#Ocholotravels

OUR FULL ACCOUNT OF OUR TIME IN THE ALGARVE PORTUGAL

COVID TESTING AND EXPERIENCE

TRAVEL DATE: Monday 24th May 2021 UK

Flight 0840 Monday 24th May

What covid tests do I need to book to travel to Portugal?

We booked our Randox Health PCR Covid-19 tests because upon booking our flights with Ryanair we received a discount code 50% off. (Discount Code RYANGREEN.) Ryanair call it a Green Travel pack. Check where the drop boxes are for your nearest, or you can arrange a courier. Easyjet have a 50% discount code too, these codes can be found on Google and you do not need to be flying with that airline to get the discount.

This worked out to a total of £120 per person. This was for 2 tests, per person - one to take for the 72 hours before travel, and the day 2 test for after arrival back to the UK.

There are many other options and companies of course. As long as they are accredited labs that your airline accept.

What is the Covid test Day 2 booking reference mentioned on my Portugal to UK Passenger locator form?

You MUST book the Green pack or a specific ‘Day 2’ test before you fly back from Portugal to the UK - because upon doing this you will receive a TEST DAY 2 BOOKING REFERENCE and this HAS to go on your Passenger locator form on the way back to the UK which has to be shown at check-in in Portugal. Any other test booked, even the accredited PCR tests will not give you this booking reference number if it isn’t specifically a ‘Day 2 test’ - people were refused boarding back to the UK.

We advise before you go on holiday to do this, it will be sent tracked mail so you know it has arrived before you leave the UK. Book your day 2 test and make sure you have the test booking reference number so that when you fill in the UK passenger locator form whilst you are away, you know you have already received it.

We ordered the tests 8 days before our flight, they arrived 6 days before our flight.

We took our at home sample collection kit Covid-19 test 64 hours before travel. (results are guaranteed within 24 hours.) The test was done at 3.15pm Friday 21st May and dropped off at a listed Randox Health dropbox at 3.45pm.

We received an E-mail at 1am to confirm our tests had arrived at the lab, and our negative test result arrived by E-mail at 7am the next morning, which was a certificate and had a time and date of issue. We are really impressed with the timeframe and the ease of the procedure.

This is what you need - a negative RESULT received within 72 hours of travel, not when the test was done.

What is it like in the airport with Covid?

The airport in the UK was a pleasure. It was quiet and peaceful! Not empty, just a nice atmosphere and it was nice to see people about. Check-in was quiet, (we have 2 pieces of cabin baggage and nothing to check-in).

There is plenty of hand sanitiser around and shops were open in the airport.

Security was quiet, staff were all in a great mood making jokes and making everyone feel at ease. It was a really great experience. We were through in 5 minutes and sat having coffee and breakfast a few minutes later, and of course no need to wait for a table.

We bought some toiletries in Boots, and had a browse around Duty Free, again the airport was quiet, so no queues.

Boarding was a pleasure, no shuttle bus required - this has been the nicest and calmest departure day by a long shot!

If you can take your holiday before the summer holidays - we recommend it. What a lovely calm morning compared to the usual queues.

..and we’re off!

Wednesday 26th May 2021 ALBUFEIRA, ALGARVE, PORTUGAL

Where do I get a Covid test in the Algarve?

Test centre Wednesday 26th May

Our hotel gave us details for ‘Albufeira Safe’ testing centre, opposite the town hall in Albufeira. Testing centre for residents travellers and tourists. Test with travel certificate.

RT-PCR €70 Schedule 48 hours before the flight, result received within 24 hours

ANTIGENIO €20 Schedule 24 hours before the flight, result received within 4 hours

How do I book a Covid test in the Algarve?

You go to www.albufeirasafe.com or ring 00351 964 585 486. They will take your E-mail address and book your time slot. We booked the day before online but you can book a week in advance.

There are these all over the Algarve with different private companies. We have a list of lots of these that are on a separate blog.

We booked an appointment for 6.15pm and we were in the tent by 6.30pm. We read carefully that both tests (At the time of our travel) were sufficient, so we booked the €20 test. We gave passport details on arrival. A nurse put a long cotton bud up each nostril one at a time, in a little booth - not the nicest feeling - but was over in 20 seconds and we were back out of the tent within not even a minute. Worth a holiday for the 10 seconds up each nostril. Not certain how different the €70 PCR test is or why they would be different - but we will find out from them and update this blog in the next few hours.

Also in the queue we filled in our Passenger Locator form on the UK Government website, which is all the obvious name, date of birth, passport details and address you will return to in the UK. This has to be done within 48 hours of returning to the UK.

Most important part is the BOOKING REFERENCE NUMBER OF DAY 2 TEST which if you do not have, you cannot submit the form to obtain the certificate. They will not let you through the gate onto the plane no matter what, people were refused entry.

Unless you are legally exempt to not have to do covid tests but even then you still have to complete the Passenger Locator form with all your exemption details, to get your form or they will not let you board.

Friday 28th May 2021 FARO AIRPORT

Nice quiet airport again at Faro, seats available in all the cafes and no long queues in the shops. Ryanair checked our Passports, Passenger Locator forms, and Negative covid certificate at the gate. Nice pleasant trip away, masks required inside public places and whilst moving around in outdoor restaurants pretty much the same as in the UK. There is a no alcohol rule of 1030pm which is the same as the UK.

The only real difference of this holiday was the trip to the test centre and filling out the UK form, which we did in the queue whilst waiting. This combined with an evening in Albufeira town meant we were there anyway, so made it not much of an inconvenience at all, if done with planning!