Rick Steves Tours and Testing

Calling the Rick Steves Tours office would give you the most accurate answer.

While I certainly can’t speak for RSTours, I can report that you can solve the testing requirements fairly easily by bringing a proctored antigen test kit with you. This takes about 15 minutes to get your results

I don't know what Rick is planning for his tours BUT I went on a Road Scholar tour to SW France in October and here is what they did. They had a nurse come to the hotel, set him up in a conference room and anyone who needed the test done for the return trip home (some of us were staying longer in France) had the test done. He ran the results and emailed everyone a copy of their test results within about an hour. He asked for payment in cash - 35E, I believe.

The biggest problems were that some people did not have smart phones, some did not have individual email addresses (shared with a husband/wife) and others did not have the smart phone skills to access their email on their phones.

I suspect there are a number of these health care contractors available all over Europe that Rick could access for his tour groups. Otherwise, time will need to be set aside on the appropriate day (1 day if it's like it is now or 3 days if it reverts back to the previous time frame) for group members to go to a local pharmacy for testing.

I'll add that having been on a number of Rick Steves tours they have incredible attention to detail. They may not have all the mechanics of this worked out yet.

As for Carol's response, if the US follows what other countries require, an antigen test is not sufficient. It has to be a PCR test. I like Pam's response, I would think if Roads Scholar has it figured out, Rick Steves could also.

some did not have individual email addresses (shared with a husband/wife)

Pam, why was that a problem?

My guess is RS guides will have info on where to get the necessary test, but will not be involved in the actual process.

With a significant percentage of folks continuing/extending their trip beyond the end of the tour it may be seen as being of questionable value to be engaged in the process

I would trust Rick Steves Tours to assist us with testing information and I'm not concerned about that.

I have been to Mexico twice in the past six months. First trip was to Cancun with a travel agent friend. Reservation was in her name. We took our tests at the resort and gave the clinic our individual emails. They ended up mailing both of our results to my friend's email.

Then I went with a group of friends to Puerto Vallarta in November. The hotel arranged for tests on-site. We each gave our individual emails to the nurse who conducted our tests. They ended up emailing all our results to the one friend who was primary contact for the hotel! He then emailed to each of us so we could upload results to our airlines.

So....you never know how it will work out.... Just make sure you get a phone number to contact the clinic in case you don't get your results email.

I don’t think Rick Steves guides facilitating Covid testing to be “ a questionable need” because people decide to extend after the tour”. Every tour I’ve done there were not a significant number of people extending beyond the tour end.
There are also tour activities the day before departure so having a coordinated morning test that day would definitely be good customer service.

None of us know what the requirements will be a month from now, let alone a few months. That said, after 6 RS tours, I would be very surprised if the RS guide didn't provide the help/information needed.

@Joe, I guess the best explanation is “It’s France”, lol. There were also issues with people getting the Pass Sanitaire if each person didn’t have a separate email account. Not sure if it has to do with protected health information like our HIPAA regulations or other security concerns or what.

Some people in the group didn’t get their results from the nurse so in the end he sent them all to the guide who in turn printed off the results on the hotel computer.

Rapid tests have been accepted since the return testing requirement was implemented in January, and will continue to be accepted for entry into the US, even with the shortened timeframe (which is one day, not 24 hours, which potentially gives travelers a little bit of wiggle room with when they test).

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html

Scroll down to "Test and Vaccination Documentation Requirements" and see "what kind of SARS-CoV 2 tests are acceptable under the order?" "Can I get a rapid test?" and "does a self test meet the conditions of the order?"

Implementing a requirement for a negative PCR test done within one day of departure would have all but halted international travel, I suspect, and I'm glad rapid antigens are still accepted. The home test with telehealth option makes the 24 hour requirement totally doable.

However, if you are traveling from or through a country like England that requires the PCR test, you need to get a PCR test to fly home.

LIZinPA has the correct answer.