Current travel rules for skiing holidays in France, Austria, Switzerland and Italy
Latest travel rules and Covid restrictions for ski vacation destinations like France, Austria, Switzerland and Italy from entry regulations to face mask rules
Image: Getty Images / iStockphoto)
The ski season is starting, but increasing numbers of Covid cases and the advent of the Omicron variant have disrupted the start of the ski season a little.
There are a number of countries that are tightening entry requirements as a result of Omicron – including popular ski hotspots such as Switzerland and Austria.
For example, Switzerland has imposed a new mandatory 10-day quarantine for the British, causing Inghams to suspend skiing holidays in the country for December. Meanwhile, TUI’s own Crystal Ski is offering free replacement services for Swiss holidays that depart before December 21st.
Other ski hotspots like France and Italy are currently open to UK vacationers but have their own face mask and other Covid rules for those traveling to the resorts.
Below we take a look at the current Covid rules and entry requirements for some of the biggest ski vacation destinations …
Austria
Austria is currently in a national lockdown, hotels are closed to tourists. At the moment, the British cannot travel to Austria either vaccinated or unvaccinated. Corresponding Austria.info the lockdown could last until December 13th and “a trip to Austria for tourist purposes will only be possible after this date”.
If the lock is lifted, you must be fully vaccinated before entering hotels, restaurants, bars, and other venues.
If you’ve booked a package tour that is due to depart before that date, your travel agent will likely offer you the option to either rebook to a later date or get a full refund.
If you’ve booked flights and accommodation separately, things get a little more complex. Airlines only have to reimburse you if they cancel the flight, which they are not required to – in which case you may have to settle for a compromise like rebooking for free. Getting a refund for your property depends on your booking policies – again, you may need to review the rebooking.
Italy
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Fully vaccinated Brits can visit without self-isolating, provided they can provide proof of vaccination, fill out a passenger search form prior to departure and get a negative PCR or antigen test within 48 hours of entering Italy.
Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated Brits will need the passenger search form, a negative PCR or antigen test, and must end up self-isolating with another PCR or antigen test for five days.
Children under the age of 18 do not need to be quarantined when traveling with a fully vaccinated parent and have a negative PCR or antigen test. Children under 6 years of age are exempt from the exam.
All persons aged 12 and over need a “green pass” to access the ski lifts (this shows proof of vaccination or recovery from Covid), and face masks must be worn at the lifts and in the common areas. There will also be social distancing measures on the slopes.
You may also need to show the “green pass” to access venues such as restaurants and bars.
France
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France Will Introduce New Covid Testing Requirements For Brits Due To Omicron; Anyone traveling from outside the EU (including the UK), regardless of their vaccination status, must demonstrate a negative Covid-19 PCR or antigen test within 48 hours of travel.
The UK is currently on France’s amber list, which means that only fully vaccinated travelers can visit for no good reason and without self-isolation. Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated for no essential reason.
This means that fully vaccinated travelers can visit for no good reason and not have to self-isolate. If you are not fully vaccinated you cannot visit unless you have an important reason.
Mask is compulsory in all closed public spaces. In the open air it is compulsory in certain regions of France – check the rules for the department you are traveling to.
From December 15, all persons aged 65 and over who have been fully vaccinated for more than six months and five weeks will need an approved booster in order to be able to use the “Pass sanitaire”.
From January 15, 2022, this also applies to people aged 18 to 64 who have been fully vaccinated for more than seven months. This also applies to tourists.
Switzerland
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UK travelers are required to provide proof of vaccination and evidence of a negative COVID-19 test result and self-quarantine for 10 days to enter Switzerland.
However, if you’ve booked flights to Geneva but are planning to go on a ski vacation outside of Switzerland, you may not need to be quarantined.
According to the Federal Foreign Office: “For travelers who enter Switzerland from the United Kingdom and want to travel on to another country, there is no obligation to quarantine as long as the journey through Switzerland takes less than 24 hours and does not include a stopover.”
When you have booked a vacation
You are only entitled to a refund if the travel agent cancels your vacation. Most companies, however, offer flexible booking policies during the pandemic, including free changes – check the terms of your policy or contact your vacation provider directly if you have any questions.
The above rules and restrictions are correct at the time of creation, but can change quickly as the situation evolves. If you have booked a ski holiday, find out about the latest information from the Federal Foreign Office for the travel destination you have chosen or contact your travel agent / tour operator if you have any questions.
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