Heading to finale next Friday driving from sheffield,was just wondering if someone could tell me which test provider to use.Need a test that is accepted in France and Italy,and also if someone has been finale recent how easy is it to do a return test over there.Cheers for the help in advance.

You don’t need a test to enter France from the UK if fully vaccinated. Just proof of vaccine. You’ll need to download the French Covid app (which is very good) and upload your vaccine certs from the NHS app to that.

Not sure about Italy, but if you’re entering from France there is no border check as you’re already in the EU.

For return to UK you’ll need an up to date test, passenger locator form and the utter bullshit proof of 2 day test. (Which in essence is just a number entered onto locator form). Be sure to book test in advance, full list on gouv.fr website or via the app.

Personally, when I go to France again in a few weeks I’ll just be making up a number for the return form, nobody checks and the system is not joined up.

Download the ‘Anticovid’ French app and familiarise yourself with it, you’ll need it for hotels, restaurants, bars etc etc as they will need proof from you to scan.

Most pharmacys in towns in France will do an efficient Covid test for travel and provide email results which you upload into the app for €25.

I used Chronomics when I went to Ibiza, easy to use, the kit turned up, no video needed just a pic of the negative test. Not cheap mind you.

Personally, when I go to France again in a few weeks I’ll just be making up a number for the return form, nobody checks and the system is not joined up.

Not always the case. I flew back to the UK via Frankfurt last Friday and they were checking everyone prior to boarding. One woman had a test reference that didn’t check out and was offered the choice of either not flying or booking a test and entering a valid reference # on her locator form.

Right. Wales are changing the rules just before we come back from Spain. So who currently offers the best 2 day PCR tests by post for under £68. Must be delivered by post and capable of being sent back by post as we all live way out in the sticks.

Cheers wf

Do you need to order the day 2 test before you leave the UK?

The ones we used last week.. £43 with Code BritishAirways43

https://covid.randox.com/day-2/

Order now and they post them to arrive just before you need them. Check you have a drop box locally.

We purchased the LFTs for return prior to going and took them with us just to save the faff in resort. We used https://www.c19testing.co.uk/ and would recommend them.
On return we had no choice but to use the Wales managed service and although more expensive than some it just worked with hassle. Tests turned up the day we got home (Sunday) and results back just over 24 hrs from posting. The horror stories have heard from other cheap companies it was worth the extra cost just to get it sorted.

I got our Day 2 test from Expert Medical, @ £28 ea they were by far the cheapest. I ordered them while in Corfu a week before returning, and they arrived on the day we needed to take them. I was a little concerned, and no replies from their email, live chat or phone didn’t help, but we got them in time

@welshfarmer I thought you had to book your 2 day test via CTM in Wales (or is that what’s changing?)

Edit: ignore that, I’ve just seen on BBC news that private test companies will be allowed.

FWIW an elderly relative came over from the States a couple of weeks ago, and did an on-site test in a Heathrow carpark for just under £70 – collinsongroup dot com.
Less than two hours after wheels down it was all done and dusted and we were driving away.

I did Randox at Stansted a few weeks ago and it was simple enough and all pretty fast