Good luck with that. I travelled by train last Christmas to see my dad. No one noticed or cared. Trying to prevent people from visiting each other at home is completely impossible to enforce.
-
Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Covid restrictions abroad: updates & observations
- Thread starter Butts
- Start date
- Status
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
Butts
Veteran Member
Arrived in Athens okay and glad I had a Car to take me to my Hotel as they were quite generous with the Drinks onboard.
Another stamp in my Passport .....entry not arduous at all.
Mask wearing quite prevalent on the Metro (virtually 100%) and touristy areas, away from that not quite so prolific.
At least the sun is shining like a British Summers Day.
Another stamp in my Passport .....entry not arduous at all.
Mask wearing quite prevalent on the Metro (virtually 100%) and touristy areas, away from that not quite so prolific.
At least the sun is shining like a British Summers Day.
There was never any significant risk in having the first two vaccines and nor is there any with the third.
Just a reminder that this thread is for the discussion of restrictions when going abroad. Other Covid topics can be discussed in other threads.
YorkshireBear
Established Member
- Joined
- 23 Jul 2010
- Messages
- 8,692
Keeping a close eye on Germany in the hope they don't impose anything that would stop a good holiday in a few weeks. Some quarter losing their mind about the increase in rates amongst unvaccinated!
nlogax
Established Member
Same. Looking forward to returning to Berlin in December and the news from Germany isn't looking too promising.
YorkshireBear
Established Member
- Joined
- 23 Jul 2010
- Messages
- 8,692
At the moment all the threats seem to be towards unvaccinated which none of us are so I am hopeful. And I think everyone knows the population can't take another winter of it. But I'm wary, all hotels free cancellation, not booked rail tickets yet and flights are transfer dates for free. So not stressed about stuff like that yet.
As long as we can eat and drink out I don't really care about the rest as we can entertain ourselves otherwise.
When I booked this in July I was so sure all would be well enough for travel by this stage and while there may be some paperwork and testing it would be fine, whereas I'm sat now worrying about lockdowns etc. Shows how wrong I was!
317666
Established Member
Likewise, I'm returning to Cologne for a few nights next weekend. Fingers crossed!
Butts
Veteran Member
It would seem that, refreshingly, to enter Albania from the UK there is no PLF required merely proof of vaccine status.
Going there in a few weeks and this makes a pleasant change form the normal bureaucracy associated with Foreign Travel at the moment.
Going there in a few weeks and this makes a pleasant change form the normal bureaucracy associated with Foreign Travel at the moment.
221129
Established Member
I've got Frankfurt next week. Hopefully they don't change it at the last minute!
I've just been to Norway where there were no restrictions whatsoever. There were also no restrictions on the way there and I was able to get my boarding pass on app without any requirements, like it was before January 2021 (remember that travel was quite easy in 2020, as long as it wasn't forbidden in the first place).
Many places didn't have the plastic screens any more. The mask haters here will be pleased to know that only about 1 in 1000 people were wearing masks, most of whom were tourists from China (not sure how they were allowed to leave - possibly not living in China or are well-connected) or elderly, who seemed to be under the delusion that surgical masks protect them. Also on two different trains I saw two younger ethnic Nordics wearing masks, but they were coughing quite frequently.
On the return I used the VeriFLY app and everything was very easy, I also set a new personal record for touching down at Heathrow to being on the 482 bus.
Many places didn't have the plastic screens any more. The mask haters here will be pleased to know that only about 1 in 1000 people were wearing masks, most of whom were tourists from China (not sure how they were allowed to leave - possibly not living in China or are well-connected) or elderly, who seemed to be under the delusion that surgical masks protect them. Also on two different trains I saw two younger ethnic Nordics wearing masks, but they were coughing quite frequently.
On the return I used the VeriFLY app and everything was very easy, I also set a new personal record for touching down at Heathrow to being on the 482 bus.
I came back from France on Monday and took the day 2 test that evening. Under the new LFT system it is a little less faff.
I have another trip to Ireland shortly but thankfully by the time I get back I will have spent 10 full days in the CTA so won’t need another day 2 test upon returning.
I have another trip to Ireland shortly but thankfully by the time I get back I will have spent 10 full days in the CTA so won’t need another day 2 test upon returning.
YorkshireBear
Established Member
- Joined
- 23 Jul 2010
- Messages
- 8,692
It looks like different states might do different things with the more Eastern and Southern states of Saxony, Thuringia and Bavaria being the ones where things are very high. The new coalition government really do not want to return to blanket restrictions or lockdowns after stating they would not do so.
Very interesting! I am looking around for Plan Bs at the moment and great to hear real stories from other countries.
Last edited:
Is a second day 2 test needed on return from Ireland within 10 days of being outside the CTA, but having been in the UK and taken a Day 2 test in the interim?
As there's no outright requirement to complete a PLF or book a test on return from Ireland, I wonder if the original PLF and Day 2 test are sufficient to comply with the law?
Under my reading of the regulations, yes – although they have been torn up and amended so many times that I am not especially certain.
What is certain, however, is that there is no realistic prospect of any failure to take a second day 2 test being detected or enforced.
Butts
Veteran Member
Don't believe the scare stories , just cleared UK Border in seconds returning from Greece.
No queues whatsoever and no one on Customs
No queues whatsoever and no one on Customs
Don't believe the scare stories , just cleared UK Border in seconds returning from Greece.
No queues whatsoever and no one on Customs
I had the same last week, although my passport, since brexit, no longer seems to work in UK egates..every time I've flown in its rejected now and I'm sent to a desk..no idea why. It worked flawlessly for the first 5 years of its career.
kristiang85
Established Member
- Joined
- 23 Jan 2018
- Messages
- 2,657
Don't believe the scare stories , just cleared UK Border in seconds returning from Greece.
No queues whatsoever and no one on Customs
Which airport though?
johncrossley
Established Member
Is that a German passport?
Jamiescott1
Member
- Joined
- 22 Feb 2019
- Messages
- 965
My uk passport no longer works at uk e gates. 4 times this year now it hasn't worked, it worked perfectly for 7 years.
I asked why it no longer works and the border guy just laughed and said "don't take it personally"
Butts
Veteran Member
LHR T5
With my trip to Czechia recently, I had no problems.
Arriving at Brno airport, I showed my passport and Czech passenger locator form to passport control. They only had a quick scan of the form so it didn’t take long. They did not ask for my proof of vaccination .
My passport was checked again by security before going through the doors at arrivals.
Out and about, mask wearing (FFP2 medical masks only) was almost 100% on public transport, very slightly less in shops, but conversely very little in bars and restaurants (presumably because proof of vaccination is needed).
In all of the bars and restaurants I visited, the majority asked for proof of vaccination, with just a few not bothering. I used my print off rather than the App version.
At Brno airport for my return flight to the UK, I was asked to show my UK passenger locator form.
At Stansted Airport, queues were fairly minimal, and all I did was show my passport to the annoying e-gates. I was not asked for the passenger locator form.
The UK passenger locator form has to be filled in within 48 hours of your flight, so I filled it out in Czechia. I had already set up an account to save time.
So, quite a bit of hassle, but it all worked smoothly, and It was definitely worth it to visit the beautiful country of Czechia and it’s equally beautiful trains, trams and trolleys!
Although I have since been contacted by ‘NHS’ contact tracing about the need to isolate. This can only be due to someone near me in the flight testing positive as I no not have contact tracing switched on with my NHS Covid-19 App.
As I am double vaccinated I have not had to self-isolate, but I need to have a PCR test tomorrow. Quite frustrating, but hey ho.
Arriving at Brno airport, I showed my passport and Czech passenger locator form to passport control. They only had a quick scan of the form so it didn’t take long. They did not ask for my proof of vaccination .
My passport was checked again by security before going through the doors at arrivals.
Out and about, mask wearing (FFP2 medical masks only) was almost 100% on public transport, very slightly less in shops, but conversely very little in bars and restaurants (presumably because proof of vaccination is needed).
In all of the bars and restaurants I visited, the majority asked for proof of vaccination, with just a few not bothering. I used my print off rather than the App version.
At Brno airport for my return flight to the UK, I was asked to show my UK passenger locator form.
At Stansted Airport, queues were fairly minimal, and all I did was show my passport to the annoying e-gates. I was not asked for the passenger locator form.
The UK passenger locator form has to be filled in within 48 hours of your flight, so I filled it out in Czechia. I had already set up an account to save time.
So, quite a bit of hassle, but it all worked smoothly, and It was definitely worth it to visit the beautiful country of Czechia and it’s equally beautiful trains, trams and trolleys!
Although I have since been contacted by ‘NHS’ contact tracing about the need to isolate. This can only be due to someone near me in the flight testing positive as I no not have contact tracing switched on with my NHS Covid-19 App.
As I am double vaccinated I have not had to self-isolate, but I need to have a PCR test tomorrow. Quite frustrating, but hey ho.
I do take it personally. It's my personal travel document!
No. UK passport, worked fine in egates all over Europe, various other countries which used such things, even the machines at Dublin airport for the US pre-clearance facilities, went to and from the UK several times a year and egates worked without fail since 2015. Then 2021 hits, with it comes Brexit proper and it's been a 100% failure rate this year. Obviously, I don't know if it's linked, but it's a strange coincidence.
App based contract tracing doesn’t inform the NHS.
You don’t need to. It’s purely voluntary.
I had that same "ping" back in August when coming back from Germany. I suspect the whole pane gets it as I was sat nowhere near the seat I put on the form as I was moved onboard by the crew, so not even in the seat I was in on the passenger list. My mate, on a different booking, who didn't even put a seat number, but who was also sitting near me, but also not in his allocated seat was also pinged. So the ping system only knew we were both on the same plane, not traveling together and neither of us had any tracing apps active.
The PLF for the UK is a hassle to complete. It seems to be very faffy, more so than any other I've filled in. Not only that but it asks you to upload a copy of the QR code from the vaccine app...which doesn't allow screenshots. So I had to put that I was fully vaccinated, but no, I can't prove it. No one asked anyway.
You are under no obligation to take a test.
johncrossley
Established Member
I've only used my UK passport once at an ePassport gate this year, last month at Stansted, and it worked.
I've found you have to ask the app for a PDF and then screenshot that. Clearly it's not really been thought through,.
Yes, that’s one thing I didn’t mention above. The UK PLF was indeed faffy, and I found some of the questions worded very strangely (or maybe that was because I was filling it out after a few Czech beers?). The Czech form was much easier to fill out.
Ironic that a country formerly one of the most difficult to visit in Europe is now one of the easiest!
I found in September at Gatwick the e-gates were completely closed and we all had to face the border guards. Luckily my experience in that respect was more positive than several others in the past few years (my previous passport got wet on a holiday in Germany and couldn't work the e-gates, so had to go via the border guards) in which I was treated with quite a bit of suspicion (lone male traveller?) as I said in a previous post - that was around 2015 or so.
- Status