For those nervous of clicking links from people they don't know, just go to Fodors website and this article is at the top of the page. "Before You Book That International Trip, Read This. I Wish I Knew This Before I Was Denied Boarding". Bottom line, not all covid tests are the same (duh) and read then fine print.
Thanks Claudia. I was nervous to click on the link. Usually I click on the person’s icon and see if it is their very first post, so I knew voikk had been a member since 2014 but it was only their fourth post, so I didn’t go ahead.
The article was interesting and anyone could make one of those mistakes….except, I can’t believe a travel writer never knew there were two types of Covid test, it’s been mentioned time and time again in all the media for over a year. It’s not as if the guy was traveling and missed all the news.
The other trouble is that Tauck absolves themselves of any responsibility of providing their customers with up to date information about a tour you have booked with them. Example, when Tauck Re routed our Scandinavia flight thru Germany and I asked if that was a problem, the agent said no, but it was, we found out like JohnS the impossible requirement of having a Covid test within 48 hours of arriving in Frankfurt. Of course, that is now out of date too…..but it no longer matters, our Scandinavia tour hopes are now history. I tried to tell the agent it wouldn’t go, but she insisted there was a good possibility it would.
Our flights to Switzerland currently transfer at Schiphol so I'm watching their requirements. Right now it seems too hard but who knows in a few months. I hate to change to CDG but may need to assuming the Swiss government ever decides whether vaccinated Americans can go there this year or we only take the currently allowed Normandy/Brittany land tour.
We haven't cancelled/changed our tickets for XMAS Mkts 2021 yet, even the the tour was cancelled months ago. Purchased last January, the outbound flight is non-stop from JFK to Zurich, so there are flights that avoid CDG, AMS, etc. In another month I'll be swapping them for hopefully non-stop flights between JFK and Athens next May.
If your destination requires a Covid test, you might want to do some research. There are many places that do tests, but finding one that can produce ‘results’ in the appropriate time frame, and the proper type of test can be a bit trying. I have spent hours researching places to fulfill our St. Maarten requirements, and I finally found two.
Cathy - The best place to get a Covid test is a function of where you live. I got my test, prior to our trip to Jamaica, through a lab sponsored by the county I live in. The test was free. From the time we left our house, got the test, and got home was less than 45 minutes. The results were available online in less than 48 hours.
You might search your county's website and see if they offer anything similar to what was offered in my county.
I did get my vaccination shots (Moderna) at Walgreens. The vaccination shots were free, but I think that Covid tests at normal commercial locations, like Walgreens, CVS, etc., may cost you.
Comments
For those nervous of clicking links from people they don't know, just go to Fodors website and this article is at the top of the page. "Before You Book That International Trip, Read This. I Wish I Knew This Before I Was Denied Boarding". Bottom line, not all covid tests are the same (duh) and read then fine print.
Thanks Claudia. I was nervous to click on the link. Usually I click on the person’s icon and see if it is their very first post, so I knew voikk had been a member since 2014 but it was only their fourth post, so I didn’t go ahead.
The article was interesting and anyone could make one of those mistakes….except, I can’t believe a travel writer never knew there were two types of Covid test, it’s been mentioned time and time again in all the media for over a year. It’s not as if the guy was traveling and missed all the news.
The other trouble is that Tauck absolves themselves of any responsibility of providing their customers with up to date information about a tour you have booked with them. Example, when Tauck Re routed our Scandinavia flight thru Germany and I asked if that was a problem, the agent said no, but it was, we found out like JohnS the impossible requirement of having a Covid test within 48 hours of arriving in Frankfurt. Of course, that is now out of date too…..but it no longer matters, our Scandinavia tour hopes are now history. I tried to tell the agent it wouldn’t go, but she insisted there was a good possibility it would.
Our flights to Switzerland currently transfer at Schiphol so I'm watching their requirements. Right now it seems too hard but who knows in a few months. I hate to change to CDG but may need to assuming the Swiss government ever decides whether vaccinated Americans can go there this year or we only take the currently allowed Normandy/Brittany land tour.
We haven't cancelled/changed our tickets for XMAS Mkts 2021 yet, even the the tour was cancelled months ago. Purchased last January, the outbound flight is non-stop from JFK to Zurich, so there are flights that avoid CDG, AMS, etc. In another month I'll be swapping them for hopefully non-stop flights between JFK and Athens next May.
If your destination requires a Covid test, you might want to do some research. There are many places that do tests, but finding one that can produce ‘results’ in the appropriate time frame, and the proper type of test can be a bit trying. I have spent hours researching places to fulfill our St. Maarten requirements, and I finally found two.
Cathy - The best place to get a Covid test is a function of where you live. I got my test, prior to our trip to Jamaica, through a lab sponsored by the county I live in. The test was free. From the time we left our house, got the test, and got home was less than 45 minutes. The results were available online in less than 48 hours.
You might search your county's website and see if they offer anything similar to what was offered in my county.
I did get my vaccination shots (Moderna) at Walgreens. The vaccination shots were free, but I think that Covid tests at normal commercial locations, like Walgreens, CVS, etc., may cost you.