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Original poster

Traffic light system for holidays

99 replies

Butterflyfluff · 04/04/2021 11:10

If what’s in the media today is correct, even green countries will require 3 tests to / upon return

And that’s before any tests needed to enter the destination country

All those tests are going to make family holidays really expensive

There also doesn’t seem to be any benefit of being vaccinated - there were rumours that vaccinated people could avoid quarantine if they had been to amber countries but there’s no mention of that today as far as I can see

I don’t agree that being vaccinated should be the only way trial is allowed as not everyone has had a chance to be vaccinated yet, but surely it should have some benefits

OP posts:
Alfaix · 04/04/2021 11:49

Interesting. Looking forward to hearing the details on this.

User27aw · 04/04/2021 11:55

Im a bit confused by all this. Do you do the test at the airport before you return? What happens if you test positive? Are there going to be quarantine hotels at the airports and ferry ports?

LittleRen · 04/04/2021 12:01

You do the test once you are home on days 2 and 8

Original poster
Butterflyfluff · 04/04/2021 12:01

Do you do the test at the airport before you return?

It sound like that test needs to be 72 hours prior to travel - goodness know what happens if it’s positive

OP posts:
Elcantador · 04/04/2021 12:03

I think there will be an annoucement tommorow.
Although things can still change in the next few months. EU countries will ramp up their vaccination program and rates can look very different by say July.
If travel to/ from green countries will still require tests then , as you said, will become very pricey. And i guess for some ppl it will be too much.
I have my wedding abroad, in my home country, in August, so i will definitely go, even if i have to jump throughh many hoops but i suspect most of my UK guests wont attend, sadly. And understandably. Unless the cost of private PCR tests will go down greatly by the summer.

LittleRen · 04/04/2021 12:06

It would also be crazy to exclude the vaccinated from this due to the risk of new variants.

MrsWooster · 04/04/2021 12:07

Is it still the case that the day 2/day 8 test package is £210 per person? So for us adults (both vaccinated, btw) and 2 kids it would cost £840? Is this just til June 21st?

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 04/04/2021 12:07

There need to be restrictions and the fewer people that travel the better. A holiday is a want not an essential so if people want one then the costs etc are known.

StarcourtMall · 04/04/2021 12:08

Apparently there are some £30 tests that you can do
qured.com/returning-to-england/?utm_campaign=britishairways&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=website
So it might not be as expensive as the PCR tests.

TakeYourFinalPosition · 04/04/2021 12:09

Test prices are coming down. They were £250 last summer, but there were some on the Government site for £50 a few weeks ago, and some countries will allow cheaper antigen tests rather than the full PCR tests. Spain will, for example. Although I’d imagine the price will shoot up again if demand exceeds lab capacity like it did before...

But I think even after tomorrow, it’s still going to all be quite up in the air for a while. Most of Europe is likely to be out of bounds if we set the status by amount of people vaccinated...

The initial leaked list was Israel, Portugal, Granada, the US, Mexico, Barbados and Canada, I think. So not really cheap holidays, except maybe Portugal; which will presumably have insane competition...

TakeYourFinalPosition · 04/04/2021 12:12

@MrsWooster No; there are a variety of providers now so the rates change, there are some for £40/50, all the way up to £250. It really depends on capacity and demand when you go... so it could be £160, or it could be £840

Oblomov21 · 04/04/2021 12:14

Sounds ok. This could work.

Elcantador · 04/04/2021 12:15

@LittleRen

You do the test once you are home on days 2 and 8
For green countries people wont need to self isolate at home after returning, ergo no tests on day 2 and day 8. The propsal is that however they still need to do a test when returning. So user27aw was asking how that would be done. That is a good question. Do ppl need to do a test when they fly in right at the airport to show at immigration? Or before they fly, so at the departure airport? That would be a lot to process at any airport and cause huge delays. Currently it is done within 72 hours before you fly back in but because you can stil catch it after , there is the 10 days quarantine at home with the 2 tests.
StarcourtMall · 04/04/2021 12:16

Telegraph are also saying that fully vaccinated people could also avoid quarantine and just take one test before boarding the flight, although I’m sure that would just be for green countries.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 04/04/2021 12:45

Seems too complicated for me. I'll wait until next year.

User1234123 · 04/04/2021 13:26

Just booked a late August trip to France, hoping to make my Romania booking today too for the same month!

Anticipating that all the testing/quarantine requirements will lead to a surge of August/September bookings and price increases.... I think the ulterior motive with this system is to try and stop big groups travelling to be honest...

MaxNormal · 04/04/2021 14:03

At present, given the countries on the green list and the cost of tests, travel is going to be beyond the means of most families.
Presumably the picture will change in a few months though when places like Spain have got further with their vaccine roll-outs.

CuthbertDibbleandGrubb · 04/04/2021 14:29

I think the issue it will not resolve is the impact of any changes to red or yellow for any country, or the fear that this may happen if there is a change for one country which is a popular destination for Uk holidaymakers.

vaxmeup · 04/04/2021 14:37

Still too risky for me, if I went away for 2 weeks I'd be worried about the destination country 'turning red' during the trip and needing hotel quarantine etc..

Lemons1571 · 04/04/2021 17:16

We’ve cancelled our fully refundable summer holiday. It’s all too complicated and risky for a large family. I understand if you test positive before you start your return journey, you have to stay in your holiday destination for another 10 days as you can’t board the plane.

User27aw · 04/04/2021 17:23

@Lemons1571

We’ve cancelled our fully refundable summer holiday. It’s all too complicated and risky for a large family. I understand if you test positive before you start your return journey, you have to stay in your holiday destination for another 10 days as you can’t board the plane.
What happens if you dont have anywhere to stay? We have booked a villa in Spain for August but we wouldnt be able stay there for another 10 days if one of use test positive. What do you do then, frantically try and book a hotel and new flights? All sounds too risky to me.
EileenGC · 04/04/2021 17:45

Do you do the test at the airport before you return?

Yes, you need to show a negative test before getting on your returning flight. This is how half the world has worked for the last year. I’ve taken countless ‘travelling tests’ to show at airport each time I’ve flown this year.

I had a family member visiting jus this past week - from Spain to Germany just to give an example of how these two countries are working on this.

To begin with, the particular airline they flew with (and the vast majority of airlines in general now) don’t issue online boarding passes anymore. You are only issued a pass when you present all the required paperwork at the airport.

My relative took an antigen (15 min result) test the day before departure, in Spain. €40. At the airport she went to the check in counter where they printed the boarding passes only after they saw proof of negative result. The check in area wasn’t any busier because they’d opened more counters and had more staff processing all of these people’s tests and other paperwork.

Their region in Spain isn’t even a risk area anymore (so would’ve been green in the UK), but since last week Germany demands a negative test for everyone returning the country.

Landing in Germany they were again asked for their test. 72h before going back to Spain, they had to take a PCR and pay for an extra identity certificate which is compulsory when flying into Spain, again from anywhere in the world right now. Less than 10 exceptions for countries such as Aus, NZ... Another €80. Result within 24h.

At the airport they went to the check in counter again. Passport, negative test, and Spanish health form QR with travel history, negative test upload, and details of residence at destination. Only then was a boarding pass issued.

It will vary so much from country to country. Spain only accepts PCRs within 72h with identify certificate. Germany accepts antigen or PCR within 48h. Both require health forms to be completed in certain cases. This changes weekly. It will continue changing weekly.

There will be uncertainty. Travel will be possible but with all of the above added to it. If one person can easily spend €150 on tests, that’s €600k for a family of four. Not very doable for most people.

They’re slowly finding new ways of making this easier. Germany now offers free antigen tests for everyone who wants one. If you come back from a risk area you need 2-3 tests over a 5-10 day period, but you can get them for free. Other countries are looking at replicating this. The airport my relative flew out from us now trialling a system where everyone uploads their negative tests and QRs to the airline’s website 24h before flying. These are checked remotely and you can then get your boarding passes on the day, which eases the pressure on the check in counters. It’s all trail and error. It will change countless times between now and summer. And every country will do it differently... 😅

EileenGC · 04/04/2021 17:47

Too many typos on that... stupid phone!

Alma2021 · 04/04/2021 18:53

Fyi you can get free PCR tests everywhere in France (even as a foreigner) and receive an official form from the lab with the result within 6-10 hours, which is valid for travel. Have done several UK/France trips this year with family and always been very smooth (unlike the tests in the UK which are complicated and expensive).

Abraxan · 04/04/2021 20:38

A number of hotels and a number of holiday packages have said they include a necessary covid test.

We have a holiday booked for the US in October half term. The flight can be changed up to 2 hours before flying. I'm wondering if that is to allow for an airport covid test.

Both me and dh will be fully vaccinated, plus I do twice weekly LFTs. 19 Dd will have had her first by then, if not her second and also does twice weekly LFTs.

It.l be annoying if they don't take the vaccines into account when it comes to quarantine and expensive testing.