Heathrow and Gatwick: Current travel rules for Italy, France, Austria and Switzerland as holidays in turmoil
It feels like new travel restrictions are being put in place for UK travelers every day as the Omicron variant spreads across the UK.
As the festive season begins, many travelers are left with uncertainties and questions about whether their plans can be put into practice, let alone whether they can be fun upon arrival.
CONTINUE READING: Current travel rules for USA, Dubai, South Africa, Thailand and Japan
Rory Boland, editor of What? Travel, said: “The tremendous disruption to travel plans during the holidays is a reminder that anyone booking overseas travel during the pandemic is at significant risk of losing some or all of their money.
“If you want to book a vacation, you should opt for a provider with reliable, flexible booking guidelines or, if necessary, package tours, as these are financially more secure.
“Good travel cancellation insurance will also be indispensable in the future, and it is also advisable to book with a credit card in order to provide additional protection.”
Everything you need to know about traveling to Italy, France, Austria and Switzerland can be found here.
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Italy
Vaccinated travelers must provide proof of vaccination and a negative PCR test within 48 hours before entering Italy or a negative antigen test within 24 hours before entering Italy.
Unvaccinated travelers must demonstrate a negative PCR or antigen test within 48 hours prior to entering Italy and isolate themselves for five days or until you get a negative test result.
All passengers are also required to complete a passenger locator form.
If you are traveling to Sicily, you will need to have a rapid Covid-19 test upon arrival.
France
France has banned Brits from entering the country for non-essential reasons, including tourism and business, regardless of vaccination status.
If you are allowed to enter, you will need to show that you are fully vaccinated and that you can provide negative PCR evidence within 24 hours of departure.
When you arrive in France, you will need to self-isolate for 48 hours and do a PCR test.
Austria
From December 25th, new restrictions will apply to British travelers planning to vacation in Austria.
A 10-day quarantine is required for all travelers who have not received a full vaccination and booster vaccination.
Those who are fully vaccinated with a booster do not need to isolate themselves upon arrival.
Visitors are still required to provide evidence of a negative PCR test performed within 72 hours prior to arrival.
Children up to 12 years of age do not need to provide a test result when traveling under adult supervision.
Crystal Ski, which operates ski holidays for British travelers, sent a message to customers on Thursday evening, which states: “Due to the short notice announcement of the new Austrian entry requirement, we unfortunately made the difficult decision to cancel our holiday in Austria on December 27th.
“We know that last-minute tests are extremely demanding, especially since the tests would have to be carried out on Christmas Day or Boxing Day.
“We know that the vast majority of our customers would not have been able to meet this new travel requirement across the country due to limited test availability and capacity.
“We apologize for the disappointment this caused.”
Switzerland
You can enter Switzerland if you have a full vaccination and a negative PCR test.
Travelers who are not fully vaccinated can only enter Switzerland from the UK if they:
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Swiss or Liechtenstein citizens
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EU or EFTA nationals
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Owner of the following documents
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a residence permit, i.e. a Swiss residence permit (L / B / C / Ci permits)
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a cross-border permit (G permit)
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a legitimation card from the FDFA
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a D-Visa issued by Switzerland
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Confirmation of notification for the cross-border provision of services up to 90 days
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Holders of a laissez pass issued by the Swiss embassy in special emergency situations
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