHS home lateral flow test would be OK (you do get a confirmation text/email as ‘proof’, which is what she presented). This was based on confusing information on the airline website and country’s requirements for nationals with a passport rather than tourists (airline had more stringent rules). I think we basically blagged it, they had to ask a manager and I think saw a stressed mum with two excited young kids and waved it through. She was then able to use the slip you get from easyJet confirming documents had been checked to get past immigration in Portugal, who weren’t really scrutinising things very thoroughly.

I got a verified lateral flow (done via video) and that was fine for coming out here a few weeks later, nothing stating PCR required and airline was fine with it - what carrier were you with? I know another friend who came out here to visit family who did PCR for some reason (£120 each), then had to do them again as their flight was cancelled and moved a few days - and I think there was nothing they could do about getting money back from the airline or anything.

I was out of the airport at this end in under 10 minutes from landing, no bother at all (tiny hand luggage, first to passport control). Getting through all the outbound checks at Bristol was under half an hour too. Next week I get to see what it is like the other way round...

 

[trashpony]

I was with Ryanair but it’s Azores rules. You have to have a PCR to enter OR EU Covid passport.

I think the issue going out was that Ryanair (being Irish) prioritise EU covid tests as mandatory in their info rather than the PCR tests. All the people I saw getting turned back on the way out were Portuguese so not native English speakers.

When you arrive, you are sent to a series of marquees where someone in full plastic anti contamination gear checks your results before they let you out of the airport. It was pretty quick though.

Coming back was hopeless because they had only one check in desk open and initially only one person checking evidence of negative test plus reading your PLF. Then they opened another check in desk and all the people from the back of the queue ran to that but weren’t allowed to check in because they hadn’t had their documents checked. Utter chaos.

 

[miss direct]

Feeling anxious about my PCR test for two reasons:
1. Still don't know it will work and I will get the fit to fly certificate on time.
2. Went to various restaurants at the weekend and am worried about a positive test.

 

[miss direct]

Decided to take a lateral flow test a few times this week to reassure myself. Will also take a pack along with me.

 

[miss direct]

Dropped my sample off this morning into a plastic box at a strange new age shop. Haven't had my confirmation that it's arrived at the lab, even though I dropped it off at 9am and there are apparently multiple pick ups throughout the day, and it's only going 1.5 hours away. Have a funny feeling I won't get it on time.

 

[miss direct]

Had a dream that I got a positive result and was secretly relieved that I could just stay at home. But woke up to an email saying my test arrived at the lab (sent at 1am), so looks like I should get my result in time to travel.

 

[miss direct]

I really don't know why someone would choose to do this just for a holiday. It's a lot of stress with all the unknowns. Turkey is still on the red list so I don't even know how long I'm going for. Packing summer and autumn clothes just in case.

 

[Epona]

I've not had a holiday since my honeymoon (August 2006, 5 days in Penzance, it was fucking lovely), I really have very little sympathy with anyone who thinks they need to have a holiday abroad right now.

 

[SpookyFrank]

So as I see it, the basic process is this:

1) Travel large distances for non-essential purposes during a pandemic
2) Suffer some inconvenience as a result of this
3) Cry about it

Meanwhile, in real problems...

COVID-19: Tourist board in Cornwall urges people not to visit county unless they have pre-booked amid sharp rise in cases

The chief executive of Visit Cornwall says visitors who do come should test themselves extensively and aim to "treble their efforts as much as possible" with the hands, face, space guidance.

news.sky.com

All areas in Devon now have higher COVID rate than UK average

All council areas of Devon now have a higher COVID rate than the UK average,...

planetradio.co.uk

 

[miss direct]

Have my certificate ready to fly. Thats a relief.

The plane I'm going on is massive (2,4,2 formation.) Hoping it won't be too busy but as flights to Turkey have been consolidated I'm not optimistic.

 

[Badgers]

Cornwall is probably twice as busy at usual. There is probably about 20% mask wearing and the pavements, pubs and restaurants are rammed.

 

[nagapie]

Cornwall is probably twice as busy at usual. There is probably about 20% mask wearing and the pavements, pubs and restaurants are rammed.

Twice as busy as normal or twice as busy as normal summer holidays?

 

[Badgers]

Twice as busy as normal or twice as busy as normal summer holidays?

Usually the numbers quadruple in the summer. This is way way more than this.

Due to some pubs/restaurants/shops being closed due to Covid and Brexit issues the others are rammed.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Twice as busy as normal or twice as busy as normal summer holidays?

30,000 extra people relative to a normal summer season apparently.

 

[Elpenor]

There are a lot of unhappy Cornish locals on Reddit complaining about the parking, traffic situation and the impact it has on their lives etc

And a few tourists saying how hard it is to book a table for dinner anywhere who don’t get much sympathy

 

[trashpony]

Have my certificate ready to fly. Thats a relief.

The plane I'm going on is massive (2,4,2 formation.) Hoping it won't be too busy but as flights to Turkey have been consolidated I'm not optimistic.

Phew. I would expect quite a few people to be turned away for misunderstanding the rules to be honest.

Check in times are slow as they have to check everyone has their fit to fly/PLF.

 

[miss direct]

Yes and there is quite a bit of paperwork required for Turkey. I haven't been able to print it off because I haven't got a printer or a way of accessing one before my flight, so hopefully there won't be a fuss about it being on my phone.

I arrive at the airport almost 3 hours before my flight which should be plenty. I hope.

 

[trashpony]

Yes and there is quite a bit of paperwork required for Turkey. I haven't been able to print it off because I haven't got a printer or a way of accessing one before my flight, so hopefully there won't be a fuss about it being on my phone.

I arrive at the airport almost 3 hours before my flight which should be plenty. I hope.

Yes, phone is fine. I printed my paperwork going out but most people just had it on their phones. I didn't have a hard copy coming back and it wasn't an issue

 

[miss direct]

Went to a print shop in the end. One of the forms wouldn't download and didnt fancy faffing about trying to locate multiple different documents. Now to pack.

 

[Anju]

Just had an argument with a friend I've known since school. He's getting a fake offer of consultancy work in order to circumvent the no tourist visa rule in India. His justification is that he's double jabbed, always wears a mask and follows all advised precautions. Didn't go down well when I pointed out that he's not following all advised precautions if he's ignoring those implemented by the country he wants to visit. Also let him know that I know two Indian couples with young children who have neither visited or had visitors since the start of the pandemic and it's not fair that someone would prioritise their holiday needs when others are putting off family stuff.

Hoping he will reflect on his decision and change his mind when he realises how selfish he's being. He wasn't like this when younger. Came here as a child refugee and we used to get up to all kinds of dodgy but fun stuff. Unfortunately he got mixed up with the BBC after he went to university and ended up going full radio 4. I think that's what messed him up and led to this level of selfish cuntery.