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Skiing in France in Feb half term?

377 replies

winterrabbit · 02/01/2022 23:14

We have a provisional booking in Feb half term for me, DH, and 3 kids aged 13, 11 and 3. DH and I are double vaxxed and will have had booster by the time we go. Our 13 year old is not yet vaxxed due to potential health risks so trying to work out if he will be able to get a covid pass if he tests every day in the region. Not sure if they still allow this or if they will insist on the super covid pass like Italy. Does anyone know? There's also the issue of the travel ban on UK citizens. Is this expected to be lifted? All looking a bit too difficult really!

OP posts:
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SkiTurtle · 07/02/2022 20:19

Normal masks in bars/restaurants and either a normal mask or neck warmer on the ski lifts. I'd read that neck warmers were not acceptable but this did not appear to be the case.

rookiemere · 08/02/2022 16:42

Sorry can I just ask where it is confirmed that it is now 48hrs rather than 24 hrs for the pre departure test please?
Plus we are doing at home Lateral Flow tests and I think that's fine as long as we get the certificate?
Thanks !

Mocha1978 · 08/02/2022 17:44

@rookiemere

Sorry can I just ask where it is confirmed that it is now 48hrs rather than 24 hrs for the pre departure test please? Plus we are doing at home Lateral Flow tests and I think that's fine as long as we get the certificate? Thanks !
This is the official French guidance, we are Orange list

www.interieur.gouv.fr/Actualites/L-actu-du-Ministere/Certificate-of-international-travel#from4a

We had no notification from our travel company it had changed though, only found out through chance. Read today France are looking to scrap the need for tests for fully vaccinated in the coming days. We’ve bought ours but will gladly forgo the money to take away the stress of testing!

Mocha1978 · 08/02/2022 17:48

@rookiemere

Sorry can I just ask where it is confirmed that it is now 48hrs rather than 24 hrs for the pre departure test please? Plus we are doing at home Lateral Flow tests and I think that's fine as long as we get the certificate? Thanks !
And yes that’s what we’ve ordered the home lateral flow (antigen)tests which we will get a certificate for.
Africa2go · 08/02/2022 18:16

www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/coming-to-france/coming-to-france-your-covid-19-questions-answered/article/coming-to-france-your-covid-19-questions-answered#sommaire_3

Just to be clear, according to this website, if you're fully vax'd its a -ve antigen test done in the 48 hours before departure. If you're not fully vax'd (my 12yr old) then it needs to be within 24 hrs of departure.

rookiemere · 08/02/2022 18:37

Thanks @Africa2go and @Mocha1978

Peanutgurgle · 08/02/2022 18:38

Thanks for Clarifying that Africatogo. That would’ve caught me out.

DuchessMinnie · 08/02/2022 19:08

We leave on Saturday morning, can't wait and crossing our fingers that none of us test positive in the meantime.

Has anyone managed to get a covid pass for 12-15 year olds? They were jabbed (2nd time) last Thursday and the lady said we would recover QR codes but so far nothing. I have linked their NHS profiles to mine, is there anything else I need to do?

Mocha1978 · 08/02/2022 20:41

@DuchessMinnie

We leave on Saturday morning, can't wait and crossing our fingers that none of us test positive in the meantime.

Has anyone managed to get a covid pass for 12-15 year olds? They were jabbed (2nd time) last Thursday and the lady said we would recover QR codes but so far nothing. I have linked their NHS profiles to mine, is there anything else I need to do?

Yes I’ve managed it for my 13 yr old. I haven’t linked his to mine, your teen needs to download the NHS app onto their device, (think if they’re 12 you need to use the desktop version as the app is 13 + but this may have changed). It walks you throught the set up, you need to send a pic of their passport and a video of them saying some numbers. This is approved, usually quickly, and then the app looks like ours with a covid pass. My son’s 2nd jab was Sat 29 jan and it was on the app the first day the covid pass was activated for that age group Thurs 3rd feb.
JoanOgden · 08/02/2022 22:55

@Africa2go

www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/coming-to-france/coming-to-france-your-covid-19-questions-answered/article/coming-to-france-your-covid-19-questions-answered#sommaire_3

Just to be clear, according to this website, if you're fully vax'd its a -ve antigen test done in the 48 hours before departure. If you're not fully vax'd (my 12yr old) then it needs to be within 24 hrs of departure.

Hmm - but it says at the top of the page that children follow the same rules as their accompanying adults. So, teenagers who aren't fully vaccinated can show a test taken within 48 hours, if their accompanying adults are fully vaccinated?

(4 days to travel and terrified I've got something wrong...)

abricotine · 08/02/2022 23:00

@DuchessMinnie they need to download the app and register (plus do extended verification of their identity by uploading passport) themselves. Mine both have the app independently and I never linked their records to mine.

DuchessMinnie · 08/02/2022 23:08

@abricotine and @Mocha1978 thank you both so much. My 15 yo has downloaded the app tonight, 12.5yo will have to do it the other way.

Africa2go · 08/02/2022 23:51

@JoanOgden it says that children under 12 don't need Covid pass - I understand 12 and over means you have to be tested.

JoanOgden · 09/02/2022 04:06

Yes, the 12 and overs need to be tested, that's fine - my query is about whether (if they're not fully vaccinated) their tests need to be taken within 24 hours before travelling, or 48.

workwoes123 · 09/02/2022 05:16

For travel into France minors adopt the vaccination status of their accompanying adult. So if a 12 year old is travelling with a vaccinated adult, they are treated as vaccinated irrespective of their actual vaccination status - which means a test 48 hours in advance,

Thé pass sanitaire doesn’t have anything to do with entry into the country - it only applies within France. So for that, yes the vaccination status of the 12 yrs old becomes relevant. Non vaccinated 12 yr olds (12 yrs plus 2 months to be precise) will need a negative test, valid for 24 hours, for their pas sanitaire to be valid.

daisybank2 · 09/02/2022 16:25

We're all set for France in half term but suddenly thought, our dd (14) is not fully vaccinated according to UK rules (she has 1 vaccine, 1 recovery) so does she need to do any pre-departure tests in France or tests when she gets back to UK?

Doubleraspberry · 09/02/2022 16:41

Looks highly likely that the requirement for a pre-departure test will be scrapped for vaccinated travellers very imminently.

Doubleraspberry · 09/02/2022 16:42

On the form about contact with Covid positive cases, we've all had Covid, so obviously we've had contact with each other. But we've all also recovered. So do we just say no contact on the basis that we're pretty sure none of us is incubating it?!

Africa2go · 09/02/2022 16:45

@daisybank2 the gov.uk status says for incoming travel i.e. back to uk For inward travel, all under-18s regardless of their individual vaccination status will continue to be considered as fully vaccinated

daisybank2 · 09/02/2022 16:59

Thanks @Africa2go but so muddly with so many back and forths on .gov.uk website... switching between rules before 11th Feb and after 11th Feb.
Would you mind posting the link for the info for the Inward travel info?

ButPerfectlyFormed · 09/02/2022 19:00

Can anyone confirm that the fit-to-fly certificates for France don't need to have QR code for them. Just done an LFT from Chronomics which purports to be fit-to-fly but the 'certificate' looks v low tech (no QR code) so I'm having doubts...

Peanutgurgle · 10/02/2022 12:08

Any news ButPerfectlyFormed? We have used chronomics too. I have just sent a message to double check with them. I’ve got the fear now!

chalkyc2 · 10/02/2022 12:24

I can't help but I do know that there is a QR code on the Randox certificate.

First world problems and all but so bloody stressful!

ButPerfectlyFormed · 10/02/2022 12:59

@Peanutgurgle I’m no wiser still I’m afraid so please do share any info you get back!