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COVID Test Requirements for Going to France (from Edinburgh)

Holiday Ideas & Foreign Travel
AWOL
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COVID Test Requirements for Going to France (from Edinburgh)

#463319

Postby AWOL » December 5th, 2021, 5:39 pm

Hi,

I have a holiday in France booked for January and have been trying to get my head around the requirements. I don't feel that I am doing very well with planning this and could do with some help as I am struggling with the requirement for a negative COVID test carried out by a medic (not self test) within 48 hours.

I have looked at the tests that are on offer at Edinburgh Airport (and those recommended by my CrystalSki) and in the small print the PCR test says that it may take up to 48 hours from the lab getting the sample. However the French authorities require a test taken within 48 hours. Taking into account the possibility of delayed flights, time to courier samples to the lab etc., it looks like they are not guaranteeing that I get my results in time. Moreover as my flights are early in the morning I really would rather not have to do my tests at around the same time if I can avoid it two days before.

Now in theory I can do an antigen test but it's unclear that their antigen test complies with the requirements regarding the new variant and there is also greater chance of false negatives and false positives to contend with which is putting me off.

Does anyone have any bright ideas on how to de-risk this process or recommendations for an approach?

Regarding the other requirement, at the moment I have an NHS Scotland Covid app and a French COVID app both showing my vaccinated status. I will need to renew this closer to the time and hopefully their will be a way to show my booster by then which isn't on the NHS Scotland app yet. So I think I have this bit in hand.

Thank you.

Awol

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Re: COVID Test Requirements for Going to France (from Edinburgh)

#463321

Postby scrumpyjack » December 5th, 2021, 5:41 pm

Have your skiing holiday in Scotland :D

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Re: COVID Test Requirements for Going to France (from Edinburgh)

#463478

Postby redsturgeon » December 6th, 2021, 1:08 pm

I'd always advise going with an antigen test if you have the option, less chance of false positive than a PCR, we have had several PCR tests returned positive because the person had had Covid several weeks prior to the test. Also you can get the LFT result in 15 minutes, no reliance on the vagaries of post.

Too early to start planning for the test really though, a lot could change between now and January.

John

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Re: COVID Test Requirements for Going to France (from Edinburgh)

#463567

Postby terminal7 » December 6th, 2021, 5:16 pm

(i) LFT or PCR 48Hours before you leave to show the French
(ii) Covid pass showing booster for the French
(iii) LFT or PCR 48 hours before you return for the British so that the reference can be input into PLF
(iv) PCR within 48 hours of your return for the British

As said by other Fools - this can change at anytime - not worth worrying about until maybe a week before you go.

T7

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Re: COVID Test Requirements for Going to France (from Edinburgh)

#463569

Postby Lootman » December 6th, 2021, 5:21 pm

terminal7 wrote:(i) LFT or PCR 48Hours before you leave to show the French
(ii) Covid pass showing booster for the French
(iii) LFT or PCR 48 hours before you return for the British so that the reference can be input into PLF
(iv) PCR within 48 hours of your return for the British

As said by other Fools - this can change at anytime - not worth worrying about until maybe a week before you go.

Are you sure it is 48 hours?

The source I read said the requirement was for the two days before travel, plus the day of travel, which is not the same as 48 hours.

So for example if your flight is 10 p.m. on Wednesday then a test performed at 10 a.m. on Monday is acceptable.

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Re: COVID Test Requirements for Going to France (from Edinburgh)

#463850

Postby AWOL » December 7th, 2021, 1:16 pm

scrumpyjack wrote:Have your skiing holiday in Scotland :D


Oh I am doing that too.

Thanks for all the great advice guys.

redsturgeon wrote:I'd always advise going with an antigen test if you have the option, less chance of false positive than a PCR, we have had several PCR tests returned positive because the person had had Covid several weeks prior to the test. Also you can get the LFT result in 15 minutes, no reliance on the vagaries of post.

Too early to start planning for the test really though, a lot could change between now and January.

John


I like to have a plan even if the plan needs updating as the situation updates. I had been put off the antigen test by it not being clear if the tests complied with the French requirement but your argument makes a lot of sense. Does the In Store Rapid Antigen Test from Boots look like the right thing?

Image

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Re: COVID Test Requirements for Going to France (from Edinburgh)

#463869

Postby AWOL » December 7th, 2021, 1:54 pm

Ignore that. It looks like my local options are PCR or PCR.

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Re: COVID Test Requirements for Going to France (from Edinburgh)

#464250

Postby AF62 » December 8th, 2021, 2:12 pm

terminal7 wrote:As said by other Fools - this can change at anytime - not worth worrying about until maybe a week before you go.

T7


Even knowing a week in advance is optimistic.

A week before I was due to travel to Madeira it was fine to have an LFT test on return with no need to isolate as fully vaccinated. And then it became a PCR with a need to isolate until a negative result.

And two days after I arrive I now need an LFT to fly back.

Travel at the moment is spin the roulette wheel to see what the rules today are.

But whatever, the sun is shining here and the beer is cold, and I am not in a damp cold UK looking forward to the (rumoured) introduction of ’Plan B’ tomorrow.

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Re: COVID Test Requirements for Going to France (from Edinburgh)

#465580

Postby SteMiS » December 13th, 2021, 7:41 pm

We have a ski holiday booked in France departing very early 28 December. Unfortunately we are flying through Geneva, Switzerland, which requires a pcr test <72 hrs prior to departure. Great, because that means a pcr test on Christmas Day (nope, nothing open, no post), Boxing Day (nope, nothing open, no post) or the day after, the 27th. However impossible to book a walk in, same day result pcr on the 27th and, even if it was, they don't 'guarantee' anything. A result the following day would be no use as we need to check in at about 5 am with the result.

We also have 2 unvaccinated children in the party who would need to take an antigen test every 24 hours to be able to access the ski lifts/ski school.

I've already rebooked on holiday this year to the summer due to the need to take 5 pcr tests each to do it.

Will this ever end...

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Re: COVID Test Requirements for Going to France (from Edinburgh)

#466291

Postby SteMiS » December 16th, 2021, 10:33 am

SteMiS wrote:We have a ski holiday booked in France departing very early 28 December. Unfortunately we are flying through Geneva, Switzerland, which requires a pcr test <72 hrs prior to departure. Great, because that means a pcr test on Christmas Day (nope, nothing open, no post), Boxing Day (nope, nothing open, no post) or the day after, the 27th. However impossible to book a walk in, same day result pcr on the 27th and, even if it was, they don't 'guarantee' anything. A result the following day would be no use as we need to check in at about 5 am with the result.

We also have 2 unvaccinated children in the party who would need to take an antigen test every 24 hours to be able to access the ski lifts/ski school.

I've already rebooked on holiday this year to the summer due to the need to take 5 pcr tests each to do it.

Will this ever end...

Looks like Macron is going to save our bacon on this one by banning tourists from entering France from Saturday.


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