Canaries holiday - can't get tests

[MozzchopsThirty]

What would you do??

We're booked to go to canaries on 28th dec
We need to prove a negative covid test done 72 hours before travel

Which would be Xmas day
Boxing Day is Saturday
Nowhere is offering private tests over Xmas period
Postal tests not an option due to the Xmas post, time etc

Does anyone have any ideas on how we can do this??
TIA

To be honest it is down to the client to consider this themselves before they book

Yes shame on you OP for not getting your crystal ball out in January and realising that that little bug affecting Wuhan, a city you had probably never heard of, would turn into a world wide pandemic which would change the entry requirements of your holiday destination.

We had looked at going to Tenerife week before Christmas, but the testing requirements put me off. Even if you can get a test booked in for the right window, it looks like a real lottery as to the results coming back in time and if they don't, or are positive, you've spent an additional £150 per person on top of anything else.

It would be wonderful to go out there OP, but agree with others that I think you need to swap dates if you can.

I think that's looking like the most likely outcome
Unfortunately the flights are with bryanair and therefore will either not let us change as the flight will still be going, or pay an extortionate amount to move

@MozzchopsThirty oh Ryanair are a real pain. Still if you can move out to say next summer, then you could be reasonably sure that the negative test requirement will no longer be in place so you've effectively saved the testing costs.

@TW2013 there is no need to be snarky, but as the holiday approached maybe in September or October I would assume people would start to consider the worst case scenarios regarding pcr tests etc

Yes, Ryanair’s favourite trick, the flight will still go I expect, so no chance of a refund, they did the same to us in March and many others since. Never mind I just hope people remember & don’t book with them in future. We certainly won’t. I think this will be the end of cheap flights in any case.

I think you'll just have to try and explain to your canaries that they can't have a holiday at the moment.

Maybe just let them fly around the house?

I am still struggling to find anything confirming this is case for canaries.
The gov.uk.website still saying for canaries it's a pcr test checked at your accomadation.
Its not just Christmas that's tricky, flying at weekends is tricky too.
I am flying on Sunday afternoon.. Most private clinics saying tests on Friday.. Results not back until Mondays, test on Thursday evening and hope its within the 72 hrs.
Harder still my dsd is flying 6am on Tuesday and unless pay 400+ on Monday for same day test is struggling. Clinics will do test on sat but saying only guarentees results Tuesday afternoon.
They take Sundays out of the 48 hr turnaround promise.
Aggggggg

How about not go on holiday in peak pandemic season 🤦🏽‍♀️

Op I would change the destination or the date. Yes it will be expensive but nothing compared to paying out for all those pcr tests and still potentially not going .
I know it's totally shite but the low cost airlines have not been kind and as I understand it , on the beach have withdrawn from abta so that they dont have to step in and fill the breach .

My DD had this issue while trying to go abroad for work. The country concerned would not accept any tests done in the U.K. at all, as the U.K. isn’t in the EU Schengen area. She had a postal test sent from Italy. It was turned around in time.

How about not go on holiday in peak pandemic season

Yes, let's not bother eh, we all go next year can't we, except there won't be any airlines or hotels left. Brilliant idea, let's fuck over another industry 👍

@Oalsain

How about not go on holiday in peak pandemic season 🤦🏽‍♀️

She booked in January, way before pandemic status was on the horizon.

I booked when UK put canaries back on travel corridor.
I don't mind paying for tests and following all the rules, just stating its tricky to get them done within times frames when it includes a weekend.

How about not go on holiday in peak pandemic season 🤦🏽‍♀️

Is that a thing now then?

@Oalsain what is 'peak pandemic season'???

We booked last January as we do every year so we had no idea what was ahead

The tourist information site has a list of approved test providers, I'd contact several and ask how they'll be operating over Christmas. Also, at the bottom of the page there is a contact email, send the tourist board a message and let them know this is a problem for many people. They want you to go, so they may be grateful for you contacting them to think about how the problem can be overcome.

www.hellocanaryislands.com/coronavirus/

How about not go on holiday in peak pandemic season

Stupid comment

@Hayeahnobut thank you so much for the link, will have a look

OP which airport are you travelling from? Heathrow is to trial airport tests for travellers - and I imagine other major airports may start doing this too. Could you contact them and ask?

STN

I rang boots.. They were super helpful and have labs open 7 days a week, they guarentees 48 hrs for results, including weekend days and were the cheapest at £120
We are not travelling over Christmas but I asked the lady on the help line, she thinks they will be operating the lab so if you test on 23rd you'll get results 25th, they will be c losed for actual test taking on Christmas day only

I also had an email from our villa hire company, stating someone would now meet us at our villa to check our certificates but if we did not have results we'd just have to self isolate in our villa until they arrived

@Theredjellybean Really helpful, will pass on this information. Thank you.

@Theredjellybean that's fantastic news, thank you so much for asking about Xmas

Did you just phone your local boots?