johncrossley
Established Member
Same here. The Swiss and Cyprus apps are still showing red though.
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Covid restrictions abroad: updates & observations
- Thread starter Butts
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Same here. The Swiss and Cyprus apps are still showing red though.
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RailUK Forums
Well I have had my quick trip to Brussels. Going out was fine - completed the Belgian passenger form, uploaded it to the BA website, it was accepted a few hours later, checked in on line, arrived in Brussels early and was on the train to my destination within 20 minutes.
Coming back this morning was a nightmare - the Verifly app advised by BA doesn't seem to work, so no online checkin. Delays at the check in desk as there seemed to be baggage conveyor problems. Then discovered that Belgian border police are having a work to rule, so over an hour in the passports queue.
Luckily BA held the flight for 30 minutes until everyone got through, but we were all a bit stressed as there were no later flights!
Paid £21 for a test from Boots (I rather prefer a brand I have heard of!), delivered yesterday, took it this afternoon. Uploading the result took several tries but it eventually worked.
Coming back this morning was a nightmare - the Verifly app advised by BA doesn't seem to work, so no online checkin. Delays at the check in desk as there seemed to be baggage conveyor problems. Then discovered that Belgian border police are having a work to rule, so over an hour in the passports queue.
Luckily BA held the flight for 30 minutes until everyone got through, but we were all a bit stressed as there were no later flights!
Paid £21 for a test from Boots (I rather prefer a brand I have heard of!), delivered yesterday, took it this afternoon. Uploading the result took several tries but it eventually worked.
D6130
Established Member
Sorry to hear of your trials and tribulations on the return journey. As a matter of interest, may I ask why you chose to fly rather than travel by Eurostar?
I think that is on another thread, but the only Eurostar fares available last night and all of today were Business Premier at £450 return. BA was £310 and as I have status I get my breakfast free in the lounge!
johncrossley
Established Member
I think the UK's admission to the EUDCC means that travel to Luxembourg is now possible.
D6130
Established Member
Fair enough! Business must be really booming again for Eurostar!
johncrossley
Established Member
Can someone try and scan their NHS England vaccine barcode in the Swiss Covid Check app? Still doesn't work for me.
Tweet from the Luxembourg embassy confirms this:
Tweet from the Luxembourg embassy confirms this:
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I can't speak for England, but it is now recognising Northern Ireland proof of vaccination.
kristiang85
Established Member
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Yes I'm in Geneva now and they seem to be accepting NHS barcodes.
johncrossley
Established Member
Are they actually scanning them with the official app?
kristiang85
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I don't know what they scan them with, all I know is that it works when they scan the code displayed in my NHS app.
For anyone wishing to go to France, the Pass Sanitaire (vaccine passport) rules have been extended beyond 15th November until 28th February 2022.
However the rules will only apply in those Departements where the vaccination rate (complete vaccination) is below 80%.
So as more people get vaccinated, the rules will be progressively lifted throughout France, which seems like a common sense approach to me.
In France, you do not need to wear a mask in restaurants, bars and other places where the vaccine passport is required.
Masks are required on public transport.
You do need to be fully vaccinated to enter France without an essential reason, but no COVID tests are required for entry.
However the rules will only apply in those Departements where the vaccination rate (complete vaccination) is below 80%.
So as more people get vaccinated, the rules will be progressively lifted throughout France, which seems like a common sense approach to me.
In France, you do not need to wear a mask in restaurants, bars and other places where the vaccine passport is required.
Masks are required on public transport.
You do need to be fully vaccinated to enter France without an essential reason, but no COVID tests are required for entry.
YorkshireBear
Established Member
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- 9,081
I will definitely be interested to hear about your trip! Have fun.
Thanks you! I shall post on here about how it goes.
It has been a bit of a hassle organising it all, so hopefully it will be worth it (I’m sure it will, as I always really enjoy Czechia).
Butts
Veteran Member
Anyone got any anecdotal evidence on the situation in Greece ? - Off to Athens for a few days on Saturday.
Masks are mandatory and compliance is, sadly, high.
Vaccine passports are in use in a number of settings.
Lots of social distancing signage but no-one is paying attention to it.
Nothing closed AFAICT but it's still far from normal.
Butts
Veteran Member
Thanks for that, hopefully my trusty NHS Scotland Vaccination Paper Certificate will see me through once again.
Sounds like a place to avoid.
SouthEastBuses
On Moderation
If I understand it correctly, mandatory masks in indoor spaces and public transport. Not required outdoors if there is social distancing
HST274
Member
Does masks really make an incredible holiday destination a place to 'avoid'. I went in the summer, admittedly with less restrictions (just masks and certain restrictions for the unvaccinated), but the masks did not make the weather rainy and cold, the pool did not turn muddy and the food didn't go off. I understand that masks are uncomfortable and are, perhaps, useless but I do think it hyperbole that such a brilliant holiday destination as Greece should be 'avoided' because of restrictions. Vaccine passports are a reason to 'avoid' but only for the unvaccinated, and it sounds like @Butts has been vaccinated. I perfectly understand neither restrictions are likeable and I do not see a reason for them but surely it cannot ruin the wonderful sights, sounds, history and food of a city such as Athens?
I’d say it is perhaps hyperbole to avoid a country just for those reasons.
I’m currently in Czechia where mask wearing (with medical grade masks) is compulsory indoors in public areas and the vast majority seem to be complying.
I won’t be getting into whether I think that’s a good or bad thing on this forum, but it’s not taking away my enjoyment of exploring the country. Who knows how much longer this will be a thing, so I’m just making the most of exploring countries where restrictions are relatively minimal, especially as I don’t know how much longer I can afford holidays.
I'd agree, masks are (at best) a nuisance and vaccine passports are utterly dystopian. But ultimately it's still a very nice part of the world to see. Although I'm certainly gravitating towards making my next few trips to places that don't require masks.
Whilst this is indeed the law, in practice restaurants, bars etc. retain house rules requiring masks to be worn when not sat down. I have just come back from France on Monday.
Or be travelling from the EU.
To be clear, this is currently an amendment proposed in the Sénat to the law which currently proposes an extension to 31 July and no exemption by vaccination rate. It may or may not be passed.
I am quite surprised that Disneyland Paris continues to require them in outdoor areas of its parks, despite the use of vaccine passports for entry. I have been there three times since August and tolerated the mask wearing, but I will not be going again now that the US has reopened until they change their policy to be in line.
The scuttlebutt suggests that the cast member unions are sticking the oar in and saying they won't agree to removing masks outdoors on H&S grounds.
I was in DLP Friday to Monday and there was a marked decrease in outdoor mask-wearing and enforcing of same as compared to a number of previous trips since it reopened in July 2020.
Nevertheless, like you, I'm not rushing back – and as of Sunday I will be without an annual pass for the first time since June 2015, a situation that two years ago I would never have conceived of.
SouthEastBuses
On Moderation
Yeah I agree. Masks aren't great, but this won't stop me from enjoying Italy this December.
VauxhallandI
Established Member
snap, they are enough to make me not travel there especially if the flight is the same too.
Butts
Veteran Member
If you are in Club with drinks/snacks on demand you can remain maskless for most of the Flight.
VauxhallandI
Established Member
This is true, but I want to relax and not be gaming it.
I've got 350k points and nowhere to go at the moment. All the usual suspect destinations - US, Canada, SA and South America are masks central.
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