Pre-flight Covid testing in Paris
 

Hi all...

Leaving for Paris tomorrow. Pretty sure I have everything set for flight boarding and entry to France.

However, I know we will need testing to get back into the US. Some questions:

• I assume the antigen (rapid) test is OK. If not please let me know.
• How numerous are pharmacies with antigen testing in the 4th (a few blocks east of the Hotel de Ville).
  • Are there lines, can you just walk in, or do you need an appointment?
  • Is there a website or app that lists them?

Thanks.
ssander

For travel to the US, you will need a negative Antigen test taken no earlier than the day before your departure. The test is given by almost any pharmacy, cost is 25€ or less.

You can obtain a list of pharmacies on https://www.doctolib.fr/

In the search window, enter: Dépistage COVID-19 test antigénique

Next to that is where you want to be tested (Où ?). For testing locations around the Hotel de Ville, you might try entering: 75004

Test results are typically available in under 15 minutes.

Sarastro...

Thank you so much. This was extremely helpful. I found two within a few blocks of our apartment. I don't have an account with dotolib, so I suppose that means we'll have to drop in beforehand and arrange a time slot. Does that seem like the best way to handle it?

Thanks, again.
ssander

Bookmarking, thx for the info (in French)!

The pharmacy we used in December in the 7th had a QR code posted outside. This allowed us to access a web site to register. The registration event took only 3-5 mins. And I believe it is good for that day only. Then we stood in a small line to get our "papers". Then we went outside under a tent to get tested. We received the e-mailed results in 20 mins. Then we went back inside to get paper copies of results. We did this 5 times (test run, friends, ourselves). You can register from any location if you know the web site - but I do not recall what it is.

Other friends did something similar - but the e-mailed results never arrived. When they went back to the testing place - there was a long line. Their hotel told them to go to a different pharmacy and they were in & out in 30 mins.

Stu Dudley

I arrived at CdG untested. Bad idea. There were already, in the normal course of affairs, line-ups for this and for that. I was sent to an on-site pharmacy, lined up once, lined up again for the test, lined up for the results, returned to the main line-up. Lesson: Be at that airport at least two hours early, no matter what.
Plus the test cost approximately twice what a pharmacy in the city might charge. This is not a scientifically arduous procedure but medical commerce has found a new source of revenue. At home too.

Thanks all,..much appreciated. When I return, I let everyone know how it went.
ssander

Taxi
 

Hi all...
Sorry to hijack my own thread but I am in Paris now and my cheapo tablet that I brought will not display the site properly and I cannot start a new thread..

My wife's knee is acting up and we may not take the rer to cdg. What is the best way to get a taxi? We are too far from a taxi rank. We like Uber a lot too.

Thanks
Ssander

we used our Uber app in Paris and London on our last pre Covid trips in 2018 and 2019. Assume you can still do that.

I've signed up for the video proctored test QURED (suggested by American Airlines). Anyone used this?

We are departing on Sunday, May 29 from CDG. Saturday, we leave our rental in Colmar, drop the car at the rental place across from the gare in Strasbourg, then will store our bags at the gare so as to have time to see a bit of Strasbourg. Our train departs at 2:50 p.m., and arrives at CDG at 5:03 p.m. We're staying at the Sheraton at CDG.

I've thought about doing a test in Strasbourg, but I kind of hate to waste time doing that rather than sightseeing. Our video test is schedule for 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. I guess if there are problems, we can do a test at one of the CDG pharmacies.

You can call. If you want the G7 English line: 01 41 27 66 99

G7 also has an app.

I typically use Bolt or FreeNow (they have apps) as taxis add a 7€ dispatch fee to the fixed airport fees of 53€/58€ from the Right/Left Bank respectively. The fee is 4€ for immediate pickup.

Thanks to all...very helpful.

Ssander

More on my wife's knee...

How do we find an English speaking doctor,. She is having a lot of trouble walking and may need her knee drained or a cortisone shot.

Ss

Maybe here: https://fr.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen...al-assistance/
If you're not from the U.S., other countries' embassies/consulates probably have similar assistance.

Our 17 year old son in 2001 got very sick (turned out to be appendicitis) and our hotel front desk had a doctor come to our hotel and then when he was diagnosed there was an ambulance within 30 minutes. He ended up at the American hospital for 5 days and got great care. Anyway, your hotel should have a list of doctors that hopefully speak English. Good luck.

Thanks all
Knee seems to be improving so it looks like we will make it to the end of the trip.

Ss

Here's an Update:

Linda's Knee -- with the help of a cane and ibuprofen, we made it with slower-than-usual walking and buses instead of metro (no stairs). This was not our first time in Paris -- our 9th -- so a leisurely visit was just fine. She has a visit with our orthopedic guy on Monday.

Covid and CDG:
Linda -- a pharmacy a block away from our apartment had walk-in 15-minute testing for €20 and no line. Got the results on her phone and saved it to the Tous Covid app which we showed at CDG.
Me -- I had written proof of recovery (had Covid last month) from my doctor and a printout of my April positive test. The woman at the line had to show it to the woman behind the counter for approval, but it was accepted immediately.
Other docs -- we each had to indicate our status on a Disclosure form and sign it...other than that, there was nothing else.

Because Linda had a wheelchair at CDG, we did a lot of line-skipping and early boarding. When I ordered it, she said she really didn't think she needed it, but it as a really, really walk to the gate, so she was glad we did it.

US control entry:

I cannot overemphasize how great Global Entry is. It was always great, but we hadn't been out of the country since the start of Covid, and it is better than ever. The kiosk used facial recognition -- it took less than a minute for both of us to get through, and they also had a separate line for customs...they did not ask for the paper form...just asked if we had anything to declare. And the regular lines in PHL were really long.

ssander