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QUARANTINE

Unvaccinated travellers to France from UK must show 24-hour test from Sunday

Tighter restrictions on unvaccinated travellers coming from the UK to France came into force at midnight on Sunday as France seeks to control a Delta-variant-driven fourth wave of Covid.

Published: 18 July 2021 12:27 CEST
Unvaccinated travellers to France from UK must show 24-hour test from Sunday
Passengers wearing a face mask arrive in the arrival hall of Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport, north of Paris, as a sign for a free COVID-19 test is displayed. Thomas SAMSON / AFP

If you haven’t had a jab you’ll now have to show a negative PCR or antigen test that is less than 24 hours old to be able to enter France, rather than the 48 hours allowed previously.

Minors over the age of 12 will also have to present a negative test.

However, if you’ve had both doses (France recognises Pfizer,/BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca, including AstraZeneca Covidshield), you’ll now be exempt from providing a test to enter French territory.

The period of time you need to wait after vaccination has also been reduced: if you’ve had both jabs or a previous infection and one dose, you now only need to wait a week (instead of two) after your jab before you can travel. 

If you’ve had just one dose, you need to wait 28 days.

READ ALSO: France to require 24-hour test for UK and some EU countries over delta variant fears

But for those travelling in the other direction, it’s a trickier situation.

On Friday, the UK government maintained the 10-day quarantine requirement for English residents returning to England from France — including those who are fully vaccinated — citing the “persistent presence” of the beta coronavirus variant in France.

British government scientists fear that this variant may be more resistant to vaccines.

READ ALSO: UK says English residents returning from France must still quarantine

The end of the compulsory quarantine for vaccinated English residents returning from countries on London’s “amber” list“ on Monday, July 19th will not apply to France, the Department of Health said in a statement.

The quarantine rule change applied initially only to England, but the devolved governments in Scotland and Wales later confirmed they would follow suit. Northern Ireland has not yet announced its plans.

However, travellers will still be able to cut their quarantine period through the Test to Release scheme, which releases you from self-isolation early if you pay for a private test and test negative on day five.

The Beta variant is reported to be responsible for between 5 and 10 percent of France’s average 5,000 daily Covid-19 cases. According to the French government’s app, the percentage of Beta cases has even been reducing in recent weeks.

Reunion island, in the Indian Ocean, is the only part of France where the Beta variant is dominant and is responsible for most of the country’s cases.

The Delta variant, which was first discovered in India, has rapidly become dominant in most parts of France as it did in the UK. It is reported to be responsible for around 70 percent of cases.

Member comments

  1. Really disappointed that the UK Govt has decided to use figures for Reunion and apply them to mainland France. Makes no sense whatsoever but perhaps they are lacking someone with geography knowledge in the cabinet. Bonkers to say the least. Even more ridiculous as we can travel to EU countries from where family doesn’t have to quarantine and all holiday together there. If we needed evidence they’ve lost the plot, this latest decision is it! UK Govt website also not updated on new French rules. Words fail me!!

  2. Can you believe it? Brits returning from the French island of Reunion (the only place where there is a high concentration of the Beta variant) will not be required to quarantine! See this extract from a report in tonight’s Telegraph. “However, changes to public health regulations published on Sunday have revealed that the added restrictions, dubbed “Amber Plus”, will only cover mainland France, meaning the traffic light ratings of its overseas territories will remain unchanged. The regulations refer only to “metropolitan France”, with officials confirming that Réunion, the Indian Ocean island near Madagascar, will remain on the amber list.
    It means that double jabbed Britons who travel to Réunion will not have to quarantine at home on their return, despite figures suggesting that the overall prevalence of covid-19, as well as the beta variant, are very much higher on the island.”

  3. What do people recommend as the best way to get the 24hr antigen test in the UK, before flying back to France?
    Any advice welcome. Thanks

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TRAVEL NEWS

Interview: ‘Bordeaux airport will recover from loss of Ryanair within two years’

After low-cost airline Ryanair announced it would be leaving Bordeaux, The Local spoke with a representative from the south-west France airport to get an idea of the changes in store for travellers.

Published: 20 September 2024 16:13 CEST
Interview: 'Bordeaux airport will recover from loss of Ryanair within two years'

The airport’s head of routes development, Cyrielle Clement, told The Local that they “are not hugely worried about the departure of Ryanair, but there will be a knock-on impact for about two to three years, as we try to recover the full level of traffic Ryanair offered.”

In May, low-cost airline Irish Ryanair announced it would close its base of operations in the French city of Bordeaux. The airline will end its operations at France’s eighth largest airport, Bordeaux-Merignac airport, on October 27th following a failure to reach an agreement about fees.

Ryanair had been Bordeaux’s second largest operator, representing around 25 percent of the airport’s traffic and offering flights to and from around 40 different destinations around Europe including connections to the UK.

But Clement said that talks are ongoing with other budget airlines to pick up the routes left by Ryanair.

Here’s a look at the immediate future of Bordeaux connections, and what may change in the future;

UK routes

For many Brits visiting France, Bordeaux is a well-liked destination, in addition to offering a gateway to south-west France, which is a popular location for British residents and second-home owners.

Clement said: “The British market is still extremely important for Bordeaux, and we are trying to offer as many destinations to the UK as possible.

“In the short term, we are focusing on recovering the destinations previously served by Ryanair, though potentially not at the same volume.”

Ryanair ran flights to UK cities including Birmingham, Edinburgh, London (Stansted) and Manchester.

Clement said: “We do not have certitude or confirmation right now, but we are putting a lot of effort into recovering certain liaisons, like Edinburgh, which is a very popular line and has historic significance for Bordeaux. We’re in talks with several companies.

“As for Manchester, easyJet already offers this line in the summer, but there is a possibility we could increase the frequency or add another operator to the line.

“For Birmingham, it will not be offered next summer, but we are in talks with other airlines. 

“The big change for Brits this upcoming winter will be the loss of flights to and from London-Stansted, and there is still a big question mark next to this line. We’re still not sure if we will be able to offer new flights there and back after Ryanair leaves.

“That said, flights to London-Gatwick will continue, via easyJet and British Airways.”

EasyJet is remaining at the Bordeaux airport with “no plans to leave” – it offers flights to Belfast, Bristol, London (Gatwick) and Manchester, and may expand in the wake of Ryanair’s departure.

READ MORE: What will happen to flights from Bordeaux airport after Ryanair leaves?

Ireland routes

Ryanair offered flights to Dublin and Cork from Bordeaux airport, and these will also be scrapped once the airline leaves.

However, Clement specified that for Dublin flights, “from this winter, there will be a reinforcement on the line thanks to Aer Lingus, which already operates fights on the line.

“As for the winter (of 2024), Aer Lingus offers at least four weekly flights. In the summer we hope to have daily flights, but with Dublin part of the issue is the airport’s capacity,” she said.

“We are in conversation with other airlines to offer an alternative for the flight to Cork.”

US routes

Bordeaux currently does not offer direct flights to the US, but talks are ongoing.

As for connecting flights from the US to Bordeaux, Clement said there is good news, thanks to Aer Lingus which offers a connecting flight from the US to Bordeaux, via Dublin.

“This is interesting for Americans. This past summer, Aer Lingus modified their hours a bit to better facilitate connecting flights to the US. This meant that four flights a week had accessible connections to the US, and for Americans it is a huge advantage to fly via Ireland thanks to the US Preclearance facility,” Clement said.

The Preclearance (USCBP) facility allows US bound passengers to go through customs and immigration while still at the Dublin airport, saving a lot of time for people once they land on US soil.

Impact for the airport overall

Although the departure of Ryanair will undoubtedly have an impact, Bordeaux airport, which has previously been ranked among Europe’s worst airports, is pushing ahead with a €100 million expansion and refurbishment plan, to be completed by 2028. 

This includes the construction of a new central building between Halls A and B, offering more efficient security operations, as well as plans to make the airport more environmentally sustainable, via solar panels and electric charging stations in the parking lots.

Clement also specified that passengers will be able to enjoy a larger check-in area, as well as a significantly improved duty-free section for passengers to shop before travelling. You can see images of the proposed changes here and here.

The airport will remain open during the renovations.

While France is home to many small airports, a large proportion of which are dependent on government aid and public funding, Clement noted that Bordeaux airport is not in the same situation and despite being a public airport, it does not receive state funding.

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