Would you risk traveling to France right now, given the need for 24 hr PCR test?

[BowlofRamen]

Hi,

I know it's good news that they're finally opening up to the UK again, but apparently even if you're fully vaccinated, you're still required to take a PCR 24hr before departure. We have booked a hotel room (due to travel in a couple of months) but it says it needs 48hrs notice of cancellation. Same everywhere else and that's a s@#$ load of money to lose if we were to test positive. Can't see anything in the T&C about covid exceptions, so we're basically risking losing all our money...right?

DP doesn't think it's worth the risk, but I honestly can't see France changing their rules any time soon and we have our reasons for wanting to go ASAP. Obviously we've had to put them on ice for the past couple of years, but I just feel like if we're waiting for things to be risk free, we'll be waiting a very long time.

Thoughts?

TIA

I'd go, but you need to make sure your travel insurance covers that senario (i.e. contracting covid before you leave)

For most people the 24 versus 48 hours test won't make much difference - most hotels insist on more notice of cancellation than the one you have booked.

I think France also accept a lateral flow test within 24 hours. (That doesn't help your dilemma, but makes things logistically easier and cheaper!)

Also, Austria have just announced they are relaxing their travel rules soon (to no test needed if you've had a booster). As your trip is a couple of months away still, there's a reasonable chance French rules may relax by then.

Thanks @ArialAnna. Yes, I really hope so. Dp is very risk averse, but I really don't want to miss out on this opportunity. It should be very special.

Get yourselves travel insurance that covers for covid, cancellation due to testing positive, also one that covers for extra hotel isolation costs and additional travelling costs. I wouldn’t want to go to France at the moment, they had 400,000 positive cases yesterday, but hopefully cases will drop like the uk soon.

Dont do a PCR test if a LFT is accepted. PCRs are three times the price and you have to wait for results. A 24 hr PCR is almost impossible unless you do the 3 hour turn around but the locations to do this are few and far between. I know that Express Test at Heathrow do them.