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Warning to Americans traveling to France.

Warning to Americans traveling to France.

Old Jul 19th, 2021, 10:15 AM
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Warning to Americans traveling to France.

Today, we went to Les Invalides to see Napoleon's Tomb. In the ticket office there was a sign that stated that beginning July 21, 2021, no one will be admitted to any museum without the Pass Sanitaire. We leave July 20, so we are OK, but what do Americans do in this situation?

Thin,aristocrat 🦌
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Old Jul 19th, 2021, 11:44 AM
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It's not just museums. It's any location or event with more than 50 people... and starting Aug. 1st including trains.

According to the U.S. Embassy for France:

"To obtain a health pass, a person must show either that 1) they have been fully vaccinated, 2) have a negative PCR test (good for 72 hours after the test), or 3) have a negative antigen test (good for 48 hours after the test). The CDC card does not serve as a health pass. For people vaccinated in the United States with a CDC card, any willing French doctor or pharmacist can enter the vaccination information in the French system, even for people who do not have a French social security number or carte vitale. This will allow the person to generate a paper or electronic (through the French Tous Anti Covid app) version of the health pass."

https://fr.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/
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Old Jul 19th, 2021, 12:47 PM
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The whole proposition of travel is becoming a nightmare , particularly between the U.K. and France who seem to be playing political , non scientific games.

For any U.K. travellers , France appears to be accepting a printed copy of your NHS covid status

https://uk.ambafrance.org/NHS-COVID-...pted-in-France

and contrary to The Daily Mail belief , France is accepting the Covishield vaccine.

thanks for raising the issue , we arrive in France on Wednesday (if we , our son, dog and car have ticked all the Covid / Brexit boxe]

we thought the Pass Sanitaire was being introduced on 1st August.

we may not need it , may just sleep for 10 days and drive home.

had enough of all this.
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Old Jul 20th, 2021, 03:12 AM
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Originally Posted by BritishCaicos
The whole proposition of travel is becoming a nightmare , particularly between the U.K. and France who seem to be playing political , non scientific games.

For any U.K. travellers , France appears to be accepting a printed copy of your NHS covid status

https://uk.ambafrance.org/NHS-COVID-...pted-in-France

and contrary to The Daily Mail belief , France is accepting the Covishield vaccine.

thanks for raising the issue , we arrive in France on Wednesday (if we , our son, dog and car have ticked all the Covid / Brexit boxe]

we thought the Pass Sanitaire was being introduced on 1st August.

we may not need it , may just sleep for 10 days and drive home.

had enough of all this.
BritishCaicos: can you please check back in when you get there? I have France planned for late Aug/Sept.

regards Ger
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Old Jul 20th, 2021, 04:20 AM
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I am leaving Saturday for Paris but will return to the US before August 1 when restaurants, shopping centers will be added to the health pass list.

Thin, did you obtain a negative covid test from France prior to your departure for home? Was it easy? I was considering getting it at the airport two hours before my flight home, however, I worry that the results won't be available in time. Instead I will probably seek out a pharmacy in Paris. Any info would be greatly appreciated!

~Roberta
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Old Jul 20th, 2021, 06:47 AM
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My American friend is there now, visiting family for a month. Fully vaccinated in US. Since the main purpose was visiting family she was prepared to be restricted, but I will see what she was able to get as to any French health pass.
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Old Jul 20th, 2021, 06:55 AM
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Originally Posted by laurie_ann
My American friend is there now, visiting family for a month. Fully vaccinated in US. Since the main purpose was visiting family she was prepared to be restricted, but I will see what she was able to get as to any French health pass.
Fantastic. I have relatives traveling to France in Sept so any info will be helpful. If a pharmacist will take the US CDC card and enter it into the French system that would be nice...

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Old Jul 20th, 2021, 11:21 AM
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Originally Posted by RobertaL
I am leaving Saturday for Paris but will return to the US before August 1 when restaurants, shopping centers will be added to the health pass list.

Thin, did you obtain a negative covid test from France prior to your departure for home? Was it easy? I was considering getting it at the airport two hours before my flight home, however, I worry that the results won't be available in time. Instead I will probably seek out a pharmacy in Paris. Any info would be greatly appreciated!

~Roberta
Just returned, and here's my experience. Several Paris pharmacies offering the antigen test told me that - in spite of airline policies - I would need the PCR test performed by a medical lab. Could not get them to relent, so got that test (more expensive, about $80 - oh well ...) and that was of course accepted. Still annoyed by whatever piece of the French bureaucracy sent me down this path.
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Old Jul 20th, 2021, 12:45 PM
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We were about ready to start planning another trip to Paris, our favorite city.
After reading this I think we will take a pass on it this year. Or maybe wait and see how things work out
in the next few months and go again at Christmas time.

I’ll be watching to see how it all works out for Fodorites traveling to Paris and other parts of Europe
This summer and fall.
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Old Jul 20th, 2021, 12:52 PM
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A Cornish-based friend of mine with french and UK citizenship had a plan to go to France for a week to see her family there, and then bring her parents back with her for a week to see their grandchildren for the first time in 18 months. [she was originally going to take the whole family but eventually abandoned that as a silly idea.] At one point it looked as if she'd have to quarantine there for a week and her parents ditto here which made a nonsense of the whole thing. I think that her present plan is just for her to go as she is vaccinated and will have the test and leave it at that.
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Old Jul 20th, 2021, 01:20 PM
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Originally Posted by SemiMike
Just returned, and here's my experience. Several Paris pharmacies offering the antigen test told me that - in spite of airline policies - I would need the PCR test performed by a medical lab.
The testing to board a flight to the USA is not a French requirement, it is a US requirement and that requirement is for only an Antigen test having been taken within 3 days of departure.

https://travel.state.gov/content/tra..._US_Entry.html

I went to a pharmacy for an Antigen test a few weeks ago and it was ultimately all that was needed to board a US bound aircraft. The airlines follow whatever rule is mandated by the pertinent governments.
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Old Jul 20th, 2021, 04:46 PM
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Originally Posted by Sarastro
The testing to board a flight to the USA is not a French requirement, it is a US requirement and that requirement is for only an Antigen test having been taken within 3 days of departure.

https://travel.state.gov/content/tra..._US_Entry.html

I went to a pharmacy for an Antigen test a few weeks ago and it was ultimately all that was needed to board a US bound aircraft. The airlines follow whatever rule is mandated by the pertinent governments.
Did you go to a pharmacy in Paris, France? I am looking to get the antigen test since it's the minimal requirement for my flight back to the US.
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Old Jul 20th, 2021, 06:08 PM
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For flying back ether States, is France giving the yucky in-your-brain Covid test or the one that is not so intrusive?
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Old Jul 20th, 2021, 07:57 PM
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According to this American posting on the RS board, it was straightforward to get the health pass by showing the CD vaccination card. just a couple days ago.
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Old Jul 21st, 2021, 02:02 AM
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We went to Pharmacy Parisienne on Avenue Bosquet in the 7th for our ANTIGEN test. website: Parisienne. Francetest.fr to register. It costs 36 euros. Results in 30 minutes and pass sent to your email address so you can download it.

We had to show our test results at CDG in order to fly home on Air France, but NO ONE at JFK.asked for anything other than passport.
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Old Jul 21st, 2021, 02:03 AM
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Thin,aristocrat 🦌
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Old Jul 21st, 2021, 05:05 AM
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Thank you, Thin, for the pharmacy info. My hotel is on Avenue Bosquet, a 5 minute walk to the pharmacy. I guess I will fill out the registration form providing my hotel address.
I see you went to La Samaritaine. Looking forward to that and possibly having a cocktail there on the fifth floor.

~Roberta
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Old Jul 21st, 2021, 08:33 AM
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Originally Posted by Seamus
According to this American posting on the RS board, it was straightforward to get the health pass by showing the CD vaccination card. just a couple days ago.
Reading the RS thread further, it seems pharmacies are not giving out the green pass to US citizens - it’s likely this was more of a fluke. The pharmacy that originally provided the green pass is no longer doing so.

I’m guessing (hoping!) that the CDC card will generally be accepted provided there are no further travel restrictions for US citizens. This just seems to be another one of the many hoops we will all have to jump through to be able to travel internationally- if we choose to do so and every new requirement has a learning curve.
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Old Jul 22nd, 2021, 05:07 PM
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Following as we go to Paris in September. Note that Italy is starting the same requirement.
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Old Jul 23rd, 2021, 01:22 AM
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"I’m guessing (hoping!) that the CDC card will generally be accepted provided there are no further travel restrictions for US citizens."

And waiting for the US and the UK to accept EU proof of vaccination...
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