In the last couple of weeks, I’ve traveled from Fuerteventura to England and back again! Here are my experiences.
I was traveling from Fuerteventura to England and back again to “do a wedding” – because … well, that’s what I do. I’m a wedding planner / MC (Master of Ceremonies) and DJ.
From Fuerteventura to England
I’m UK double vaccinated and, under the rules at the time, I no longer needed to self-isolate.
I had to take a lateral flow test in Fuerteventura under 72 hours before my flight. There were a number of options available. Because I had a hire car I chose to go to the airport where it was cheapest – I paid €29. The alternatives in town (Corralejo) were €40 I think. I booked my test using an app called TrustOne and the test was with EuroFins.
The test was really well run and I got my results by email a couple of hours later. Very good service – I wouldn’t hesitate to use them again.
The next step was the online paperwork with the UK Government site which was not so easy. CLICK HERE to see the current advice on traveling back from an Amber list country. Much of the process of completing this kind of paperwork is just entering details (passport number, flight information, addresses, etc). The big problem I experienced was that I had to book my “Day 2” PCR test to complete the form. The links that took me to the possible providers weren’t easy to navigate and I found it quite stressful.
Eventually, I found a way through. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a local cheap option and ended up paying £139 to book a PCR test. So I had all my paperwork.
A good tip, if possible, is to print everything off – boarding passes, test results, and UK Public Health Passenger Locator Form. Having it on your phone is probably OK but very time-consuming trying to go from app to app.
I flew back on Saturday 24th July, arriving back at Gatwick at 1:15am Sunday (25th) morning. I had to show all of my paperwork ahead of scanning my ticket at the departure gate – I wasn’t asked to show it on arrival at Gatwick – just my passport in the arrivals hall. The airport was very quiet, well it would be at 1:30 in the morning!
On Tuesday (27th) I went for my prebooked Day 2 . This was at a portacabin in a cricket ground car park, and I knew exactly where to go. Unlike the previous Friday’s test, I had to administer this one myself. I could write a few thousand words on the poor service I felt I received, suffice it to say I won’t be using that company again. My advice would be to research this in plenty of time and not just wait until you have to complete the form.
My negative result came through by email just over 24 hours later.
So I was able to MC and DJ at the wedding on Saturday (31st). It was truly beautiful! A wonderful day for a lovely couple who had to postpone last year. To be back doing “my thing” was really fantastic – happy Paul!
From England to Fuerteventura
On Sunday (1st August) I did the paperwork for my return journey on Tuesday (3rd). This entailed printing the boarding pass for my EasyJet flight and completing the SpTH (Spain Travel Health) app. This is far more straightforward than the UK site – whether that’s a good or bad thing I’ll leave you to decide. Basically, you have to share all the usual information – flight details, vaccination status, where you are staying, etc (I’ve written about this before PLEASE CLICK HERE) and declare you haven’t got any symptoms and promise to notify them if you get ill once you are in Spain (Fuerteventura).
Today I did the return journey and I think the procedures were pretty much the same. Arrived at Gatwick, went through security with the normal documents (passport and boarding pass). When the departure gate was announced I made my way there where I was asked to show my passport, boarding pass, and my SpTH QR code. I then showed my passport and scanned my boarding pass as usual before boarding.
On arrival in Spain, it’s passport control first and then through to the health check. Again they wanted to see my SpTH paperwork and I was then asked to show it and my NHS COVID Pass which I have as a document (you can order this through the NHS app – it’s free). That was it – “Welcome to Spain – enjoy your stay”. I was outside in the sunshine in about 15 minutes from leaving my seat on the plane.
FINAL TIP ~ I think this link to the Martin Lewis Money Saving Expert website has the answers to the rip-off PCR test problem – PLEASE CLICK HERE. I didn’t think to look at the site when I was in my form-filling panic – I won’t make that mistake next time I’m traveling from Fuerteventura to England and back again
From Fuerteventura to England and back again ~ In Conclusion.
From Fuerteventura to England and back again, was it stressful? A bit, but hopefully this blog post may help you.
Did I feel like I had been ripped off? Yes, by the UK test company who I’d score 3/10 (I won’t name them but beware of companies charging £139 for a Day 2 test).
Was it worth it? Definitely YES.
I’ve done this journey, from Fuerteventura to England, and from England to Fuerteventura, dozens of times over the last three years. It’s not as easy as it once was but it’s still a breeze compared to flying ten years ago. I’m sure as pandemic protocols develop and change over the coming months things will get easier. I’d love to hear from people who have had a Day 2 test in the UK what options they picked – so please drop me a line.
Oh, and nothing trumps a great wedding in Fuerteventura or England!
