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Original poster

French Uk travel advice.

24 replies

Frenchforkids3 · 19/07/2021 20:37

Evening all

I am currently in France and need to take my children back to their father in the UK and then go back to my family in France. Can I do a (Eurostar) same day round trip without quarantine? I’ve called Eurostar and honestly they couldn’t tell me (as I’ll be going straight back on) and I’ve tweeted the home office. No response.
Fwiw I’m double vaxxed and a french citizen.
We do this every summer. I head to France for 8 weeks and the kids do 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off and it generally works. Not sure if it will this time.
Kids are 13 and 11- too young to travel unaccompanied minor.
Does anyone have a clue?

OP posts:
Original poster
Frenchforkids3 · 19/07/2021 21:09

A very hopeful bumo

OP posts:
Original poster
Frenchforkids3 · 19/07/2021 21:09

*bump obvs!

OP posts:
TakeYourFinalPosition · 19/07/2021 21:14

There used to be an exemption for if you were 'passing through' the UK, or needed to leave quarantine to fly elsewhere, but I can't find any mention of it in the guidelines anymore - and the rules on France are pretty harsh, even people double-vaccinated here need to quarantine for 10 days regardless.

Could Dad come and get them? Although he'd then have to quarantine for 10 days on return, so the 2 weeks on/2 weeks off might be difficult until the rules change.

I hope someone comes along with better news, but I really can't find anything useful on the Gov website!

Original poster
Frenchforkids3 · 19/07/2021 21:41

Thanks. I thought there was something like that but I can’t find it. No. Dad won’t come and get them. To be fair he is due to drop them off after 2 weeks so I can’t be too harsh on him.
This somewhat screws our plans. As if I don’t get them out there without quarantine I can’t get them back to be with their grandparents and cousins. I don’t have anything to entertain them if we all have to come back but at this point I don’t see an option.

Really frustrating as this is the first time they have seen their family since 2019!

OP posts:
underneaththeash · 20/07/2021 08:59

Surely, they’d have to quarantine for 10 days (so most of his 2 weeks) when they get back anyway - they wouldn’t be able to do anything (and the tests are astronomical!)
I honestly think it will change, I’d just ask dad if he can wait a couple of weeks and then have them for 4 weeks.

underneaththeash · 20/07/2021 09:03

I’ve just read on the website that your 13 year old can travel without a parent. Just send him/her back.
My kids had done similar length trips by that age to see grandma and were fine.

Abraxan · 20/07/2021 09:15

Can they fly unaccompanied instead?
Depending on airline they would be eligible.

Cherryana · 20/07/2021 09:29

What about changing your two weeks on to this year they spend five weeks in france and last week in UK and on day five do test to release. Dad then has them for all of Easter or something? Or just different this year because it’s exceptional?

Marmitemarinaded · 20/07/2021 09:31

What happens if you just don’t quarantine? Ie are they checking? If not, I’d just keep a low profile, mainly at home, garden, and out early or late and not highly populated

Marmitemarinaded · 20/07/2021 09:32

@Abraxan

Can they fly unaccompanied instead? Depending on airline they would be eligible.
My children similar ages and this would utterly and completely terrify me
Marmitemarinaded · 20/07/2021 09:33

@underneaththeash

I’ve just read on the website that your 13 year old can travel without a parent. Just send him/her back. My kids had done similar length trips by that age to see grandma and were fine.
And split the siblings And father doesn’t see his other child And other child doesn’t see his father ???
Kralia · 20/07/2021 09:38

"my children similar ages and this would utterly and completely terrify me"

I flew alone quite a few times as a child starting from the age of 7 or so. They don't just leave you to it! You are accompanied by a stewardess or airline staff pretty much the entire time, even once you're sitting on the plane they come and check on you (and take you to the cabin and pretend to fly the plane, but that one probably only back in 1984!)

Marmitemarinaded · 20/07/2021 09:43

@Kralia

"my children similar ages and this would utterly and completely terrify me"

I flew alone quite a few times as a child starting from the age of 7 or so. They don't just leave you to it! You are accompanied by a stewardess or airline staff pretty much the entire time, even once you're sitting on the plane they come and check on you (and take you to the cabin and pretend to fly the plane, but that one probably only back in 1984!)

That’s great

Doesn’t have the slightest impact on fact that it would terrify me to think of my 11 and 13 year old internationally flying alone

And I suspect I am far from alone

underneaththeash · 20/07/2021 09:59

@Marmitemarinaded it's only one occasion and it can be nice to have some one on one time with a parent. I assume you have younger children, when they get older they appreciate the time.
Otherwise dad is unlikely to see either of them.

Marmitemarinaded · 20/07/2021 10:04

[quote underneaththeash]@Marmitemarinaded it's only one occasion and it can be nice to have some one on one time with a parent. I assume you have younger children, when they get older they appreciate the time.
Otherwise dad is unlikely to see either of them.[/quote]
I’m divorced
Two children

And personally I wouldn’t split my two and they wouldn’t want to either

However if the siblings are happy with that, then great.

But needs to be entirely their decision re whether they are split or not

notimagain · 20/07/2021 10:13

As TakeYourFinalPosition has said the rules used to quite clearly state something along the lines you could leave quarantine at any time to travel direct to a port to leave the UK…I suspect that must still be the case but can’t see it explicitly stated.

The bigger problem I can see is that as far as I am aware is that by the letter of the law even if you only plan on U-turning in the UK and returning to France the same day the rules still require you to take a PCR test before travel and to book a 2 and 8 day test even if you are not going to be in the UK long enough to take them….AFAIK there’s no provision for a short or very short stay.

TwoBlondes · 20/07/2021 10:21

I'm in France too. A friend has just had to have the pre departure test and show proof of booking days 2 and 8 for a two hour stay to collect her disabled mother !

I'm hopefully going back Monday, you can PM me to see if there's any possibility of them coming in my car!

Original poster
Frenchforkids3 · 20/07/2021 11:48

Thanks everyone. Splitting them isn’t an option and there is another child (toddler) so it wouldn’t be 1on 1 time. Also, if we go back we don’t have childcare for toddler (as they are taken care of by their grandparents). I looked into flying and it seems from 13 onwards. Ex isn’t willing for us to extend here.
If we do the pcr, book the 2 and 8 day tests I can drop and then turn around? No idea how we’ll get them back in 2 weeks.
The whole thing is making our holiday very stressful!

OP posts:
Original poster
Frenchforkids3 · 20/07/2021 11:51

@Cherryana dad is very inflexible. I suppose it’s his right, it just really stings as they haven’t seen these GP in 18 months. @underneaththeash asked and it was a very rude no. Lots of uncalled for language!

OP posts:
notimagain · 20/07/2021 12:48

If we do the pcr, book the 2 and 8 day tests I can drop and then turn around

AFAIK yes and Twoblondes has referred to somebody doing exactly that in her post.

Wtfdoipick · 20/07/2021 15:55

Does the dad realise that the children need to isolate so they aren't going to be visiting grandparents etc. At those ages they are going to have to have someone with them so it would mean dad isolating too (currently stuck home with a close contact child doing isolation and it's hell)

Cosybelles · 20/07/2021 16:00

Can the father of the children meet you at the Eurostar terminal so you barely have to enter the country - you can just see them through to arrivals and then get back on the return train?

notimagain · 20/07/2021 16:35

@Cosybelles

Can the father of the children meet you at the Eurostar terminal so you barely have to enter the country - you can just see them through to arrivals and then get back on the return train?
Unfortunately “barely entering” the UK from France doesn’t really help that much…

There’s still the requirement for a PCR test, and to have proof of having booked and paid for 2 and 8 day tests prior to starting the journey.

The only way around this might be is if there’s a facility at St.Pancras (?) to remain outside of the UK whilst transferring from the inbound train to the outbound train…a bit analogous to the airside transits/transfers that are performed at some airports.

Original poster
Frenchforkids3 · 20/07/2021 22:44

@Wtfdoipick apparently he’s not going to self isolate. I’ve tried to reason but it’s a no. It’s frustrating (equality id imagine for him he’s frustrated as we’re in France and now need to self isolate. )

We’re just going to head to the Uk and have to have the pcr test, book the 2&8 day tests and then when I’m back in France see what happened with the teens. I’m going to say you need to have them later and then head back and see where the chips fall.

Honestly. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone. First time I’ve really thought a blended family doesn’t Work!

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