Are we there yet? Your second Travel Megathread (threadbans in OP}

Valhallapt

Infernal Racket wrote: »

Hi folks, I know there was a thread on this but it was shut down as the whole thread turned a bit mad with conspiracy theories etc do hopefully this one stays on track. My story is this. Myself, missus and 2 kids are supposed to be travelling to Portugal at the start of August. I looked up flights yesterday and they came in at roughly €950.

Now, when I looked in to getting 4 x pcr tests each way it worked out €1032 which is madness and made up my mind not to travel at all. We are both fully vaccinated which appears to not matter a jot at the present. My question is this. At these ridiculous prices, who would be willing to travel given the risk that one of your party could test positive at any point and won't be allowed to travel. If this happens at your holiday destination then you're really in the **** as you will have to fork out for quarantine accommodation on top of everything else.

The taoiseach is traveling this morning to sign travel documents allowing passage between EU countries but when will we ever see the back of the pcr tests? If its not scrapped it could be the death knell for airlines and any foreign travel as the vast vast majority of people won't travel given the extra exorbitant expense and risk.

Well if it’s an option for you you can go to Spain via the Belfast/England and avoid PCR that way.

I’ve regularly self connected in England with the kids, not as bad as you may think. Although it’s starting to become more stressful, not an ideal start to a holiday. So may be easier to wait and see when other countries drop the PCR requirement. I think Portugal will drop it in a few weeks to compete with Spain.

gozunda

Valhallapt wrote: »

But the fine wouldn’t stop children learning?

Nope still makes no sense whatsoever.

What fine? Schooling is essential. You don't get kids trying to sneak into school.

Valhallapt

gozunda wrote: »

Nope still makes no sense whatsoever.

What fine? Schooling is essential. You don't get kids trying to sneak into school.

But you say the fine doesn’t prevent travel. I say the fine wouldn’t prevent education.

Marcusm

Valhallapt wrote: »

Well if it’s an option for you you can go to Spain via the Belfast/England and avoid PCR that way.

I’ve regularly self connected in England with the kids, not as bad as you may think. Although it’s starting to become more stressful, not an ideal start to a holiday. So may be easier to wait and see when other countries drop the PCR requirement. I think Portugal will drop it in a few weeks to compete with Spain.

Merely travelling via Belfast or England won’t avoid PCR tests in Spain as that entry is only available to those who have spent the prior 14 days in the U.K. you might obfuscate that via Belfast but not if changing in the U.K. the airline will still bear responsibility to make sure you are “fit to fly” and a non-U.K. booking (card, address etc) will highlight a need for a PCR test.

gozunda

Valhallapt wrote: »

But you say the fine doesn’t prevent travel. I say the fine wouldn’t prevent education.

Well if you say so.....Though still makes no sense whatsoever. So another crazy analogy or?

There's no fine for education. So why do you want to fine kids for education?

Or are you trying to claim an essential service such as education is the exact same as you wanting to go lie on a beach somewhere?

Wombatman

By late summer most "green list" EU countries will be on the same vaccination footing as us and should have similar Covid stats. So how is flying any different to taking a bus from Dublin to Cork?

Gael23

fm wrote: »

Coveney was on after saying he thinks Ireland won't take six weeks to implement the cert but depends on public health advice, also saying it is up to individual countries what further additional restrictions they can have like people who have recovered from covid in the last six months will have to have a PCR test to avoid quarantine coming here. Essentially the cert here will only have 2 parts, either vaccine or test.

Public Health advice will be not to implement it at all

Valhallapt

gozunda wrote: »

Well if you say so.....Though still makes no sense whatsoever. So another crazy analogy or?

There's no fine for education. So why do you want to fine kids for education?

Or are you trying to claim an essential service such as education is the exact same as you wanting to go lie on a beach somewhere?

You continually claim the fine does not stop travel. I am applying your logic to another scenario.

Valhallapt

Marcusm wrote: »

Merely travelling via Belfast or England won’t avoid PCR tests in Spain as that entry is only available to those who have spent the prior 14 days in the U.K. you might obfuscate that via Belfast but not if changing in the U.K. the airline will still bear responsibility to make sure you are “fit to fly” and a non-U.K. booking (card, address etc) will highlight a need for a PCR test.

They’re not checking your proof of residence

revelman

EU Green Cert

Coveney:

We plan to be ready for the first of July, and then of course it’s a decision for Government along with public health advice to make a decision as to how we apply that green cert to Ireland in terms of facilitating international travel.

https://www.independent.ie/world-news/coronavirus/eu-green-travel-certificate-to-be-up-and-running-on-july-1st-coveney-40461649.html

Tazz T

revelman wrote: »

EU Green Cert

Coveney:

https://www.independent.ie/world-news/coronavirus/eu-green-travel-certificate-to-be-up-and-running-on-july-1st-coveney-40461649.html

...but...but... the fine. That's needs to go first. Unless.. I won't go there.

Tenzor07

revelman wrote: »

EU Green Cert

Coveney:

https://www.independent.ie/world-news/coronavirus/eu-green-travel-certificate-to-be-up-and-running-on-july-1st-coveney-40461649.html

They better have it up and running along with scrapping MHQ for all EU countries plus the requirement for PCR's needs to go as well..

Apart from anything else it will greatly encourage 25 - 34 year olds to get the vaccines...

faceman

Met a guy from Donegal at the weekend who was on holidays in Spain. He said that gardai were at their post in the airport but weren't stopping anyone when he was going through security.

Micky 32

revelman wrote: »

EU Green Cert

Coveney:

https://www.independent.ie/world-news/coronavirus/eu-green-travel-certificate-to-be-up-and-running-on-july-1st-coveney-40461649.html

“ it’s a decision for Government along with public health advice”

Not so bad. Tony and co should give us the pat on the back “ off you go lads and lassies enjoy flying off to see family and make sure you have a great holiday. Don’t forget to bring Philip and I back a stick of rock ” :pac:

M_Murphy57

faceman wrote: »

Met a guy from Donegal at the weekend who was on holidays in Spain. He said that gardai were at their post in the airport but weren't stopping anyone when he was going through security.

The last few weekends that intercounty travel was banned was the same - gards on motorways but stopping no one. You get the impression they obviously dont think this is a good use of resources, but they have to take part in the covid panto lest the curtain twitchers get themselves all wound up.

Unbelievable waste of time, resources and tax payer money.

KanyeSouthEast

Gael23 wrote: »

Public Health advice will be not to implement it at all

And will be cheered on by the usual suspects wait and see.

gozunda

Valhallapt wrote: »

You continually claim the fine does not stop travel. I am applying your logic to another scenario.

It doesn't. Its there to discourage non essential. End of.

And your logic simply doesn't follow.

You're on your own island their mate.

Valhallapt

gozunda wrote: »

It doesn't. Its there to discourage non essential. End of.

And your logic simply doesn't follow.

You're on your own island their mate.

I give up, you deliberately misconstrue everything. We’re derailing the thread now, so I won’t be replying to you again.

Valhallapt

faceman wrote: »

Met a guy from Donegal at the weekend who was on holidays in Spain. He said that gardai were at their post in the airport but weren't stopping anyone when he was going through security.

I was also speaking to someone who flew to Spain a few days ago, said they were approached by a member of an Garda at the gate, he was asked why are you going, he replied he was going to work remotely, Garda said “ok”

It felt more like they wanted to be seen as opposed to giving out fines.

Marcusm

Valhallapt wrote: »

They’re not checking your proof of residence

Today is the first date on which it has been possible to enter Spain on this basis so, with respect, I would wait and see! Spain wants British tourists; it would be less interested in people routing through the U.K. rather than flying directly.

Yapamillias

I had posted about two months ago as I was heading to the US via Turkey. Thought I would give an update since I arrived back in Ireland a few days ago.

Getting back in was pretty standard. I had my 72 hour PCR test in hand. I had read about hotel quarantine and would have had to do it since I was in the US and in Turkey and they are both on the list but I managed to get the J&J vaccine in LA. They don't care about your immigration status for the jab since they have a lot of undocumented workers so its pretty easy.

At Istanbul airport (and presumably any airport with flights coming into Ireland) they were very strict on making sure that if you weren't vaccinated that you had hotel quarantine reservations booked otherwise you can not fly. The immigration officer at the airport was obviously having a bad day (I try not to assume they are a**hats) since I had a digital confirmation of my vaccination and not the standard card they give you.

* what is really ****ed up is my dad (74 years old) has been waiting for his jab for a long long time and I managed to get it before him. Feels bad.

Van.Bosch

Yapamillias wrote: »

I had posted about two months ago as I was heading to the US via Turkey. Thought I would give an update since I arrived back in Ireland a few days ago.

Getting back in was pretty standard. I had my 72 hour PCR test in hand. I had read about hotel quarantine and would have had to do it since I was in the US and in Turkey and they are both on the list but I managed to get the J&J vaccine in LA. They don't care about your immigration status for the jab since they have a lot of undocumented workers so its pretty easy.

At Istanbul airport (and presumably any airport with flights coming into Ireland) they were very strict on making sure that if you weren't vaccinated that you had hotel quarantine reservations booked otherwise you can not fly. The immigration officer at the airport was obviously having a bad day (I try not to assume they are a**hats) since I had a digital confirmation of my vaccination and not the standard card they give you.

* what is really ****ed up is my dad (74 years old) has been waiting for his jab for a long long time and I managed to get it before him. Feels bad.

Why did you fly to LA via Istanbul? Good deal?

facehugger99

M_Murphy57 wrote: »

The last few weekends that intercounty travel was banned was the same - gards on motorways but stopping no one. You get the impression they obviously dont think this is a good use of resources, but they have to take part in the covid panto lest the curtain twitchers get themselves all wound up.

Unbelievable waste of time, resources and tax payer money.

The tens of billions that have been pissed away over the last year and a bit is absolutely criminal.

All because our cowardly shower of politicians were afraid to stand up to the social-media hysteria merchants.

Yapamillias

Van.Bosch wrote: »

Why did you fly to LA via Istanbul? Good deal?

Had to choose a third country to fly since you can't fly direct from a Schengen country. Usually people go Mexico or Turkey. Turkey was really cheap so seemed like a good choice although the beaches in Mexico might have been good too lol.

Feria40

I saw this question posed on another non-boards forum and the answer seemed to be....there is no solution..

Question.

Whenever we are allowed travel again and you are in say Spain. 2 week holiday and 48 hours before you are due to return home you rock up for your PCR test.. and it's positive.

$hitballs anyway but you need to do your two week isolation period in Spain.

Time is up and you feel fine, but your PCR tests Keep coming up positive, we know that this can happen for weeks afterwards. You are not infectious but you are stuck abroad..

What do you do then?

I

gozunda

Valhallapt wrote: »

I give up, you deliberately misconstrue everything. We’re derailing the thread now, so I won’t be replying to you again.

Nope. No need to get flustered. The scenario you presented doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. But if you don't want to try and explain it then that's fine. Take care now.

goingnowhere

Green Cert allows for a someone who has had COVID freedom to travel for 6 months once recovered.

So once 'recovered' you are good to go, the definition of this is unclear and how this will be implemented is unknown.

Best option is wait till vaccinated and then you skip the PCR need, its the cheapest option.

kilns

What is the story with this government so many talking to the media with nothing concrete. Coveny is the latest today saying oh yes we will have the green cert by July 1st but oh I don't think we can implement it.

They should shut up and only communicate through official statements

Wallander

I was wondering what the rules might be for travel from the Republic via Belfast to a UK amber list destination in regard to what you need on return to Belfast. I found on the UK govt website the following advice, which applies to England but I expect is the same in N Ireland. In short you just need a pre-departure PCR test:

Transiting through the UK
Before travel to the UK

If you will be transiting through the UK, you need to do the following before you travel to the UK:

take a COVID-19 test
complete the passenger locator form

If you will be transiting landside through the UK, you need to do the following when you complete your passenger locator form.

select ‘Stay in the UK’ under the Your travel plans section
reply ‘No’ to any questions about whether you are required to complete COVID-19 tests on arrival
reply ‘No’ to the question ‘Have you visited a Red List country within the past 10 days and/or are required by law to quarantine in a government approved facility?’

When you transit through the UK

You do not need to quarantine or take a COVID-19 test on arrival or on day 2 and day 8.

This applies if you are transiting ‘airside’ or ‘landside’.

There are different rules for Scotland.

If you are transiting landside (entering the UK from outside the Common Travel Area), you must be entering the UK for the sole purposes of continuing a journey to a country outside of the Common Travel Area. You must either:

remain within your port of entry until your departure from England, or
travel directly from your port of entry to another port of departure in England

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-safer-air-travel-guidance-for-passengers#transiting-through-the-uk

Lumen

kilns wrote: »

What is the story with this government so many talking to the media with nothing concrete. Coveny is the latest today saying oh yes we will have the green cert by July 1st but oh I don't think we can implement it.

They should shut up and only communicate through official statements

I don't know what else he's being saying today, but Coveney's comments on Morning Ireland were a response to a question posed at the end of an interview about Belarus.

He's not going to answer "sorry, I don't have anything to say on that matter".