nahe123

We are driving to Italy from the UK next week.
We will take a PCR test in UK for entry to France and Switzerland but as Italy requires either a PCR, or rapid test in 48 hours before entry that test will be too old to use at the Italian border.
Does anyone have any recent experience of whether there are places at the italian border to take rapid tests for entry? We will be enterring from Switzerland.

Seldomseenkid

We will be doing 'la transumanza' but we are currently thinking of leaving it until the beginning of July when hopefully things will have calmed down a little. I don't know you personal circumstances but have you thought of getting an early morning shuttle and sharing the driving to get yourselves to Italy before the expiry of your PCR?
On a personal level I would be grateful if you could let me know how you get on. My wife and I have both been fully vaccinated and so this PCR requirement seems a little excessive and I am hoping it will be dropped in the near future if you can show proof of vaccination.

37100

If you google PCR Switzerland, plenty of centres you can book with pop up.

I need to go to the UK, fully vaccinated, but still need 3 tests plus quarantine. The 2 in the UK are so expensive. Any sign that this might be abolished?

Seldomseenkid

I wish I could give you encouraging news but at the moment I cannot. A cynical part of me wonders who is profitting from the excessive cost of the PCR tests
here. At least you can quarantine at home which is better than the hotel that you have to use coming from a red zone country.
There seem to be conflicting views here exploiting the lack of knowledge of transmissibilty post vaccination. The doom mongers are having a field day including politicians like Yvette Cooper who see it as an opportunity to attack the government and also scientists seeking to make a name for themselves. On the other side is the travel industry seeking to loosen things up. For what it's worth, which is probably very little, I think more european countries will be added to the green list as they catch up with vaccination rates.

jiminalpago

Bear in mind that most of the information you have seen has been focused on the air traveller. TV news in Italy tonight has been highlighting how the country is preparing for overseas visitors. Against that background, it is highly improbable that the Italian border will present a problem if you have passed through France and Switzerland.
I would be grateful however, to learn how you fare.

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dmu

It hasn't yet been proved that being vaccinated doesn't stop you from carrying the virus and passing it on, hence the necessity of a negative Test, whether you're vaccinated or not.
@nahe123 - bear in mind that the 21h00 curfew will still be in force in France until 9th June (when it starts at 23h00). If you're on the road later, you must have an International Attestation which would cover you if you're Resident in Italy and are returning "home", but otherwise doesn't cover travelling for pleasure.
Keep an eye on the "Transiting France during Covid" thread in the France forum, which is kept up to date with the regulations.
HTH

jiminalpago

[QUOTE=dmu;13009441
If you're on the road later, you must have an International Attestation which would cover you if you're Resident in Italy and are returning "home", but otherwise doesn't cover travelling for pleasure.

Keep an eye on the "Transiting France during Covid" thread in the France forum, which is kept up to date with the regulations.
HTH[/QUOTE]
Keeping an eye on other forums is a good tip but I have found the German forum a bit sparse on this subject.
Your "International Attestation":I haven't come across it before: who issues it and what does it attest to, please?

dmu

My bad, it isn't "international" but is applicable to any one travelling within France.
https://www.interieur.gouv.fr/Actual...de-deplacement
Click on the preferred format under "Téléchargement des attestations" and print it out if necessary. One for each person travelling.
It attests to being out of doors after curfew for one of the various reasons listed. As said, travelling for pleasure "after hours" isn't acceptable....

jiminalpago

Thanks for that.
Very impressed by the French efforts to inform the public.

Seldomseenkid

If, like me, you are desperate to get back to Italy by car then obviously the decision by our French cousins to close their border to us regardless of vaccination status is less than helpful.

However you can get a ferry to northern Spain for around £400 and then Grimaldi Lines will take you to Citavecchia for around 130 euros. OK its more expensive but you get to see Spain so it could be fun. Just a thought.

philat98

I would substitute the word torture for fun.

brian12

That's from Barcelona,bit of a mission from Bilbao or Santander.

SanNico

I took the Barcelona - Civittavecchia route on Friday. Cars are not charged at the moment so it costs around 90 Euro each way, 30 Euro per each extra passenger plus extra if you want a cabin. Only downside is the pool is closed at the moment.
The clinics in Barcelona are taking liberties charging 40 Euro for the antigen test so maybe shop around in Santander if you decide to do it.

Seldomseenkid

Forty euro for a test sounds like a bargain compared with the price gouging going on in the UK.

SanNico

I paid 20 in Valencia but that’s no use to the OP, and just paid 45GBP in England before realizing I don’t even need it. Just booked a PCR in Italy for 65 so very happy with that