 Poster: A snowHead
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| andy from embsay wrote: |
| They’ve always been self-administered but with a company “intertpreting the results” (ie you get a certificate) so all the private ones are ok. Although I have a feeling the “test to release” ones for the current 48hr isolation have to be done by a third party. But whenever they’ve had “tests to enter” before the self-test, take a photo ones have been fine. |
Thanks, that is reassuring 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@charlie1314, I’ve got about 7 sitting waiting to be used…
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| andy from embsay wrote: |
| DidierCouch wrote: |
If there's a relaxation of restrictions announced on 12th Jan, will that be enough time for those booked for the 15th to book tests etc? As I doubt passage will be testing-free  |
If they’re Lateral Flow (and I can’t see any reason why they wouldn’t be) then just order them now - you can always use them another time. And even if you can’t they’re only seventeen quid - testing for all. |
That's exactly what we've done. Assumed LFT out and one of the Day 2 LFT back.
Worst case, we've wasted £70ish between 2 of us.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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For those planning to transit France via Geneva what is the test requirement?
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/switzerland/entry-requirements
Testing requirements
Travellers must be able to produce a negative PCR test (not older than 72 hours) or lateral flow test (not older than 24 hours) on boarding a plane to Switzerland and on entry.
But then further down the page...
Transit
Travellers entering Switzerland to transit on to another destination (e.g. France, Germany or Italy) are required to show a negative PCR test before boarding a plane to Switzerland and on entry to Switzerland.
So would a lateral flow (less than 24 hours before) for both Switzerland and France suffice? Or, in line with the transit section, a PCR (less than 72 hours)?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| andy from embsay wrote: |
| @charlie1314, that’s wrong. Have a look at https://travelcheck.admin.ch/home - it’ll tell you that you need a 72hr PCR OR a 24hr antigen test. |
Great - glad it is just the UK GOV website incorrectly stating the rules. Combining the antigen test requirement for Switzerland and possibly France would be great 
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I was expecting my tour operator to cancel our trip scheduled on the 15th of Jan today, however, to my surprise they are working on the basis that the holiday will go ahead as planned. They state that their sources indicate that the remaining "compelling reasons" will be removed next week.
I'm honestly not sure if this is good news or whether they have any sources at all, but it certainly leaves us in limbo and we will have very little time to sort out the appropriate tests.
At this stage I wanted them to cancel so we could go with a back-up
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Fri 7-01-22 18:59; edited 1 time in total
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@charlie1314, the Travelcheck site is very good (other than when they didn’t update it for days during the “can we, can’t we transit?” crisis of December 2021…).
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Next defence counsel meeting "should" be 12th Jan, but the meetings aren't scheduled weekly definitively, just coincidence the last couple have been on a Wednesday, here's hoping!
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| andy from embsay wrote: |
| @charlie1314, the Travelcheck site is very good (other than when they didn’t update it for days during the “can we, can’t we transit?” crisis of December 2021…). |
Thanks will bear that in mind. Reading the site, I presume (all things being even) we will also need a negative LFT 24 hours before travelling home via Geneva in order to re-enter Switzerland for the purposes of flying back to the UK.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Sorry, I know I'm repeating a question,but my brain is frazzled trying to work out testing etc..
so I have a 21yo double jabbed, flying to Geneva and then we are picking her up and driving back to France (subject to all the restrictions being lifted) I assume a pcr test is needed to get on the plane at Gatwick then we will be checked again at border Control? assume so...hoping 1 pcr will cover the journey... thanks all..... obviously all subject to being allowed in,in Feb....
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Tests booked, should be delivered tomorrow. Here's to positive thinking! Roll on Saturday 15th.
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| Layne wrote: |
| @Tristero, the French are very freedom loving - I am surprised Johnson doesn't like them more. |
I think Johnson does like the French…haven’t hit the impression he doesn’t
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You know it makes sense.
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So if a removal of the restrictions is decided on Wednesday, they won't have to wait until 15th will they? The loosening they announced this Wednesday came in to effect the following day. #clutchingatstraws
Our actual booked holiday starts 15th but currently have Eurostar booked for Friday with an overnight stopover.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Ok1291 wrote: |
I was expecting my tour operator to cancel our trip scheduled on the 15th of Jan today, however, to my surprise they are working on the basis that the holiday will go ahead as planned. They state that their sources indicate that the remaining "compelling reasons" will be removed next week.
I'm honestly not sure if this is good news or whether they have any sources at all, but it certainly leaves us in limbo and we will have very little time to sort out the appropriate tests.
At this stage I wanted them to cancel so we could go with a back-up |
Who is the tour operator?
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Poster: A snowHead
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The chalet company we're using for our 23rd Jan trip have sent us this today. Fair enough I think....
| Quote: |
We have spoken to many of you concerning your holiday on 23 January and the current closure of France to UK tourists because of Covid restrictions, but we just thought that we would drop you a line to explain our current thinking and the options available.
It is hard to know exactly when the border closure might be reversed for tourism but the French government declared on Wednesday (5 January) that that the definitions around essential travel will be relaxed imminently and the government spokesman identified “next week” as a likely timeframe for loosening UK restrictions further, presumably to include tourism, because “the Omicron variant is affecting both UK & France in a similar manner.” South Africa was one of a number of countries removed from the French “essential travel only” list yesterday for the same reason.
The general feeling therefore is that you will be able to travel on 23 January, and of course this is now much easier further to the relaxation of UK rules meaning that you will not have to test in resort before you return to the UK, and you no longer need to isolate pending a negative PCR once you are home.
We will be in touch again next Friday (14 January) and if at that stage there is no clear guidance that the border will be open in time for your holiday then our Covid Guarantee for your departure date will be triggered and this will give you a few options, albeit you don’t have to confirm what you want to do until a couple of days before your date of travel.
So that you can ponder your own personal options well in advance, we wanted to spell out the alternatives so you can discuss this with family and friends. In summary, if the guarantee is triggered next Friday then you will be able to choose one of the following:
1 - Hang tight for a while and do nothing, it is possible that departures on 23 January might still be possible.
2 - Move your booking to later in the season, this helps us enormously and if you have the flexibility and are kind enough to do so, then we would offer you a 15% discount on the new holiday price. After applying this discount, we would of course refund any difference to you should the new booking be cheaper.
3 - Move your booking to next year, you don’t have to decide the date now, but again this really helps us and so if you are kind enough to do this then we will not only guarantee this year’s prices (prices will be going up substantially to help pay for Macron’s unkindness !) but we will also give you a credit of 10% of your holiday price (not including extras) which you can use against whatever you want next year (ski passes, ski hire etc … )
4 - If none of above works for you then you can of course ask for a refund, that was our promise. It will take up to 28 days to process, longer than we would have liked, sorry, this latest upheaval has left us a little compromised on the admin front, but you can have your money back if you wish.
So, have a ponder and discuss with the others in your group. We will be in touch in a week’s time. As we say, you don’t need to tell us until a few days before you should be travelling. As soon as the border opens, we will light the fires, pop the champagne, and warm the canapes, hope to see you then.
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Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Fri 7-01-22 21:30; edited 2 times in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| nickielmoore wrote: |
Sorry, I know I'm repeating a question,but my brain is frazzled trying to work out testing etc..
so I have a 21yo double jabbed, flying to Geneva and then we are picking her up and driving back to France (subject to all the restrictions being lifted) I assume a pcr test is needed to get on the plane at Gatwick then we will be checked again at border Control? assume so...hoping 1 pcr will cover the journey... thanks all..... obviously all subject to being allowed in,in Feb.... |
As it stands, no PCR tests required for CH or F. I can’t believe they (the Franch) will bring in a PCR rerquirement (as PCRs are a “variant detecting” thing and we all know which variant is dominant), so IF French restrictions are lifted my guess is you’ll need to meet Swiss entry requirements which will be remarkably similar to the French ones.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| PickledJesus wrote: |
| Ok1291 wrote: |
I was expecting my tour operator to cancel our trip scheduled on the 15th of Jan today, however, to my surprise they are working on the basis that the holiday will go ahead as planned. They state that their sources indicate that the remaining "compelling reasons" will be removed next week.
I'm honestly not sure if this is good news or whether they have any sources at all, but it certainly leaves us in limbo and we will have very little time to sort out the appropriate tests.
At this stage I wanted them to cancel so we could go with a back-up |
Who is the tour operator? |
It's with Skibeat
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Ok1291 wrote: |
I was expecting my tour operator to cancel our trip scheduled on the 15th of Jan today, however, to my surprise they are working on the basis that the holiday will go ahead as planned. They state that their sources indicate that the remaining "compelling reasons" will be removed next week.
I'm honestly not sure if this is good news or whether they have any sources at all, but it certainly leaves us in limbo and we will have very little time to sort out the appropriate tests.
At this stage I wanted them to cancel so we could go with a back-up |
We're in the same position with our planned trip to Chambery with Jet2 on 15th Jan. Getting concerned now about potential testing requirements and knowing what to book!
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Thanks, ours has just let us activate their covid clause today. I see why they're cutting it so fine, but less than a week would have been madness..
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Similarly Family Ski Company are now saying they’ll contact us by this Wednesday for our 16th arrival … I have the alternative arrangements all ready to go but that does seem to be cutting it very fine! Hopefully the rumours are correct.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Here’s hoping they are quite confident. I have heard exactly the same rumours from people in the business in resorts. But we won’t know for sure until it happens. Tour ops have lost a lot of money for the third season running so they must be desperate to operate trips where they can.
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I am probably being totally thick here, but IF the ban is lifted, but they maintain requirements for a test dated either within 24 hrs, and someone hypothetically is boarding an early Saturday morning Eurostar, they might send an antigen test off on Weds and soon as the announcement says ban is lifted?... BUT what if the test co is super efficient and provides results dated Thursday rather than Friday?!!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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i wonder if Macron will ban the unvaccinated from being allowed to vote.
One way to steal 25% of the vote
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Julief wrote: |
| I am probably being totally thick here, but IF the ban is lifted, but they maintain requirements for a test dated either within 24 hrs, and someone hypothetically is boarding an early Saturday morning Eurostar, they might send an antigen test off on Weds and soon as the announcement says ban is lifted?... BUT what if the test co is super efficient and provides results dated Thursday rather than Friday?!! |
The time stated on a test certificate is the time you take the test, not the time you get the results.
If the requirement is LFT (rapid antigen) then you don't need to send a test off. The one I did (Qured) you did the test yourself and then uploaded a photo of it next to your passport and they provided a certificate.
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@Julief, the 24hr limit is from when you took the test, not when you receive the result. Which means that all you need to do is take the test <24hrs before your flight arrives (or before you cross the border, if you are crossing the border by land).
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You know it makes sense.
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Thank you all, I'll take a gamble that it may remain and antigen will be accepted and get some ordered today then... do sugarmoma666 - I take it Qured results came back promptly.. any other recommendations peeps?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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Thanks all, ordered, watch this space! knowing my luck they will want a bleeping PCR!!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Julief, Excalibur or Qured? (either way, keep us informed...)
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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to be honest, hope I haven't messed up, but I found a randox click n collect v local so went with that - a friend told me they have used a lot and got results back via the app within minutes, once had to wait 2 hours but has used frequently. I can pick up day before travel, and if not needed I'll just keep hold of, just in case!!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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We used Chronomics for our recent trip. Results back within seconds.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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+1 for Chronomics.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| JDL65 wrote: |
| We used Chronomics for our recent trip. Results back within seconds. |
I think some of them (Testing for All are one I know of) who have started using some kind of AI - send photo, some technology can recognise 1 vs 2 lines, issues cert. I used C19 Testing last time and my mate used TfA - my certificate took a couple of hours (still brilliant service btw - highly recommended) and his was back in about 20 seconds.
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I've never had a problem with chronomics and would usually recommend them but the certificates do not have any signature or QR code so that could be important if a "lab" certification is required
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I would NOT recommend Chronomics. The PDF certificate does not specifically say "antigen" on it and I was almost denied boarding by BA at Heathrow because of this (luckily I was able to bring up the online version of the certificate on my phone which did mention antigen). 20 minutes of stress at the check-in desk with a long call to a supervisor!
The Prenetics (project screen) test does say antigen on the certificate and is £17. I used this a few days ago and the certificate came through within minutes.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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What 'working hours' do these operations work?
I have an 08:40 flight out but want to leave it as late a sensibly possible in case the flight is delayed. Currently thinking 14:00 the day before but would like to leave it later. (Got Randox but happy to go elsewhere if needed  )
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I would also AVOID Chronomics. They messed up our tests, and are basically uncontactable. They do not respond to any emails. Having to go through credit card to issue chargebacks.
This is very common, see all the negative reviews here (wish I'd read these before ordering any tests from them):
https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/chronomics.co.uk
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FAQ
