Where can we go abroad with teenagers aged 12-17 (ie not possible to be double vaccinated)

[MsFogi]

If I understand it correctly anyone with a child between 12-17 is pretty limited for destinations that don't require tests to enter the country and/or tests every few day whilst there in order to use restaurants etc.
(eg to go to France we'd need a test less than 24 hours before travel and then tests every three days in order to be able to go to museums/restaurants etc).
Is there anywhere in Europe that is accepting children over 12 without quarantine/tests?
I'm trying to be positive and work out where we can go rather than get really cross about the limits on a group that has already missed out on so much (and at an age that I was really looking forward to travelling with them to various cities in Europe).

As I understand it teens going to EU countries need a double vaccine but we (UK) are only giving them a single vaccine, so someone from Foreign Office needs to start liaising on this. The costs for a family is ridiculous otherwise.

Someone up the thread said one vaccine and proof of recovery was acceptable, but how do you prove that?

The biggest problem is that the UK govt website doesn't always reflect the reality of the requirements in other countries.
They really need a massive banner across their page saying YOU NEED TO LOOK AT THE OTHER COUNTRY AS WELL.
I'm on a FB Covid travel group and the number of people (mainly Spain and Portugal it seems) who are turned away at airports citing "easyJet wouldn't let us board but the gov page doesn't say that" is shocking.

It's not just the cost @Mamamia35 - many countries (Germany, The Netherlands*, Belgium off the top of my head) simply won't let them in as they are over 12 and considered unvaccinated.

*actually The Netherlands will let them in but they would have to quarantine for 10 days which rules out a short trip.

I'm just back from Tenerife with 2 13 year olds. It as super easy.
They did a PCR test before travel and we all have to to do a day 2 test now we are back. No other testing and paperwork was simple. We carried our vaccination certificates and the kids negative test results for the travel to Spain. Coming back we just had to complete the passenger locator forms and show passports and vaccination evidence at check in. Nothing required at airport for kids coming back

Also if keep in mind some countries require a declaration (Spain, France for example) that you haven't been a close contact of a Covid case in the 14 days before travel. Given how Covid is swilling around schools at the moment, I think that would rule out a lot of families this half term.

We are going to Portugal and Spain for half term and I have booked Antigen tests (LF) for the teens and have mine and DHs Covid passport on phones and printed.
I haven’t booked day 2 tests yet as this might be changing according to The BBC today

watching with interest
I don't mind forking out for PCRs, but a few places we looked at (Germany for one) don't have arrival testing as an option - it's either double vax or quarantine. And repeat testing while out there seems like a ball-ache.

@Hoppinggreen

We are going to Portugal and Spain for half term and I have booked Antigen tests (LF) for the teens and have mine and DHs Covid passport on phones and printed. I haven’t booked day 2 tests yet as this might be changing according to The BBC today

I don't want to cause panic, but are you sure LFTs are accepted? My understanding was LFT are accepted within the EU, but not from unvaccinated travellers from the UK, where it must be a PCR (or LAMP).

If you do not have an NHS COVID Pass or an EU digital COVID certificate, you must:

take a COVID-19 pre-departure test before you travel (children up to the age of 11 are exempt)
this can be an antigen test taken within 48 hours of departure, or a RT-PCR test taken within 72 hours of departure. If you have an antigen test, make sure it meets the standards set out in the EU common list of Rapid Antigen Tests

This is from the govt website

I am utterly miffed about the UK decision to just give one jab to teens. DD is 14 and I can't take her to see family in Germany as we would have to quarantaine for 5 days followed by a negative PCR test. I think that's the rule of lots of EU countries.

I don't mind a PCR test prior to arrival. We are currenlty not looking anywhere until beginning of next year for the Easter holidays in the hope the rules will change or the teens are getting a second jab.

From the uk gov site for UK to Spain travel, please note final sentence.:

Reason for travel to Spain
Entry requirements and the type of diagnostic tests you can present may vary if your reason for travel to Spain falls into one of the categories listed on the ‘Entry requirements for entry in Spain from third countries’ - section ‘a’ to ‘i’ - on the Spanish Ministry of Health ‘Travel and COVID-19’ pagee_. This includes residents of Spain. If one of the exemptions listed applies to you, an antigen test taken within 48 hours of arrival can be presented on entry as an alternative to a certificate of vaccination, a negative nucleic acid amplification test (such as PCR, LAMP, TMA etc.) taken within 72 hours prior to arrival, or a certificate of recovery.
Antigen tests are not accepted if you are travelling from the UK to Spain for tourism purposes.

It’s such a headache, and still subject to change at any time by the UK government, or that of the country that you’re visiting.
Our kids have really got the rough end of the stick with all this.
The older generation who we locked down to protect have been prioritised for all their jabs and are now free to travel pretty freely while our kids who’s education has been shambolic (current year 11’s haven’t had a normal academic year since they were in year 8) are still very restricted. It’s not just for holidays, it’s for visiting loved ones who,I’ve overseas, school trips that were planned as part of their GCSE courses etc.
My in laws are currently in Portugal for a month and 3 out 4 retired neighbours have had overseas holidays since the kids returned to school In September. I’m still too unsure to book anything for us - the implications of 1 of the kids failing a test are too high.
I wish the uk government would offer over 12’s a second dose. If families don’t want it there’s no compulsion but it would make things fairer for all families.

People shouldn’t rely on the gov.uk travel advice when looking at another country’s entry requirements. That website is out of date more often than not.

Check the destination country’s official sources. This is why so many people are being caught up at the airport and denied boarding when they show up with invalid documents because they’ve relied on the UK govt page.

@Muchtoomuchtodo

It’s such a headache, and still subject to change at any time by the UK government, or that of the country that you’re visiting. Our kids have really got the rough end of the stick with all this. The older generation who we locked down to protect have been prioritised for all their jabs and are now free to travel pretty freely while our kids who’s education has been shambolic (current year 11’s haven’t had a normal academic year since they were in year 8) are still very restricted. It’s not just for holidays, it’s for visiting loved ones who,I’ve overseas, school trips that were planned as part of their GCSE courses etc. My in laws are currently in Portugal for a month and 3 out 4 retired neighbours have had overseas holidays since the kids returned to school In September. I’m still too unsure to book anything for us - the implications of 1 of the kids failing a test are too high. I wish the uk government would offer over 12’s a second dose. If families don’t want it there’s no compulsion but it would make things fairer for all families.

100% agree....I'd happily pay for a 2nd dose for my 15 yr old - I just want to get back to some kind of normal. We don't get these years back with our young people and there's risks in everything we do!

@Muchtoomuchtodo

It’s such a headache, and still subject to change at any time by the UK government, or that of the country that you’re visiting. Our kids have really got the rough end of the stick with all this. The older generation who we locked down to protect have been prioritised for all their jabs and are now free to travel pretty freely while our kids who’s education has been shambolic (current year 11’s haven’t had a normal academic year since they were in year 8) are still very restricted. It’s not just for holidays, it’s for visiting loved ones who,I’ve overseas, school trips that were planned as part of their GCSE courses etc. My in laws are currently in Portugal for a month and 3 out 4 retired neighbours have had overseas holidays since the kids returned to school In September. I’m still too unsure to book anything for us - the implications of 1 of the kids failing a test are too high. I wish the uk government would offer over 12’s a second dose. If families don’t want it there’s no compulsion but it would make things fairer for all families.

I wish personal and disgusting ageism wasn't brought onto these threads but what can you do? Did you hate the elderly before Covid or is it a new thing? I didn't lock down to save the elderly. I locked down to save the vulnerable. Like my friend's terminally ill 36 year old husband. Or that 4 year old with leukemia. Or, yes, the elderly. You crack on with your nasty opinions. But leave the "we" out of it.

PS. And I speak as someone whose mother died during lockdown and whose funeral I watched via webcast.

@EileenGC

People shouldn’t rely on the gov.uk travel advice when looking at another country’s entry requirements. That website is out of date more often than not.

Check the destination country’s official sources. This is why so many people are being caught up at the airport and denied boarding when they show up with invalid documents because they’ve relied on the UK govt page.

So true. I used to work in a govt dept that had a big "the UK govt cannot comment on other countries' legislation. Please refer to any other countries' laws" They should do that. The Schengen-visa site (I think it's called) is much more useful.

The official Portuguese tourism site Says that Antigen tests are ok

www.visitportugal.com/en/content/covid-19-measures-implemented-portugal

[quote Hoppinggreen]The official Portuguese tourism site Says that Antigen tests are ok

www.visitportugal.com/en/content/covid-19-measures-implemented-portugal[/quote]
Ah brilliant! I've been looking at Spain, it's hard to keep track of who's accepting what 😀

It is I know.
We are actually going to Spain but via Portugal. The border is completely open and there are no entry requirements between the 2 (that’s not why we are doing it that way)

@Geamhradh I am sorry for your loss but @Muchtoomuchtodo's post isn't "personal and disgusting ageism". The frustration is clearly directed at government policy and the choices made to impact on kids. I feel cross too as covid is running out of control in our schools and the government doesn't really care. Teenagers who want it should have been offered the choice a long time ago like adults have been.

Thank you @abricotine for reading my post as it was intended.
Perhaps it was badly worded, but I still maintain that our kids have been very poorly treated by the UK government and had a much rougher ride, with way more ongoing restrictions to travel, and far higher exposure to the virus through no fault of their own than the majority of the population.

Apologies, I just replied by accident to a post on page 1, and things have moved on. Getting myself confused.