Covid-19 Travel Advice

Covid-19 Travel Advice for Grape Escapes clients

LAST UPDATED 25TH MARCH 2022

As a degree of “normality” returns to the world like a breath of fresh air, international travel in the main has at last been able to resume. And we cannot tell you how delighted we feel to be welcoming Grape Escapes guests on our tours once again!

Our clients’ safety and wellbeing has always been our utmost priority, and this is even more paramount than ever in the new, post Covid-19 world. With that in mind, please find below some advice about the measures being taken by each of our destinations to keep you safe on your trip whilst making sure that you still enjoy plenty of unforgettable moments.

Travel advice and requirements do tend to change quite regularly, however please rest assured that we are doing all that we can to keep this page as up-to-date as possible. As your departure for your Grape Escapes holiday nears, we recommend checking the official travel advice web sites from your country of residence regularly to always stay abreast of any international and domestic travel requirements. If you are travelling from outside of the UK and USA and would like specific advice relating to your own country, or if you are not double vaccinated, please don’t hesitate to contact us for assistance.

France

Travelling to and from France from the UK

Travelling from the UK to France

See here for the detailed entry requirements however in summary:

• The FCDO are NOT advising against travel to France.
• From 12 February 2022, fully vaccinated travellers from the UK no longer need to present a negative PCR or antigen test result before travel.
• Fully vaccinated travellers aged 12 and over must continue to provide a “sworn statement” form (see here) to confirm that they are not suffering from Covid-19 symptoms and haven’t been in contact with anyone with a confirmed Covid diagnosis in the last fortnight.

Travelling back to the UK from France

See here for detailed information however in summary:

• You do not need to complete a UK passenger locator form before you travel, take any COVID-19 tests or quarantine when you arrive in the UK.

Travelling to and from France from the USA

Travelling from the USA to France

See here for the detailed entry requirements however in summary:

• If you are fully vaccinated, you will NOT be required to self-isolate in France.
• You will need proof of vaccinations, and the French Consulate General in Washington DC have confirmed that the CDC/V-Safe app is acceptable evidence.
• You will need a completed “sworn statement” form (see here) to confirm that you are not suffering from Covid-19 symptoms and you haven’t been in contact with anyone with a confirmed Covid diagnosis in the last fortnight.

Travelling back to the USA from France

See here for detailed information however in summary:

• You will need to take a PCR or antigen test in France no more than 1 day before you travel by air into the United States. You must show your negative result to the airline before you board your flight. See here for detailed information about the types of acceptable tests to allow entry to the US. There are several test providers in each town or city, and appointments do not always need to be booked in advance. Your hotel reception team can arrange an appointment for you at check in and in some hotels, tests can be arranged in your room. If you would like to book your PCR test before your trip to make sure that you have an appointment already made, they can usually be booked a week in advance. We would of course be very happy to assist you.
• If you recently recovered from COVID-19, you may instead travel with documentation of recovery from COVID-19.

Local Covid-19 measures in France

As well as participating in the EU-wide “Health Passport” scheme (see the bottom of the page for detailed information), face coverings are mandatory in France on public transport.

Italy

Travelling to and from Italy from the UK

Travelling from the UK to Italy

See here for the detailed entry requirements however in summary:

• The FCDO are NOT advising against travel to Italy.
• Adult travellers will need to complete a passenger locator form (EU PLF) to enter or travel through Italy as a visitor.
• From 1 March, all travellers, aged 6 and over, must show one of the following:
  • proof of vaccination OR
  • evidence of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours before entering Italy or a negative rapid lateral flow test taken within the 48 hours before entering Italy OR
  • a COVID-19 recovery certificate, certifying that you have recovered from COVID-19 in the last 6 months.

Travelling back to the UK from Italy

See here for detailed information however in summary:

• You do not need to complete a UK passenger locator form before you travel, take any COVID-19 tests or quarantine when you arrive in the UK.

Travelling to and from Italy from the USA

Travelling from the USA to Italy

See here for the detailed entry requirements however in summary:

• If you are fully vaccinated, you will NOT be required to self-isolate in Italy.
• You will need proof of vaccinations, such as the CDC/V-Safe app.
• You will need to complete a passenger locator form (see here) before arriving in Italy.

Travelling back to the USA from Italy

See here for detailed information however in summary:

• You will need to take a PCR or antigen test in Italy no more than 1 day before you travel by air into the United States. You must show your negative result to the airline before you board your flight. See here for detailed information about the types of acceptable tests to allow entry to the US. There are several test providers in each town or city, and appointments do not always need to be booked in advance. Your hotel reception team can arrange an appointment for you at check in and in some hotels, tests can be arranged in your room. If you would like to book your PCR test before your trip to make sure that you have an appointment already made, they can usually be booked a week in advance. We would of course be very happy to assist you.
• If you recently recovered from COVID-19, you may instead travel with documentation of recovery from COVID-19.

Local Covid-19 measures in Italy

As well as participating in the EU-wide “Health Passport” scheme (see the bottom of the page for detailed information), face coverings are mandatory in Italy in closed public spaces (such as shops) as well as on public transport.

Spain

Travelling to and from Spain from the UK

Travelling from the UK to Spain

See here for the detailed entry requirements however in summary:

• The FCDO are NOT advising against travel to Spain.
• If you are fully vaccinated, you will NOT be required to self-isolate in Spain.
• You will need proof of vaccinations, either from the NHS app or you can request printed proof here.

Travelling back to the UK from Spain

See here for detailed information however in summary:

• You do not need to complete a UK passenger locator form before you travel, take any COVID-19 tests or quarantine when you arrive in the UK.

Travelling to and from Spain from the USA

Travelling from the USA to Spain

See here for the detailed entry requirements however in summary:

• You will need proof of vaccinations, such as the CDC/V-Safe app.
• You will need to present a QR code generated through the Spain Travel Health portal (see here).
• You will NOT be required to self-isolate in Spain.

Travelling back to the USA from Spain

See here for detailed information however in summary:

• You will need to take a PCR or antigen test in Spain no more than 1 day before you travel by air into the United States. You must show your negative result to the airline before you board your flight. See here for detailed information about the types of acceptable tests to allow entry to the US. There are several test providers in each town or city, and appointments do not always need to be booked in advance. Your hotel reception team can arrange an appointment for you at check in and in some hotels, tests can be arranged in your room. If you would like to book your PCR test before your trip to make sure that you have an appointment already made, they can usually be booked a week in advance. We would of course be very happy to assist you.
• If you recently recovered from COVID-19, you may instead travel with documentation of recovery from COVID-19.

Local Covid-19 measures in Spain

As well as participating in the EU-wide “Health Passport” scheme (see the bottom of the page for detailed information), face coverings are mandatory in Spain in closed public spaces (such as shops) as well as on public transport.

Portugal

Travelling to and from Portugal from the UK

Travelling from the UK to Portugal

See here for the detailed entry requirements however in summary:

• The FCDO are NOT advising against travel to Portugal.
• If you are fully vaccinated, you will NOT be required to self-isolate in Portugal.
• You will need to complete a passenger locater card (see here) up to four days before arriving in Portugal.
• You will need proof of vaccinations, either from the NHS app or you can request printed proof here.

Travelling back to the UK from Portugal

See here for detailed information however in summary:

• You do not need to complete a UK passenger locator form before you travel, take any COVID-19 tests or quarantine when you arrive in the UK.

Travelling to and from Portugal from the USA

Travelling from the USA to Portugal

See here for the detailed entry requirements however in summary:

• You will need evidence of a negative PCR test result taken within 72 hours of departure or a negative antigen (lateral flow) test result taken within 48 hours of departure.
• You will need to complete a passenger locater card (see here) up to four days before arriving in Portugal.
• You will NOT be required to self-isolate in Portugal.

Travelling back to the USA from Spain

See here for detailed information however in summary:

• You will need to take a PCR or antigen test in Portugal no more than 1 day before you travel by air into the United States. You must show your negative result to the airline before you board your flight. See here for detailed information about the types of acceptable tests to allow entry to the US. There are several test providers in each town or city, and appointments do not always need to be booked in advance. Your hotel reception team can arrange an appointment for you at check in and in some hotels, tests can be arranged in your room. If you would like to book your PCR test before your trip to make sure that you have an appointment already made, they can usually be booked a week in advance. We would of course be very happy to assist you.
• If you recently recovered from COVID-19, you may instead travel with documentation of recovery from COVID-19.

Local Covid-19 measures in Portugal

As well as participating in the EU-wide “Health Passport” scheme (see below for detailed information), face coverings are mandatory in Portugal in closed public spaces (such as shops) as well as on public transport. See here for more detailed guidelines and advice.

The EU “Health Pass”

Many European countries have introduced Covid-19 “health passes” which are, in essence, proof of double vaccination. You will need to provide proof that you have been double vaccinated in order to check into hotels, dine in restaurants and visit wineries etc. For travellers coming from outside of the EU, the exact required documentation (and what classes as official, valid proof) has not yet been fully finalised. We therefore recommend taking the official proof of vaccination from your country of residence with you in paper and digital format (for example the NHS app for UK travellers or the CDC/V-Safe app for US travellers) as well as photo ID such as your passport or driving license.

The French Health Pass

You will need to download the Tous Anti Covid app, where a QR code is generated.

For residents or England and Wales, or those who received their vaccine in England and Wales, you can now scan your NHS vaccine QR code directly into the French Tous Anti Covid app. This only works with the most recent versions of the NHS Covid Pass so you may need to download a new one from the NHS app or website. NHS Covid Passes are only valid for 30 days after download, so make sure you scan it before it runs out (or download a new one). Please see here for the latest information from the Consulate General of France in London.

For residents of Scotland or those who received their vaccine in Scotland, the French Government has recently changed the method in people vaccinated outside the European Union may obtain a French Health Pass. Under the new system, the health pass will be obtained from designated pharmacies for a fee of up to 36 Euros.  The map of designated pharmacies is available here.

We understand that there have been several teething problems with the health pass system, and our partners in France are widely accepting your official government issued Covid-19 vaccination documents in place of a French Health Pass if necessary.

For American travellers, the French Government has recently changed the method in people vaccinated outside the European Union may obtain a French Health Pass. Under the new system, the health pass will be obtained from designated pharmacies for a fee of up to 36 Euros.  The map of designated pharmacies is available here.

We understand that there have been several teething problems with the health pass system, and our partners in France are widely accepting your official government issued Covid-19 vaccination documents in place of a French Health Pass if necessary.

The Spanish Health Pass

Certain regions of Spain are now requiring visitors to provide proof of vaccination to access some public indoor areas such as restaurants, bars and cafés. The Spanish government has not yet set our clear guidelines so for the time being, the NHS certificate or app is accepted as proof for UK travellers, and visitors from elsewhere should be able to show the official vaccination card from your country of vaccination.

The Italian Health Pass

A health pass (or “green pass”) is mandatory for hospitality venues, public places and public transport. The Italian Health Ministry have announced that documents/certificates issued from your country of residence will be widely recognised in digital or paper format as proof of vaccination.

The Portuguese Health Pass

We will update this information as soon as more detailed instructions are released.