Switzerland 2022

[henrus]

I thought I'd provide a brief trip report documenting my recently travels to Switzerland and France from Australia. I left Australia on boxing day and returned yesterday and whilst the process was rather streamline there are some noticeable changes and pains but for the most part the trip was a resounding success.

Having travelled across Australia throughout 2020 (post lockdown) including visiting all states and territories except Victoria (having never been to most) including a visit to Norfolk and Christmas Islands I was itching for international travel to resume. 2021 brought the opportunity of the NZ travel bubble and luckily work from home meant I spent a few months in NZ but when AU (specifically NSW) said other international flights were resuming the searching begun.

Initially I was looking at the UAE, at the time of searching (early November 2021) economy flights on EK were nearing $3-4k return for the period I could get away just after Christmas. Adding to this a really high cost of accommodation, food, activities in the UAE it quickly became clear this was going to be quite hard. The next option was Hawaii and whilst flights were much more reasonable the accommodation was eye watering and lets not even get started on a car.

I spotted a Swiss Air fare from Brisbane returning to Sydney and there was luckily a single business class fare left for ~$5k however the non refundable nature made me pass on it plus it ended up with a weird BNE-SIN-FRA-ZRH, ZRH-HKG-SYD route. It was SQ up from BNE and CX back to Sydney and it the end I lucked out not booking this after CX suspended flights to AU.

About a week later I found an ANA flight for a similar price this time SYD-HND-LHR and then LHR-HND-SYD and decided to book it. Annoyingly these had a 6 hour layover in Tokyo in both directions but given the lack of other options this was the best I could get. To position myself to Sydney I booked a Virgin flight from the Gold Coast with a 6 hour transit in Sydney planning to get a PCR test in Sydney before check-in.

 

[henrus]

The process of picking Switzerland was a drawn out one but basically it came down to easy entry and fewer covid restrictions at the time. Many other european countries were imposing restrictions or even lock downs plus I found a reasonable swiss air flight (~$100) from LHR-GVA that departed about 3 hours after the ANA flight was scheduled to land.

Fast forward to about a week before departure and the rise in covid cases in QLD was making me nervous. I still intended to fly over to Europe on the 26th however I was doubting flying out of the Gold Coast and changed the Virgin flight from OOL to BNE. This provided the opportunity to get tested in Brisbane at the international airport before leaving the state that way if for some reason I did come back positive I wouldn't be stuck in Sydney for 14 days.

Early on boxing day I left and drove to Brisbane international pre paying for 2 hours of parking, the intention was to show up right on 8am get a test (I thought it'd be quick) then drive home and return a bit later for the 11am Virgin flight to Sydney this would still leave around 6 hours to kill before the ANA check in opened and allowed me to catch up with some people in Sydney...

Some of you may have seen my comments on the where to get a PCR test thread but basically it was anything but easy. I arrived at 8am only to find a very long queue which I promptly joined the end of. For those familiar with BNE the pink X is where Histopath is located whilst the red line represents the queue of a bit over 200 people (I counted).





The organisation was poor and there was no real logic to it, I had a domestic flight to catch at 11am but the Fiji Airways staff were too busy reorganising the line so that those booked on the 12:35pm flight to Nadi could jump the queue. There was also a mixture of passengers on the 2pm SQ flight plus others later that evening. Sure enough at 8am it opened but it took about 2 hrs 40 minutes of waiting in the queue to get a test which by this point it was 10:40am and luckily I had already cancelled the VA flight. After getting the swab I looked for other options to Sydney and at this point all other VA flights for the rest of the day were sold out so I booked a 2pm QF flight down for a reasonable last minute fare of about $160. It only took me about an hour to get rid of the car and catch a train back to the domestic terminal and just before I boarded the train I got a negative result back exactly 32 minutes later.



The Qantas Club was quite and gave me a chance to print all the documents needed (even though the QF club printed didn't work the staff let me into the business lounge). In total there was the swiss vaccine pass, UK transit PLF, AU vaccine pass, swiss entry form, swiss air flight ticket and negative PCR test.

The flight was uneventful and the 2pm departure from BNE to SYD had just 30 people in Economy, never before had I seen so many empty seats mid flight on a BNE-SYD flight.


At this point I made my way over to the QF transfer bus, they were happy to let me on however after waiting 20 minutes and then being told it'd be another ~35 minutes I gave up waiting and ended up catching the train over to the international terminal, looking back at my card statement it says it was $4.99 so worth the time saving as I was able to sit down and have a drink before check in opened.

 

[Jenya]

Interesting report, thank you!
I had very similar experience so far, but my travel dates were earlier in December with SQ flights SYD to Amsterdam for 2700AUD return. Then there was KLM flight to Milan with a bit of road trip to Swiss resort St Moritz.

 

[henrus]

Despite the ANA website stating check in opens 3 hours prior to departure, it actually opened 3.5 hours before departure. The setup in Sydney is very different to Brisbane as most airlines won't even let you get to a check in desk without passing by the document check desk. ANA had a very unique setup with a huge whiteboard and little strips of paper attached to the white board with every passengers name on it. When you approached the document check desk they found your name and strip of paper which had your final destination on it (in my case LHR), this paper told them what documents they needed to check and surprisingly after checking them and telling them I was transiting onto a separate ticket in London I still passed as was let through to a desk.

I really didn't understand the whole process as at the normal check in desk they really wanted to see all the documents in closer detail and upon discovering I was actually going to Geneva the check in agent went to find someone else (likely a supervisor). Some of the agents seemed to be ANA staff (they were Japanese and in ANA uniforms whilst others weren't) and oddly the supervisor was a contractor who basically implied the connection I was trying to make was impossible. Soon enough the station manager (Japanese and in ANA uniform) had come over (someone must have told him) and started searching Timatic entry requirements for Switzerland.

He asked me if I held a Swiss or Liechtenstein passport or if I had a 'D' visa, and when I responded no to both he said I wouldn't be eligible to enter Switzerland:



Now at this point I was prepared to fill out a new UK PLF saying I was entering the UK and book a day 2 test (which likely would have been wasted and non refundable) but then I realised he'd only seen the first couple of lines of Timatic as I'd been closely looking at this website (IATA - International Travel Document News) and remembered that they were the first two lines. Sure enough I brought it up on my phone and we were in business, after seeing it on my phone he was either satisfied or found it on their computer because a few minutes later I had a boarding pass through to London.


The true ANA staff were lovely, the station manager apologised so many times (no apology needed, I was the one daring to have split tickets in COVID times) and even tried to check me in for the LHR-GVA flight however as check-in for that flight hadn't opened yet it wasn't possible. I had carry on only but they were willing to check a bag through if needed.

Security and exit passport control in Sydney were easy and I was through into a rather empty SYD departures, at the time ANA was using the Plaza Premium lounge (this has now changed to the SQ lounge) and as check in/document checks had taken about 45 minutes plus a further 15 minutes through passport/security/duty free maze I only had a couple of hours to waste before departure.

When I showed up the Plaza premium lounge (which now sits in the space of the old amex lounge) was empty so I got a seat easily but it quickly filled up due to the lounge being the contract lounge for ANA plus Emirates (who had an A380 that night) in addition to a scattering of paid customers and Amex card holders (as the Amex lounge is temprarily closed the same access rules that'd normally apply to the Amex lounge are being used at the Plaza premium lounge). What this meant is that most were being sent downstairs to the Skyteam lounge. Either way upstairs or down the food was terrible (sad looking dumplings) and beer was no better with Coors or Pure blonde in bottles the only options.

Boarding was efficient and done by strict groups (as expected from any Japanese airline) and soon I was onboard the 787-8 up to Haneda.

The cabin is staggered and the true window seats were private. I didn't take a photo of the meal but the options were either Japanese (sliced pork on rice) or Western (beef cheek). One other thing about ANA is the odd drinks list. The wines served in business class are $15-20 bottles and there is some limited sake/shochu plus a champagne option but the menu really shines with the Japanese whisky. On the SYD-HND route this includes two options the Suntory Hibiki and the Suntory World Whisky AO, the latter is ~$240 at Dan's and I can confirm both are very nice as ANA don't do small pours. No breakfast is served in any cabin as the flight lands into Haneda around 5am although the anytime menu has options such as fruit, cheese, ramen, sandwiches etc.


I slept most of the way up and woke just before landing. Upon arrival everyone was told to remain seated, those entering Japan (only Japanese or visa holders) get off first and are escorted off to get a PCR test after transit passengers are allowed off and escorted to transit security.

Luckily this is no Singapore and once through transit security you are free however currently Haneda airport is limited to two lounges (ANA and JAL), 3 food shops (one western, one ramen and one japanese grill - izakaya food), 2 duty free shops, 1 news agent and one high end brand (can't remember the name). Everything else is shut temporarily and the place is very deserted at 5am. The onward flight to London was at 11:30am and things are so quite even the business class lounge was shut so everyone even those entering the ANA lounge using priority pass were allowed into the first lounge. I spent the next 6 hours in the lounge, has a shower etc but the real highlight was the kitchen where you could go up and order food get a buzzer and then pick it up. The sashimi bowls were very good and it's probably the nicest lounge I've ever been in.

 

[henrus]

At about 11am boarding was called for the next flight on to London. The flight was operated by the newish 777-300s and this was the best business class seat I've ever flown.

Basically ANA have retrofitted a small number of their 777's with a new business class product called "The Room", it's a huge seat with closing doors but the best part is the mini cabin open for anyone to select. These 777's are very premium heavy with business class stretching to the back of the wing with 8 seats in first class, 64 in business class, 24 in premium economy and 116 in economy. Our flight wasn't very full so I'd estimate only a quarter of the 212 seats were taken.

I'd selected 5K in the mini cabin between the 2nd doors and the first cabin. This mini business class cabin has just 8 seats with it's own set of curtains to separate it from first and the galley behind, on this flight it was half full (first was empty). 5K is a rear facing seat which in flight is not noticeable but does make for a fun take off.





None of my photos do the seat justice so here is a couple from ANA's website.





Same as SYD-HND, service was excellent and a pre departure drink was offered. The seat has a massive 4K screen which makes for great take off/landing/taxi views from the camera

 

[henrus]

Wifi is also excellent at ~AU$30 for an unlimited flight pass. Speeds were better over East Asia and Europe at around 10mbps but slowed to ~2mbps around Northern Russia.

Something I didn't realise until a couple of hours into the flight is that the 4K screen also has a HDMI input allowing it to double as a huge monitor for my laptop.



Take off views were also excellent following the reasonably new route over the city.



Tokyo Disneyland:

 

[henrus]

Followed by Mt Fuji peering through the clouds:


In fact the entire flight was in daylight leaving Tokyo at 11:30am and arriving London around 4pm so this meant amazing views out over Russia:





Anyway onto the Food and Drinks. I started with a whisky tasting, on the HND-LHR route the Hibiki is swapped out for a single malt.

 

[henrus]

Upon request the FA brought out the bottles to allow for some photos.



Once again I opted for the Japanese option.


Morsels and "Tasty tidbits":





After dinner I sampled a few different Japanese beers and then about 2 hours before arrival in London a 2nd meal was offered this time fish. Arrival in London was easy and soon enough we'd landed at T2.

Here I had about a 3 hours transit time to connect to the Swiss flight for Geneva. As I already had a mobile boarding pass it was easy to head through transit security (no one around) with a quick stop at the transit desk for a document check. Here they were only interested in proof of vaccine, covid test and swiss entry form. I then headed over to the Singapore airlines lounge which was very empty before finally coming back to the A gates for the Swiss flight. By this stage jet lag had really caught up with me but the flight was uneventful with just 20 people on the A220-100.

Entry into Switzerland was easy with presentation of vaccine proof, negative test and entry form with the process taking no time at all. I spent the night at the movenpick hotel (~10 minute walk from the airport).

 

[AIRwin]

At this point I made my way over to the QF transfer bus, they were happy to let me on however after waiting 20 minutes and then being told it'd be another ~35 minutes I gave up waiting and ended up catching the train over to the international terminal, looking back at my card statement it says it was $4.99 so worth the time saving as I was able to sit down and have a drink before check in opened.

Free T-bus not operating?

Transit at SYD

Find information on getting between flights at Sydney Airport.

www.sydneyairport.com.au

 

[VPS]

It's so nice to read of people actually travelling overseas - thanks

 

[henrus]

Free T-bus not operating?

It probably is but I didn't even think of it. Instructions on both the QF dom flight from BNE-SYD and yesterdays HND-SYD flight made mention of the requirement to take a taxi or train between terminals so I just went for the train. At $5 per trip it's quick and easy plus no need to wait a long time for a potentially crowded bus.

 

[henrus]

I don't have a huge amount of photos/details to share from Switzerland but I've included some of the places visited and some photos below.

After getting a car in Geneva it was off to Montreux, this included stops in Lausanne plus a visit to the Olympic museum. I didn't take photos as I'd been a few times in the past but there were a few changes including some Tokyo 2020 related exhibits and the wall inside now includes the Brisbane Olympics on the list.

The next couple of days were spent around Lake Neuchatel including New Years Eve. Whilst fireworks aren't technically legal to buy it seems many had managed to get some from neighbouring countries as there was a significant number across the lake (many of professional size/quality).



After New Years we decided to go skiing and whilst the snow was terrible for this time of year it was still enjoyable. The first location was Gstaad. Specifically I stayed at the Rinderberg Swiss Alpine Lodge an on mountain hotel, was my first time staying on the mountain somewhere and I probably wouldn't again (lack of dining options in the evening etc) but they did have a nice outdoor hot tub area.


Sampling some swiss beer obtained Coop (Supermarket) whilst at Gstaad. When flying Swiss I noticed this particular beer was for sale on their inflight menu.



The next stop was Zermatt. Zermatt is a vehicle free town but does have these tiny electric vehicles, even if you're not into skiing/snowboarding I'd say it's well worth a visit. The town has plenty to do and there are numerous cablecars/gondolas you can catch around for sightseeing and up to the glacier.



Sadly a storm was brewing which meant the upper mountain glacier runs were shut and on a normal day when open (even during covid times) it's possible to ski between Switzerland and Italy.

 

[henrus]

Towards the end of the trip we decided to drive into France for a few days before our return. In normal times this would be a very simple process, you just drive through the border however COVID has changed a lot of this.

Whilst freedom of movement within the schengen area still exists, individual EU countries are free to apply their own health measures (very similar to the strange stuff happening in Australia right now).

At the time of entry France was requiring a completed sworn statement for entries from green countries. Provided you are vaccinated and entering from a green country within the EU no pre departure test is required although on the sworn statement you agree to take a test upon arrival.


The sworn statement is currently a single page document, it's nothing special. Technically you're meant to present it at the border or when in the country when asked.



We asked our hotel to print them for us and then drove from Switzerland into France, surprisingly whilst the border was a manned one, not a single person cared or checked any documents.

We spent a couple of days around Chamonix and the day before we left they got some more snow that made for a lovely view on the morning we left.


Now for the great return to Australia. I had the flight home booked from LHR-HND-SYD however there was still a few missing pieces to the puzzle. Chamonix is closest to Geneva airport so it made sense to fly back from Geneva to London however I hadn't booked that flight given I was concerned about it being non flexible/refundable (the ANA ticket was flexible) so waited to get a negative test first.

Navigating the restrictions were complex as I'd need to meet the entry requirements for Switzerland again plus transit requirements for the UK plus Australian entry requirements.

The Australian government asks for a negative PCR test 3 days prior to scheduled departure. The health advice isn't very clear if this is 72 hours or 3 days nor is it clear about the scheduled departure time. I wasn't sure if this was the departure time from the LHR-HND flight or the HND-SYD flight so to play it safe I opted to get one 72 hours prior to the scheduled departure time of the HND-SYD flight.

At the time I was looking the UK required a professional RAT or PCR 2 days before departure although this ended up being a moot point as the UK scrapped pre departure testing (which at the time was even required for airside transit). Finally the Swiss would accept either a RAT (taken within the last 24 hours) or PCR (within the last 72 hours).

I'd calculated this time a million times and came up with a time of 2pm local. In France the concept of rapid PCR tests at airports hasn't taken off yet so I needed to go a pathology location. Tests aren't free for anyone in France (except for some concession holders and children), rapid tests cost 22 euro (~AU$35) performed at most pharmacies whilst PCR tests cost 44 euro (~AU$69) and are undertaken by pathology.

I was a little concerned given all the problems in Australia with PCR turn around times so had considered getting just a rapid test in France (allowing entry to Switzerland) and then instead flying out of Zurich and getting a PCR test at Zurich airport.

PCR tests at Zurich airport range from 99CHF (AU$150) (for a 24 hour turn around) up to 380CHF (AU$570) for a 40 minute result (ouch!) and same day isn't offered at Geneva yet. Luckily I had called the Chamomix pathology location the day before and they indicated that the test would be partly in English (good enough for the airline) and that the result was basically same day or if not first thing in the morning. Sure enough I went at 2pm to find a small but very fast moving queue, payment and swab complete now I just had to wait for a negative result.

They took my Australian mobile number to text the result but also provide a URL, username and password to access the certificate in case the SMS doesn't send. The next morning I hadn't got a text message yet but logged on and found my negative result, this sent me into booking overdrive figuring out how to get from France back to London the next day. Annoyingly BA wanted ~AU$1500 for a one way flight from GVA to LHR and Swiss wasn't much better at ~$500 one way (and that didn't even include a checked bag). This is where United miles pulled through as there was an award seat on the 12:50pm flight from GVA to LHR arriving at 1:40pm, this was a reasonable 6500 UA miles and AU$47 taxes.

This also meant filling out a UK PLF (selecting the airside transit option), a Swiss entry pass plus the Australian travel deceleration. On the day of departure I left Chamonix and drove back down towards Switzerland, unlike the journey from Switzerland to France, this time back into Switzerland all cars were being pulled up for a document check except for those with a swiss number plate (such as my rental car) and French number plates with the local postcode so I was quickly back into the country.

After fuelling and dumping the car it was a quick walk to the terminal (avoiding the crowded rental car shuttle bus). Now I don't think I've complained about this on AFF before but Geneva is my least favourite airport in Europe. I've flown through a few in Russia and eastern Europe and whilst they're chaotic that's what you'd expect but not from somewhere like Geneva.

Upon walking into the check in area it was a mess, with people everywhere and queues for flights stretching well out of the crowd control barriers. Luckily the Swiss lumps star alliance gold card holders in with the "First Class" desk. Oddly there is a separate business class line and then a very messy economy queue.

It's at this time I should point out that ANA have temporarily closed their transit desk in London (well closed since March 2020). This obviously had implications for myself as if I couldn't get a boarding pass prior arriving at LHR I'd basically have to go landside to check in (yes I know I probably could have at the gate but that would have been pushing it if documents were wrong). I explained my situation to the swissport contract agent in Geneva and they were very helpful in trying to check me in for the ANA flight but it was a case of computer said no. He was very apologetic and made several phone calls including getting others to try but in the end he was only able to check documents for the UK (the airside transit PLF) and issued a boarding pass.

Geneva airport has good fast track security and not long after I was in the Swiss lounge applying for a new PLF to enter the UK. This time I needed to enter the UK something I hadn't done on the way over. The PLF for landside transit is easy enough to apply for and requires selecting both testing and isolation exemptions (the dropdown boxes have landside transit in England as an option). I'd been to the Swiss lounge a few times but spent most my time printing documents to show in London.

Just before boarding I headed down the the satellite gates and exited the schengen area. I was quite suprised to see swiss army knives for sale in the gate area followed by the following sign on the gate area.



The boarding gate was a mess, there was a passport control desk setup in front of the gate area with a small queue of people who'd used a kiosk or mobile boarding pass having their documents checked, I assumed that given I'd had my documents checked (and my boarding pass indicating so) at check-in that this desk wasn't needed.

What then occurred was the worst boarding process I'd ever seen. They called Zone 1 (Business/Star Gold for boarding) so I approached the gate and was told I wasn't able to board without visting the passport control desk to get a stamp. The joke was on the gate staff after they quickly found out that 99% of the passengers had checked in at a counter and hadn't visited the passport control desk (2 meters away).

I walked over to the person at the passport control desk (who was now screaming for Zone 1 passengers), she then took one look at me and yelled at me saying my documents were ok. I then told her that her colleague said I needed a stamp at which point at yelling match between the two staff in French which lasted a good 30 seconds before I was given a stamp and sent on my way (no checking of passport or documents). The flight ended up being a bit delayed due to this very dumb process and Swiss should be ashamed this occurs (at the very least they could announce prior to boarding commencing).

The flight was uneventful and ended up landing into Heathrow T2 on time. It was a short walk from the gate to immigration and whilst there was a massive queue for the manned desks (almost stretching out of the huge queue area), there was no one at the e-gates and I was into the UK in less than 30 seconds (no document or other checks required).

 

[henrus]

ANA once again claims check in doesn't open until 3hrs prior to departure. Just to be sure I went upstairs and neither the kiosk or desks were open. I now had 6 hours to kill so walked over to the Hilton (attached to the terminal) for a beer in the bar. The hotel bar on level 2 was reasonably priced and not very busy with a few options on tap but the best part was at 3pm the staff told me the Runway bar on level 14 opened. At 3pm I finished up and got in a lift pressing level 14 with no success ending up at the reception desk at level 1 instead where I was told the runway bar was only for in house guests unless I was willing to spend £30 at the bar. In the end I agreed and was swiped up to level 14.

The views were amazing and the photos don't do it justice and it was really enjoyable to spend an hour watching the planes. AFF sadly has compressed the 2nd photo but at most times you could see 3-4 faint lights on approach.


The very comprehensive drinks menu made it easy to spend £30 and it was well worth it to kill some time.

At about 3 hours prior to departure I headed down to check in only to find it just opening. Similar to Sydney there was a document check desk before you could approach a counter. This time they didn't have passenger specific check in details but you showed your ticket and they had a per passenger check list for either entry to Japan or Australia (everyone on the flight was either entering Japan or connecting to Australia).

Several people (most travelling through just to Japan) were rejected for invalid PCR tests and told they might have luck downstairs. Luckily printing everything made it easy and I was issued my boarding pass in a few minutes. Gold track security was a breeze (no one around in normal security either) and I was soon on my way to the United Club.

 

[henrus]

The United Club had better food/drinks than the usual UA Club (although the food was still terrible).



Notably they had Sipsmith Gin (and Vodka) plus Brewdog IPA at the bar.


Boarding was slightly delayed and whilst waited I spotted a mouse crawling through Heathrow T2 (googling reveals Heathrow does have mouse problems).

 

[henrus]

After another Whiskey tasting onboard (same as the way over) plus the numerous drinks at Heathrow I slept very well on the flight back to Haneda with some great views of Fuji during landing.






Same as the way over, those entering Japan departed first and were escorted off for an arrival PCR test, shortly after the remaining passengers heading to Sydney were walked over to the transit security. Haneda was a bit more lively at 3pm however still the same number of shops open. This time the business lounge was open in addition to the first lounge so it was off to the business one instead. I actually think the space was nicer and buffet was the same (just a smaller kitchen order menu). By this point jetlag had kicked in and I was ready to sleep. The next flight HND-SYD I slept almost the entire flight having a quick dinner after take off and skipping breakfast.

Landing into SYD was uneventful and after the standard message they now play upon arrival about covid everyone was let off without a fuss. Smart gates were in full swing and no one in Australia asked to see anything upon arrival as I was out of the airport in about 10 minutes.

 

[AIRwin]

Boarding was slightly delayed and whilst waited I spotted a mouse crawling through Heathrow T2 (googling reveals Heathrow does have mouse problems).

A RAT which is not welcome unlike its other namesake...

 

[henrus]

After exiting Sydney international it was over to the domestic terminal for a flight up to Ballina. VA had a flight that suited and it was reasonably priced when booked a couple of days before departure. The flight was a bit late due to a last minute aircraft change but ended up arriving mostly on time. Luckily I had taken a 10 pack of RAT's with me on the trip as in the time I've been away it seems to be impossible to get them, I returned a negative RAT after arrival and the following day NSW health sent an email and text outlining the international arrivals rules. Given I didn't provide an email on the incoming passenger card it's clear these details were passed from the federal governments travel deceleration to NSW health.

Now here's where things are crazy. I live in QLD but currently QLD imposes a full 14 days of isolation for international arrivals. I could have gone home for 14 days and spent this time locked away but instead I'm spending the next 14 days lurking around NSW spending time with friends/family. What's annoying is that someone who actually has covid only spends 7 days in isolation meanwhile myself who has had a negative PCR and RAT in the last week still needs to spend 14 days either in isolation or outside the state (oh well such is life travelling during covid times).

Now for some general thoughts about what was different than usual...

Obviously check in for flights took a lot longer than usual (one time I spent 45 minutes at a desk). I personally witnessed many people turned away for not having the right documentation and these rules always keep changing so one needs to keep a close eye on it. Whilst unnecessary when I had access to a printer I printed all documents as it made it easier at check in to hand everything over in one go although that being said they were happy to accept all of them on a phone.

Our Australian international covid certificate is pointless! I used it three times on the whole trip, the first time in Sydney at check in, the 2nd time getting it converted and the third time was in London at check in back to Australia. In Japan I was only in the lounge so not needed and in the UK the two lounges and two hotel bars didn't ask for anything either but in mainland Europe having a EU compliant COVID certificate is essential otherwise forget going to anywhere other than supermarkets.

Switzerland allows travellers to get their foreign certificate converted into a swiss one (which is valid in all EU countries) for a sum of 30 CHF (AU$45), this can be done online so you have the EU certificate before you leave. For this service the swiss require proof that you're visiting Switzerland however a refundable hotel booking is fine. Other countries such as France only allow tourists to convert once in the country and this is done at most pharmacies for a fee of around 35 euro (AU$55). Hopefully the Australian certificate will eventually work in Europe but for now it's needed to get a conversion.

Website for Swiss conversion:

Covid-19

Informationen zur Krankheit Covid-19, zu den Symptomen und dem Krankheitsverlauf sowie zum Ursprung des Coronavirus.

covidcertificate-form.admin.ch

Now part of the reason why an EU certificate is so important is because it's scanned almost everywhere you go, unlike Australia where you scan a QR code to check into a business, instead you show them your QR code and they scan this (it's not a contact tracing system - just vaccine verification). In both Switzerland and France they were very strict to ask for this either when entering or when seated at a table. The Swiss wanted to see the QR code (and scan it) plus a passport to check the names matched meanwhile the French just asked for the QR code to scan.

In France (right now) it was simple, you needed either a vaccine QR code (with last dose in the last 12 months) or a QR code from a test either RAT or PCR (taken in the last 24 hours) although the ability to test and enter is being removed soon. Switzerland follows a system that I believe is also used in Germany and Austria (and maybe even more EU countries) and basically different rules apply at different places:

2G+ = 2G+ is used at spas,pools,hotel gyms/pools, bars where people stand, nightclubs. To be 2G+ you must have either been vaccinated with your last shot or booster in the past 4 months, recovered in the last 4 months or be vaccinated/recovered in the last year plus had a negative PCR in the last 72 hours or negative RAT in the last 24.
2G = 2G is used at museums, seated bars (indoor only), restaurants (indoor only) and is either for those who have recovered in the last year or been vaccinated in the last year.
3G = 3G is used at outdoor events such as markets and is for either vaccinated/recovered in the last year or those with a negative test in either the last 72 hours (PCR) or 24 hours (RAT).

Explanation of Swiss 2G/3G rules:

Coronavirus: use of the COVID certificate

Use of the COVID certificate in Switzerland and when travelling

www.bag.admin.ch

Basically if you've had a booster shot in the last 4 months (like myself) then you tick the boxes for entry to 2G+, 2G and 3G locations. At first it took a while to figure all this out but what I did learn is that it's important to get a booster if going so that you hold 2G+ status and be able to enter all places.

Masks were also an interesting one. In Switzerland compliance was 1000x better than anywhere I've seen in Australia. Most people wore them outside plus 99% of people were wearing them correctly (instead of showing nose or as a chin accessory), the Swiss didn't have specific rules although many EU countries like Austria and Italy have specific rules about FFP2 (aka KN95 masks) being the minimum. Whilst I didn't enter either of those countries at Zermatt in good weather you can ski over to Italy and an FFP2 mask is mandatory on Italian chairlifts. The mask compliance in the UK for the ~10 hours total I was there was sloppy just like home and France for the most part was good but a bit worse than Switzerland. I took a collection of N95, FFP2 and surgical masks and didn't have a problem but when visiting a country where FFP2 masks are mandatory you can get them cheaply in European supermarkets (just bring a couple for when you land and the flight over).

Finally ANA was a great airline to fly. I'd flown ANA once on a 2 hour domestic Japanese flight and I'd always thought about flying via Japan to Europe but often the cost of it means it was out of reach. In a normal year ANA can easily fill a SYD-HND flight with people just going to Japan so there is no need to offer SYD-HND-Europe at prices comperable to SQ etc. The 777 new "The Room" business class is amazing and whilst the older 787 seats are not the best they're certainly far from the worst.

Regardless of the extra covid stuff, it was a great trip plus fun to be flying far away again. Thanks for following along!

 

[AIRwin]

travel deceleration

Freudian slip?

 

[henrus]

Freudian slip?

Jetlag . I'm sure there is a lot of typos and I apologise in advance but I thought I might as well type out whilst fresh in my head.