Support thread for those with family abroad

[Schulte]

Anyone interested in a support thread for those of us who have family abroad, and don't know if we can see them this year? I had started to feel all positive and optimistic about going back to my home country this summer to see my parents, but it's now looking far from certain and I'm feeling increasingly depressed.

I thought maybe we can cheer each other up and share the latest on border openings, how and where to get tests for travel, etc.

Anyone?

Oh good luck, Schulte! I hope all goes well and you enjoy your trip.

Glad you made it @Schulte

Have a lovely time.

So glad you made it @Schulte!
And indeed once you are actually in the middle of the journey it's not that bad, it's more not knowing in advance what and when various passport controls/airlines might need from you!
But it is doable!

Have a great holiday @Schulte!

Thank you all. Got to hug my mum and dad today. Such a special moment. So hoping you all get to go home too!

FT story...
www.ft.com/content/bdf4dd3e-0b25-4bcb-bb4c-c3fbf7ae1ad1

England set to welcome double-jabbed US and EU tourists

From the story...

Boris Johnson is on Wednesday expected to approve the reopening of England’s doors to double-vaccinated tourists from the EU and the US.

Whitehall officials said UK ministers, led by chancellor Rishi Sunak, had pushed the prime minister to act, arguing that it was safe to start readmitting foreign tourists without the need for quarantine if they had received two jabs.

“It could take effect from as early as next week,” said one Whitehall official briefed on the ministerial discussions. “Rishi has been leading the way on this.”

Arrivals from the EU and US would have to take a test pre-departure and repeat the process on day two of their stay.

The decision to reopen England to EU tourists was made easier after the bloc started issuing citizens with a digital health pass from the start of this month.

Opening up to double-vaccinated US travellers is more complicated since the American system of proof is paper-based and organised at a state level.

But government officials said ministers were confident that US travellers with an American passport and a paper certificate would provide the reassurance needed.

Airlines expect to be asked to check passengers’ documentation at check-in, and have been conducting trials with travellers from the US and EU to try to push ministers into opening up travel for vaccinated visitors.

Glad you made it @Schulte!!

Sorry been off the Thread for a while, been trying to avoid the negativity...I'm now down to just down to a couple days before I fly out. I just don't feel excited though. Normally by now I'm absolutely buzzing but I've had to faff about so much with this trip, and the ever present fear of more covid and more restrictions that I just don't feel excited.
Will someone tell me just to give my head a wobble?

@LivinLaVidaLoki I was the same, wasn’t even looking forward to it and thought so much could go wrong. I was really grumpy before we left! But once we had cleared border controls and were on our way it felt great. So hang in there!

@LivinLaVidaLoki

Sorry been off the Thread for a while, been trying to avoid the negativity...I'm now down to just down to a couple days before I fly out. I just don't feel excited though. Normally by now I'm absolutely buzzing but I've had to faff about so much with this trip, and the ever present fear of more covid and more restrictions that I just don't feel excited. Will someone tell me just to give my head a wobble?

@LivinLaVidaLoki I felt like you last week. Full of anxiety and loads of problems. I told everyone I’ll be happy once I land. But also I’m trying to protect myself here because of the pcrs back. So only meeting people outdoors (apart from parents and sisters) and mask all the time

Btw I read that today bojo might announced that Europeans can travel quarantine free if vaccinated

Glad you made it @Schulte. We have done the reverse and got back from Germany to the U.K. terrible delays on the way here.

And now we are seeing mixed advice on whether under 18s have to quarantine in Germany when travelling with vaccinated parents 🤦‍♀️

So I understood that they have to quarantine in Germany but can do test to release on day 5. However, I then got an email from the local health authorities here after we arrived to say my DDs could come out of quarantine straight away because we're visiting close relatives. Not sure that helps you though if you live in Germany!

I am always grumpy before travelling, so no change here.

@Schulte perhaps I could say the children are visiting me?!

It sounds like the decision has been made to allow vaccinated EU and US travellers into the U.K. with full details to be announced later today.

Rule change is from Monday

Can I ask a reeeeally stupid question?

If people from the EU and the US can travel freely without having to quarantine on arrival to the UK, then why do people travelling back from the UK from these destinations still have to piss about with a traffic lights system? I understand that vaccinated you can travel to Amber and not quarantine, but now we have the constant threat of "Amber plus" seems a bit bloody ridiculous......

@LivinLaVidaLoki

Can I ask a reeeeally stupid question?

If people from the EU and the US can travel freely without having to quarantine on arrival to the UK, then why do people travelling back from the UK from these destinations still have to piss about with a traffic lights system? I understand that vaccinated you can travel to Amber and not quarantine, but now we have the constant threat of "Amber plus" seems a bit bloody ridiculous......

Amber plus as far as I read yesterday wasn’t going to continue. They were going to remove it for France (and not add Spain nor Greece) so a European would have same conditions as someone from Uk returning to uk

It’d not make sense otherwise

I was wrong.
France is still amber plus
Tougher rules will continue to be in place for France, which is on the amber list but still requires travellers to quarantine when they return, even if they are fully vaccinated.

At the moment it seems arrivals from France will still have to quarantine. Decision about Amber plus not until next week. Beta variant now 2.3%. They are muppets.

@LivinLaVidaLoki

Can I ask a reeeeally stupid question?

If people from the EU and the US can travel freely without having to quarantine on arrival to the UK, then why do people travelling back from the UK from these destinations still have to piss about with a traffic lights system? I understand that vaccinated you can travel to Amber and not quarantine, but now we have the constant threat of "Amber plus" seems a bit bloody ridiculous......

Only double vaccinated people though. If you travel from an amber country and are not vaccinated you have to quarantine

Just saw this:
*France will return to the amber list when the Government quietly shelves the amber-plus list at the next traffic-light review, according to travel experts.

Just weeks after the Ministry for Transport carved out special rules for France, requiring self-isolation for returning travellers regardless of vaccination status, the ad-hoc category, dubbed amber plus, is set to scrapped*

inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/travel/france-back-amber-plus-quarantine-restrictions-end-next-travel-update-1123449

Sorry @GinMama1 I forgot to add that.

I made it to France a week ago with my 17 year old daughter. Eurostar was fine, she took an antigen test the evening before and I am double jabbed. We got to hug and spend a week with my parents (85+) which was so lovely after not seeing them in person for 12 months.
We are spending a few days in Paris before we take the Eurostar back on Thursday 5th August. If the quarantine rules are still in place when we leave, and change shortly afterwards, will our quarantine instantly end?