Travel news latest: Family ski holidays in jeopardy despite end of Austria lockdown

After a bid to challenge the hotel quarantine system was blocked by a High Court judge, a reminder of the costs of a stay. 

How much you’ll need to pay

• 1 adult in 1 room for 10 days (11 nights): £2,285
• Additional rate for 1 adult (or child over 11): £1,430
• Additional rate for a child aged 5 to 11: £325

You do not have to pay for children under 5. 

The price includes

• Transport to and from your quarantine hotel
• Accommodation, food and drink 
• Any Covid tests you need to take while you quarantine

Vietnam is set to resume international flights as early as next week after proposals from its Ministry of Transport received wide government support. 

Earlier this week, the department urged the government to allow international flights to resume on nine routes from December 15. 

The ministry proposed a first phase allowing services to resume from San Francisco or Los Angeles, Singapore, Bangkok, Phnom Penh, Vientiane, Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul and Taipei. 

A suggested second phase, from January, would see flights resume on routes connecting Vietnam with Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Paris, Frankfurt, Sydney, and Moscow. 

Only diplomats on official business and certain high-skilled workers are currently permitted to enter Vietnam.

Vietnam’s tight restrictions have dealt a blow to its burgeoning tourism sector, which accounts for about 10 per cent of GDP.

Following concerns over festive travel test delays, testing giant Randox has sought to reassure its customers.

A spokesperson for Randox told the Telegraph:

Randox does not rely on traditional postal services and has therefore established its own logistics network across the UK in order to facilitate the efficient return of samples. Testing will continue over the entire Christmas period when the company’s laboratories and sample returns network will be operating continuously.

Randox operates over 200 sample drop points in the UK, including both Randox physical drop boxes, and in-store drop off points with partner clinics and pharmacies. All information, including hours of availability, are available at covid.randox.com.

Customers are encouraged to check drop off location arrangements before purchase and prior to returning. Whilst customers can also use alternative couriers if they wish, at their own expense, returns will be optimised by use of the Randox returns network.

A bid to challenge the hotel quarantine system for travellers returning to the UK from red list countries has been blocked by a High Court judge.  

On Thursday, three people brought a bid for a full hearing to challenge the Government’s quarantine requirements for people travelling from red list countries.

Following the hearing, Mr Justice Fordham refused the bid for a full challenge at the High Court, finding the claim was not arguable and the scheme “satisfies the rigours of the standards of necessity and proportionality”.  

He later said: “It must be relevant that there is an element of choice on the part of the individuals who travel to red list countries and then come back from them.”

After the ruling, Tom Goodhead, managing partner at PGMBM representing the claimants, said they planned to take the case to the Court of Appeal.  

He said: “We consider the hotel quarantine policy to be a fundamental breach of people’s human rights.  

“Law-abiding citizens who have been double vaccinated and tested negative should be free from hotel quarantine.  

“The idea that they need to pay for the privilege of their own imprisonment is outrageous.”

All arrivals in Ireland from Britain will be advised to take an antigen test for five consecutive days, under new guidance issued by the Irish government.

In a statement, the Irish government said it has issued the new advice after it received an updated public health assessment in relation to the omicron variant. However, unlike most countries’ testing regimes, the measure is not mandatory. 

Ireland has so far reported six cases of the omicron variant.

Reports of difficulty obtaining PCR tests in French ski resorts are emerging, writes Abigail Butcher.

Under current regulations, children 12-17 must take a PCR every 24 hours in order satisfy the Pass Sanitaire, a health pass required for use on ski lifts and in hospitality venues.

While the PCR test rule applies also to the unvaccinated, only adult travellers who are double jabbed can currently visit France for leisure purposes.

There are few British children in the French Alps this week but once school holidays start next week the problem is expected to worsen as demand for PCR tests increase.

Stephen Speirs, secretary of Glencoe Ski Club, has been skiing in Alpe d’Huez this week and yesterday said: “The medical centre here could only offer me an antigen/lateral flow test. I would need to travel miles to a bigger town to get a PCR – which would not only cut half a day off the holiday but if I made that journey on public transport you can guarantee Covid rates will go up.”

Some resorts are better organised, however. When the rules for daily PCR tests were introduced on December 7, the Grande Pharmacie in Morzine has increased its PCR capacity from 500 to 1,500 per day which are bookable on the Doctolib website.

Good morning. Here’s a recap of yesterday’s top stories in the world of travel.

• Sajid Javid has suggested travel restrictions could be ditched as omicron becomes the dominant variant in Britain
• Returning travellers have been warned that postal delays could see them stuck in self-isolation over the festive period
• While Austria is preparing to end its lockdown, Denmark is introducing new restrictions, including a curfew for hospitality businesses
• Morrocan hoteliers believe the country will end its omicron border closure in the coming days
• EU sources have suggested that boosters will be needed to travel freely within the bloc next summer

Now, on with today’s latest travel news.