France to require a PCR or antigen test for all UK arrivals from Saturday

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• Zark says:

  2 Dec2 December 14:56

  It just goes on……

  • Geoff 1977 says:

    2 Dec2 December 15:39

    “It” might go on for another couple of years/maybe 5/maybe forever.

    The world has changed. People are going to have to adapt. I went out in a couple of cities last weekend and everything was normal and busier than ever so most people are getting on with things rather than whinging about things getting back to “normal”

• HAK says:

  2 Dec2 December 14:57

  Oh deary me.

• John T says:

  2 Dec2 December 14:57

  It feels like in the last 7 days the world has started to slowly fall apart again

  • BAgonesBE says:

    2 Dec2 December 15:04

    I am sorry to break it to you. It has.

    • Rob says:

      2 Dec2 December 15:22

      The world’s fine! Cheer up.

      The number of people, globally, hospitalised with omicron is currently nil according to the news, just to put this in perspective.

      • Bodkins says:

        2 Dec2 December 17:04

        Good point!

      • Stuart says:

        2 Dec2 December 17:09

        Absolutely! I’m in the Sofitel having just checked in for my flight to Houston tomorrow, my first trip to the USA since March 2019. I’ve always enjoyed my frequent flying, and I’ll gladly put up with the tests and forms and masks if I can start to travel long haul again. I’m actually pretty excited to be flying again tomorrow, and I haven’t felt that for a long time!

        • Richmond_Surrey says:

          2 Dec2 December 22:05

          A lot of compromises and what’s next?

  • Geoff 1977 says:

    2 Dec2 December 15:36

    It hasn’t. This is the new normal. Survival of the fittest.

    Asking when the world will go back to 2019 normal is like asking when airport security would have back to 2000 normal post 9/11.

    • His Holyness says:

      2 Dec2 December 16:03

      Its very hard to travel. Volumes have bottomed out. It’s pretty hard to be a “frequent flyer” if you need tests all the time, my poor nose will end up like Kerry Katona’s and Rob will be out of a business

      • Geoff 1977 says:

        2 Dec2 December 16:14

        Dunno. Passenger numbers have been growing steadily over the last few months and bookings for next year are quite strong.

        Unfortunately tests might not go away for a while (could be months/could be years)

        • John says:

          2 Dec2 December 16:41

          Only because lots of people haven’t travelled for a while. I guess people who fly once a year won’t be too bothered but those who travel more will get fed up

        • Geoff 1977 says:

          2 Dec2 December 16:44

          “ but those who travel more will get fed up”

          Possibly but this is what normal looks like now for the foreseeable future.

        • stevenhp1987 says:

          3 Dec3 December 00:05

          Passenger numbers to “where” though?

          I’m “happy” to wear a mask, to saw, Italy.

          Want me to wear a mask to USA/Canada, not a chance. Not gonna happen. USA/Canadian travel will be affected by this requirement.

        • Track says:

          3 Dec3 December 08:02

          Once the people experience the new pleasantries of flying…

          Plus cancellations, unexpected quarantine, expenses. Dealing with insurers is not fun either.

      • Novelty-Socks says:

        2 Dec2 December 19:05

        Most of my travel pre-COVID was for business, and this feels like the latest setback TBH. At my employer it is possible to travel with executive approval, but I very much doubt I’ll be able to resume the kind of travel schedule I had in the “beforetimes” for a long while, if at all.

        • Geoff 1977 says:

          2 Dec2 December 19:55

          Oh yeah that’s a good point. Whilst business travel won’t die (or even close) it might not ever get back to where it was. Companies will also want to save money under the guise of reducing their carbon footprint.

          My employer has already categorically said that domestic travel will go back to previous levels (customers are in the U.K.) but international travel (which is mainly internal meetings etc) won’t ever get close to pre covid levels.

          Anecdotal comments in my company are that people aren’t bothered about this as they weren’t going to glamorous destinations anyway and they’d rather spend time with their family etc

        • Geoff 1977 says:

          2 Dec2 December 19:56

          The levels of approval needed in my company for any sort of international travel are so stringent that people can’t be bothered even if they’d rather have a face to face meeting abroad.

        • Geoff 1977 says:

          3 Dec3 December 10:07

          “ Once the people experience the new pleasantries of flying…”

          New normal innit. People like travelling so they’ll adapt, just as they did when there were the changes to security post 9/11 (barn door etc)

• Saggles says:

  2 Dec2 December 15:06

  Any ideas of cheapest option for flying from Edinburgh? Collinson don’t seem to reach that far

• Will says:

  2 Dec2 December 15:15

  so flying via Geneva to ski in France…. is the transit taking any longer, and are there inspections at the french border? how will this work in practice (just as the Swiss allow a no-quarantine corridor, the French stick up their heads)

  • Rich says:

    2 Dec2 December 15:47

    Don’t think anyone will know for a couple of days. I’ve been keeping an eye on the Chamonix group on Facebook, which has fairly regular reports from travellers about GVA and the border.

    At a guess, I would imagine that as you are entering FR by road from a Schengen country, there’s no tests or checks (at the moment).

    • Graeme says:

      2 Dec2 December 19:42

      I’m toying with the idea of driving from Stuttgart into France next Friday now that the Christmas markets have been cancelled there. I’m certain that the borders will be as they always have been, but….

  • Rich says:

    2 Dec2 December 15:54

    That said, I can’t work out whether you need a PCR to enter CH (even though you’re only transiting). If that’s the case, then you can use that result if needed at the FR border.

• Vasco says:

  2 Dec2 December 15:35

  Is it required if you’re transiting CDG but don’t leave the airport?

• Vin says:

  2 Dec2 December 16:22

  Anyone with experience please
  With the new requirement for a pre-departure test to the Canaries, will an unsupervised Randox PCR fit the brief or does it need to be supervised/taken by a professional ?

  • Anna says:

    2 Dec2 December 17:46

    They need to be supervised, but is it PCR now, it was antigen previously? I’m losing track now as I’ve no foreign travel till February and it could all have changed half a dozen times by then!

    • Anna says:

      2 Dec2 December 17:53

      As in, needs to be done by someone trained, I don’t think a video one would be enough, though know if they’d actually check that.

    • Vin says:

      2 Dec2 December 18:12

      Thanks @Anna
      I wasn’t able to gain clarity on this on any of the official Spain/Canaries websites (unless you have a link you used you could share) which simply state the need for the pre-departure test.
      Did they physically check that it was supervised when you travelled ?

      • Anna says:

        2 Dec2 December 18:17

        We had 2 teenagers’ test results checked by Ryanair staff prior to boarding, then at TFS they did a spot check on one of our teenagers. I don’t know if they specifically looked at who had done the tests, but airlines can be quite keen to check properly as it’s their responsibility to ensure everyone is eligible to travel.

        • The cyclist says:

          2 Dec2 December 18:49

          I’ll bet the teens couldnt give a monkeys, mine were usually hungover or experiencing the after effects of a crafty joint

  • Jody says:

    2 Dec2 December 18:03

    Yikes, this had totally passed me by. We’re off to Tenerife just after Christmas.

    • Jody says:

      2 Dec2 December 18:10

      And I must be being blind as can’t see it on the government website?

      • Anna says:

        2 Dec2 December 18:15

        All non-EU nationals need a test before entering now, regardless of vaccination status. I’ll try and dig up the Spanish website with the details.

        • Geoff 1977 says:

          2 Dec2 December 18:22

          Non jabbed aren’t allowed into Spain at all I believe, which until a few days ago they were.

        • Anna says:

          2 Dec2 December 18:23

          Actually I think I may have that completely wrong! What’s actually changed is that only fully vaxxed people over 12 can enter Spain now. Previously anyone over 12 and unvaxxed needed a test but it looks as though if you’re vaccinated, you don’t need the test. Under 12s didn’t need vaccinations or tests.

        • Anna says:

          2 Dec2 December 18:25

          Geoff – yes, I had it in my head that everyone now needed to be vaxxed AND tested but it looks like this isn’t the case for Spain. Cheaper to be vaxxed than tested though, so good news for some.

        • Anna says:

          2 Dec2 December 18:30

          Don’t forget to complete the Spanish Health declaration before you travel as well.

        • Sam G says:

          2 Dec2 December 19:05

          Gave me a mini heart attack !!

        • Jody says:

          2 Dec2 December 19:38

          Just seen that you’ve read it incorrectly! Glad about that, as was starting to panic and couldn’t find the info anywhere!

        • Anna says:

          2 Dec2 December 20:12

          Lol, I’ll stay out of it now, we’re not going anywhere till February so no point checking what the rules are till then!

• Ben says:

  2 Dec2 December 19:18

  Oh France!

  Entry 2 weeks ago – no Statement of honour checked, just a covid pass QR Scan

  Entry last Friday – No checks on either QR code or statement of honour, just a passport stamp (mind, it was 10pm, I suspect the QR code checking team had gone home!)

  • stevenhp1987 says:

    3 Dec3 December 00:07

    Both times I’ve entered France they simply glanced at the Covid Passport, no scanning of any kind.

  • Susan says:

    3 Dec3 December 07:50

    Entered France twice in last 2 months – both times pass and attestation were checked carefully including the date and matching the name on the attestation to my passport. These checks were carried out, very courteously, before passport control. This was at a regional airport not CDG.

    • Rob says:

      3 Dec3 December 08:29

      Eurostar doesn’t check carefully based on my 2 recent trips.

      • Susan says:

        3 Dec3 December 08:47

        Possibly contributing to why my bit of France has very low C-19 rates but Paris…

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