Covid and travel discussion

[bluesmith]

So now you have to test out where you are BEFORE setting off to the UK as well as day 2 PCR back here? Does that mean you have to source a testing company in the country you are in?

No you can take tests with you and do a video link up or send a photo - which shows just how ridiculous it is.

Cheapest ive seem these for are 11.99 with NX Healthcare - not done a lot of research in to them though.

 

[feedthegoat27]

So now you have to test out where you are BEFORE setting off to the UK as well as day 2 PCR back here? Does that mean you have to source a testing company in the country you are in?

Correct.

TBH unless you're going well off the beaten track (which is unlikely at the moment) then it is quite straightforward to get a test in all the main resorts and cities.
A tricky destination is Lapland though, and obviously quite a few people are heading out that way this month.

Tui flies 3,500 pre-departure Covid tests to Lapland | Travel Weekly

Kits sent after UK government tightens entry rules

travelweekly.co.uk

I think the Gov secretly enjoy dropping their grenades on the travel industry and the ensuing chaos that follows.
Why else would they announce this latest change at 18.30 on a Saturday evening?

There is also the option to buy a lateral flow kit and take it with you, to then do the test yourself in the 2 days before you return and verify the result by video or a picture.

Understandably people are concerned about testing positive abroad, so this re-introduction of the in resort test is a huge barrier for the travel industry.
I think the cost and the general ballache/unknown involved is a secondary concern to the above.

If my Xmas plans go ahead as scheduled, I'm gonna need to find a Covid testing centre/pharmacy open in Hurghada on either Christmas day or Boxing day.....wish me luck!

 

[shemnel]

No you can take tests with you and do a video link up or send a photo - which shows just how ridiculous it is.

Cheapest ive seem these for are 11.99 with NX Healthcare - not done a lot of research in to them though.

Correct.

TBH unless you're going well off the beaten track (which is unlikely at the moment) then it is quite straightforward to get a test in all the main resorts and cities.
A tricky destination is Lapland though, and obviously quite a few people are heading out that way this month.

Tui flies 3,500 pre-departure Covid tests to Lapland | Travel Weekly

Kits sent after UK government tightens entry rules

travelweekly.co.uk

I think the Gov secretly enjoy dropping their grenades on the travel industry and the ensuing chaos that follows.
Why else would they announce this latest change at 18.30 on a Saturday evening?

There is also the option to buy a lateral flow kit and take it with you, to then do the test yourself in the 2 days before you return and verify the result by video or a picture.

Understandably people are concerned about testing positive abroad, so this re-introduction of the in resort test is a huge barrier for the travel industry.
I think the cost and the general ballache/unknown involved is a secondary concern to the above.

If my Xmas plans go ahead as scheduled, I'm gonna need to find a Covid testing centre/pharmacy open in Hurghada on either Christmas day or Boxing day.....wish me luck!

Thanks both. I'm due to Bulgaria in a couple of weeks, South of Sofia, but it's all sounding like a lot of effort and I think I'll make enquiries for vouchers.

 

[blue44]

Correct.

TBH unless you're going well off the beaten track (which is unlikely at the moment) then it is quite straightforward to get a test in all the main resorts and cities.
A tricky destination is Lapland though, and obviously quite a few people are heading out that way this month.

Tui flies 3,500 pre-departure Covid tests to Lapland | Travel Weekly

Kits sent after UK government tightens entry rules

travelweekly.co.uk

I think the Gov secretly enjoy dropping their grenades on the travel industry and the ensuing chaos that follows.
Why else would they announce this latest change at 18.30 on a Saturday evening?

There is also the option to buy a lateral flow kit and take it with you, to then do the test yourself in the 2 days before you return and verify the result by video or a picture.

Understandably people are concerned about testing positive abroad, so this re-introduction of the in resort test is a huge barrier for the travel industry.
I think the cost and the general ballache/unknown involved is a secondary concern to the above.

If my Xmas plans go ahead as scheduled, I'm gonna need to find a Covid testing centre/pharmacy open in Hurghada on either Christmas day or Boxing day.....wish me luck!

for example ,me and my lot

if when coming home from bangkok,one or more of us test positive
what happens ?
10 days to get better,14 days etc do we go in a thai hotel or hospital
who decides when we can come home ?

 

[feedthegoat27]

for example ,me and my lot

if when coming home from bangkok,one or more of us test positive
what happens ?
10 days to get better,14 days etc do we go in a thai hotel or hospital
who decides when we can come home ?

It's all down to the rules and regs in the country where you test positive in terms of processes, where you go, who foots the bill etc

Using Greece as an example (I went twice earlier this year), if you tested positive whilst over there during summer then you would be taken to Greek Gov approved hotel accommodation for a minimum 10 days, but Greece covered the costs involved.

Regardless of country, you won't be able to fly home until you can produce a negative test.
Then there is the issue of re-arranging your flight home. You'd hope airlines would be understanding and flexible but take nothing for granted.

My guess is that, because Thailand want proof of insurance covering X amount as an entry requirement, they won't put you up for free.

Stating the obvious but comprehensive insurance is more important than ever to ensure a payout (with minimal fuss....lol) if someone is unfortunate enough to test positive and is ultimately liable for the costs of the enforced hotel/hospital stay and a new flight home.

 

[blue44]

It's all down to the rules and regs in the country where you test positive in terms of processes, where you go, who foots the bill etc

Using Greece as an example (I went twice earlier this year), if you tested positive whilst over there during summer then you would be taken to Greek Gov approved hotel accommodation for a minimum 10 days, but Greece covered the costs involved.

Regardless of country, you won't be able to fly home until you can produce a negative test.
Then there is the issue of re-arranging your flight home. You'd hope airlines would be understanding and flexible but take nothing for granted.

My guess is that, because Thailand want proof of insurance covering X amount as an entry requirement, they won't put you up for free.

Stating the obvious but comprehensive insurance is more important than ever to ensure a payout (with minimal fuss....lol) if someone is unfortunate enough to test positive and is ultimately liable for the costs of the enforced hotel/hospital stay and a new flight home.

Thailand would definately not foot the bill !
I know if you land and you're positive you must go to a Thai hospital at your expense for 14 days !

So coming back,maybe its the same.

 

[feedthegoat27]

Thailand would definately not foot the bill !
I know if you land and you're positive you must go to a Thai hospital at your expense for 14 days !

So coming back,maybe its the same.

Yeah I was trying to be diplomatic about it but there's more chance of Pep picking me tomorrow than Thailand footing a bill they have no obligation to haha

 

[M18CTID]

Correct.

TBH unless you're going well off the beaten track (which is unlikely at the moment) then it is quite straightforward to get a test in all the main resorts and cities.
A tricky destination is Lapland though, and obviously quite a few people are heading out that way this month.

Tui flies 3,500 pre-departure Covid tests to Lapland | Travel Weekly

Kits sent after UK government tightens entry rules

travelweekly.co.uk

I think the Gov secretly enjoy dropping their grenades on the travel industry and the ensuing chaos that follows.
Why else would they announce this latest change at 18.30 on a Saturday evening?

There is also the option to buy a lateral flow kit and take it with you, to then do the test yourself in the 2 days before you return and verify the result by video or a picture.

Understandably people are concerned about testing positive abroad, so this re-introduction of the in resort test is a huge barrier for the travel industry.
I think the cost and the general ballache/unknown involved is a secondary concern to the above.

If my Xmas plans go ahead as scheduled, I'm gonna need to find a Covid testing centre/pharmacy open in Hurghada on either Christmas day or Boxing day.....wish me luck!

These extra rule changes - on top of the changes announced a week or so before - are a ballache for sure but I’m not sure the government (as much as I dislike this lot in charge) are doing it deliberately to cause havoc. SAGE were the ones pushing for pre-departure tests before flying home and it seems they’ve acted on that. Also, remember that last week Sturgeon and her Welsh counterpart were wanting even more prohibitive measures than that in the form of a lengthy quarantine period upon arriving home.

Anyway, I landed in Tenerife at lunchtime today and despite all the uncertainty it was a breeze coming through security. Passport shown and then another line of people beyond that scanning our QR codes relating to our Spanish passenger locator forms. Sorted in no time.

 

[feedthegoat27]

These extra rule changes - on top of the changes announced a week or so before - are a ballache for sure but I’m not sure the government (as much as I dislike this lot in charge) are doing it deliberately to cause havoc. SAGE were the ones pushing for pre-departure tests before flying home and it seems they’ve acted on that. Also, remember that last week Sturgeon and her Welsh counterpart were wanting even more prohibitive measures than that in the form of a lengthy quarantine period upon arriving home.

Anyway, I landed in Tenerife at lunchtime today and despite all the uncertainty it was a breeze coming through security. Passport shown and then another line of people beyond that scanning our QR codes relating to our Spanish passenger locator forms. Sorted in no time.

It's the timing of these announcements that really grinds my gears.

Whilst there isn't really a 'good' time to continually drop these bombshells, some times/days are better than others.

On Saturday, they released the news at 18.30.
The FCO was ready changed so it wasn't a spur of the moment call, they knew they were going to do it.
Why not do the announcement earlier in the day, in the morning?
For people like myself who run and work in high street agencies, this at least would give us all Saturday to contact impacted customers and people travelling soon.
I didn't work Saturday but my 2 colleagues who did told me it was dead all day.
Had the Government done the announcement at, say, 10am, my colleagues could have spent the rest of the day sorting all the shit out.

Instead they do it out of normal hours on Saturday evening, with very few travel businesses open on a Sunday, meaning we have to pick up the mounting slack on Monday morning.

I appreciate the above is from a purely selfish perspective of making my life easier haha but everyone in travel is just drained by these pricks in charge.

It was only a few days ago that the transport minister, Grant Shapps, ruled out the return of pre-departure testing.

Shapps rules out pre-arrival tests as new curbs risk ‘killing off’ travel sector | Travel Weekly

Vaccine passports ‘to become the norm’, according to transport secretary

travelweekly.co.uk

 

[M18CTID]

It's the timing of these announcements that really grinds my gears.

Whilst there isn't really a 'good' time to continually drop these bombshells, some times/days are better than others.

On Saturday, they released the news at 18.30.
The FCO was ready changed so it wasn't a spur of the moment call, they knew they were going to do it.
Why not do the announcement earlier in the day, in the morning?
For people like myself who run and work in high street agencies, this at least would give us all Saturday to contact impacted customers and people travelling soon.
I didn't work Saturday but my 2 colleagues who did told me it was dead all day.
Had the Government done the announcement at, say, 10am, my colleagues could have spent the rest of the day sorting all the shit out.

Instead they do it out of normal hours on Saturday evening, with very few travel businesses open on a Sunday, meaning we have to pick up the mounting slack on Monday morning.

I appreciate the above is from a purely selfish perspective of making my life easier haha but everyone in travel is just drained by these pricks in charge.

It was only a few days ago that the transport minister, Grant Shapps, ruled out the return of pre-departure testing.

Shapps rules out pre-arrival tests as new curbs risk ‘killing off’ travel sector | Travel Weekly

Vaccine passports ‘to become the norm’, according to transport secretary

travelweekly.co.uk

That must be so frustrating if you work in that industry. Clearly they’re not thinking about the impact regarding the timing of these announcements, especially as they knew hours before what they were going to do