Anyone else with Christmas plans in the UK feeling jittery?

[QuentininQuarantino]

Last year's Christmas was awful, stuck alone in our host country which was in lockdown. Especially as we only cancelled our UK trip a couple of weeks in advance.

Now it feels a bit like history repeating itself. Most of the presents for the DC are at my parents house in the UK (really specific things that can't be bought here from the letter to father christmas!) and the DC are so excited.

(Also, thanks to fucking Brexit, we have told everyone to post everything to my parents house because of the huge import charges we keep getting stung with.)

We're only over the channel in France, and I keep telling myself its only 3/4 weeks to go.. but I've got that dreadful pit-of-the-stomach feeling.

Anyone else? Fancy some mutual support?

@AndMatt

Isn't the risk to travel just as likely to come from other countries' restrictions/isolation requirements as the UK's?

Absolutely - our biggest concern is that borders to where we live will shut completely while we are back in the U.K. over Christmas and we won't get home to dog/work/school. Last year they didn't open for many many months even for long-term residents. Also possible that they will shut selectively to countries with rising identified Omicron cases such as the U.K.

@QuentininQuarantino

Oh cloud I’m so so sorry. I have a SA friend here who was booked to go home and finally introduce her baby (who is two!) to her family. We’re meeting up later - she’s devastated.

It's just beyond awful.

While you're all here, does anyone know if I can use a fit to fly PCR as a day 2 one? The day 2 won't give me a fast enough result, but the fit to fly can be back in 3 hours. It's the only way I'll be able to get a result in time to get to see my family the day after my flight gets in. Such a stress.
Presumably it's the same test?

@LaMadrilena

While you're all here, does anyone know if I can use a fit to fly PCR as a day 2 one? The day 2 won't give me a fast enough result, but the fit to fly can be back in 3 hours. It's the only way I'll be able to get a result in time to get to see my family the day after my flight gets in. Such a stress. Presumably it's the same test?

Great question - hanging on hoping for an answer!

I'm in Scotland, desperately hoping my dsis can get here, she's got 2 kids and I haven't met either of them. First one was born in Dec 2019, we didn't see her before lockdown because baby was too small, second one born this summer but she's only just feeling like the journey is possible now baby2 is that bit older.

Nicola Sturgeon has just said she's wanting to increase the isolation period to 8 days so looks like we've missed our window. They can't isolate in a hotel with 2 small kids for 8 days, I guess we could have her toddler but we've never met him, how can he stay with complete strangers for 8 days? How can I be a complete stranger to my nephew?

I could cry. I was so looking forward to December and all the nice things, now I just want to go to bed and wake up in January.

Love to everyone who's hoping to see their families, I so hope it happens.

If a parcel is worth under 45€ Including postage and has "gift" ticked on the customs declaration form there should be no charge. Our postie arrived with a crazy charge of 75€ on a parcel with £30 on it. We went to the parcel office and established that there was in fact, no charge at all.

Those who are travelling back - where will you go while waiting to do your day 2 PCR and get the result? My in laws are travelling back from overseas but we will be spending Christmas with my family elsewhere in the UK. In laws intend to stay with us on arrival but if they test positive for new variant that means me and DH isolating for 10 days, missing Christmas with my family (and all gifts for DC etc are with my parents). Are you planning to isolate with family pending a test and deal with isolation consequences after, or isolating separately while awaiting test then joining family after?

@LaMadrilena

While you're all here, does anyone know if I can use a fit to fly PCR as a day 2 one? The day 2 won't give me a fast enough result, but the fit to fly can be back in 3 hours. It's the only way I'll be able to get a result in time to get to see my family the day after my flight gets in. Such a stress. Presumably it's the same test?

Does it give you a reference number to put in the flight pass travel form? If yes I don't see why not. It's only the reference number the government cares about. The result isn't followed up unless it comes back positive.

@HilaryThorpe

If a parcel is worth under 45€ Including postage and has "gift" ticked on the customs declaration form there should be no charge. Our postie arrived with a crazy charge of 75€ on a parcel with £30 on it. We went to the parcel office and established that there was in fact, no charge at all.

I fought tooth and nail over a parcel which just contained a couple of beano comics my mum had found in the loft from when I was younger and send on to DS - they wouldn't budge and wanted €11.51 in exact change. I had thought the same but they said the value and contents were irrelevant and it was any parcel coming from outside of the EU.

I had understood the same as you, about the 45€ limit for gifts. And I'm about 60% sure I'm right and customs are wrong... But it doesn't help when they won't hand over the goods - we ended up paying another 100€ to get DSs birthday presents - I'm on expat facebook groups and there are so many similar stories.

which has an article on it

@GingerAndTheBiscuits

Those who are travelling back - where will you go while waiting to do your day 2 PCR and get the result? My in laws are travelling back from overseas but we will be spending Christmas with my family elsewhere in the UK. In laws intend to stay with us on arrival but if they test positive for new variant that means me and DH isolating for 10 days, missing Christmas with my family (and all gifts for DC etc are with my parents). Are you planning to isolate with family pending a test and deal with isolation consequences after, or isolating separately while awaiting test then joining family after?

we will hopefully drive, and test before we go (free local test) for peace of mind, and then isolate with the family we are hoping to stay with (as long as they're okay with it, which so far they are - they're happy with our risk being small). If DC don't have to isolate, even better as they can go outdoors with their grandparents.

IF we then test positive, it will be very bad luck but we would all just have to isolate together and the other side of the family would miss out on our visit. It is a risk...

Depending on how far your parents are, could they drop off or courier the gifts to you in that scenario?

Switzerland announced a 10 day quarantine yesterday for anyone arriving from the UK, including it seems for people transiting from Geneva to France. If they do that for every country that declares a omnicron case, they might as well have shut their borders to everyone in Europe.

Rules put into place immediately, resulting in lots of people being denied boarding as they didn't have the PCR test, which they thought they didn't need, or didn't have a resident permit / Swiss or Schengen citizenship....

If they keep up the no transit to France for tourists that's my family Christmas gone

Depending on how far your parents are, could they drop off or courier the gifts to you in that scenario?

200 miles away - they would drop them up (bless them) but to be honest I’m probably just pissed off that in-laws have invited themselves and made an assumption they can stay here for almost 2 months without giving any thought to whether we actually have room to accommodate, regardless of covid. This is their first visit after emigrating so it’s a bit of a test run (for me at least!). I’m not even sure how we would get food delivered given there are no delivery slots available the week before Christmas. Bloody covid!

@roses2 Yes it gives a reference number, and I know it's chemically exactly the same test (the most accurate one there is atm). I'm just worried some jobsworth might decide it doesn't tick the right box. I've emailed the company to find out, if they get back to me I'll let you all know.

Getting v anxious about the calls from Sturgeon/Drakeford for an 8 day quarantine. That would really fuck our plans

@LaMadrilena

While you're all here, does anyone know if I can use a fit to fly PCR as a day 2 one? The day 2 won't give me a fast enough result, but the fit to fly can be back in 3 hours. It's the only way I'll be able to get a result in time to get to see my family the day after my flight gets in. Such a stress. Presumably it's the same test?

Having spent hours through the night looking at this, we have (I hope) got it sorted!

DS lands at Heathrow at 5.55 am, we are collecting him, and drive to a clinic in Birmingham where they do the test, and we have paid extra to have the 'same day' result.

I did eventually speak to the clinic, as there was so many permutations on the website, I was concerned that I'd get it wrong.

So we will be able to continue with our plans from Saturday morning onwards - assuming his test is negative.

• Should say that we are driving to Birmingham as it's on the way home, not that it's the only clinic offering this service in the UK!

@Sophoclesthefox - I am keeping an eye on that too. Waiting to read about when their Cobra Meeting will be.

@LaMadrilena

While you're all here, does anyone know if I can use a fit to fly PCR as a day 2 one? The day 2 won't give me a fast enough result, but the fit to fly can be back in 3 hours. It's the only way I'll be able to get a result in time to get to see my family the day after my flight gets in. Such a stress. Presumably it's the same test?

I was wondering this too. Word on the street in my location is that although you are totally correct both are PCR, the 2 day test also includes genome sequencing, whereas the fit to fly does not. Hence why there's no option for a 3 hour day 2 test (currently - maybe this will change but given all the new measures are related to a new variant the sequencing also makes sense). So we've been advised to do the day 2 and not to risk doing the fit to fly.

Getting v anxious about the calls from Sturgeon/Drakeford for an 8 day quarantine

Radio Scotland saying that the PM had already refused to consider this. Fingers crossed, it will put a stop to our plans too if it goes ahead

Us too… I’m imagining there will be a delay in pcr results anyway over Xmas day/Boxing Day, but 8 days would mean not seeing my side of the family and only the in laws… please god no!

Just now in the Guardian:

Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, has signalled that the UK government is opposed to tightening travel restrictions, as the Scottish and Welsh governments are proposing. (See 11.06am.) At a press conference with her Israeli counterpart, Yair Lapid, at the Foreign Office, she said:

On the subject of the variant, we have taken very rapid action to first of all put countries on the red list where that is a risk, but also to take domestic precautions.

We don’t yet have the full information about this new variant but it is right that we take those precautionary measures while we’re investigating further.

And it is important to make sure that we keep travel routes open where possible, particularly to make sure that our economy remains strong, at the same time as taking necessary action. We’ve got the balance right.“

I am confused by the two day thing. We’re supposed to be going in January. We land on the Monday morning. So do we get tested on the Tuesday (the 2nd day) or Wednesday (a full 2 days later)? Sorry if this is a dumb question!

I’m beginning to resign myself that this may not happen anyway and less pressure as it’s not actually for Xmas but I so much want to see my family!

@sofato5miles

I am not in the UK and my parents are meant to be coming here for Xmas. Almost tempted to get mum out now and send her back if they add us to the list. If no issues dad can follow in 3 weeks. Tjey javen't seen my children in 2 years

We are in the same position. I'm in the US and my parents are due to fly here next week. Every time I get a "Breaking News" alert from the CNN app I think it's going to say that the shutters are coming down. I actually suggested that my parents try and come out in the next day or so, but as they have PCR tests, etc, booked, I think they'll likely stick with their current plans.

My DD lives in Scotland and last year we had the disappointment of her not being able to come home at the last minute - and a mad panic trying to find a courier that would do overnight delivery to the Highlands & Islands at all, never mind at a reasonable price.
If the threatened border restrictions come into play this year I just hope it is with a bit more notice then at least I can post her presents in good time.