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International travel rules announced

Started by Fambo Number Mive, May 07, 2021, 06:32:12 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Fambo Number Mive

I'm surprised, I would have thought that Germany would be really efficent at this and make it easy to book.

shoulders

Quote from: Fambo Number Mive on November 26, 2021, 02:26:57 PMI'm surprised, I would have thought that Germany would be really efficent at this and make it easy to book.

Less than a month ago the Guardian published an article showing off how more effective and organised their response has been. National stereotypes die hard, I guess.

Johnny Foreigner

German authorities probably prefer all relevant documents to be submitted by fax. They really like their fax machines.

Ferris

Quote from: shoulders on November 26, 2021, 03:44:41 PMLess than a month ago the Guardian published an article showing off how more effective and organised their response has been. National stereotypes die hard, I guess.

Think I said at the time the guardian will publish those kind of articles for self-hating FBPErs to share on twitter and cry-wank, regardless of the actual accuracy of the content.

The giveaway is having a shareable headline that confirms centrist pablum (which is largely of fully retracted in the actual article).

The one that comes to mind is from a year or two ago, headline: "500% rise in new Irish passport applications from inside UK!" which fits the bill for Emma Kennedy and co to score some points on twitter but inside the article it explained the figure had gone from 17 in 2016 to 85 in 2017 or something. I bet if I check the main page now there will be a similar article.

Anyway, this isn't the guardian thread so I'll leave it there.

nugget

Quote from: shoulders on November 26, 2021, 03:44:41 PMLess than a month ago the Guardian published an article showing off how more effective and organised their response has been. National stereotypes die hard, I guess.

Germany did relatively well in 2020 at controlling the first wave, but 2021 and the vaccine rollout have been a shit show. We've just reached the milestone of 100k deaths, which is still less than the UK, but last year it was a completely different story. I definitely prefer the way Germany has decided on the imposition and relaxation of restrictions based on actual data and clearly stated limits though, which has obviously never been the case in the UK. Not that it seems to have helped much lately.

mothman

Colleague was going to South Africa for Christmas. Not, now.

hamfist

My bro is meant to visit from switzerland with wife and baby from 8th to 13th december. They're going to his wife's mums home in Catalunya for christmas.

Switzerland now announced a 10d quarantine for arrivals from the UK meaning if they come see us their christmas trip is in doubt.

NNNNNG.

We were meant to go see them at October half term but we actually got the 'roni - looks like we'll miss them now, we'll attempt to go there at Feb half term as I moved all the October arrangements to then.

This thing is fucking cursed.

imitationleather

I was supposed to be seeing some family who live on the Isle of Man next weekend. It's unclear whether they're (as in the Manx government) are going to decide they're inside the UK or outside the UK when it comes to these new travel rules.

BlodwynPig

Quote from: mothman on November 26, 2021, 06:19:39 PMColleague was going to South Africa for Christmas. Not, now.

Or anywhere for that matter

C_Larence


the science eel

No, of course they won't. I'm pretty sure of that. Nobody wants that and nobody actually needs that.

They'll be a tightening up at customs, masks expected everywhere (a particular type of mask in some countries).

I wonder what Christmas will look like in London, Berlin, Prague...

imitationleather

Quote from: the science eel on November 28, 2021, 10:35:22 AMI wonder what Christmas will look like in London, Berlin, Prague...

Live Aid and M consider rewrite.

BlodwynPig

 
Quote from: C_Larence on November 28, 2021, 10:28:38 AMDo you really think they'll close the borders?

Effective and strict monitoring at borders

BlodwynPig

Quote from: the science eel on November 28, 2021, 10:35:22 AMNo, of course they won't. I'm pretty sure of that. Nobody wants that and nobody actually needs that.

They'll be a tightening up at customs, masks expected everywhere (a particular type of mask in some countries).

I wonder what Christmas will look like in London, Berlin, Prague...

I'd argue for effective control, no more dither and delay, one rule for some and another for others.

mothman

Quote from: BlodwynPig on November 28, 2021, 11:24:07 AMone rule for some and another for others.

That part'll happen pretty definitely.

Johnny Foreigner

The state of Bavaria seems to be as yet undecided as to whether a new lockdown will be imposed; a decision is expected by the 9th. Frankly no point in going if there is.
If we do go and, in that case, return on the 28th, we shall have to take a PCR test on the 30th, which is bollocks, since I've booked our annual Hogmanay trip for then, and we would not yet have obtained the results.
If you go to a PCR testing centre and take the test on the spot, do you get the result straight away?

the science eel

Quote from: Johnny Foreigner on November 28, 2021, 04:25:49 PMThe state of Bavaria seems to be as yet undecided as to whether a new lockdown will be imposed; a decision is expected by the 9th. Frankly no point in going if there is.
If we do go and, in that case, return on the 28th, we shall have to take a PCR test on the 30th, which is bollocks, since I've booked our annual Hogmanay trip for then, and we would not yet have obtained the results.
If you go to a PCR testing centre and take the test on the spot, do you get the result straight away?


No - within 24 hours (mine actually took 24 hours)

nugget

PCR tests generally have to be sent away to a lab for analysis, but I remember that Frankfurt airport had a test centre that could turnaround a PCR test in 35 minutes. Obviously, you have to pay for the privilege. I think Heathrow offered something similar. If you're located near to a major airport, then it might be worth checking their website.

Inspector Norse

Manchester Airport, where I'm supposed to be flying in 20 days' time, says you can still do a lateral flow test. Which sounds fine by me, if slightly surprising given that they just changed the rules to day-2 PCR tests, but hey, it's cheaper and quicker so fine by me.

The government website, meanwhile, lists all manner of PCR test suppliers, with prices from 94p/test. Is this right?

Can you trust anyone?

the science eel

What fucked me off was getting an email from the company who'd sold me the PCR test advertising a SALE, just a couple of days ago. Like they're selling shampoo. 'buy 3 get one free'

Of course they're a business but still...it's all a fucking con, this.

FiremanJim

Quote from: the science eel on November 30, 2021, 08:56:51 AMWhat fucked me off was getting an email from the company who'd sold me the PCR test advertising a SALE, just a couple of days ago. Like they're selling shampoo. 'buy 3 get one free'

Of course they're a business but still...it's all a fucking con, this.

My company was spamming me emails advertising other health products. I thought this was a bit weird.

katzenjammer

Quote from: Inspector Norse on November 30, 2021, 08:35:12 AMThe government website, meanwhile, lists all manner of PCR test suppliers, with prices from 94p/test. Is this right?


No. They are just trying to get to the top of the list when you sort by price. When you click through it will be the standard £60-90 for a send off lab test and £120+ for a walk through 24-48 hour test.

The whole thing is a fucking racket and I'm so sick of it. I've spent over £1K in used and unused PCR tests this year, which due to my trips to the UK being less than two days were completely pointless, didn't get the results until a couple of days after I'd left.  We have UK flights booked for Christmas and if things stay the way they are we will have to fork out £400 minimum in PCR tests, if the rules get tougher we won't be able to go and lose the £500 we spent on flights.  Lose - lose.

sevendaughters

I learned about the 2 day test thing on the way to the airport home from a recent venture, scared by the threatening tone of fines, etc. No one checked whether I had booked one, no one gave a solitary shite.

the science eel

Quote from: sevendaughters on November 30, 2021, 09:21:57 AMI learned about the 2 day test thing on the way to the airport home from a recent venture, scared by the threatening tone of fines, etc. No one checked whether I had booked one, no one gave a solitary shite.

The only reason you need to book it (and not take it - nobody can check that) is that you're given a code which you need to enter into your passenger locator form.

If you didn't/don't need a passenger locator form then there's no reason to fuck around with that day 2 stuff really.

beanheadmcginty

Has anybody tried just putting a random made up code on their passenger locator form to see if it's accepted?

Billy

Quote from: beanheadmcginty on November 30, 2021, 12:31:38 PMHas anybody tried just putting a random made up code on their passenger locator form to see if it's accepted?

Judging from various social media posts, this is very common and works. Five letters and seven numbers so in theory ABCDE1234567 will let you into the country, but that might be a bit too obvious in the chance someone actually checks.

shoulders

Quote from: nugget on November 29, 2021, 02:57:33 PMPCR tests generally have to be sent away to a lab for analysis, but I remember that Frankfurt airport had a test centre that could turnaround a PCR test in 35 minutes. Obviously, you have to pay for the privilege. I think Heathrow offered something similar. If you're located near to a major airport, then it might be worth checking their website.

Frankfurt Airport does have a test centre and results do take 45 minutes, but please stand in a queue for 1 hour+ next to lots of potentially sick people first. Yep.

I didn't do it but I have seen the state of that test centre this year and last. Not great.

shoulders

Basically no-one should have reasonably thought they'd be able to travel abroad this winter.

I got lucky getting out of Germany a couple of weeks ago, in my opinion December to end of February is simply off limits for European travel until we figure out a way to suppress infections satisfactorily.


Quote from: beanheadmcginty on November 30, 2021, 12:31:38 PMHas anybody tried just putting a random made up code on their passenger locator form to see if it's accepted?

My daughter has twice used the code generated by me booking a rapid antigen test which she needed to take for KLM to give her a boarding pass to return to Schipol rather than the day 2 test the PLF was asking for. Also she was chatting on a flight to one guy who travels NL-UK regularly and he just puts the same number in each time, I'm pretty confident you could chuck any old shit in without a problem.

Edit

QuoteFive letters and seven numbers so in theory ABCDE1234567 will let you into the country

Just checked and her's was this format.

nugget

Quote from: sevendaughters on November 30, 2021, 09:21:57 AMI learned about the 2 day test thing on the way to the airport home from a recent venture, scared by the threatening tone of fines, etc. No one checked whether I had booked one, no one gave a solitary shite.

That's surprising. Did you fill in a passenger locator form? In my experience, airlines have been the only ones who've bothered to enforce the travel requirements at all. But as others have mentioned, I'm sure you could just put a made-up order number on the passenger locator form and the chance of it being picked up is negligible.