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Original poster

Anyone been to / going to Greek islands?

865 replies

Twobigsapphires · 18/07/2021 19:05

Due to holiday on Greek Island in 2 weeks. Really anxiety inducing, anyone in the area boat or can offer reassurance?

OP posts:
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8
SwimmingUnderwater · 30/08/2021 09:57

[quote Delatron]@RockingMyFiftiesNot if you’re double vaccinated you don’t need a test to fly out to Greece. You need your PLF and vaccination certificates.

When you come back to the U.K. you need to do a LFT by an approved company or pharmacy 48 hours or less before departure. You need to have booked your day 2 test for when you are back in the U.K. as you need the code for the PLF.[/quote]
What is PLF?

RockingMyFiftiesNot · 30/08/2021 09:59

@SwimmingUnderwater it's the Passenger Locator Form you need to complete before arriving.

Delatron · 30/08/2021 10:04

@Splodged there is nothing to stop people doing that if they wanted to!

becarefuloutthere · 30/08/2021 10:23

For those that have returned and are not quite double vaccinated, how long did it take before test n trace came round? I'm officially double vaxxed tomorrow so I booked a day 2 and 8 test and put on my form that I wasn't fully vaccinated. Tempted to change it tomorrow to fully vaxxed as I will be by then.

TeenTitan007 · 30/08/2021 10:33

@RockingMyFiftiesNot - c19 testing are quite cheap and fast. We used them for antigen tests both ways (took them with us for return).

silkience · 30/08/2021 16:36

Just wanted to add a smooth experience of travelling from Bristol to Crete. Used c19 to do at home antigen tests for two kids, DH and I are double vaccinated. Printed Certs of all four certificates, and also printed PLF. we were asked to show all these docs at Bristol, but could have shown on phone. At Crete airport they only asked to see PLF, nobody on our flight was tested. Out of the airport within half an hour. We are having an amazing time in Greece and hope the return journey is as smooth.

Anyone taking of doing it - do it! Totally worth the extra prep.

RockingMyFiftiesNot · 30/08/2021 17:25

[quote TeenTitan007]@RockingMyFiftiesNot - c19 testing are quite cheap and fast. We used them for antigen tests both ways (took them with us for return).[/quote]
Thank you

SwimmingUnderwater · 31/08/2021 07:50

@silkience

Just wanted to add a smooth experience of travelling from Bristol to Crete. Used c19 to do at home antigen tests for two kids, DH and I are double vaccinated. Printed Certs of all four certificates, and also printed PLF. we were asked to show all these docs at Bristol, but could have shown on phone. At Crete airport they only asked to see PLF, nobody on our flight was tested. Out of the airport within half an hour. We are having an amazing time in Greece and hope the return journey is as smooth.

Anyone taking of doing it - do it! Totally worth the extra prep.

So no antigen tests needed if double jabbed?
IsabellesMissingSock · 31/08/2021 08:08

@SwimmingUnderwater - no tests needed to go to Greece if double jabbed.

For the question about dropping water on a LFT - wouldn't that lead to an inconclusive result, rather than a negative?

SwimmingUnderwater · 31/08/2021 08:13

So just the PCR test and PLF? Tests when in resort and two days after return? Is that correct. I must sound incredibly dense but really I’m struggling to get my head round it all. Both of us are double jabbed.

IsabellesMissingSock · 31/08/2021 08:22

@SwimmingUnderwater

So just the PCR test and PLF? Tests when in resort and two days after return? Is that correct. I must sound incredibly dense but really I’m struggling to get my head round it all. Both of us are double jabbed.
It doesn't need to be a PCR test in the resort. LFT is fine (had mine yesterday). PCR test on or before day 2 after arrival in U.K. And yes, PLF. need to get mine done today in fact.
Delatron · 31/08/2021 10:28

I don’t know what happens if you just drop the liquid from the little capsule on the test rather than do the nose swab thing then put it in the liquid. I guess these tests are open to being abused. Used by the wrong person etc etc. Point being it’s all just money making and not really helpful. Other than cost and stress.

blametheparents · 31/08/2021 11:38

@Delatron
If you drop the liquid straight on the test without swabbing, then the test shows as negative. I have tried it out as an experiment!

Delatron · 31/08/2021 11:49

Ah @blametheparents I thought it would.
So the unsupervised tests are just really trusting people to do it right. I don’t know why you’d bother with the Zoom call/ doctor ones though.

blametheparents · 31/08/2021 11:53

@Delatron
Yes, those tests where you just take a photo and send that are based on a lot of trust!
Easy to say that we would all be super-honest, but if you feel fine and you know that a positive test will lead to quarantine in a Greek hotel and a later flight home, then there will be people who fudge the results.

Delatron · 31/08/2021 11:55

Yep, which does kind of mean the whole system is pointless. It’s interesting that they allow these tests. We used them and I was pleased it was an easy process but they can definitely be abused! I guess the government don’t care. It’s all about being seen to be doing something and ££.

IsabellesMissingSock · 31/08/2021 12:24

[quote blametheparents]@Delatron
If you drop the liquid straight on the test without swabbing, then the test shows as negative. I have tried it out as an experiment![/quote]
Wow, ok so those tests are definitely open to abuse then! Wonder if that helps explain why quite a lot of people were testing positive on the day 2 tests after coming back from Spain 🤔

Postbox123 · 31/08/2021 17:24

I took nhs ones to practice first before doing our real ones. I can’t honestly say if any of them came positive I would then let the same person do their own required one. The temptation was certainly there to do them all myself once I knew I was negative, although thankfully everyone was. PCR all now negative too

AngelsWithSilverWings · 01/09/2021 15:16

Anyone know how long chronomics take to give you the day 2 test results? We posted our's on Sunday and only one of them is showing as received at the lab so far.

DoYouWantDecking · 01/09/2021 18:50

Just back from Greek Island - amazing! So glad we took the risk and went!
Manchester airport out was empty. Flight was full though. PLF checked on way out and Vax certificates.

Arrival - took 15 minutes from leaving the plane, through passport control and collecting bags off carousel!

Fit-to-Fly tests from Tui / Chronomics
Needed to do them 2 days before flying back - they have a control bar on them that checks you have sampled yourself properly - it must test for some other compound found in your sample. If it doesn't detect this it gives no line for the Control. So you can't fiddle it.
You also have to upload a photo of the test - tricky with crap resort wifi!! - Stress point there.

Massive queues in the airport coming home - dreadful. Queues to check in and queues for security. If we catch covid it was from there!

Again plane full but all okay.
Hardly any checks on the way in home - but the passport check woman said to the people next to us she could see their results on the computer.

DoYouWantDecking · 01/09/2021 18:52

this said - went to do the day 2 PCR test this evening - been working all day - and you have to POST IT SAME DAY and I have missed the post!

FECK! Any idea what to do? I only found this out when I went to register the test before taking it.
What will happen if we take them tomorrow morning?

Delatron · 01/09/2021 19:04

I don’t think anything will happen. I’ve come to the conclusion you’re just paying for the code (for the adults) for the PLF. There doesn’t appear to be any follow up.
Mine arrived late! 2 were invalid (I did them wrong!) and 2 negative. I’m 8 days post holiday now so I don’t think there’s any comeback.

There were pictures in the media of loads of uncollected tests in a drop box. It doesn’t appear that the timelines matter (or even doing they test at all it seems...)

DoYouWantDecking · 02/09/2021 10:36

@Delatron - thanks for the comfort - depressing though it is from a country security point of view.

AngelsWithSilverWings · 02/09/2021 11:52

We posted our day 2 tests on Sunday. We were supposed to drop them at a Tui store and then discovered that all of our local stores were temporarily closed on Sunday! We then realised that we could post them in a priority post box so we did , only to then discover that not all priority post boxes are emptied on a Sunday.

Anyway as of today we have two tests that have been completed and are negative and two that aren't even showing as received at the lab.

On top of this the NHS tests that we had to order because of a positive case on the plane home arrived with no return labels but we didn't realise until after we had completed and sealed up the tests.

Phoned Test and Trace who were useless and gave us incorrect advice about arranging a courier ( not actually possible) In the end we just decided to bung them a priority box with no labels on and hope for the best!

In the meantime we are still testing negative on our lat flow tests so I think we are all ok.

morefrizzthanease · 02/09/2021 11:56

Hi there
We have a trip to Mauritius booked early November.
Flights and hotel booked separately
I emailed the hotel to check that they are open but they replied to say they are not opening until December.
On every travel website you can still book the same hotel for the dates that they have told me they are not actually open for!
So my question is are any hotels open there ? My understanding is that there is no quarantine for double jabbed tourists from October 1st.
DH now wants to cancel as says it will be a disaster so just wanted an opinion from someone in the know