Travelling Europe this year turned out fine

peej1977

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Hi all, didn't seem relevant to post it in one of the country specific sections but apologies if it should have been. I posted a while back in the Benelux section as we were originally heading to Rotterdam on the ferry until the Dutch Border Security categorically told us we couldn't enter. Annoyingly they changed the rules at the last minute and the day after our booked ferry we could have travelled, but hey ho. We were heading to Austria which was still a definite no anyway. We changed our plans rather than cancel the whole thing and decided to do the Alps again but try and get a bit of Germany in as well if we could, then back across France to stay with my brother in law for a week in Brittany.

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Considering all of the hoo-ha and people cancelling left right and centre were nearly decided not to go but I'm glad we did. I did all the required paperwork for France, Switzerland and Germany and to be honest some of the information on the various websites was a little vague and confusing but we set off down to Folkestone on Sat 7th.

Folkestone Eurotunnel was heaving, I assume due to the extra checks, but eventually we go through after missing our original crossing. British Border just checked the passports, guy at the French side asked for vaccination proof, both me and my wife showed him our double QR codes on our phones, but the writing was so small he couldn't possibly have read the names so I expected he would ask us to zoom in but he didn't, just stamped our passports and sent us on our way, didn't ask for the Declaration that the French government website instructs you to print and take.

Got to Basel and just like last year got waived straight through into Switzerland. Following day we headed for the German border which was shut so we rode straight through into Germany, came back into Switzerland later that day over a river with no border post.

Spent another couple of days in Switzerland and then headed into France to Chamonix and again the border was unmanned so we drove straight through. I assume because of Schengen/free movement this is why but it does make me wonder why we fretted so much about where we could go etc.

Anyway, for our return leg we went to the local hospital in Brittany and had our PCR tests done, didn't charge us. Results came back the following morning. Brittany Ferries at St Malo asked to see everything including Passenger Locator etc but it was smooth and efficient. Ship was only 1/5 capacity as apparently alot of people have cancelled due to the extra cost of testing on return etc which is a shame, we were the only bike onboard and managed to get off first. Border Security at Portsmouth scanned our passports and said as long as everything was in order we would be on our way, which we were.

We docked at 18:20 and by 18:40 we were already fuelled up and out of Pompey on the motorway.

Just thought I'd share my experience in case people were a little wary of travelling etc. I did get a tug from the Swiss Police and it was at that moment I realised I'd been so preoccupied with the COVID malarky that I forgot to pack the V5 for the bike, which he asked for. Gave me a little lecture and sent me on my way, he was a really nice guy to be fair.

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We had no problems with three of us in France last week, down to Grenoble, Route Napoleon, back and around Vercors for a few days then a scenic route back via Saumur and the Musee des Blindes and a day around the Normandy beaches. All like clockwork, on outbound and inbound trip.
 
Do you need to show vax passports and/ or negative tests and stuff to go into shops, restaurants, hotels, etc? Any curfews or anything in place?

I lost track of what you have to do where, plus in some places it seems like it’s ignored anyway, apparently you’re supposed to in Italy but my Italian friend says everyone ignores it.

Do you have to wear masks, in country and on the ferry? If so face coverings or those cheap shit blue Chinese things, or N95?


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Peejay, we are thinking of going to France next month. Have I understood correctly, you can stop and get the return test locally ?. I thought you had to pre book them before you go .
 
Peejay, we are thinking of going to France next month. Have I understood correctly, you can stop and get the return test locally ?. I thought you had to pre book them before you go .

You can get them locally, last week two of us had return antigen tests with us and one went to a local lab in Calais.

There is a great thread running in the forum about France with some great screenshots / content from Wapping that explain it all in ease.

Antigen tests are fine for the return trip, they are cheaper than PCR tests but have to be done up ton48hrs in advance unlike PCRs at 72 hours.
 
Thank you for taking the time to post.

I’m on leave next month, game on again


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Peejay, we are thinking of going to France next month. Have I understood correctly, you can stop and get the return test locally ?. I thought you had to pre book them before you go .

Pre book a return (day 2) pcr test before you leave blighty) This gets posted out about the time you return. You get a booking reference. You need this for the passenger locator form.
As for when in France, you can get the tests locally. An antigen test cost me 27.89 euros! No need for PCR. I didn't pre book but having done so would have saved me asking in pigeon french for "where can I get one today?". If you pre book, you walk in, get a card, get re directed to a test lab outside or in a different office building. In my case I rode to pharmacy number 2. I didn't need to book. I was made to wait 10 minutes as someone ahead of me just booked.

I was directed to a shop 2 doors down from the pharmacy, a swab was taken, 15 minutes later got handed a form with required negative antigen result, then told to go and pay in the pharmacy and collected an official certificate with a QR code.

Photograph said QR code and add it as a certificate to your french covid app. Done.

Then fill in your passenger locator form on gov.uk. here you add your PCR test provider and test reference number. Download that certificate.

Log in to your eurotunnel app. Add forms (both the cert and the passenger locator one). These then get manually approved by eurotunnel staff and you can see they have been approved.

I arrived at the tunnel early. All they checked was my reg (attached to the electronic booking and forms, no doubt) and my passport. Nothing else. Only bike on the tunnel. No checks UK side. At home now waiting for a call...
PCR test was pre booked and is due to arrive tomorrow or thursday (yet to check when..)
Simples
 
Pre book a return (day 2) pcr test before you leave blighty) This gets posted out about the time you return. You get a booking reference. You need this for the passenger locator form.
As for when in France, you can get the tests locally. An antigen test cost me 27.89 euros! No need for PCR. I didn't pre book but having done so would have saved me asking in pigeon french for "where can I get one today?". If you pre book, you walk in, get a card, get re directed to a test lab outside or in a different office building. In my case I rode to pharmacy number 2. I didn't need to book. I was made to wait 10 minutes as someone ahead of me just booked.

I was directed to a shop 2 doors down from the pharmacy, a swab was taken, 15 minutes later got handed a form with required negative antigen result, then told to go and pay in the pharmacy and collected an official certificate with a QR code.

Photograph said QR code and add it as a certificate to your french covid app. Done.

Then fill in your passenger locator form on gov.uk. here you add your PCR test provider and test reference number. Download that certificate.

Log in to your eurotunnel app. Add forms (both the cert and the passenger locator one). These then get manually approved by eurotunnel staff and you can see they have been approved.

I arrived at the tunnel early. All they checked was my reg (attached to the electronic booking and forms, no doubt) and my passport. Nothing else. Only bike on the tunnel. No checks UK side. At home now waiting for a call...
PCR test was pre booked and is due to arrive tomorrow or thursday (yet to check when..)
Simples

Thank you - that is very clear. Bugger it I'm off in a couple of weeks too. :thumb2
 
Good right up PJ, very informative. (I'm Graeme, Tuckers friend)
 
Thanks adventuredon, saved that to my packing list, also off to France in a couple of weeks, cant wait! Belgium Airshow "Sanicole" if I can get into Belgium then Vercors & Provence :)
 


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