Covid test for travelling abroad - anyone know if this is ok?

[Mumoftwoinprimary]

Going on holiday to Spain with unvaccinated 12 year old. (Before anyone comments she got Covid the week before her twelfth birthday so we haven’t been able to vaccinate her. Can’t use “evidence of recovery” as we didn’t get her a PCR as advised not to at that time.)

So she needs to pass a Covid test. That’s fine - we intend to effectively quarantine ourselves for a week before so we’d have to be really unlucky for her to be positive. Rest of us are all fully vaccinated.

Can’t agree with Dh how to get a test.

We can either do a PCR within 72 hours or an LFT within 24 hours.

We are travelling with Tui and they are advising a £13 LFT test where you do the test and then send a photo of the -ve test to them and then they send you a certificate. But surely that is ridiculous - only weird obsessive (like me!) would do the test properly. Anyone else would just run it under the tabs and go “yay - negative!”

We can pay significantly more and have a “filmed test” which seems better to me but Dh thinks that there is no point in paying if the result is the same.

Or I could drive to our nearest airport and pay lots more and get a PCR 2 days before (my first choice) and then we’d definitely be ok. But Dh thinks we should go with “what Tui advises”. Which rather conveniently is the cheap test that you can cheat on.

Anyone got any experience of this?

And I am starting to see why my parents caught Covid from their recent holiday…..

On our holiday at Christmas we had to use the picture of negative test ones to return to the UK. I'm pretty sure we weren't the only ones who did an NHS test first (as they were free then) to confirm we were negative before doing the official ones. It did seem a stupid system... (we were negative. What we would have done if one of us was positive... we honestly don't know. )

We got a notification after we got back that someone on the flight was positive (had to do PcR when we got back as well)

I am not sure of your logic. Many countries accept this type of test - yes open to abuse but that is their choice. If Spain will accept this test I don’t see why you would pay more for something unnecessary?

A few countries do specify an observed test but it is pretty easy to check the rules for individual countries online.

I don't understand your logic

Just go for the cheapest test

I am not sure of your logic. Many countries accept this type of test - yes open to abuse but that is their choice. If Spain will accept this test I don’t see why you would pay more for something unnecessary?

Logic?!?! 😂 Now is probably the moment to mention that I’ve been having treatment for anxiety and anything to do with travel or logistics or going places seems to be where I struggle most. Average number of times checking that swimming costume is still in ds’s swimming bag whilst travelling to swimming lesson - about 9.

I’m hoping that lots of people will tell me I’m being an idiot and then I can go back to worrying about what happens if I forget my prescription sunglasses….

Just get her vaccinated, nobody is going to ask when/if she’s had covid.

That probably would have been the best thing but too late now!

There is no logic.

Someone who had their last vaccine 269 days ago doesn't need a test but could have covid.

Someone could cheat the test, and still have covid.

So stop being all reasonable and logical. You need a certified test. Do it in the cheapest and most convenient way for you.

Have a fabulous holiday.

Thanks. I think I needed someone to point all that out.