Travel To USA

[bad company]

Mrs BC and I would really like to go to Florida for Christmas to see our family and Grandchildren. Obviously travel from the UK isn’t possible right now, the latest advice I found is this:-

USA: Travellers who have been to the UK, Ireland, Schengen Zone, Iran, Brazil or China within the last 14 days will be denied entry to the USA. US citizens and permanent residents of the USA, certain specified close family members and certain other limited categories of visas holders (such as UN staff and diplomats) are exempt. They will still be able to enter the USA, subject to normal entry requirements.

That being the case we were thinking of flying to Bermuda (I’ve fancied going there for years) or one of the Caribbean islands for 2 weeks then onto the USA. Does anyone know if this would be acceptable to the US authorities? Obviously we’d need to isolate for 2 weeks when we get home.

If so travel insurance could be an issue. Any ideas?

[bad company]

Thanks for the help guys. I take the point about direct flights and see that St. Kitts is about to re open for tourists so that could be a good gateway.

Anyone where we can buy insurance given that the Foreign Office is advising against going there.

Also the FO website implies that we may have to isolate on arrival in USA, that’d make it not worth going. There seems to be conflicting advice on this.

[bad company]

eliot said:

I’ll keep an eye out for the daily mail sad face saying you are stranded in the states and cant back home for the new year and might loose your job.

why cant you simply accept that this is an exceptional time and stay at home until things improve ?

We’re retired, no job to lose.

If you hadn’t seen your granddaughters for a year you might understand.

[bad company]

satans worm said:

The city is good right now, midtown maybe not, tottaly dead, but below 20th and upper east and west sides are buzzing with locals going out eating drinking etc, a nice atmosphere, not quite what the news reports!

Good to hear. Do you have to wear muzzles/masks in the street or just inside?

[bad company]

HotJambalaya said:

bad company said:

Anyone where we can buy insurance given that the Foreign Office is advising against going there.

Sorry brain fart the other day.

I'd actually been looking at health insurance policies for the USA a little while back. You can actually get a local health insurance policy as a tourist, which works out significantly cheaper then a uk based travel insurance policy, and of course it has the benefit that they dont care at all about FCO advice.

I cant remember the site I'd looked at previously but here is a few:

https://www.americanvisitorinsurance.com/

https://www.insubuy.com/


There's quite a few, and they mostly seem to come up with the same companies. A local told me to always take a minimum of $500k coverage so make sure to select that, and make sure to select that it includes covid.

Thanks I’ll take a look. Hopefully they’ll also cover us for the 2 weeks in Bermuda or Caribbean before flying to Florida.

[bad company]

Vette_1978 said:

Chucklehead said:

Battleface is the company that i hear for covid travel insurance. I don't know anything about them or if it'd meet your needs, but it's worth a look.

https://www.battleface.com/

I used them for the trip to Le Mans last week, was about £27 for full cover for the week, covers all Covid issues.

Bit scary:-

[bad company]

juice said:

bad company said:

That being the case we were thinking of flying to Bermuda (I’ve fancied going there for years) or one of the Caribbean islands for 2 weeks then onto the USA. Does anyone know if this would be acceptable to the US authorities? Obviously we’d need to isolate for 2 weeks when we get home.

Bermuda is likely to not be that warm at Christmas, it's really hit and miss as to weather. Plus for 2 weeks you're likely to be bored quite quickly.
(I used to live there for 15 years)

Thanks, we wondered just that. As I said I’ve fancied going for a while but thought 3-4 days would be enough. Trouble is the Caribbean islands aren’t of much interest to us either. We need somewhere with direct flights to & from the UK and Florida.

[bad company]

HotJambalaya said:

fourstardan said:

Seems a bit selfish, imagine if you caught COVID on this magical rule bending journey before OR they gave it to you when you got there and ended up in a US hospital for weeks costing you the best part of your pension to fund it?

I just think the fact this post has gone into 2 pages of possible options around what are regulations is an indication of what you probably should be doing.....Staying at home.

why would it cost them their pension fund when they're getting insurance?

Exactly and if we go we won’t be breaking any rules. We’re looking for the best way of doing what we want within the rules.

You stay at home if you want to. We’re going to carry on living accepting some probably very minimal risk.

[bad company]

satans worm said:

Sensible people wear masks outside, I’d say 90 pct, people in New York don’t see it as a big deal to be honest, unlike the hysteria on the thread on here.

I disagree about masks particularly outside but please let’s not have another mask debate here. There’s plenty of mask threads/debate elsewhere on PH.

[bad company]

David Beer said:

https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/

My point being you can not travel to the USA from the uk

Edited by David Beer on Saturday 3rd October 16:46

I did my ESTA online yesterday. Approved in 2 hours, no problem.

[bad company]

David Beer said:

bad company said:

I did my ESTA online yesterday. Approved in 2 hours, no problem.

Ok great, i will try. Any tips ? Mine is purely for holiday, no family to visit.
Bit worried about travel insurance though as Amex will not cover me, I pay an awful lot of money to them annually to include what is normally excellent, bit reluctant to pay someone else. In fact I have just paid the annual fee !
Good on you, when do you travel?

Ok, just spoke to Amex, sure you may get an esta, but there are no flights. Please tell us how you are doing it !

Edited by David Beer on Saturday 3rd October 18:22

The ESTA application had changed in that they now want your social media page Id for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and whatever else.

We’re still looking at the best routings, read the start of the thread.

[bad company]

Just copied this from the ABTA website, it was from their August magazine so possibly out of date but still a bit worrying:-

Furthermore, British nationals are currently not able to enter the USA if they have been in the UK, Ireland, Schengen zone, Iran, Brazil or China within the previous 14 days. Those who are eligible will still have to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival.

[bad company]

David Beer said:

bad company said:

Just copied this from the ABTA website, it was from their August magazine so possibly out of date but still a bit worrying:-

Furthermore, British nationals are currently not able to enter the USA if they have been in the UK, Ireland, Schengen zone, Iran, Brazil or China within the previous 14 days. Those who are eligible will still have to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival.

That’s exactly what I linked to a few posts back.
I have friends in Palm Springs who say it’s not worth going, so I have moved the flights . If I can go somewhere over Xmas I will, just not USA.

I just checked on Government website. Apparently you’re ‘recommended’ to stay home, not required to do so.

I think all of California isn’t worth going to at the moment, so much closed there. Floria’s looking better.

Edited by bad company on Sunday 4th October 19:01

[bad company]

Chucklehead said:

Battleface is the company that i hear for covid travel insurance. I don't know anything about them or if it'd meet your needs, but it's worth a look.

https://www.battleface.com/

I’ve now spoken with Battleface. They’re competitive but won’t cover Covid for anyone over 59 which unfortunately includes me.

Thinking of using our existing annual policy for travel to Barbados where we’ll spend the required 2 weeks then buy a policy for medical cover from a USA company for while we’re there.

Any recommendations for USA visitor insurance?

[bad company]

David Beer said:

Sorry, how are you getting in to the USA ?
I have now accepted that esta is not accepting us fine folk from the uk.

If we go we’ll be flying to Barbados, staying 2 weeks then onto Florida.

[bad company]

HotJambalaya said:

bad company said:

If we go we’ll be flying to Barbados, staying 2 weeks then onto Florida.

why in gods name would you pick barbados?

UK is considered high risk in Barbados so you have to quarantine in a government facility on arrival until a second clear covid test. Mexico is an absolute no brainer in my opinion. Zero restrictions and easy flights to florida, I'd say 90% of people going to the USA now from europe that I know of are doing it via mexico.

You’re checked on arrival then have to stay within your hotel (but not confined within the hotel) for a couple of days to await the result.

Not so bad.

[bad company]

Berry10000 said:

Do we think it’s likely will be able to travel to Vegas come April 21? Airways had a Vegas trip cancelled July just gone, all refunded. But hoping for April 21 or is that still to ambitious?

Lick finger, hold onto air, feel which way the wind’s blowing.

[bad company]

HotJambalaya said:

paulguitar said:

Also, Barbados is rather a lovely place to be. Some truly great restaurants, and some of the friendliest people on the planet, in my experience.

was high on my list too, was going to have american friends meet me there, but after bringing in the restrictions decided not to.

The requirement of being at a government designated hotel until the second test 4-5 days later put me off.

Barbados Travel said:

Persons from High-Risk countries with a valid negative COVID-19 PCR test result will be required to remain (with restricted movement) at a designated holding hotel or approved villa at their own expense, or free of charge at a government facility.

bolding mine.

In practise its probably fine, but I dont want to get to a hotel and find that their idea of restricted movement means your room only! In addition, its from a specific list of approved hotels only -though the list seems to be getting bigger.

Either way, its good there's a few options!

Edited by HotJambalaya on Saturday 10th October 17:43

Read this:-

https://www.forbes.com/sites/michelerobson/2020/09...

[bad company]

fourstardan said:

paulguitar said:

So to clarify, we can go for a holiday in Cancun pretty much as normal? I am very tempted to look at doing this if so.

Safer to read the FCO page to me.

Imagine getting to Mexico and finding out Piston heads was actually wrong (for once).

I’d just add that the rules are constantly changing so best check and book whatever last minute.

We still intend to go to Barbados then USA mid November which looks possible at the moment. We won’t be booking until a week or so before though.

[bad company]

Our existing annual travel insurance policy will cover us for Barbados. We just need to get cover for the USA. There are some insurance companies here that will do it or maybe we’ll use a USA based firm.