Holidaymakers heading to France for Christmas ski season are being asked to bring their own Covid-19 rapid tests after a shortage at some ski resorts.
Skiers hitting the powder on the French Alps are struggling to book PCR tests and obtain antigen tests in time for their journey home.
Now they face making gruelling hour long journeys to neighbouring towns to get £64 PCR tests as some resorts only conduct test on weekdays.
Andy Sturt of VIP Ski said: “We advise guests to buy a self-administered lateral flow antigen test and have it delivered in advance of your holiday, so you can upload and validate the result in the two days before you travel back to the UK.”
Lawyer Nicks Johnston told The Telegraph: “You can’t get a PCR test for love nor money here right now. Luckily I booked my antigen last week to come home on December 23 — you can barely get these, either.”
It was reported there are currently no PCR tests available in Val d’Isère.
This will present a problem for families with unvaccinated children aged 12-17 who must take tests every 24 hours for access to indoor public spaces and ski lifts.
It came after France has mandated the use of vaccine passports in ski lifts, throwing the winter travel plans of thousands of British families into doubt.
Anyone over the age of 12 needs a pass to show they are fully vaccinated or have had one dose and recovered from Covid-19 in the last 180 days.
But the announcement caused misery for Brits with teenagers as the NHS app with a Covid pass is only available to the over-16s, the Times reported.
Children aged 12-15 are also only eligible for one dose in the UK and so they don’t count as fully vaccinated.
