Day trip to France - Covid test requirements 15 September 2021 at 11:54AM in Coronavirus travel help & info 11 replies 364 views

timvenner

I was planning a day-trip to Calais (nice lunch, stock up at Majestic).  Getting INTO France is not a problem (vaccination certificate + "statement of honour").  It's getting BACK INTO UK that seems to be the problem.  Am I right that I have to PAY for a test 3 days BEFORE returning (ie 3 days before I leave UK since it's only a day trip !! ) ?   Plus PAY for another one 2 days after I return ?   If so, then sadly it doesn't seem worth going.  Any advice ?    Tim

eskbanker

Yes, you're right, any travel to the UK from other countries currently entails both chargeable pre-departure and post-arrival testing - whether or not this makes your trip uneconomic is essentially your call....

y3sitsm3

timvenner said:

I was planning a day-trip to Calais (nice lunch, stock up at Majestic).  Getting INTO France is not a problem (vaccination certificate + "statement of honour").  It's getting BACK INTO UK that seems to be the problem.  Am I right that I have to PAY for a test 3 days BEFORE returning (ie 3 days before I leave UK since it's only a day trip !! ) ?   Plus PAY for another one 2 days after I return ?   If so, then sadly it doesn't seem worth going.  Any advice ?    Tim

Hardly seems worth it.

You know that you only have a duty-free allowance of 18 litres of wine, right?

Neil49

y3sitsm3 said:

timvenner said:

I was planning a day-trip to Calais (nice lunch, stock up at Majestic).  Getting INTO France is not a problem (vaccination certificate + "statement of honour").  It's getting BACK INTO UK that seems to be the problem.  Am I right that I have to PAY for a test 3 days BEFORE returning (ie 3 days before I leave UK since it's only a day trip !! ) ?   Plus PAY for another one 2 days after I return ?   If so, then sadly it doesn't seem worth going.  Any advice ?    Tim

Hardly seems worth it.

You know that you only have a duty-free allowance of 18 litres of wine, right?

25% off wine at Sainsbury's starts on the 22nd.

No Covid tests necessary! 

michael1234

y3sitsm3 said:

timvenner said:

I was planning a day-trip to Calais (nice lunch, stock up at Majestic).  Getting INTO France is not a problem (vaccination certificate + "statement of honour").  It's getting BACK INTO UK that seems to be the problem.  Am I right that I have to PAY for a test 3 days BEFORE returning (ie 3 days before I leave UK since it's only a day trip !! ) ?   Plus PAY for another one 2 days after I return ?   If so, then sadly it doesn't seem worth going.  Any advice ?    Tim

Hardly seems worth it.

You know that you only have a duty-free allowance of 18 litres of wine, right?

I guess we don't know why he or she needs to go.

y3sitsm3

michael1234 said:

y3sitsm3 said:

timvenner said:

I was planning a day-trip to Calais (nice lunch, stock up at Majestic).  Getting INTO France is not a problem (vaccination certificate + "statement of honour").  It's getting BACK INTO UK that seems to be the problem.  Am I right that I have to PAY for a test 3 days BEFORE returning (ie 3 days before I leave UK since it's only a day trip !! ) ?   Plus PAY for another one 2 days after I return ?   If so, then sadly it doesn't seem worth going.  Any advice ?    Tim

Hardly seems worth it.

You know that you only have a duty-free allowance of 18 litres of wine, right?

I guess we don't know why he or she needs to go.

Err, we do...

 (nice lunch, stock up at Majestic)

michael1234

y3sitsm3 said:

michael1234 said:

y3sitsm3 said:

timvenner said:

I was planning a day-trip to Calais (nice lunch, stock up at Majestic).  Getting INTO France is not a problem (vaccination certificate + "statement of honour").  It's getting BACK INTO UK that seems to be the problem.  Am I right that I have to PAY for a test 3 days BEFORE returning (ie 3 days before I leave UK since it's only a day trip !! ) ?   Plus PAY for another one 2 days after I return ?   If so, then sadly it doesn't seem worth going.  Any advice ?    Tim

Hardly seems worth it.

You know that you only have a duty-free allowance of 18 litres of wine, right?

I guess we don't know why he or she needs to go.

Err, we do...

 (nice lunch, stock up at Majestic)

 missed that - good point.

Caz3121

timvenner said:

 If so, then sadly it doesn't seem worth going.  Any advice ?    Tim

you will need to do some number crunching on allowances, taxes, duty etc to see whether it will be worth it even without any testing fees
https://www.gov.uk/bringing-goods-into-uk-personal-use/arriving-in-Great-Britain

silvercar

Wait until tonight, the testing requirements may well change.

If they don't change then you need to factor in an antigen test up to 3 days before your return and a PCR when you get back.

I would guess about £25 for an antigen with certificate and £40 for the PCR day 2 test. 

roggys

Looks like from late October all that fully jabbed people will need is a pre-booked Lateral Flow test on day 2 plus locator form. Depending on cost could just add around £30 pp (at a guess) to the trip. Saying that looking at ferry/Eurotunnel prices they are twice as much as pre Covid (DFDS 3 day trip around £80 return now £160+)

sheramber

roggys said:

Looks like from late October all that fully jabbed people will need is a pre-booked Lateral Flow test on day 2 plus locator form. Depending on cost could just add around £30 pp (at a guess) to the trip. Saying that looking at ferry/Eurotunnel prices they are twice as much as pre Covid (DFDS 3 day trip around £80 return now £160+)

Only for England at the moment