Best Covid PCR Test Deals: Top Tests In UK For International Travel

Last month, the Government reintroduced day two Covid-19 PCR tests for anyone travelling into the UK from abroad, with these measures brought back in the face of the new Omicron coronavirus variant. If you have any trips abroad planned for over Christmas or the start of the New Year, then you may be trying to look around for the best PCR test deals on the market. And there’s a huge number of options to choose from, with varying price points, different tests and results times offered. To help you tackle this minefield, Express.co.uk has done all the hard work to narrow done the best Covid-19 PCR tests available.

BEST COVID-19 PCR TESTS – AMAZON UK

Ever since private companies first started offering Covid-19 PCR tests there has been criticism about the pricing, which has been known to add hundreds of pounds to the cost of a family holiday.

Thankfully, if you’re looking for a low cost way to get a PCR test for international travel then you can now turn to Amazon, who this week started selling PCR tests on its website.

A Covid-19 PCR tests from Amazon UK is priced at £34.99 – which is half the price of the in-store PCR test that high-street chain Boots offers.

Amazon offers a range of bundles too depending on your needs, so you can get a standalone day two test, a day two and day five bundle or a day two, day five and day eight three pack.

BEST COVID-19 PCR TESTS – EXPRESSTEST

If you want a wide range of tests to choose from, then it’s worth checking out ExpressTest. The provider has a comprehensive range of tests available – with lateral flow, PCR and LAMP tests available to buy, and prices starting as low as £25.

Whatever your requirements or needs, ExpressTest will have you covered with tests available that can be done at home or a test centre.

If you’re in a hurry – or just not very good at planning ahead – ExpressTest’s Fit to Fly test is your best option. This speedy Covid test has a turnaround of just three hours!

BEST COVID-19 PCR TESTS – BOOTS

If you hate doing a Covid-19 test yourself, then you can get a helping hand from high-street pharmacy chain Boots.

Boots offers in-store PCR testing that is priced at £79, with results typically delivered within 48 hours. And the appointment itself should just take around 10 minutes.

Seeing as you’re doing the test with another person, you will have to make sure you don’t have any coronavirus symptoms before attending an appointment.

BEST COVID-19 PCR TESTS – HALO

For anyone that can’t stand doing a Covid-19 test with a swab, there is another alternative. If you need a PCR test you can do this simply with a saliva test.

This is offered by Halo, and is a simple, easy-to-do test that doesn’t require an invasive swab. You can get a saliva PCR test sent via couried to you with next day delivery, and then you can take the test on the day and hand it back to courier.

Results will then be sent to you within 24 hours of your sample being delivered to Halo’s lab. And this hassle-free test just costs £10 more than Boots’ in-store PCR testing, with the Halo saliva PCR test priced at £89.

WHAT ARE THE GOVERNMENT REQUIRES FOR TESTING WHEN TRAVELLING?

With measures to combat the coronavirus changing on a regular basis, it’s difficult to keep track of what you need to do to play your part in helping defeat Covid-19.

To stop the spread of Covid-19 when travelling abroad – and keeping your fellow travellers safe – there are a number of measures you need to know about.

The first port of call will be checking on the Government website what are the entry requirements needed for the country you’re heading to, and this can change depending on your destination.

You should do this before booking any trip, as there may be some countries out there which currently aren’t accepting travellers from the UK – such as France, who recently blocked tourists from the UK.

You will then need to arrange any pre-departure tests that are required, and also check if you need to show proof of vaccination upon landing at your destination.

For some countries, you need proof of a Covid-19 jab before you can enter the country.

After you’ve found this out, then you need to know what to do when you’re heading back home.

If you’re fully vaccinated, you will need to take a Covid-19 test in the two days before you travel to England.

You will also have to book and pay for a Covid-19 PCR test to be taken after you arrive back home.

Once you arrive back home you must take the Covid-19 PCR test you booked before travel.

You can take this test any time after you arrive and before the end of day two, with day zero the day you flew back.

You must quarantine in your home or the place you are staying while you await your test result.

If your test is unfortunately positive, then you must self-isolate for 10 days. If your test is unclear then you must also self-isolate for the same amount of time.

If your test result is delayed, then you must quarantine until you receive a negative test result or until day 14 after arrival. If your test result is hopefully negative, then you can thankfully end quarantine.

If you’re not fully vaccinated, then the rules for returning are different. You will once again need to book a Covid-19 test two days before you travel to England.

You will also need to book and pay for a day two and day eight PCR test to be taken after you arrive back in the UK.

If your test result is positive on the second day after arrival, then you must self-isolate for 10 days. And that will be 10 days since taking the test in question.

If you fall into this category, you won’t need to do the day eight test.

If, alternatively, the test you do on the second day after arrival is negative, then you will still need continue staying in quarantine and do the day eight test.

If this test turns out to be positive, then you must self-isolate for 10 days from the date you did the day eight test.

If your day eight test is negative, you can stop quarantine on whichever is later…

• Day 10 – day zero is the day you arrived in England

• When you receive the day eight test result