Italy skiing

[jrek]

Anyone off to Italy this year?
Saw some great deals but wondering if I'd spend the whole week stressing about catching covid and getting stuck there...

Well Italy is booked - only 19 days - fingers crossed the rules stay at they are !

We've scrimped and saved all year for my son to go on the school ski trip, Italy end of Feb. He's only got one vaccine and won't be 12 weeks in between before he is supposed to go, so it looks like he won't be able to go now. Gutted for him.

Whilst we are not skiing we are booked to go to Italy in February. Are masks required at all times whilst outside? Some websites I've read suggest they are.

Yes. Masks need to be worn outside at all times.

@massistar and @AdriannaP is there any way to prove recovery status for 12-15s so they can get a super green pass? Will places accept a recovery letter without a QR code? I know they should accept proof of recovery but what form of proof works?

@NotDonna do you mean you got a QR code with their names on when you linked their records to yours? A QR code (with presumably the same name/dob) is needed to validate ski passes in the Dolomites…

@massistar are people actually skiing all day with ffp2 masks? Or will buffs count?

@DorotheaDiamond no unfortunately no QR code just their vaccination record. We weren’t in the Dolomites though, we were North West Italy, Milky Way area, not that I think it makes much difference. All the ski resorts were white zoned when we were there but turned to yellow on our last ski day. We had to wear the FFP2 masks inside gondolas but on open chair lifts and outdoors (even skiing) we had to wear surgical masks. People did wear snoods but were asked to put on masks at chairlifts (even open ones).

The hotel had provided our ski passes in advance and they were happy with our records. I think some ski pass booths maybe a lot stricter. Especially now.

AdrianaP has said on this thread that ‘super green passes’ are required for hotels, outdoor restaurants, ski lifts etc. This wasn’t in place when we were there; just the normal green pass. You need to be fully vaccinated for the super green pass. Testing is irrelevant. Whilst proof of COVID recovery ‘should’ be accepted, according to the Italian government, I know some hotels are only accepting double vaccinated. I think there’s a lot of confusion. If you are wanting to stay with a 12-15 and use the COVID recovery then I’d contact the hotel in advance and double check what forms they need. I’d also ask if they can get you the necessary ski passes. I believe you can obtain a ‘covid recovery certificate’ that has a QR code from the NHS but I think it takes a while.

You don’t have to wear masks whilst skiing but other times when outdoors, ski lifts etc. We found it was compiled with a lot in resort and lifts up from resort but not up the mountain or ski lifts higher up

Interesting hophop26 as where we were the mask wearing was super strict even on very quiet lifts up in the gods. People having lessons wore masks whilst skiing - most others did too. I think under 6 were exempt. I don’t recall seeing little children wearing them in their lessons. Obviously on empty slopes there was less mask wearing than busy slopes. The rule only came in on our last ski day though; same time as the FFP2 masks in gondolas.

Before then it was the regular surgical masks in areas where you couldn’t socially distance (indoors, ski lifts etc)

We have booked for the first week in February (we are already in Italy though) and the owner of the accommodation we rent reckons it is 50:50 whether we will actually be able to go.

Oh no! And you’re already in Italy!

Thank you for all the helpful advice. Its so disappointing, we're desperate to ski but France out, Italy definitely out seemingly now. Will look at Austria, thank you, looked at Switzerland today but its getting ridiculously expensive now and part of me thinks its just not worth the (very costly) risk!

Oh no! And you’re already in Italy!
Sorry, I meant we live in Italy! So if we can't go we'll just stay at home.

@Africa2go please note Austria has introduced new rules at the end of December too.

Please be aware that for teenagers born before 1 September 2006 arriving from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark or Norway (virus variant countries) different rules apply from 25th December. They need to be fully vaccinated (2 jabs) AND have received the 3rd booster jab. They also need a negative PCR test (valid 48 hours) to enter Austria.

www.austria.info/en/service-and-facts/coronavirus-information/entry-regulations

@NotDonna this is a new rule, think it was announced December 23rd. Anecdotally some areas are stricter than others in enforcing this.

@Africa2go new rules here

Regulations for minors:

Minors up to their 12th birthday do not need to proof of a low epidemiological risk. Apart from that the same requirements and legal consequences apply as for the adult under whose supervision they are traveling. If the quarantine of the adult under whose supervision the minors are traveling is deemed to have ended, the quarantine for them is also deemed to have ended.

Minors between the age of 12, but born on or after 1 September 2006 can use the first PCR test of their Holiday Ninja Pass to enter Austria. The following vaccinations will be accepted: Comirnaty (BionTech-Pfizer), Vaxzeviria (AstraZeneca) / Covishield (Serum Institute of India), Janssen (Johnson& Johnsson), Sinopharm (BIBP), Covaxin (Bharat Biotech), Covovax (Serum Institute of India), Nuvaxovid (Novavax)

www.bmeia.gv.at/en/austrian-embassy-london/travelling-to-austria/coronavirus-covid-19-and-travel-abroad/

Thank you (again) everyone. Austria looks like a no too, have 16yr olds who won't get a booster in time. Arghhhh! So upset!!

Reading this with interest as we were planning to go skiing in France in Feb half term but looks like we can't do due to travel ban plus my 13 year old is not vaccinated. Am I right in thinking that we CAN go to Austria? Both DH and I are 2 x vaccinated (will get booster soon) and we have a 13 year old unvaccinated, 11 year old and 3 year old. We haven't yet vaccinated our 13 year old due to an inherited heart problem which we want to get checked before we vaccinate. Thanks!

@winterrabbit As AdriannaP helpfully says above, your 13yr old would be able to get the "Holiday Ninja Pass" but would have to test quite alot whilst there. This is copied from the guidance

Teenage travel pass
Austria has also recently implemented a Holiday Ninja Pass for young people of school age (age 12-15) from Austria and abroad who have not yet been fully vaccinated or cannot prove recovery from Covid.

The pass allows them to have officially recognised “2-G” status (Austria’s shorthand terminology for fully vaccinated or recovered from Covid) for seven days if they can provide two negative PCR test results up until day five of a stay in Austria. The status will allow access to public spaces and venues such as restaurants and ski lifts.

Example for a holiday week from Saturday to Saturday:
• Day 1: PCR test on Friday - valid until Monday morning
• Day 2: Arrival on Saturday with negative PCR test from Friday
• Day 3: LFT Sunday morning - valid until Tuesday morning
• Day 4: PCR test Monday morning - valid until Thursday
• Day 7: PCR test Thursday morning - valid until Sunday morning
• Day 9: Travel back to the UK on Saturday

Thanks Africa. Do you know if any other countries offer a similar scheme or testing as an alternative or is it really just Austria if we have an unvaccinated teenager?

So sorry @Africa2go! The irony is that most ski resorts are desperate for a good season definitely in Italy 😔

Crikey it’s getting complicated! Now needing 16 year olds to be boostered as well as 12-15 double vaccinated is quite a hurdle.
I was going to suggest Switzerland @winterabbit as it’s only over 16’s that need to be double vaccinated. There’s no longer any testing once you’re in. But the prices are higher than usual.