claretclubber
Well-Known Member
My experience travelling to Portugal a couple of weeks ago, not ibiza but may be useful, apologies its a long un...
Booked to travel on a Thursday at 7am. Earliest we could take our pre-departure test Monday 7am. That happened to be a Bank Holiday, after two nights at a socially distanced festival and everything that goes with that
why does that matter, well it adds an issue with returning tests of using Royal Mail. I had to find a priority box picking up a Sunday service, 20 minute drive - I know we live in a backwards town but to not have 1 post box picking up was ridiculous. No problem meant to be 24hr from pick up to delivery, was 3pm Monday and didn't arrive until 08:44am on Wednesday. Concerning but if the lab got it before 11am you should get result by 5pm same day. Contacted lab at 1pm for an update and to express my concern due to early flight and needing to arrange a quick test if we get inconclusive. They contacted me at 4pm and suggested I drive to Warrington to re-test to make sure wwe get the result - 1hr drive and dropped them off - assured although they'd got 100's extra because of Bank Holiday we would get result by 9/10pm. Sons came through at 7pm, wife and MIL at midnight. Set off at 3am for airport, my result never arrived so had to check family in and stay at the airport, book a flight at 11am which was after lab reopened and before my 72hr ran out...rang at 8:30am, got result and flight.
As I landed it was announced Portugal was changing from Green to Amber. Only had test in Portugal and day 2 booked.
Brilliant family holiday. The test over there was seamless and result back in 50minutes.
Booked day 5 'test to release' and day 8 from Randox. No way of putting different codes in PLF to return but no issues either way at airport if you're organised with PDFs on phones.
Took day 2 test in the airport on return and posted at the lab on way home - result same day.
On day 4 (first day back in UK is counted as zero) received 'test to release' posted back in a drop box in Halifax day 5. Result next afternoon - so released day 6.
Still have to take and drop day 8 off in Halifax, which was our nearest box.
Long post but key points;
If you can - deliver or take it directly at a lab, I would.
Be aware of Bank Holidays and postage issue, I had no idea when I booked months prior to holiday.
Test to release realistically means quarentine ends day 6.
Still had no reply from the original lab regarding the non delivery of the first test in time.
6 negative tests (1 not mandatory) but it has not put us off travelling
Booked to travel on a Thursday at 7am. Earliest we could take our pre-departure test Monday 7am. That happened to be a Bank Holiday, after two nights at a socially distanced festival and everything that goes with that
why does that matter, well it adds an issue with returning tests of using Royal Mail. I had to find a priority box picking up a Sunday service, 20 minute drive - I know we live in a backwards town but to not have 1 post box picking up was ridiculous. No problem meant to be 24hr from pick up to delivery, was 3pm Monday and didn't arrive until 08:44am on Wednesday. Concerning but if the lab got it before 11am you should get result by 5pm same day. Contacted lab at 1pm for an update and to express my concern due to early flight and needing to arrange a quick test if we get inconclusive. They contacted me at 4pm and suggested I drive to Warrington to re-test to make sure wwe get the result - 1hr drive and dropped them off - assured although they'd got 100's extra because of Bank Holiday we would get result by 9/10pm. Sons came through at 7pm, wife and MIL at midnight. Set off at 3am for airport, my result never arrived so had to check family in and stay at the airport, book a flight at 11am which was after lab reopened and before my 72hr ran out...rang at 8:30am, got result and flight.As I landed it was announced Portugal was changing from Green to Amber. Only had test in Portugal and day 2 booked.
Brilliant family holiday. The test over there was seamless and result back in 50minutes.
Booked day 5 'test to release' and day 8 from Randox. No way of putting different codes in PLF to return but no issues either way at airport if you're organised with PDFs on phones.
Took day 2 test in the airport on return and posted at the lab on way home - result same day.
On day 4 (first day back in UK is counted as zero) received 'test to release' posted back in a drop box in Halifax day 5. Result next afternoon - so released day 6.
Still have to take and drop day 8 off in Halifax, which was our nearest box.
Long post but key points;
If you can - deliver or take it directly at a lab, I would.
Be aware of Bank Holidays and postage issue, I had no idea when I booked months prior to holiday.
Test to release realistically means quarentine ends day 6.
Still had no reply from the original lab regarding the non delivery of the first test in time.
6 negative tests (1 not mandatory) but it has not put us off travelling
