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?

And of course all of this can and will change many times in the next few weeks…

If we can all avoid getting Covid in the next few weeks then, if I’ve got this right, all we need to do is get an official lateral flow test done the day before we travel, book a PCR test for when we arrive, quarantine till the tests come back negative, avoid getting Covid while in the UK, take another official lateral flow test the day before we fly home, then a 3-day test after we arrive

Yes, easy as falling off a log, c’est simple comme bonjour, no idea what all the fuss is about! Hop on a ferry indeed. Aaarrrrgggh.

Am hitting the phones again this morning to try to switch out my PCR test for an antigen one and cancel the appointment that doesn’t fall in the right timeline.

Had to call the vet yesterday because the PCR appointment (the one we’re not now using because it’s not in the timeframe) clashed with the vet appointment to worm and health check the dogs before they travel (thank god they don’t need a covid test too, wouldn’t be bloody surprised ) only to find that the vets is shut because they’ve got covid 😱 poor vets! We’re in a very low covid area, too. So glad I phoned, because otherwise I’d have rocked up there Wednesday to find them shut. Called our back up vets and managed to schedule them in, thankfully.

Not enjoying this. I desperately want to see my family, but I’m very afraid that even if I get back to the UK safely, the rules will change again in the fortnight following and Christmas will still be wrecked.

When the Scottish govt talked about 8-day quarantine I was just about to cancel the trip. I’m still on tenterhooks in case it happens.

Also now trying to work out where we’ll all stay if we do get Covid during the trip.

But hey, silly me. I can just hop on a plane and it’ll all be hunky dory.

Yes it's the different requirements that are bonkers.

Leaving this country DP and I need tests (and you can't get certified LF tests here so need PCRs).

Day 2 testing = all 4 of us

Return to current country = DP, me and eldest DC need testing, but not youngest.

Am now madly trying to limit contacts this week in the hope we make it to Saturday. Luckily covid rates are very low where we are (because we had a dreadful delta wave in the summer).

Oh the endless rebooking of tests. You think you’ve booked the right one, created an account, paid your £65 per person, selected a time slot even though fuck knows what time or in which terminal your flight will actually end up landing (and that’s if the flight doesn’t get cancelled like 50% of them appear to be right now), entered your passport and flight details, entered addresses for both home and holiday, clicked Purchase, downloaded and printed the magic code, added it to VeriFLY… then they change the rules and now you’ve got to cancel that test, get a refund and book a different one. Only it’s now so close to your flight date that there are hardly any slots left.

One friend did the whole thing, then rebooked the whole thing because the rules changed, then her pre-departure test results didn’t arrive in time.

Of course the airline said “Don’t worry love. Just hop on.”

@Sophoclesthefox

Not sure I understand what you mean about the tunnel. If uk Passport holder yohh up could always go back to uk. If resident of another country you could always travel back home or transit through France.

I guess you live in France as stayed home versus using the passport card

@Mifacagare

Hello, so happy to find this thread. We're supposed to be flying to UK from Italy in 10 days to see my family for the first time since Pre Covid. I've booked the PCR tests at the UK end, hopefully can do a lateral flow in the local pharmacy the day before but am dreading last minute changes regarding quarantine. Trying to find an insurance that could cover any potential extra hotel costs ( any suggestions for non British residents?) The antigen/LFT test done the day before I fly is ok, right? The UK Gov are appallingly unclear although it is a comfort knowing everyone on the flight will have been tested.

I’ve bought Worldwide Trip Protector from travelinsured.com, and paid extra for CFAR coverage. I’m not convinced it would cover much extra hotel costs but it does cover flight changes and some other costs caused by Covid and quarantine. It was the best I could find.

[quote Cascascascas]@Sophoclesthefox

Not sure I understand what you mean about the tunnel. If uk Passport holder yohh up could always go back to uk. If resident of another country you could always travel back home or transit through France.

I guess you live in France as stayed home versus using the passport card[/quote]
Let’s just say that it was a bit more complicated than that in my case.

And it’s not correct that you could “always” transit or go back to the UK, at all.

I’m sorry @Wallywobbles - that’s rotten. Was there no possibility of delaying the lunch by a couple of days?

Sadly not. We are such a big family it's always tricky. To be honest the 18th was pretty hard work for us. We'd have had to leave home at 4am to be sure to get there.

I've just seen what previous posters are saying about the different advice on pre-departure tests on the two government websites. Absolutely shocking. My test just qualifies, squeezing in by a couple of hours... I know they've got a difficult job to do, but there's no excuse for saying one thing on one site and another thing on another site.

Especially @LaMadrilena given that the incorrect instructions are on the official gov.Uk travelling to the UK site, and the correct instructions tucked away amongst the press releases, not the first port of call for a traveler - certainly not one who isn’t from the UK. Its shambolic beyond belief.

Here's a thought (yes, I'm stressed and overly pessimistic): Testing has to be within 48h of departure. I have a test today at 4pm and fly on Thursday at 12 noon. What happens if my flight is delayed? Is my test no longer valid?

Tomorrow is a public holiday here, and it would be a squeeze getting a test on Thursday morning then rushing to the airport.

What a shitshow.

Yes - your test wouldn’t be valid. But in that situation you could use an airport testing service? I’ve seen one in Bilbao airport which is tiny so I presume Madrid has one (making massive assumptions from your username that you live in Madrid…) and of course that’s money down the drain….

I hadn't thought of that to be honest, my head's spinning! I've just had a look and it's a possibility, except that the test centre is in a different terminal and I'm travelling on my own with a 6 month old... I think I'll try and get a test Thursday morning instead.

Has anyone worked out yet categorically what the UK gov advice is? Can we trust the info on their website right now?

DH and DD fly this Sunday and I’m trying to arrange a backup test as the pharmacy where they’re getting their pre-departure test has recently got very unreliable.

I’m hoping at this point their flight won’t be rescheduled or delayed but would like to prepare for that just in case too.

Breaking the rule of never go by previous experience, delayed transport allowed you to use expired test proof last year on all the intercontinental trains and at airports, so I'm hoping that will hold this time. But God knows what the brits checking at the other end will do. We're the arsehole citizens of nowhere that everyone hates so should be punished, right?

It's a total shambles. We planned to go back to UK but just gave up on the idea. Big hugs and fingers crossed to everyone else.

I don’t know why I did it, as my blood pressure can’t take it, but I checked the Gov.UK guidance again this morning. Just for fun.

They’ve changed it. It’s not 48 hours.

You must take the test in the 2 days before your service to England departs

For example, if you travel directly to England on Friday, you could take a test any time on the Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. The test result must be available for boarding.

My interpretation from upthread was correct. But they’ve contradicted the guidance in the press releases, which specified 48 hours. You could get your test, say at 9.00 am on Wednesday then travel on Friday at 11.00 pm, which is 62 hours.

It’s a big difference, and it matters when people are trying to plan, because it is stressful enough already!

Giving that a big Logan Roy style “ah, fuck off!”. Make up your damn minds.

Morning @Sophoclesthefox, do you have a link to that info? I've just had a look and there is an update for yesterday, but I can't see the bit you quote. Thanks!

I'm booked to return to France early on the 27th....I doubt I'll get the test results back in time on a public holiday. I'm only arriving on 23rd so test before, test within two days then another one before departure.

www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-testing-for-people-travelling-to-england#contents

Here you go, lamadrilena

Thanks @Sophoclesthefox! At least they've clarified...

I'm in a couple of British expats FB groups and I'd say about 90% of the posts in the last few days have been questions about testing.

I saw this on one of them. Thought y'all might appreciate it.

I’m stealing that!