Navigating the minefield of tests and paperwork to drive to France

[Derekoak]

This article is if true amusing but really annoying! A French doctor and Mep says that as in the Connection article I referred earlier the Beta variant is only present in Worrying amounts in a French overseas department The island of Reunion, a very long way away!. The French mainland is as free as the Uk

Outcry grows over France ‘amber plus’ move

‘The variant is located in La Réunion, which is an Indian Ocean island both very far away from France and England’ – French MEP and medical doctor, Veronique Trillet-Lenoir

www.independent.co.uk

 

[MadRssss]

 

[Derekoak]

I can confirm from dover port that you need no test to get to France if double vaccinated and that vaxevria with a suspected Indian batch number is no problem, not even mentioned!
The M20 is closed as the government has restarted operation Brock for reasons unknown. The suggestion is that they expect a rush of cars to the channel. However the ferries and chunnel sày they have sold less tickets than usual.

 

[MadRssss]

Have booked ferry to Calais for Saturday morning

 

[witzend]

Have booked ferry to Calais for Saturday morning

How about return tests can you take some with you ?

 

[MadRssss]

How about return tests can you take some with you ?

Will look into it closer to returning. It may all of changed again by then. But, I expect I can get a test before returning to UK in France, and can order the tests that I need(whatever that maybe in 90 or so days) so that it’s waiting at home for us to use.

 

[MadRssss]

I can’t see the point of spending money on something that will possibly change at a moment’s notice. If I was going for a week or two then that would be different. As I don’t have a return ticket and I can stay for upto 90 days, I will leave it for now and monitor the situation.

 

[alcam]

I can’t see the point of spending money on something that will possibly change at a moment’s notice. If I was going for a week or two then that would be different. As I don’t have a return ticket and I can stay for upto 90 days, I will leave it for now and monitor the situation.

Noticed on , I think , another thread one or two were suggesting that you would have to have a return ticket ? Obviously you don't . Did you look into that or confident it isn't the case ?

 

[witzend]

Noticed on , I think , another thread one or two were suggesting that you would have to have a return ticket ? Obviously you don't . Did you look into that or confident it isn't the case ?

The rules said you need a return ticket although haven't heard any that have gone mention it or about what food they took with them but did read to make sure you get passport stamped on way out trouble is what ever someone else got away with don't mean you will

Non-EU nationals: To enter France, you must have a valid passport issued within the past ten years and with at least six months left is required, along with a return ticket and sufficient funds for the length of stay.

From here

Visa and Passport Requirements for France

You could spend a lifetime’s worth of holidays in France and still not feel you’d done the country justice. It remains the planet’s most visited tourist destination, meriting its standing with an almost overwhelming mass of historical treasures, storybook landscapes, and cultural idiosyncrasies.

www.worldtravelguide.net

 

[MadRssss]

Noticed on , I think , another thread one or two were suggesting that you would have to have a return ticket ? Obviously you don't . Did you look into that or confident it isn't the case ?

Never looked into it. Assume(never assume, always check ) that when we booked it might have been mentioned. If that is the case will book a return when there. We were thinking, we might need to travel back via another country?

 

[Derekoak]

We are doing very similar to madrssss. Spend on what we need now. Prepare for up to 90 days. Maybe it just might be easier to return Via Spain? We Wait and see. No one asked if we had a return ticket. We have not yet. We got our passport stamped. Entering France was very ordinary as they no longer needed the test we had done.

 

[Stanski]

..... I have now done the run from UK to Greece and back twice. Much easier in Europe as have yet to be asked for test results except boarding the ferry Italy to Greece.

Hello Colinc,
I have much to ask - hope you feel comfortable in my q's. We would like to travel to Greece late September for a couple of months, after or before visiting Sicily.
We have travelled once from Hungary to Greece, back via Igniomenitsa/Brindisi to get home through Italy. We also were in Sicily 2 years ago travelling mainly the west side of the country until we got to the heel.

Questions:
How are you travelling to Greece?
- vehicle type,
- ferry crossing departue place&arrival destination,
- general route
- also how frequently do you stop on the journey.
- Do you feel ferry and travelcosts have changed?

What other advice do you have from your experience of this travel?
Many Thanks in advance
Stan

 

[Colinc]

Hello Colinc,
I have much to ask - hope you feel comfortable in my q's. We would like to travel to Greece late September for a couple of months, after or before visiting Sicily.
We have travelled once from Hungary to Greece, back via Igniomenitsa/Brindisi to get home through Italy. We also were in Sicily 2 years ago travelling mainly the west side of the country until we got to the heel.

Questions:
How are you travelling to Greece?
- vehicle type,
- ferry crossing departue place&arrival destination,
- general route
- also how frequently do you stop on the journey.
- Do you feel ferry and travelcosts have changed?

What other advice do you have from your experience of this travel?
Many Thanks in advance
Stan

Hi Stan,

Good to hear you plan to go to Greece. Wonderful country with easy wild camping in many beautiful places.

We have been travelling in an Adria Twin - based on a 6m Ducato. We do that for relative ease of getting into small spaces. We do see bigger motorhomes on the roads in Greece so they are OK too. It is quite a common destination for German vans/motorhomes. Many flood down in early summer and stay the season.

We normally go from Ancona to Igniomenitsa using Superfast Ferries. We have also done via Venice too. Superfast allow "camping on board" so you can use the van whilst sailing. The spaces book up for that so you need to book well ahead. The ferries are very comfortable.

Our route has been via France and Switzerland. We cross to Switzerland in Basel and go through the Brenner Tunnel. This means buying a Swiss motorway pass - but the views are worth it. We have been traveling during Covid so just stopping overnight at service stations and aires. This is easy to do but not as much fun as taking time over it. If you want to go at full speed it can be done with a single night in Switzerland and two long days driving. You then get the ferry to rest.

I don't think costs have changed other than the costs of Covid tests. They are pretty easy to get though. The rules for which countries neeed which tests varies all the time so anything I say now will be out-of-date by late September. Generally though the hardest bit is getting in and out of the UK. Once in Europe things are so much easier.

Happy to ask any more questions. Hope this helps.

 

[Colinc]

PS to the above. We just came back and were forced into a new route due to rules coming back to UK from France. Instead we came via Austria and Germany to the Hook of Holland - and then over to Harwich. I don't think I would do that if France was open again - the Channel Tunnel being the far easier route. The Harwich borderforce are terrible and the boat took 2 hours for all to clear into the UK.

 

[alun145]

I'm off to France and looking at return requirements to get back to UK
As it stands ..., all can change of course,
As Im double dabbed I will have to get a test within 3 days of return. I have found the sites of test centers , but none have prices to compare. Has anyone had these tests and at what cost, to give me something to work on?

The 2 day test after return all seem to be £20 each, so do-able.

Cheers alun

 

[Val54]

I'm off to France and looking at return requirements to get back to UK
As it stands ..., all can change of course,
As Im double dabbed I will have to get a test within 3 days of return. I have found the sites of test centers , but none have prices to compare. Has anyone had these tests and at what cost, to give me something to work on?

The 2 day test after return all seem to be £20 each, so do-able.

Cheers alun

We are in the same position, spending hours getting the paperwork in order. I would double check those prices, lots of PCR testers quoted on the govt site do show £20 but when you click through the costs push up to £80 and beyond. There are a lot of complaints about poor service as well. Have you checked your EHIC health cards, checked ours today and they ran out in May this year, so spent this morning applying for the new version.

 

[QFour]

Ferry booked for April 2022 give them a bit more time to work out what's needed.

 

[Val54]

Antigen is cheaper and you can get results virtually straight away. We did some research and found one online that do one for £39. Worked out how much it was going to cost for tests and the dog and binned it for this year. Ferry booked for April 2022

The day 2 return test has to be a PCR ........... ....... at the moment .............. and has to be booked before you leave the UK

 

[Derekoak]

The day 2 return test has to be a PCR ........... ....... at the moment .............. and has to be booked before you leave the UK

I think practically it has to be booked before your return. We went for an open ended 2 months and plan to book whatever is needed just before return.

 

[Val54]

I think practically it has to be booked before your return. We went for an open ended 2 months and plan to book whatever is needed just before return.

Sorry, my mistake, the current Day 2 test has to be booked before returning to the UK so that the reference details can be included on the passenger locator form, which also has to be completed prior to border control.