Switzerland drops quarantine for UK

6th December 2021, by Abi Butcher

Switzerland drops quarantine for UK skiers but testing is prohibitively expensive for some

Switzerland has dropped quarantine requirements for UK visitors — meaning it’s possible for British skiers to head to Swiss ski resorts, but testing remains prohibitively expensive.

On Saturday night, the UK Government announced all travellers returning to the UK must take an antigen test before flying home, as well as a Day 2 PCR, which amounts to roughly £100pp (I’ve just bought one for a trip to Les Arcs this coming weekend).

The Swiss government has dropped the 10-day quarantine for British visitors, in favour of a rigorous testing regime — after last week clarifying rules that allowed skiers headed to French and Italian ski resorts to transit Geneva airport.

Since Saturday, 4 December, entry into Switzerland is possible without quarantine, but travellers have to comply with stricter testing regime. For those vaccinated and recovered, a negative PCR is required before entry, and a second PCR is required between days four and seven of the trip.

But the with a pre-entry PCR, day four PCR, return lateral flow and post-arrival UK PCR test, the testing requirements is now prohibitively expensive for some.

Rebecca Clayton owns Chalet Maridadi, a chelt in Les Collons, below Thyon in the Four Vallées network that incorporates Verbier and Nendaz>. She was due to take her family of five there before Christmas but says the tests would cost her £850-1000. With three boys aged between 15 and 19, the family requires a total of 18 tests to get to Switzerland and the family has taken the decision to cancel.

For more advice on what’s needed for travel to Switzerland, visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/switzerland

• ski
• switzerland
• covid
• quarantine
• testing

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