I am assuming that the recent Christmas and New Year trips happened.  It would be good to har from anyone who travelled abroad to hear how they found the experience.  I know that the rules have changed recently around testing but it would still be good to have some feedback for those of us who are still getting up the confidence to dip our toes in the travelling waters.  Particularly interested to hear about the experience of being in a foreign country and what vibes were from the locals.

Hi Jonah,

I was on the JY Portugal trip over Christmas & New Year. It was a bit stressful in terms of rules changing and if it would go ahead. Portugal changed their rules the day we flew in meaning we had to do 3 additional lateral flow tests while we were there (as well as the one to return to the U.K.) As the rules were so new our TM didn’t know who would pay for these tests or more importantly what would happen if someone tested positive. Thankfully we didn’t have to face that scenario.

It was fantastic to be travelling again, I felt safe with infection levels a lot lower than at home. We were welcomed by everyone though to sit in some restaurants you did need to show your covid test or negative result. The biggest change was the amount of documentation we had to fill in to come and go. A lot of my fellow travellers were older and struggled with the technology needed to fill in the forms - some did not even have a smart phone to be able to fill them in at all. JY did provide a local rep who came in on the last day to help fill forms in and a lot of us helped each other. Hotels were happy to print off forms for us too.

I did enjoy the trip and hope that travel becomes easier again in the near future.

I have recently returned from Christmas and New Year In Malta. and found no problems. Yes there are extra requirements for travel and my main concern was that I had completed the necessary locator forms correctly.. There were 27 of us on the trip and just a few did not have smart phones/tablets on which to complete the forms before flying home. The Tour Manager helped but it took time as she obviously could only complete one form at a time online. We all had to have a lateral flow test the day before flying home. This was done by a 'doctor' who came to the hotel. We had to pay 45 euros for this . Some of us had purchased kits at home and brought them with us but it was unclear if they were acceptable or whether we would receive the necessary certificate back in time as it was the New Year bank holiday. It was easier to pay the money and have the test with everyone else.

Facemasks were compulsory indoors and out. The only place we did not wear them was in our rooms or when eating/drinking. Meals at the hotel were buffets and plastic gloves had to be worn (as well as facemasks ) when collecting food as e were all using the same serving utensils.

At the airports the only queue was for checkin/baggage drop.

Hi Peter,

Many thanks for explaining some of the challenges involved when travelling overseas at the moment, I hope you enjoyed your Christmas and New Year break and that you had a positive experience overall, despite the form filling and testing. I’m relieved that pre-departure tests have now been rescinded and hopefully that will continue to be the case as I’ve been reluctant to book any holiday abroad while this was a requirement. I would simply struggle to enjoy any holiday to the full, knowing that I’d got that test ‘hanging over me’ before I could return home.

The local rules relating to the wearing of face masks seem a bit severe in Malta, but if that’s the rule then of course one has to comply.

Many thanks again.

Mike

Thank you to Jellifer and Peter G for replying to my post and I am glad you enjoyed your trips abeit there were a few concerns notably around testing requirements.  Hopefully these are easing and becoming more static which will ensure that Tour Managers and local agents are more familiar with the process as well as travellers.  The question of what happens if you test positiive in a foreign location will, I suspect, be a concern for many particularly with long haul travel where the destination may not have a well developed health service.

Regards

Chris

I went to Italy at Christmas, not with JY.

Mask wearing was mandatory in all settings, which was not ideal. We had to show our paperwork at departure check in at LHR and at border control in Italy. On arrival at hotel, we had to show our Covid pass QR code digital or paper and had our temperature checked. Those who didn't have a QR code Covid pass handed their paper copy to be photocopied. All restaurants, cafes, coffee shops asked to see your Covid pass.

For departure on 27 Dec, we all had to be tested 48hrs before return to UK. Two of us took our own paid for LFD tests and the others a health official attended the hotel to do the tests costing €40 per person. At this point three tested positive x 2 tests and went into immediate isolation. They did not return to the UK with us and were not permitted to travel until two negative tests. They stayed in the hotel on full board @ £200 per night. The travel company assisted them and gave them morale boosting daily telephone calls. All three are going through the insurance process now.

On return to the UK I did a LFD test which was negative. On doing the mandatory day 2 PCR test, it was positive. I heard that quite a few, if not all, other travellers succumbed too including the tour manager and those with onward travel to other countries.

I've got holidays abroad booked for April, May and June and with restrictions about to be lifted, it should be easier to travel, but who knows?

Regards

Sylvia