Getting Covid on holiday overseas

[LivesinLondon2000]

I have quite a few friends who went on holiday overseas over Christmas and none were particularly worried about the prospect of catching Covid while away and needing to isolate there.

We cancelled our holiday as that’s my main worry - being potentially stuck in a hotel room with my DC whilst I try to work remotely for 2 weeks and DH missing 2 weeks of work (not a job you can do remotely). Now I’m wondering whether to go away at half term. What do other people think? Is it too risky? DH can’t really risk an unplanned 2 weeks off work so probably the answer is yes.

And what would do you if you got a positive test abroad? One article I read (in the Telegraph I think) was about a family in Austria whose son tested positive while they were there and they needed to isolate. And all the comments below the article just said things like ‘why did you bother testing him?’ and ‘you should have lied about the result and flown home anyway’. This seems pretty immoral to my view but I just wondered if this was a common attitude/opinion.

Wow. What a lot of bastards there are. When I did it in the summer, I had to go to a covid centre on the outskirts of the Eastern European town I was in and let someone shove something up my nose, who emailed me the result. I think you could also do it online by video with someone watching you to make sure it was your result. It must be really different, or corruptible, now

User1472, all props to Greek govt for financing that, even post Brexit

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-59833262

I'm not sure there was much point half way through the flight, but she tried.

When I went abroad in the summer I did a in clinic LFT test undertaken by a nurse and a supervised test the second time.

I am staggered that you can effectively NOT do a test and it shows up as negative as a pp states. So I have just tried and blow me - they are 100% correct.

What is the point of these tests bar giving loads of money to testing companies!!

TUI always allowed photographic tests.
.

We’ve all had covid over Christmas so I’m seriously considering going away in Feb half term on the basis we are v unlikely to get it again so soon.
Plus we all had positive PCRs so can prove previous infection.
Otherwise no, I wouldn’t consider it right now because I couldn’t manage isolating abroad in a small space with small DC.

We kind of hooed we'd test positive when we were abroad, free extra week in the sun! We took out the insurance that would pay for the hotel room and change of flight, and we would have sat out on our balcony all day in the sun, and just had food deluvered to the room

We went on a TUI holiday this past December. We had a lateral flow test at Gatwick (by a person). And them again 48h before our return to the UK, done in medical centre by a doctor. 3rd test was a PCR when we got back (this one we did ourselves) and had to isolate until we got negative results.
The country we went to had something like 7 cases a day when we went. Apart from being in our room, we spent the entire holiday outside.
I could have gone and visited a friend of mine in Glasgow without any testing, spent time in local pubs etc. I think it was a much safer to holiday abroad. Was prepared to get stuck there etc, but for those saying it’s selfish to travel I can’t see why. It’s a huge palaver and expensive, but I would be more likely to contract covid travelling around the U.K. untested. Plus the staff at the hotel were so grateful to have work again, many had no income for 18 months.

The testing aspect (in terms of cost, hassle and risk of having to isolate abroad) has put me off going abroad. I know lots of people who have and most have whinged about the extra forms/tests/cost as if its a surprise I know its always changing but its not a secret that there are extra procedures (whether "cheatable" or not ) so it shouldn't really be a surprise.
We are in a similar position @CovidForChristmas that weve currently got covid which made me think I would consider stuff in the new year that I previously thought was too risky (going to a show for example...or booking a holiday abroad - although obviously there would still be the additional cost of testing etc)

@TheNinjaWife
Agree that the risk where you went with 7 cases a day is very low. I think I would be ok with that too.
But in ski resorts in Europe (which I am tentatively planning for Feb half term) the risk would potentially be much higher - not just the flight and transfer but the other indoor spaces - hotel, ski gondolas, restaurants etc. Especially as the resorts we usually go to are full of other British people - though think Omicron cases are just as high in France now too.

If the number of Covid cases goes down sufficiently that I can be reasonably confident I won’t catch it on holiday I will go. But I don’t think I would be comfortable with faking the test so that’s not an option for me

We've just spent the most glorious week in Portugal in the sun. Walking on the beaches, eating outside. Has been lovely. All my friends at home seem to have developed covid over Christmas so it felt safer to be in the Algarve than home.

We had to test at a centre before we left as the Portuguese government don't accept self tests very sensibly if you can cheat them. We did the ones to come home where a doctor watches you do them, you hold the negative results up to a video link and they sign you off.

It was a pain to do all the additional tests and forms. Adds another level of PITA to travelling which is never stress free in the first place. So I did moan about it whilst at the same time understanding whilst it was required and also thinking it was worth it for the relaxing week we had.

Camper van

You’ve been had off I think

The tests abroad to return are a uk requirement - nothing to do with Portugal so you can do any test you want inc video or photo

@Watapalava

Camper van

You’ve been had off I think

The tests abroad to return are a uk requirement - nothing to do with Portugal so you can do any test you want inc video or photo

Indeed why would portugal government be bothered about which tests you have to leave the country?

The same LFT tests are available to anyone coming back to the UK regardless of where from.

I’m pleased you had a lovely holiday but I’m sure you would have thought differently if you tested positive while there. You were in “holiday mode” but case rates are sky high in portugal too. You were lucky!

You misunderstand. We had to test to get into Portugal at a centre as they don't accept home certified tests. There was a couple in front of us going in who were pulled to one side as they had the wrong antigen tests. It's a 300 euro fine each and you have to pay for a proper test to be done at the airport.

www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/portugal-fined-tens-of-airlines-hundreds-of-passengers-who-failed-to-meet-covid-19-entry-rules/

And I have to say, in our private villa and walking on the empty beaches we felt far safer than our friends back in the UK who were dropping like flies with covid. Mask wearing strictly enforced in Portugal and negative tests required for entry into bars and restaurants.

ah so you were talking about entry to portugal

we were talking about test to return to uk hence confusion

Just come home from Thailand. I was worried a lot but it was all fine xx

It doesn't matter how safe one feels, or how much better everyone else abroad is at wearing masks than us dreadful Brits.

Fact is getting stuck abroad with a positive covid test ( which with the high incidence and transmissibility of Omicron is a fair likelihood) is likely to be a costly and stressful matter.

My main concern is the kids school. We only travel “home” to visit family- where we have a place to stay for free and our e111 health card would still cover. We’d have laptops and could easily work remotely if needed for the 2 weeks (or more) it could take for a family of 4 to play pass-the-virus game. But DS1 is doing A levels, and there is no chance at all I’d risk his mock exams, considering that they might be used for teacher assessed grades….

Exactly @cherin, DS also has exams this year so we need to weigh up the likelihood of any one of us testing positive whilst abroad and missing at least a weeks school.

Yes, we didn't have that worry so would have been happy to stay longer if necessary. Tbh we had covid this time last year quite badly, are double vaxxed and boosted recently. I am no longer prepared to restrict my life on the slight possibility that I could still get an illness. I'm determined to live my life as fully as possible now and that includes going away as much as I can whilst staying within legal restrictions.

They are scrapping pre-departure tests this week apparently. So no test will be required to get back into England, just the day 2 PCRs when you get back which no one actually checks if you have done or not, no one I know who has travelled over Xmas has sent back their day 2s and nothing has happened the same when they were in place over summer. They are pointless and there to basically make money for Boris and his mates.

@rookiemere
That’s it exactly. Also I am not worried about catching Covid on holiday and being ill- being triple vaccinated I would expect it to be a mild illness - it’s literally just the being stuck abroad in quarantine and unable to return home that bothers me.

@Katie517
That is very good news indeed. Maybe there is an end on sight!

I am travelling internationally 2-3 times a month, have been throughout most of the pandemic, and I agree. Only go abroad if you’re prepared to isolate there after a positive test, only go if you have good insurance or a solid contingency plan for if something goes wrong.

The cheating on tests is absolutely disgusting. There are many people who travel out of necessity, not because they want a ski holiday or a week in the sun. Granted, 99.99% of people are honest, thankfully, but it’s despicable that some aren’t.

In France however the general attitude was everyone has it so who cares.
The attitude of the French, or the tourists in that resort? Because I often go to France for work and that is definitely not the general attitude. People are trying their best not to catch it, and they most definitely would care if half a plane was positive people flying back home.

I’m only travelling to countries where I’d feel comfortable and confident enough to isolate and navigate all the rule changes that might happen whilst out there. I have my first trips since Covid to North America and the Far East, in the next few months. Extra insurance cover and plan Bs have been put in place for when I’m that far away.

There’s no more risk of catching Covid on a trip abroad, than at home. Unless you have a very quiet life and don’t go to work/school or out regularly. There’s more risk taking 4 trains a day and going to the shops, out to work, restaurants… than it is to fly, so I’m not more scared of it than I am of normal life at home.

@cherin
Eek! Hadn’t thought about the ‘pass the virus around the family’ aspect either - if you were really unlucky it could be weeks before you all tested negative 😱

I didn't go overseas until they (temporarily) dropped all testing in Spain, the only test I took was on arrival home (2 day lft) which was negative. I didn't want to be stuck overseas. I'm not able to wfh, well not for more than a couple of days. I didn't get symptoms from covid so wasn't worried about getting ill overseas, a positive test but well is more frustrating!