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Original poster

Testing to travel to France

86 replies

zippyswife · 11/07/2021 08:13

We got away last summer. Got into France the day they announced quarantine. It was pretty stressful on the lead up to the holiday but was entirely worth it for the slice of normality and the quarantine the other side was just a small price to pay. We're trying to do it again.

I'm just trying to price up the testing for this summer.

Have I got this right...? Adults in our scenario are fully vaccinated.

Over 11s test 2 days prior to departure for France.
Over 10s test prior to departure for England.
Over 4s test on day 2 on return.

Am I missing anything? Travel is after 19th July

OP posts:
Barwell76 · 05/08/2021 14:46

Over 12s travelling with vaccinated adults need to have a negative pcr or lft taken within 24 hours of departure.
24 hours seems to be a short time frame. Any suggestions where to get a test in this time frame?

onethingandonethingonly · 05/08/2021 16:23

DH managed to find proof for me that coming from France, children 11-17 still need to test, and also quarantine for 10 days.
So that's our plans scarpered, despite both being double vaccinated. 😒

Testing to travel to France
notimagain · 05/08/2021 16:53

Well that’s a gotcha……

I see that page was updated today but looking at it in places it looks like it might not reflect in full the rule change announced overnight. I guess it might be worth watching that page over the next few days, fingers crossed for you…

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General health
xksismybestletter · 05/08/2021 21:06

I think that too. It could easily change.

We've just booked. Two weeks leave starting tomorrow and Scotland is going to rain 🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️. Two weeks in France in exchange for an arm and a leg feels worth it. Now to take all the jumpers out the van and put all the bikini s in!!!

DailyMaui · 06/08/2021 17:29

I'm coming along for the ride.

Months ago we booked tickets to see my parents en France on the 18th August and decided that if it all went tits up we'd accept the loss of money. As it was they changed the flights so we could have got our money back. However, I didn't want to give up hope and held tight... looks like we're now going. I'm so happy. My mum was in floods of tears - happy tears.

Luckily we are all double vaxxed except my 16 year old daughter and it appears she takes our vaxxed status albeit she has to have a negative PCR or antigen test within 24 hours before the flight (booked in for 1000 on the day of travel. She isn't doing ANYTHING risky from now on!). Luckily - and I never though I would say this - my 18 year old son is clinically vulnerable and is also double vaxxed and has been since May.

I'm so excited. My dad has leukemia and it is managed rather than one that can be cured so being able to visit is a hugely emotional thing for us all.

My only worry is that I'm reading everything wrong. As far as I can see because we have vaccination status we don't need a negative test to travel, just the one 16 year old teen. But I'm so paranoid about messing this up. I never thought I'd see them this year so I'm reading and re-reading everything everywhere!

Twobirdsinatree · 06/08/2021 20:55

@DailyMaui I'm paranoid about the tests too... as far as I can see none of us need one to enter France but im so worried we are gonna get turned away from the airport for some reason!
We've had our flights booked since Christmas... we are visiting my parents who live in France. I really hope we make it... they haven't seen their grandchildren in a long time. And my mum is also quite ill she has MS and deteriorates year to year so this gap in seeing her has cost us a lot... its really sad.
I hope you manage to make it across! I hope everyone gets to see their families this summer!

xksismybestletter · 07/08/2021 20:58

If it helps we came over on the Eurotunnel today. No tests to travel.

We showed vax certs with passports and that was it. We filled out the declaration just in case but didn't need it. Was easy and felt normally, except it was pretty quiet. Just need to work out what tests we need to get back now.

xksismybestletter · 07/08/2021 20:59

Also it is gorgeous here. Pizza and wine and covid is forgotten already. Come and enjoy your family.

Bichette · 08/08/2021 09:57

We recently returned from France. You have to fill in a passenger locator form on line in the 48 hours before you return and give the booking reference of your COVID test order.

DailyMaui · 08/08/2021 11:13

@xksismybestletter

If it helps we came over on the Eurotunnel today. No tests to travel.

We showed vax certs with passports and that was it. We filled out the declaration just in case but didn't need it. Was easy and felt normally, except it was pretty quiet. Just need to work out what tests we need to get back now.

Thank you so much for posting this and updating us. Really helped put my mind at rest.

I think it has now sunk in that I can see my family. I cannot wait for that first glass of wine on the terrace.

Janek · 09/08/2021 10:43

Okay, I'm going to France! Me (both vaccinations over a fortnight ago!), DD1 (15) and DD2 (12). I think this is what I need to do:

To go:
Me - print vaccination certificate, fill in 3 declaration sur l'honneurs
DDs - get a negative test less than 24 hours before departure (or is it arrival? antigen test will do?)
Send off for day 2 tests

To come home:
Me, DDs - get a negative test in a local pharmacy (€29? antigen test will do?)
Complete passenger locator form with PCR test details
Carry out PCR tests within two days of arriving home

Is this correct? Have I missed anything? It will surely have to be an antigen test before we depart as it wouldn't be possible to get a PCR back in time. But they do have to be PCR tests for the day 2 test.

Janek · 09/08/2021 10:48

@Barwell76

Over 12s travelling with vaccinated adults need to have a negative pcr or lft taken within 24 hours of departure. 24 hours seems to be a short time frame. Any suggestions where to get a test in this time frame?
I googled Covid test "my-city" and came up with some local options (they seem like national companies which offer it through local pharmacies), the cheapest I could find was £49, unbelievably!
notimagain · 09/08/2021 10:54

@Janek

Travel UK > France..

uk.ambafrance.org/COVID-19-rules-for-travel-between-France-and-the-UK-28918

“ Unvaccinated children aged 12 and over must have taken a PCR or antigen test in the past 24 hours.”

Janek · 09/08/2021 10:57

Thanks, that's what I read too, thank you for confirming I'd read it right! Bit nervous about the whole thing now the excitement of booking has worn off! I think I'll be okay once I've booked all my tests though.

Toffeepineapple · 09/08/2021 11:15

Sorry, hrtft, but we're considering visiting family in rural France and also a break to Paris with my DD. I was looking at hotels last night for the latter, but the alerts were still saying we'd need to quarantine on arrival. Is this not the case?

Normandy144 · 09/08/2021 11:22

We travelled back to the UK from France yesterday. Really simple. You just complete.the passenger locator form 48 hours before you return. You need to have the codes from the day 2 tests. I booked mine with Dante, 3 days before we were due to travel back to the UK from France and they emailed the codes immediately.

You are also correct that you don't need tests to enter France either.

To be honest the whole process was very smooth both leaving the UK and coming home. We were a party of 4 with 2 fully vax adults and 2 children under 12. Once you're there it is worth it. You might also consider taking anitgen tests with you from the UK to self administer when you're there - I think the company C-19 testing sell the kits. We managed to get them at a local french pharmacy (maybe worth finding your local one and booking in when you get there). They cost €25 per person.

Janek · 09/08/2021 11:32

@Normandy144 thank you for your comforting words, I'm sure it's just the fact it's all new that I'm worried about, actually writing the instruction upthread has helped clarify it in my own mind. Also we usually go on the train rather than flying, but the eurostars were so infrequent that this wasn't a possibility this time, so that's something 'new' too.

@Toffeepineapple have a look at the link Notimagain posted at 10:54 - there is a useful infographic near the top of that.

LilyE1234 · 09/08/2021 11:40

For the declaration form, is this handed out on the plane before landing or do we need to print and fill before leaving the UK?
We did something similar in Italy last year and were given them on the plane, only to fill out a slightly different version at customs!

KeflavikAirport · 09/08/2021 11:41

I travelled France > UK on Friday. I am SO PISSED OFF that despite being double jabbed and having a negative test before departing I still have to quarantine. Should have hung on for three more days and saved several hundred quid in tests and been able to not quarantine. Why can't we just come out of quarantine early now restrictions have been lifted?

Janek · 09/08/2021 11:47

I think you fill it in before you set off @LilyE1234 www.interieur.gouv.fr/Actualites/L-actu-du-Ministere/Attestation-de-deplacement-et-de-voyage

@KeflavikAirport that is such bad luck/silly bureaucracy, I'm so sorry!

KeflavikAirport · 09/08/2021 11:52

it is, plus we live in the middle of nowhere, we really aren't going to infect anyone. Such a waste of time.

notimagain · 09/08/2021 12:26

Forms should be filled in before travel.

For most people it will be just the one that basically affirms, on your honour, that you’ve not been anywhere near anyone with Covid in the last 14 days.

Window1 · 09/08/2021 14:47

Is there a leading firm for the day 2 test once returned to UK?

KeflavikAirport · 09/08/2021 16:45

We used testing for all

MakeItRain · 13/08/2021 12:21

Does anyone know if, if you're only going to France for 48 hours, it's OK that you get your "return to uk" pcr test (within 72 hours) in England on the day you actually travel TO France? Or is there some rule that means you'd need to book/ have that test actually in France?

Also, what are the rules for quarantining on return now? I keep reading conflicting reports Confused It looks as though you don't need to quarantine on return at the moment, but you do need a day 2 pcr test, is that right?

Thanks for any help.