My brain is melting with all the options. Heading to Spain by Ferry on the 14th (my wife is Spanish and her father was recently diagnosed with dementia).
Wife and I are both double jabbed so that’s fine. I need to get PCR tests for the 2 kids (we’ll worry about the return leg when we know when we’ll be heading back).
The ferry take 24 hours. Needs results no more than 48hrs old on arrival.
So far I’m think vivo in-clinic (Bristol) with next day results. £125 each.
Seem reasonable?

?

We’ve been looking at this but our ferry takes 36 hours doesn’t leave much room for manoeuvre. Spain currently accept the lamp test which is cheaper than a PCR and you get the results back in a couple of hours. Which gives you chance to repeat if it fails for some reason. We are getting ours done at mcr airport the before we head down to Portsmouth. See if you get it done at Bristol airport.

I am in Spain and going to uk next week, cheapest home per test I can get is randox at 95gbp for day 2 and 8. 10% off with flyryanair code, have a look on their website.

The cheapest is testforyoh or something like that 79, but sold out.

I got the deals from mse site, money saving expert.

Good luck, I got my covid passport.

Unfortunately no LAMP testing in Bristol (or nearby).

Can you just go to a walk in NHS clinic? In Scotland we can get asymptotic testing.

only lateral flow tests is it not? – just using up the useless things

In answer to the OP, yes. Not that I’ve done one but at work, the guys who’ve been travelling through the pandemic have been paying c. £150 for a test at either end.

I don’t think the NHS ones give you the correct paperwork for travel, I also don’t think they guarantee results in any sort of time frame that would be acceptable.

We chatted yesterday to a guy who works at Birmingham airport. They’re having to turn loads of people away at boarding who had an expensive test but whose results didn’t come back in time, even though they were “guaranteed”.

Government site has a list of all approved suppliers and you can sort it by price. We paid £40 a head for ours

We chatted yesterday to a guy who works at Birmingham airport. They’re having to turn loads of people away at boarding who had an expensive test but whose results didn’t come back in time, even though they were “guaranteed”.

Friend just missed their flight because of this. In the end they did an in-house test at the airport and paid for another flight.

Unfortunately this isn’t an option with Brittany Ferries.

I’ve been flying abroad for work throughout the whole thing. ExpressTest at the airports have been my go-to, I’ve never had a test result take more than 24hrs and it’s usually much earlier than that – I tend to get a test later on in the day, have had results back that evening or first thing the following morning.

On the 48hr thing I’d double check the requirements. For flying the test result just has to be valid at the time of departure, not the time of arrival in the end country.

When it comes time to return, good luck. I’m in Scotland so we have a single choice for the isolation tests, they turn up when ordered and results are next day. The guys who live in England haven’t had such a smooth time of it: tests undelivered, results missing, etc. My own experience of flying back to England once was the same, test booked but never turned up.

Passengers from third countries who meet the requirements to enter Spain (see section “Entry requirements for entry in Spain from third countries”), may travel by presenting any of the following certificates, as long as they meet the same conditions as the EU Digital COVID Certificate:

• a certificate of vaccination against COVID-19,
• a negative diagnostic test (NAAT or RAT) performed within 48 hours of arrival,

It does say within 48 hours of arrival.

Plan is walk in test in Bristol on the Tuesday 3pm. Results promised by 10pm next day. Ferry 3pm Wednesday. Results should arrive while we are at sea. Arrive Spain 1pm Thursday. Test taken with 48hrs. We’ll take a couple of the rapid tests over the weekend to flag any unexpected positives.

Luckily the dog has a valid EU passport.

Will they let you board without the results? They wouldn’t let my partner on a plane here without them. Results eventually came through a couple of hours after plane took off for a 7hour flight (without him on it). I guess if they’re positive they don’t want you on board!

Also: don’t use Healthium Clinics for your tests. Made a series of balls ups over his day 2,5,8 arrival tests. Seems like they’re better set for Botox treatments than any actual science type stuff.

only lateral flow tests is it not? – just using up the useless things

Nope. Proper PCR tests been available for all here in the Borders since March. Just book an appointment and turn up, you don’t need any symptoms

Testing linky

Luckily the dog has a valid EU passport.

Is it registered as an EU dog?

Got to get a health certificate for our fella

doesn’t 48 hours of arrival insinuate that it can be taken up to 48 hours after arriving (rather than before)?

reading the gov website it appears not, but kids under 12 don’t need to be tested..

Dog is a Hungarian national with EU passport. I’m hoping she adopt me.

Kids are 16 & 13 so tests required.

Test certificate required for entry so must be taken with 48hrs of arriving?

As of last week no tests were required for the ferry (which seemed a bit mad). Spanish PCR / LAMP test requirements came in on the 2nd.

How do you work out which test providers are legit? Some seem to be 50 quid, some seem to be 10 quid, and other 150 quid… i’m assuming the 10 quid ones adding on 140 quid for delivery or some other scam.

Is it easiest just to book a test at boots? I don’t like the idea of relying on the postal service for whether i go on holiday or not, so will get an inperson PCR test for when we travel, but which one…

Also do the day 2 and 8 tests need to be PCR ones?

Also, I know nothing about tests having never had one….

– PCR – these need to be sent off right?
– Lateral flow tests – do you need to send these off? or are they like pregnancy tests?

To get into france (via the tunnel), it seems unclear whether you need a lateral flow test or a PCR test? This page (https://www.eurotunnel.com/uk/travelling-with-us/latest/covid-19/) suggests lateral flow tests are acceptable. Lots of other places suggest you need a PCR for a fit to fly test?

If it is the case you only need a lateral flow test, and you don’t need to send them off, can you just order them well in advance and take the day before, so there is no risk of not having a test result?

Similarly can you just order your return lateral flow test in advance of your holiday and take them with you for the return test?

from the UKs perspective, Lateral flow gets you onto a plane. For most foreign countries (and definitely portugal), they want PCR before arrival. Either way they normally need to be done ‘through a lab’ rather than just self-testing and bringing a spitty stick along. Sometimes they’re both done by post, sometimes you can get them in person.

there’s a list of all legit providers on the government website. https://www.find-travel-test-provider.service.gov.uk/test-to-release

Either way they normally need to be done ‘through a lab’ rather than just self-testing and bringing a spitty stick along.

Ah yes, you’re correct, even if you do the spitty test they want the cert from the test provider.

Edit: but looks like some of them will do a video call whilst you do the test and then mail you the certificate. Saves tracking down the test in france I guess for the return.

Coming to Estonia a week ago I investigated but in the end we got PCR tests (free for nationals and £50, 24h results for me) on arrival at the airport here. I was about to go to Boots for their £85 service but not required.

Heading back in the future, nothing booked as not sure if it will be an amber or green country so will wait till the last week.

To get into france (via the tunnel), it seems unclear whether you need a lateral flow test or a PCR test? This page

CURRENT RULE.

both tests are acceptable but from an authorised provider, not the free NHS ones. time gap between test and arrival differs

you also need to be doubled vaccinated at least 10 days ago, and complete a form to say you are covid free and haven’t been in contact.

watch this page.

https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/coming-to-france/coronavirus-advice-for-foreign-nationals-in-france/

Soo… Brittany Ferries have just told us that you need a test certificate to get on the boat (which makes sense) but has meant that the day before we leave, I have to drive the kids to East Midlands Airport to do LAMP tests.

Has anyone bought Day 2 PCR tests recently?

Yes, through Chronimics, worked fine.

Randox were fine, just check there’s a drop box nearby.

We are away at the moment and ordered our pcr day 2 tests from expert medical (recommended by a friend). Only £29 each, arrived promptly and are ready for our return.

Another 👍 for expert medicals, also recommended by a friend. They provide return RM postage via one of the priority postboxes.

We came back from Spain a couple of weeks ago. Ordered Randox before we went, everything went just fine.

Collinson drive through for the way out and Randox for the return 2 day test. Less than £100 the pair.

There are discount codes aplenty online too.

Ordered from Excalibur. Turned up on time but now DPD seem completely unable to actually collect the bloody things!

Any other recommendations ? We are both fully vaccinated and going to Spain for Half Term, currently it looks like a 2 day PCR test by post is required. Was there recent talk of home lateral flow test and being able to photo the results yourself ?

Rules are changing from the 24th to allow LFTs for Day 2 tests.

I really hope the providers go live on Friday as promised, as I get on a plane at 4pm.

Order it while you’re away. I ordered ours while in Corfu (August/September), hoping the prices would drop a bit.

They didn’t 😟

We’re currently in France have booked our LFTs under the new rules with TestingForAll.They were recommended to us by some friends who used them a few weks ago for their PCR tests.

When you book the test with them you tell them the date you’re due back in the UK and they send them to arrive the following day. We’re due back on the 28/10 so hoping all goes to plan.