Returning home

[scotslizzy]

Once Again

Have a look at the Scottish gov. COVID International Travel - You must pre book the 2 day test on their site before you leave for home. Otherwise you will Not be allowed to travel. Approx £80 per adult.

Thanks Luckyjohn I found it just after I posted .
Seems excessive but no matter we are still coming !


Scotslizzy

 

[Bircho]

We used Screen4. Test was £55. Arrived by DPD day after order. Sent off. Got confirmation of receipt following day and test result following morning. Sticking it up your nostril is still very intrusive!

 

[Carol]

Have been here for nearly 6 weeks - flight cancellations etc etc! Have booked lateral flow tests for €30 each for later in the week(max anyone can charge by Spanish govt decree) and day 2 PCR tests for when we return to U.K. £40 each - unfortunately I believe in Scotland are charging more. Now only the Passenger locator form to do 48hrs before our flight. When we arrived in early June it was very quiet - now it is more like a normal season. Will be back Sept/Oct.

 

[scotslizzy]

Its so annoying

Cannot understand why it is more expensive in Scotland for the return PCR test unless it is deliberate to try and dissuade as many people as possible to travel.

Scotslizzy

 

[Rockape]

Cannot understand why it is more expensive in Scotland for the return PCR test unless it is deliberate to try and dissuade as many people as possible to travel.

Scotslizzy

Think you might have answered your own question there!

I returned to LGW on Saturday evening.....Palma airport was a struggle, took ages to drop the bags at the EJ hub and then a long walk to find another long queue for Passports. After 15mins anyone with double vaccine was dragged off to to the electronic Passport readers, which was a relief.....but then into another queue to stamp the passports!

By this time, we were close to the 30mins before departure and I was getting edgy, however, because all of the gates can't be closed, we arrived to find a long queue for boarding which we joined as normal and was on the plane about 15mins later.

Thats one thing about Palma airport, you really can cut it fine if necessary, although I wouldn't recommend it.

 

[Bootledodger]

Have been here for nearly 6 weeks - flight cancellations etc etc! Have booked lateral flow tests for €30 each for later in the week(max anyone can charge by Spanish govt decree) and day 2 PCR tests for when we return to U.K. £40 each - unfortunately I believe in Scotland are charging more. Now only the Passenger locator form to do 48hrs before our flight. When we arrived in early June it was very quiet - now it is more like a normal season. Will be back Sept/Oct.

Carol: who did you book your UK test with?

 

[Lorenzo]

We returned home on Saturday 10 July 2021, flying on an almost full Ryanair flight PMI to Bournemouth. We'd already ordered the Randox Health PCR tests for Day2 (and Day8) and did the tests yesterday.

Strangely the drop box for us in Southampton was at the North bound M27 Roadchef motorway services.

Anyway, the box was easy to find and our tests were dropped off before the 16.45 hours latest collection time. Considering they then have to be transported to Antrim in Ireland, we were delighted to have the results back this evening, a mere 28 hours after posting the boxes in the drop box. And happy days, negative results!

 

[Carol]

Recommended by friend - we used NWP - Nationwide Pathology - to book our day 2 tests - the tests were at home when they arrived - Sunday. So let’s see when they get there results. The company were on the Govt website. Also - just to note - they flew home on Sunday and had no queues or problems at Palma airport.

 

[roig cat]

Lorenzo, I met the courier at my local Randox drop box at Exeter Racecourse. All the tests are driven up to Scotland and taken by helicopter to Belfast! I’ve done 5 Randox PCR tests now and everyone back by 7pm the day after dropping off.

 

[Carol]

Our friends posted tests back on Monday and got results back on Tuesday - great service - let’s see if the same happens with us when we Res turn to U.K.

 

[Rockape]

Third time this summer I travelled back from PMI on EJ yesterday and was pretty confident I had everything wrapped.

So, got to the front of my speedy boarding queue and was asked for:

Passport, tick
Boarding pass, tick
UK locator form QR Code, tick
Proof of negative antigen test, tick

Then she said proof of double vaccine, which I'd never been asked for previously!

Its obviously on the NHS app, but it takes a while to get to, but fortunately scrolling back through my photos, I still had the qr code for it, so got through with out too much delay. No wonder people get stressed!

 

[bobley]

Yeah, I had that one in my pack of paperwork because I needed it on the way in to show the Spanish health checkpoint. Didn't expect to need it on the way back but I saw the person in front showing it.

There was one person boarding our flight who didn't have it available and was frantically trying to log into the NHS app.

 

[debz1]

Recommended by friend - we used NWP - Nationwide Pathology - to book our day 2 tests - the tests were at home when they arrived - Sunday. So let’s see when they get there results. The company were on the Govt website. Also - just to note - they flew home on Sunday and had no queues or problems at Palma airport.

We too used Nationwide Pathology and as above the tests were there when we got home and the results back within 24 hours. Great service!

 

[Bootledodger]

Third time this summer I travelled back from PMI on EJ yesterday and was pretty confident I had everything wrapped.

So, got to the front of my speedy boarding queue and was asked for:

Passport, tick
Boarding pass, tick
UK locator form QR Code, tick
Proof of negative antigen test, tick

Then she said proof of double vaccine, which I'd never been asked for previously!

Its obviously on the NHS app, but it takes a while to get to, but fortunately scrolling back through my photos, I still had the qr code for it, so got through with out too much delay. No wonder people get stressed!

I thought you had to do the PCR test now?

 

[Disorderly]

I thought you had to do the PCR test now?

No, with the customary clarity you would expect from our esteemed government, the PCR test is “recommended “ but not mandatory. So the Antigen test is still perfectly acceptable. Personally, I’m glad, but why oh why do they have to keep chopping and changing with mixed messages, creating misunderstanding and uncertainty. Life has been hard enough without this continual tweaking of rules and guidance. It’s no wonder people are so confused.

Rant over!!!

 

[Bootledodger]

No, with the customary clarity you would expect from our esteemed government, the PCR test is “recommended “ but not mandatory. So the Antigen test is still perfectly acceptable. Personally, I’m glad, but why oh why do they have to keep chopping and changing with mixed messages, creating misunderstanding and uncertainty. Life has been hard enough without this continual tweaking of rules and guidance. It’s no wonder people are so confused.

Rant over!!!

Agree with you regarding this test - it should either be mandatory or not. ALL Govts are having to tweak guidance because the circumstances of this unique global event keep...changing.

 

[Disorderly]

Agree with you regarding this test - it should either be mandatory or not. ALL Govts are having to tweak guidance because the circumstances of this unique global event keep...changing.

However, now that most of Europe is planning vaccination boosters from September, our dithering mighty leaders can’t decide whether or not to vaccinate children, and now “appear” to have decided only to give boosters to the most vulnerable 1% of the population. So presumably, come winter and spring, our European cousins will be welcome to travel wherever they wish, whilst once again we’ll be locked up in Blighty because the efficacy of our vaccinations has waned and we haven’t been given another one because all resources have been targeted at the flu jab. They really don’t have a clue, do they?

 

[Bootledodger]

However, now that most of Europe is planning vaccination boosters from September, our dithering mighty leaders can’t decide whether or not to vaccinate children, and now “appear” to have decided only to give boosters to the most vulnerable 1% of the population. So presumably, come winter and spring, our European cousins will be welcome to travel wherever they wish, whilst once again we’ll be locked up in Blighty because the efficacy of our vaccinations has waned and we haven’t been given another one because all resources have been targeted at the flu jab. They really don’t have a clue, do they?

Oh ah lad....the UK have been far ahead of our European neighbours with regards to a vaccination programme. The politicians can only make decisions on what is put in front of them by their advisors. In this case the advisors are world leading scientists - who, as we are facing an unprecedented health crisis, aren't infallible. Strangely enough throughout this crisis - the only people who have been certain about the course of action Govts across the globe should take - are the millions of people on social media who apparently know more than these world leading experts.

 

[Disorderly]

Oh ah lad....the UK have been far ahead of our European neighbours with regards to a vaccination programme. The politicians can only make decisions on what is put in front of them by their advisors. In this case the advisors are world leading scientists - who, as we are facing an unprecedented health crisis, aren't infallible. Strangely enough throughout this crisis - the only people who have been certain about the course of action Govts across the globe should take - are the millions of people on social media who apparently know more than these world leading experts.

I do think, without in the least trying to disagree with you, that your phrase “have been far ahead” doesn’t necessarily reassure me that this will continue into “will be far ahead”, particularly as the world renowned experts have consistently and spectacularly failed in their predictions.

To be honest, I’d rather a government do something decisive that turns out wrong, than dither and do nothing for fear of getting it wrong. That said, the last thing I’d want to be right now would to be in government! They have my deepest sympathy. Nor have I the slightest interest in ill informed social media speculation.

By the way, I’ve long since left behind any realistic likelihood of being accurately described as “lad”!

 

[Rockape]

By the way, I’ve long since left behind any realistic likelihood of being accurately described as “lad”!

haha....I'd enjoy it if I was you!