Greece panic! Which countries don’t do random Covid tests on arrival?

[PlumpCushion]

I’ve been so excited about our trip to Greece in a week’s time but feel increasingly worried about the prospect of a random Covid test on arrival and then having to spend ten days quarantining in a Covid hotel!

Does anyone know which European destinations accept the Fit to Fly certificate without the need to test you again when you get off the plane?

Wondering if we should swap destination…

[PlumpCushion]

PS only one out of the four of us is fully vaccinated

[Amboseli]

At the moment balearics don't test on arrival. We're in Majorca right now. I was stressed about this as well and glad we changed to Majorca although that wasn't the reason we changed.

[drivinmecrazy]

I'd think very carefully about Spain.
Fully expecting it to turn 'dark Amber' any day so expect to quarantine on return.
Cases here are approaching U.K. numbers.

[PlumpCushion]

I see. I going to a relatively less touristy place in Greece. My flight leaves in 5 days but only had a dozen seats precooked when I check in online yesterday! Might stick with where I’m going!

[LostFrog]

If only a dozen seats booked it might not go ahead anyway - this happened to us recently. Do you have insurance? We are testing at home even though technically we don’t need a fit to fly test. I would rather know before we went!

[Postdatedpandemic]

Hang on

You are worried about getting a positive result on a random test and having your holiday disrupted?
But
You are not worried about having Covid and potentially infecting other people disrupting their holiday?

Hope you have good travel insurance.

[IncludeWomenInThePrequel]

What @Postdatedpandemic said

[PlumpCushion]

Well aren’t you two lovely little rays of sunshine. You’ve actually sought out the holidays board to criticise people who are …going on holiday. And btw we are following the rules to the letter. Rules that we are invited to follow by the respective governments. What an odd thing to do. You must be terribly bored.

[PlumpCushion]

@LostFrog yes, we have insurance. We might lose a bit on the first accommodation but it’s so close to departure we’d get compensation if the airline cancel the flight at this stage.

[Postdatedpandemic]

I am also going abroad this year, to visit PILs. If we get a positive test result here or there and it buggers up the holiday, I will be well peeved. However, what I am not going to do is try and avoid additional testing to be able to go away.

Ignorance is not bliss, it is fecking antisocial.

[DufferMum]

@Postdatedpandemic

Hang on

You are worried about getting a positive result on a random test and having your holiday disrupted?
But
You are not worried about having Covid and potentially infecting other people disrupting their holiday?

Hope you have good travel insurance.

What a miserable bunch MNers have become!

[PlumpCushion]

@Postdatedpandemic. We are getting tested the morning of the flight at our UK airport. And again in landing in Greece. I don’t quite understand your accusation of being antisocial/ ignorance is bliss comment. I’m simply anxious that we could get a false negative in the UK and then somehow test positive on landing. Not quite sure why you seem so cross. I’d simply rather not have two tests on the same day as I will be travelling -or not -in good faith based on the first test result. I’m afraid you’re being ridiculous. I’m perfectly philosophical about cancelling the holiday if we test positive. If that happened I’d be relieved that this happened at the UK end.

However, I’m worried about ending in a quarantine hotel room for ten days eight hours after being given my fit to fly certificate.

[Postdatedpandemic]

I totally understand preferring a positive test to occur in this country. Other countries having concerns about our high rates are also perfectly valid.
Having to endure more tests than we are comfortable with and potentially ending up unexpectedly in a quarantine hotel are risks every traveller takes this year.
Trying to avoid testing is not a solution.

[PlumpCushion]

I’m afraid I just don’t agree. I’m not trying to avoid testing. I’m simply asking which countries have a policy that is more in line with my own stance in terms of what I am and am not prepared to do in order to travel.

Maybe there’s a rule that only you know about that states that we should only try to go to countries that require two entry Covid tests.

[ilovesooty]

I'm afraid that everyone on our Greek flight was tested on arrival.

[Callixte]

Greece is the only European country that I know of that does the random rapid testing regardless of valid test or vax status. Some other countries reserve the right to test on arrival but don't routinely do it.

Are you having the antigen test in the UK, or PCR test? If it's the PCR, it'll be more accurate than the rapid antigen they do on arrival in Greece. But then there's also the small risk of a false positive on the Greek test, in which case you'd have to stay at the quarantine hotel for one day until the second PCR test came back.

If you want to avoid the risk and go somewhere nearby, consider Bulgaria (Black Sea Coast) or Croatia, which are both green. As of right now I believe both accept antigen test within 48 hours prior to arrival or PCR within 72. Croatia has special rules for non-EU/Schengen citizens which require proof up front that you're travelling for tourist purposes and have accomodation booked for your whole trip. (Hotels, etc. can provide the cert by email for you to print).

Serbia will also let you in, no surprise test, but they're amber and accept RT-PCR only, less than 48 hrs prior to arrival (and no beach). As of now, Malta is out (requires vax cert) and Italy (5 days quarantine for UK arrivals). That's not an exhaustive list, just the ones I know!

[PlumpCushion]

Morning everyone, after ten days of stress about the prospect of testing positive on arrival, we are finally in Greece.

I can report that there is no testing on arrival at all london Gatwick flights arriving in Preveza over the last two days. Flight was about a quarter full. Might be an option for anyone considering a relatively low stress option to Ionian island of Lefkáda/ lefkas or mainland eg Parga.

I can’t quite believe we’ve made it…

I’m just off for a morning dip. Good luck fellow travellers/ wannabe travellers.

[Ostryga]

Great update op! Enjoy your lovely holiday

[astoundedgoat]

We’re in Greece too. No testing on arrival at 10.30pm - I strongly suspect that the testing only happens during the day.

If you’ve been pre-travel isolating as best as you can, and have tested yourself a bunch of times on lateral flows at home and are negative, it’s unlikely you’re going to flip to positive in a few hours. There’s no such thing as a false positive.

I’m glad you got here safely @PlumpCushion !

[Callixte]

Thank you for the update, PlumpCushion! Hope you have a wonderful holiday.

[itsgettingwierd]

Have a wonderful time.

I love that area of Greece and spent a summer working at the Vounaki beach club and in Palaros. I got to travel round the islands sailing to them and also drove to Leftkada. I would highly recommend the waterfall in Nidhri if you get the chance.
The waters freezing though!

[Shitzngiggles]

Glad you got there OK. We went to Lefkada 2 years ago, loved it.

[MsTSwift]

So jealous would love to be going to Greece but Covid is absolutely ripping through teens in our small city. Two friends teens positive now in last few days and lots on dds social media. Having 2 teens myself the risk would be too great