Travelling Back to the UK – A Reader’s Story
By Ian Perry
I recently returned from France to the UK by road and Channel Tunnel from a newly purchased house near Perpignan.
The Gov.uk guidance is very well written and easily understood, but don’t skip read if you want the smoothest journey.
The entry requirement is for an antigen test. I arranged with my local French pharmacy to do this and had the printed and signed report in 10 minutes. As I do not have residency as yet nor a Carte Vitale, this was done out of hours privately for €33.
I had booked overnight stay in a Dijon hotel and passage on the Channel Tunnel the week before.
I used HealthHub service from the list of providers on Gov.uk for day2/day8 tests. This must be done before the locator form, as the reference is required.
The Online Locator Form is simple and easily completed but cannot be done before 48hrs until time of arrival in the UK. Rather than rely on a copy on my phone, I printed the locator form as it is easier for the check in to handle.
Calais terminal procedure was simple and straight forward at each stage.
Two tests were waiting when I got to UK home, these were completed and posted in village priority post box. You are allowed out to take the post whilst in quarantine, which was a bonus. Receipt email next morning and result online by the evening. Likewise for day 8. (HealthHub can include a day 5 Test to Release if needs be, but the 10 days confinement was acceptable to me).
During quarantine, I arranged 1st vaccine which was done on day 11 and luckily no side effects so trip was worthwhile.
Only problem now is being able to get back and get on with refurbishing our house in the gorgeous Valley de l’’Agly.
Only two items on the downside:
- Trip total cost was €673 including tests!
- Having to use British roads. Pot holes even before you get out of the terminal at Folkestone and likewise on M20, M25 and M11. Having driven 760 miles on maintained French roads, the state of 114 miles in the UK comes as a shock.
That’s about it folks, bonne journée!
Read other stories here
Share your experience
If you would like to share your experience of travelling between France and UK, in either direction, good or bad, we’d love to hear from you!
Send us an email at laura@anglophone-direct.com
