Anyone understand the new travel restriction?
#16
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Re: Anyone understand the new travel restriction?
Makes it pretty much impossible to plan a trip though. If you don’t know what the rule actually is.
I suspect a lot of people who were planning to travel just for a holiday rather than some more pressing family reason will just give up now and cancel their flights. At which point the airlines will start cancelling flights too because there aren’t enough passengers.
I suspect a lot of people who were planning to travel just for a holiday rather than some more pressing family reason will just give up now and cancel their flights. At which point the airlines will start cancelling flights too because there aren’t enough passengers.
In my case, family and I have booked trains and an AirBnB in Germany, halfway between Berlin and us "French" - the former can be reimbursed if necessary, but it seems that the insurance in case of cancelling the AirBnB is only valid if one of us actually catches Covid beforehand. Would a Government Decree closing frontiers be a case of force majeure, I wonder?
I realize that my situation is different from yours, and relatively less stressful (for the moment an EU Pass is sufficient, without a PCR test), and I sympathize!
#17
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Re: Anyone understand the new travel restriction?
Have to agree!
In my case, family and I have booked trains and an AirBnB in Germany, halfway between Berlin and us "French" - the former can be reimbursed if necessary, but it seems that the insurance in case of cancelling the AirBnB is only valid if one of us actually catches Covid beforehand. Would a Government Decree closing frontiers be a case of force majeure, I wonder?
I realize that my situation is different from yours, and relatively less stressful (for the moment an EU Pass is sufficient, without a PCR test), and I sympathize!
In my case, family and I have booked trains and an AirBnB in Germany, halfway between Berlin and us "French" - the former can be reimbursed if necessary, but it seems that the insurance in case of cancelling the AirBnB is only valid if one of us actually catches Covid beforehand. Would a Government Decree closing frontiers be a case of force majeure, I wonder?
I realize that my situation is different from yours, and relatively less stressful (for the moment an EU Pass is sufficient, without a PCR test), and I sympathize!
I resolved recently to start treating everything in life as an adventure so this will be a good test.
#19
Re: Anyone understand the new travel restriction?
We came back to the UK yesterday through the tunnel.
The train was very quiet - very few cars.
We arrived early and is normal practice when availability exists, we were offered the train 2 hours before our scheduled departure.
We parked to wait our turn to be called and then noticed that we were told to proceed to departure.
We ended up on a train 3 hours before our scheduled departure.
Very few cars on board.
There were no questions or verification at either the French or UK border posts - just an exit stamp on our passports.
We had uploaded the required documents beforehand and had done our own Lateral flow tests (not required) for our own satisfaction because we had socialised quite a bit last week.
We now have day-2 PCR tests to do tomorrow.
The train was very quiet - very few cars.
We arrived early and is normal practice when availability exists, we were offered the train 2 hours before our scheduled departure.
We parked to wait our turn to be called and then noticed that we were told to proceed to departure.
We ended up on a train 3 hours before our scheduled departure.
Very few cars on board.
There were no questions or verification at either the French or UK border posts - just an exit stamp on our passports.
We had uploaded the required documents beforehand and had done our own Lateral flow tests (not required) for our own satisfaction because we had socialised quite a bit last week.
We now have day-2 PCR tests to do tomorrow.
#20
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#21
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Re: Anyone understand the new travel restriction?
We came back to the UK yesterday through the tunnel.
The train was very quiet - very few cars.
We arrived early and is normal practice when availability exists, we were offered the train 2 hours before our scheduled departure.
We parked to wait our turn to be called and then noticed that we were told to proceed to departure.
We ended up on a train 3 hours before our scheduled departure.
Very few cars on board.
There were no questions or verification at either the French or UK border posts - just an exit stamp on our passports.
We had uploaded the required documents beforehand and had done our own Lateral flow tests (not required) for our own satisfaction because we had socialised quite a bit last week.
We now have day-2 PCR tests to do tomorrow.
The train was very quiet - very few cars.
We arrived early and is normal practice when availability exists, we were offered the train 2 hours before our scheduled departure.
We parked to wait our turn to be called and then noticed that we were told to proceed to departure.
We ended up on a train 3 hours before our scheduled departure.
Very few cars on board.
There were no questions or verification at either the French or UK border posts - just an exit stamp on our passports.
We had uploaded the required documents beforehand and had done our own Lateral flow tests (not required) for our own satisfaction because we had socialised quite a bit last week.
We now have day-2 PCR tests to do tomorrow.
Thanks very much Cyrian - good to hear all went smoothly.
To be honest, it’s more the journey back to France that has me slightly concerned. Because I don’t quite understand what the French rule is, as it stands today.
Here it it is again (it was provided by Graham):
À partir du 4 décembre 2021, toute personne de 12 ans et plus entrant sur le territoire français doit présenter un test PCR ou antigénique négatif de moins de 24h ou 48h en fonction du pays de provenance.
At first I thought they’d accidentally omitted the word « respectively » but if that were the case, you would have expected 48h to be mentioned first (in relation to PCR) and 24h to be mentioned second (lateral flow).
So I think the choice of whether you get a PCR or lateral flow is up to the person travelling. As for the timeframe, who knows?
Eurostar are interpreting it to mean you can have either a PCR or a lateral flow within 48 hours prior to departure from the UK and that’s good enough for me.
#22
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Re: Anyone understand the new travel restriction?
Finally some clarity from diplomatie.gouv.fr:
Tous les voyageurs de douze ans ou plus, en provenance du Royaume Uni, s’ils sont vaccinés, doivent présenter à l’embarquement, le résultat négatif d’un test PCR ou d’un test antigénique (TAG) réalisé moins de 48 heures avant le départ. Ils pourront faire l’objet d’un test antigénique à l’arrivée.
Tous les voyageurs de douze ans ou plus, en provenance du Royaume Uni, s’ils sont vaccinés, doivent présenter à l’embarquement, le résultat négatif d’un test PCR ou d’un test antigénique (TAG) réalisé moins de 48 heures avant le départ. Ils pourront faire l’objet d’un test antigénique à l’arrivée.
#23
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Re: Anyone understand the new travel restriction?
Finally some clarity from diplomatie.gouv.fr:
Tous les voyageurs de douze ans ou plus, en provenance du Royaume Uni, s’ils sont vaccinés, doivent présenter à l’embarquement, le résultat négatif d’un test PCR ou d’un test antigénique (TAG) réalisé moins de 48 heures avant le départ. Ils pourront faire l’objet d’un test antigénique à l’arrivée.
Tous les voyageurs de douze ans ou plus, en provenance du Royaume Uni, s’ils sont vaccinés, doivent présenter à l’embarquement, le résultat négatif d’un test PCR ou d’un test antigénique (TAG) réalisé moins de 48 heures avant le départ. Ils pourront faire l’objet d’un test antigénique à l’arrivée.
Sorry to split hairs, but it's no clearer to me...
#24
Re: Anyone understand the new travel restriction?
The rules change in both directions and UK rules will change again tomorrow .
#25
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Re: Anyone understand the new travel restriction?I
I am travelling to Scotland on Christmas Eve and understand I have to be in quarantine for several days. The 2 day PCR test will be send to my sister's home but then I have to wait on results coming back. Only going home for 10 days but it looks like I will have to spend half of them in quarantine. So I need a PCR two days before I go and 2 days after I arrive and can't see my family on Christmas Day. Then I need another PCR test for coming back to France. All these costs are a pain in the ... but love my family so gonna go in spite of everything even if I can only see them a few days.
#26
Re: Anyone understand the new travel restriction?I
I am travelling to Scotland on Christmas Eve and understand I have to be in quarantine for several days. The 2 day PCR test will be send to my sister's home but then I have to wait on results coming back. Only going home for 10 days but it looks like I will have to spend half of them in quarantine. So I need a PCR two days before I go and 2 days after I arrive and can't see my family on Christmas Day. Then I need another PCR test for coming back to France. All these costs are a pain in the ... but love my family so gonna go in spite of everything even if I can only see them a few days.
You only need to quarantine in the UK until you get your day 2 negative test result.
We booked day 2 tests which need to be registered on the passenger locator form.
Testing will probably be delayed over the holidays
There are LOTS of providers listed on the UK government website with prices from £20 to over £100 per person.
You have a choice of self-test at home or test in a local centre ( e.g. boots pharmacy).
Completing the passenger locator form is not straightforward.
Our results of a self-test at home came back late afternoon / evening the following day.
Good luck with your trip.
Last edited by cyrian; Dec 9th 2021 at 12:25 pm.
#27
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Re: Anyone understand the new travel restriction?I
Thanks for your response. Was already home in September but only needed PCR before departure and day 2 test but without any quarantine whatsoever. This time French governement wants a PCR for people coming back. In September my test was sent to England so it will probably be a couple of days before I get the result. Supposed to be i quarantine until that result comes back.
#30
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Re: Anyone understand the new travel restriction?I
Thanks for your response. Was already home in September but only needed PCR before departure and day 2 test but without any quarantine whatsoever. This time French governement wants a PCR for people coming back. In September my test was sent to England so it will probably be a couple of days before I get the result. Supposed to be i quarantine until that result comes back.