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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:
Aroundtheworldin80moves · 21/12/2021 07:57

I'm not sure how busy Andorra usually is... but its like a ghost town. DDs were exhausted yesterday as they don't get a break as there's no queues! And ski school is 3hrs this morning... (and an hour in the afternoon).

notimagain · 21/12/2021 08:10

Not sure what the norm is for the Andorran slopes themselves but traditionally for the locals (certainly those north of the French/Andorran border) skiing doesn’t usually “kick in” in really big numbers until after Christmas Day…

Even then I don’t think you’re going to get many day trippers nipping over from France (most especially the Toulouse region) as long their own ski resorts hold on to good snow.

Be interesting to see if numbers pick up end of this week.

Fairylights25 · 21/12/2021 10:39

Sweden is the place to go for those that are very keen to have the trip actually happen. You only need to be double vaccinated, children welcome under the age of eighteen unvaccinated. No covid passes needed anywhere. No PCRS or locator forms required and best of all no masks anywhere. It was the most fabulous slice of normal life.
Snow was thick and wonderful and the people generous kind and totally chilled. Everything is open and festive. Could not have asked for a lovelier welcome and a better week.

Coming home we took the tests in the hotel, and got a QR code back within 20 minutes from Randox (highly recommend) and locator form was easy (remember to book your day 2 PCR and have the booking reference ready) Flying in and out of LHR was effortless and used facial recognition and was through passports without a single check (it is all digitalised) and it was the easiest ever travelling experience, it was quieter than normal but far from quiet.

Recommend! :)

IsThisNameTaken · 21/12/2021 11:21

@Aroundtheworldin80moves

I'm not sure how busy Andorra usually is... but its like a ghost town. DDs were exhausted yesterday as they don't get a break as there's no queues! And ski school is 3hrs this morning... (and an hour in the afternoon).
I'm so jealous - we should be there now as well!
mnp321 · 21/12/2021 12:46

Fairylights25 can I ask which resort in Sweden you went to?

Chickpea22 · 21/12/2021 12:52

Oooh I would be keen on any Sweden intel too. We are booked for France in Feb but obviously looking very unlikely.

thillanddale42 · 21/12/2021 13:30

We had Are Sweden lined up and then realised we could get to Switzerland..... it all looked lovely though. Flights to Trondheim in Norway, car hire and accommodation in are. Seemed pretty easy. Just remember the day gets dark around 3 but there is night skiing which looked quite cool !

thillanddale42 · 21/12/2021 13:31

Flights were with Norwegian Air....

kittykarate · 21/12/2021 14:27

It's a shame that Easyjet aren't flying to Are Ostersund this year - they used to go there from Gatwick.

OhCobblers · 21/12/2021 15:24

Please tell me that France will be ok for March???!!

BlackLambAndGreyFalcon · 21/12/2021 15:31

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there are some reports that Austria could designate the UK as a VVA (10 day quarantine required) from Friday:

liveblog.tt.com/414/coronavirus?pk_vid=97e7262c6106eb541640100497e3ab20

Fairylights25 · 21/12/2021 17:40

We went to Copperhill Mountain resort, and it was wonderful!
We flew to Stockholm and stayed over night and enjoyed the festivities there and architecture, and then flew up to Are the following day.

We did the same on the return. The flights can all be done in one go, if you are happy to wait for the connection.

We had a brilliant time and I didn't feel stressed at all that we would be suddenly banned/need covid passes/jabs for kids as the Swedes have approached Covid so differently from everyone else. They seem to be relaxed, but not unsafe, but not stressing and so we had the chance to properly relax and feel safe and chilled. We had such a fun time and would return (we usually ski in Switzerland) but I can't be dealing with all of the restrictions and worry that they will change with no notice or we will suddenly be banned altogether! So yes this might be a new favourite, we were treated incredibly well.

copperhill.se/en/

Fairylights25 · 21/12/2021 17:41

SAS flights via Stockholm

mnp321 · 22/12/2021 09:07

Does anyone know the rules on U.K. testing for overseas travel if you've recently had Covid? I can't seem to find it anywhere on the U.K. rules.

I thought you were exempt from the testing (so pre inbound flight and 0-2 arrival test) for x number of days (as you may continue to test positive on a PCR) but I'm wondering if I'd imagined it.

Fairylights25 · 22/12/2021 09:31

No one is exempt from testing as far as I am aware, we have recently recovered from covid, but I don't think it makes any difference at all as you can still catch the new variant and can still carry the virus.

mnp321 · 22/12/2021 10:22

Hmm. Although my son's out of isolation and showing negative LFTs, I'm guessing his arrival back PCR test could still be positive. I vaguely remember reading you can test positive on a PCR for up to 90 days. I thought there was therefore an exemption from the need to retest for travel purposes earlier this year but I may well be wrong as I can't see anything now.

Fairylights25 · 22/12/2021 11:03

You are effectively still 'infectious' whilst testing positive, even if it is for a very long period. It was one of my biggest fears about travelling, the idea we would catch covid overseas and then stuck there for however long until we test negative again. On a maldives beach might not be so bad, but anywhere else and trapped in a government quarantine hotel of questionable quality perhaps not so attractive!

Maybe a NY trip is better for you? If ds is showing negative LFT then he is probably fine, you could test PCR here just to be sure? Once you test negative that is it, you can be pretty sure he will be in good health from now on.

kittykarate · 22/12/2021 14:35

Finland have brought in some hospitality curfews starting after Xmas Eve. Places that serve alcohol have to close at 6pm.

grassisgreen · 22/12/2021 17:22

I have heard that Switzerland is full of Brits who were due to go to France, and the hotels are booked out. No sign of any further restrictions there. Ski lifts stay open come what may.

NutellaEllaElla · 22/12/2021 17:30

Update from Austria: Press conference just confirmed travel restrictions from the UK, Netherlands, Denmark & Norway to Austria will change to
Booster + PCR require no quarantine.

Yr10DD · 22/12/2021 22:54

@mnp321 and @Fairylights25
My DD caught COVID whilst on holiday in Spain in August and still needed a negative test before returning to the U.K. plus a negative day 2 PCR. There were no exemptions and never have been with regard to travel. Education and NHS have said no testing for 90 days post infection as there may still be fragments. You are however not infectious.
You may wish to look into ‘proof of recovery’ for travel but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t exempt you from entry into U.K.

Yr10DD · 22/12/2021 22:59

@mnp321
Just to add she didn’t test negative until day 12 or so on LFTs - we were there for a month and by the time we needed to return to the U.K. she was testing negative. It’s definitely a concern though as you could potentially test positive for 90 days. Albeit I think it’s extremely rare.

Fairylights25 · 23/12/2021 05:28

Finland have odd rules about vaccination status for under 18s as well, worth checking before booking.

PaulaTrilloe · 23/12/2021 13:01

Word on the street here (1hour from French ski resorts) is that UK skiers are traveling by taxi from Switzerland over to France to ski here. Easy to cross border within EU unless you get stopped. Have seems lot of customs officers stationed on roadsides around here when we traveled down by car.

artquejtion · 23/12/2021 15:01

@grassisgreen

I have heard that Switzerland is full of Brits who were due to go to France, and the hotels are booked out. No sign of any further restrictions there. Ski lifts stay open come what may.
We are in Switzerland, empty slopes and no issues getting a restaurant reservation. Have been told that everything is booked solid for the week of 26th to 2nd though.

DH just had a positive LFT, waiting for PCR results, looks like Xmas is totally screwed now.