Booking pre-departure PCR’s in resort

[ILOVEALLCAKES]

Hi, we are due to fly home from Geneva on 26th Dec so need a pre departure PCR 48hrs before flight. Struggling to find anywhere open in Morzine on Xmas eve/Xmas day. Any help & advice would be appreciated.

Hope this helps. Official guidance is unclear, but indicators are PCR not required to transit through Switzerland to go home.

Tbh I focussed entirely on what hoops we needed to jump through to get us here. How we get home is next on the To Do List. Antigen tests booked at the grand pharmacie for Saturday morning.

@Itsalloutofwhack
have you any idea how far the ‘border regions’ stretch please? Tignes?

@ChateauMargaux is there a version of doctorlib.fr that can be translated to English please? I can’t see an English button and my french vocabulary is far from adequate!

How to translate a website with Google Translate
Launch Google Chrome and go to the Google Translate website i.e. translate.google.com.
Type the entire URL of your website in the text box on the left.
Select the new language you wish to translate your website into.
Click the Translate button.

This will launch the website in translation

www.bag.admin.ch/bag/en/home/krankheiten/ausbrueche-epidemien-pandemien/aktuelle-ausbrueche-epidemien/novel-cov/empfehlungen-fuer-reisende/quarantaene-einreisende.html. This is the exemption which states that people travelling from the Border Areas and those transiting through Switzerland are currently exempt from filling out a Passenger Locator Form and from the PCR requirement.

In various places, it states 'people travelling from border areas' and 'people from border area'... these are not necessarily the same thing... but Morzine Source has stated that their investigations and discussions imply that this exemption will apply.

On the PLF, I believe that it asks you if you have travelled to or from other countries in the past 14 days... which would include the UK in your case.. the rules will be reviewed again in Switzerland this coming Friday, so it is important to keep up to date. At the moment, people traveling from border areas and transiting Switzerland for less than 24 hours are exempt from filling this in.

The bag.admin.ch site is in English and very detailed.

And yes.. Tignes est une commune française située dans le massif de la Vanoise en Haute-Tarentaise, dans le département de la Savoie en région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Tignes is the the Auvergne Rhone Alpes region which is the 'border areas'

You’re a star @ChateauMargaux thank you.
Although our French trip has now been cancelled we are looking at alternatives in both Italy and Switzerland with Geneva flights so this info is still very relevant. Need to check which ski resorts in Italy are classed as ‘border region’. My geography is dire. Hopefully nothing changes tomorrow (Friday). Do they make the announcements on Fridays too?

@NotDonna.... time to get the map out!!

Switzerland is probably logistically if not financially easier. They have not required under 16's to prove vaccination status and staying in one country will make this simpler. There are more Swiss restrictions being announced today so we will see what that looks like but the expectation is that it will require proof of vaccination and a test for large events and restrictions of private gatherings where there are unvaccinated adults but is deemed problematic to enforce.

I have no idea of the complexities of entering Italy from Switzerland directly as I would usually go through France and the Mont Blanc Tunnel but obviously travel into France is not an option.

Good luck!! I am sorry this trip has been so challenging for you... things are not easy here... British Kids who were not entitled to Carte resident permits, went off to University in September but now as adults are not allowed to return to visit family as per the latest rules. Not easy.

Good news for Switzerland - if you are vaccinated you only need an antigen test to enter and no day 4 test.

From the bag:
Only one test on entry for persons who are vaccinated or recovered
After consulting the cantons, the Federal Council has also adapted the testing regime for entering the country, applicable from Monday, 20 December. In addition to PCR tests taken within the previous 72 hours, rapid antigen tests taken within the previous 24 hours will also be
accepted for entering Switzerland. The requirement to take a second test 4 to 7 days after entering the country will be waived for persons who are vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19.

Thank you bontopia.
What an interesting decision though.