Portugal this year?

[Realitea]

Taking a holiday amidst all this has been the last thing on my mind. I hadn’t even considered it.
But we’ve just been offered a free one to Portugal this summer. I’m still shocked really and I feel apprehensive.
Do you need to pay for tests before and after? How safe really would the airport and plane be? What are cases like over there?
I don’t know what to do. Half is saying don’t go the other half is saying go. Me and Dh would both have had our 2nd jabs, dd won’t as she’s a child.
Opinions please!

Grab it with both hands!

I’ve booked to go. You need to have a pcr test within 72 hours of the flight out there and one again on return. It does push the price up slightly (£100 a swab…) but we’re going to visit family and you can’t put a price on that

Thanks, that’s the first extra cost there then. So that would be £600 for us three on tests alone 😲

It’s not £100/test, pcr tests are about £60 and a lot of airlines have discount codes

That’s a relief. We are rather skint thanks to covid

PCR's will drop in price.
BA are offering them for £33.
Many other companies £50 and that is said to drop.
Boots are offering £160 for all tests: day 2, 8 and an extra one.
EasyJet £60.

Where are BA offering them for £33?

We fly to madeira two weeks today - don’t need a PCR to go in as we’re both fully vaccinated but need to book a day 2 test when we get home.

Hostess only quoting what seen:

That’s interesting, we will have both had two vaccines aswell and we would be flying with BA

You also need a PCR test in Portugal 72 hours after arriving!

Aah @Oblomov21 - thats a lateral flow test to take out with you, to cover the requirement for a pre departure test.

@Realitea the rules for madeira are slightly different to mainland portugal. As we’ve both had both vaccines, we need to have a pre departure test before we come home (€15-20 euros each and apparently the hotel will sort it, then we need to book a pcr test for day 2 when we get home.

This is a really useful link...

www.find-travel-test-provider.service.gov.uk/test-type

@PinguTheLion do you have a link for that? I can’t find anything online about testing in Portugal 72h after arrival.

I would say go as long as you are prepared for the possibility of a positive test hindering your return (yes even vaccinated people can still test positive) or the countries status changing and requiring quarantine on return. If you are on board with those possibilities (unlikely but still a chance) then go ahead and enjoy your holiday.

@TownTalkJewels I don't have a link sorry but family are flying with BA next week and were told that they need one and where to get it

@jumpbounce

I would say go as long as you are prepared for the possibility of a positive test hindering your return (yes even vaccinated people can still test positive) or the countries status changing and requiring quarantine on return. If you are on board with those possibilities (unlikely but still a chance) then go ahead and enjoy your holiday.

These would be my considerations. Do you have somewhere to isolate if one of you tests positive before your return journey? What happens to the return flights and would you have to pay to reschedule them?

If you can sort the practical requirements go for it.

I would go.
I’ll be on a plane somewhere sunny in July if I possibly can.
DH and I both double vaccinated, DS and I have just had Covid. Just need a break and think we are now far more likely to catch it here than abroad and hoping that we all now have a degree of immunity.
We can afford tests but want to go green list

I think you still need tests for green list don't you? before flying there and before flying back. And then one after returning. It's confusing though

Yes you need tests.

Where you fly from would influence my decision, and also when. The Borders Agency struggle to cope with August, which has been the month of main school holidays since the 1960s, so they have had 60 years to prepare.

I read you dont need a test before you go if you have been double vaccinated and are going to a green country.