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Original poster

Is anyone feeling nervous about their 21/22 ski trip?

665 replies

StolenAwayOn55thand3rd · 12/10/2021 12:02

I realise that I'm probably being silly. I fully recognise that covid has made me a bit irrationally anxious about crowds, busy places, etc. So on that note... We have a large and normally busy resort in France booked (booked pre covid and shifted from last year to this). We're going to a catered chalet with DH's family which includes his child free siblings who will want to go out partying.
I'm a bit worried about ski resorts being covid hotbeds this winter (remembering Whistler last year) and what will happen if we end up with it - we won't be able to travel home presumably so where will we stay? Not to mention the possibility of actually getting ill, though DH and I are both vaccinated so I know that's unlikely.
Anyway, just wondering if anyone else is having similar thoughts or if I'm being really foolish.

OP posts:
Doubleraspberry · 03/12/2021 20:11

@Thunderpunt maybe we’re going to the same hotel! It’s usually full of Brits at half term.

notimagain · 03/12/2021 20:23

[quote abricotine]@notimagain the "self administered" rule was always there. Now it is more helpful with an explanation about certifying by a lab and explaining that NHS tests are not included. There is absolutely no reason or change of wording to suggest that these tests which have been accepted since early summer are no longer acceptable.[/quote]
Thanks for the clarification…fingers crossed etc..

artquejtion · 03/12/2021 21:04

Swiss have dropped the quarantine requirement, instead a requirement for a Negative PCR and then a day 4 negative pcr.

Hophop26 · 03/12/2021 23:12

Doesn’t it depend which country you are going to on what their requirements are for accepting antigen tests? Some countries (a lot of them) just require evidence of negative antigen and accept the self administered ones where you send a photo of the test to get the certificate - France and some others (USA etc) don’t accept antigen if self administered. There are loads of private antigen test providers that fall in the self administered category that don’t seem like they would be valid to use to go to France at mo???

notimagain · 04/12/2021 09:25

@Hophop26

I think we’ll have to wait and see.

I’ve heard from a few who have entered France in the last week that the checking of vaccination and/or testing certificates seems to have become more thorough, so I guess we will start finding out shortly As in today onwards) what exactly is and isn’t now deemed as acceptable.

Schulte · 04/12/2021 10:13

@mnp321

Thanks for the updated guidance on the link, very helpful. Still not quite sure if we can avoid the day 4-7 test if we leave Switzerland before the 7 day period ends (presumably the day of arrival counts as day 1).
I’d like to know that too if anyone has the details!
millytint44 · 04/12/2021 16:52

It's ramping the cost up considerably with all these tests. For a 4 day trip to France, it seems it's going to cost me and my DD £400 in tests???

Doubleraspberry · 04/12/2021 17:10

Really?? If things are the same in Feb, we’re going to be paying for tests just to drive through a tiny corner of France.

mnp321 · 04/12/2021 17:31

Schulte having still not managed to find the answer online to needing a day 4-7 test if you leave on day 7, I've asked the question of the hotel we're staying in so I'll update if I find out any more. I'm still surprised Switzerland reversed the quarantine for U.K. travellers.

OhCobblers · 04/12/2021 18:14

More tests ....... News update. You now have to have a PCR test up to 48 hours before entering the UK (vaccinated or not)

Schulte · 04/12/2021 18:42

@OhCobblers

More tests ....... News update. You now have to have a PCR test up to 48 hours before entering the UK (vaccinated or not)
Oh well, that would work nicely with the Swiss test then Grin
Schulte · 04/12/2021 18:43

But wait. Didn’t Shapps rule out the return of those tests only a couple of days ago?

mnp321 · 04/12/2021 19:09

I think the pre departure test can be a lateral flow, according to BBC News

OhCobblers · 04/12/2021 19:31

@mnp321

I think the pre departure test can be a lateral flow, according to BBC News
One of our NHS lateral flows? Or a cheaper antigen test? Which in our resort are €25 for a child so bit more for an adult I'm assuming?!
mnp321 · 04/12/2021 19:50

Good question. They seemed to be around £25 per head for the ones you take with you and upload the results. Supposedly they are compliant with the U.K. inbound pre departure rules.

mnp321 · 04/12/2021 19:53

This was the wording on BBC News "Travellers will be required to submit evidence of a negative lateral flow or PCR test to enter."

BlackLambAndGreyFalcon · 04/12/2021 20:13

Yes according to the BBC it's a PCR or a LFT, but it'll be a test you pay for rather than the free NHS tests. To be honest, I don't care about the extra tests - it's almost the same as it was as when we travelled in the summer (with the exception that now we have to isolate until we receive the negative PCR test on the return) - I just want Austria to confirm the end of lockdown!!

ILOVEALLCAKES · 04/12/2021 20:54

Silly question but if you test positive before you return to the UK, what happens? We’ll not be able to stay in our chalet as it’ll be booked out for the week after us. I doubt there will be much hotel availability in resort.

Havanananana · 04/12/2021 21:09

@ILOVEALLCAKES

What happened in Austria in 2019 when the pandemic first broke out was that people who tested positive were taken to designated quarantine hotels organised by the local government and Red Cross. Something similar appears to already have been planned as a precaution for the coming season.

I have no idea what other countries have planned - and I don't know who paid for the quarantine facilities in 2019.

Havanananana · 04/12/2021 21:10

Winter 2020 - not 2019.

ILOVEALLCAKES · 04/12/2021 21:27

[quote Havanananana]@ILOVEALLCAKES

What happened in Austria in 2019 when the pandemic first broke out was that people who tested positive were taken to designated quarantine hotels organised by the local government and Red Cross. Something similar appears to already have been planned as a precaution for the coming season.

I have no idea what other countries have planned - and I don't know who paid for the quarantine facilities in 2019.[/quote]
Thank you - that’s useful to know. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

mnp321 · 04/12/2021 22:58

I've got my head round the latest restrictions for our Swiss trip (we're due to be there in a fortnight). But the U.K. government seems to say one thing one day, then backtrack to the reverse the next day. Appreciate Omicron is a rapidly changing situation but the latest pre arrival in the U.K. test comes shortly after the isolate until negative PCR test on return for vaccinated travellers.

I can't decide whether this is likely to be it for the next few weeks, or whether they'll introduce more restrictions again. I don't mind either way, but I wish they'd agree a set of restrictions for review in x weeks so people can choose to cancel holidays or not on that basis.

RhubarbFairy · 05/12/2021 07:44

Well that's done it. That's the final nail in the coffin for our Christmas trip to Austria.

We've done everything we can to keep it going ahead. Our flights have been cancelled and rebooked twice, we've kept an eye on the lockdown and bought Day 2 PCR tests. But the risk of needing to quarantine in Austria if any of us get a positive result for 10 days is too high.

We cancelled everything but the flights last night. Unfortunately they're non refundable so we just have to write those off when we do cancel.

Now we need to tell the DC (8 and 10) and make plans for a fantastic Christmas at home.

Fairylights25 · 05/12/2021 08:00

Now we have to take the PCR before we leave to come back to the UK and now the UK gov are talking about a day 8 test as well as a longer quarantine time - SNP and welsh pushing for 8 days of quarantine vaccinated or not!

Just about to book Switzerland and now rethinking!

Fairylights25 · 05/12/2021 08:01

They are literally changing the rules daily.