A week without Pass Sanitaire in Southwest France

Thank you for reporting your experiences, and it’s great you were able to get tests to have meals. With your QR code, it should be easier.

As for the CDC card being illegitimate, what we’re they expecting from the USA? If it’s not electronic, perhaps it can’t be authentic?

Let's face it... the CDC card does indeed look pretty fake.

I'm surprised the wineries aren't asking for the pass. Before I cancelled my trip to France, I received emails from several of the Bordeaux wineries that I had set up appointments with alerting me that I would need to show the Sanitaire card. I had inquired and they said the CDC card would suffice.

They are in a much more rural area than Bordeaux.

It's not too surprising that they thought the cards must be fake because I've learned over the years that people have little knowledge of what is going on inside the US, unless something causes unavoidable headlines.

Bets, I also had reservations in that area, including Pau, as well. My route had me going from Spain thru and across the Pyrenees and over to Toulouse. My point is that I wouldn't want people to make the generalization that the Pass is not required for wineries in France, because I am not sure that is the case.

Yes..this is Madiran/Pachernc Vic Bilh country, not the Gironde. The wineries are small, family farms with a tasting room off of the garage--the wine is out of this world good and very, very affordable. Perhaps because of their small size the Pass Sannitaire isn't needed?

I will also note the the pharmacies on the sante.fr map don't always match up to availability of testing: many require appointments, and many are not testing on the weekends. When we would get tested, the SMS/test would never come through, but the email would. I have to say the team at the pharmacy in Aire Sur L'Adour (40) has been a lifeline to get tested every three days and they would also print out our results just in case. In Toulouse, the "no appointment needed" pharmacy in Blagnac nearest the TLS airport took pity on us and gave us tests outside of regular hours and without an appointment so we could be able to go to lunch that day.

While it has been a hassle, it is all worth it = being here and having a spectacular time. And the locals have gone out of their way to help shepherd us through this.

@matteric, That sounds like an area I really need to get to. We enjoy the smaller, family run wineries. Even in Bordeaux, we had our appointments at the smaller family places east of the Gironde. We had been anxious to taste at a small winery just outside Cahors. Did you get up that far? Would you mind sharing the names of the wineries you visited?

Jules M --got it! I had mixed up the refusal of the card at restaurants with the open wineries. Thanks.

"took pity on us and gave us tests outside of regular hours and without an appointment so we could be able to go to lunch that day."

This is so typical of the kindness and attitude. I'm sure they were very concerned about you being able to eat and took good care of you. Bureaucracy can be overwhelming but people find ways to bend the rules to help others. And I'm sure you developed a personal relationship with the rural pharmacy, which is how things work in France.

@bets: indeed!! I will always tell anyone near or far: the French are the most amazing, hospitable, caring people. I wish it was lake that back in the US.

@aimee: having your pass will make it all that much easier. That said, a week ago we landed in Toulouse, and after our third test at a pharmacy, we were resigned that the pass would never come. It did—great!—but to be here and enjoying all that France has to offer, I would happily get tested every day if that is what it took.

And I fully agree: it is not the fault of the French government that we don’t have easily verifiable vaccination records. The fact that they are letting us in at all is a blessing, and I would do it all again in a heartbeat if it meant I could be back in France!!

We are heading that direction in a few weeks and still haven't received our QR code. Do you need the QR code for lodging? Just curious, as we're hoping to travel without too many testing/temporary passes as we'll be mostly hiking and dining with picnics. Fingers crossed that the QR code will be processed in the meantime...Thanks for the update from this region!

@jendyste: we are renting a house here for 2 weeks and there was never a mention of vaccination status for staying here. We stayed in a hotel in Toulouse our first night and they never asked, so I hope your lodging will be equally hassle free.

If you are doing PR/GR hikes and such, picnicking will be easy. No Pass Sanitaire needed at any grocery store nor at any town marche, nor at any boulangerie!

@kerouac2 @matteric206 Thanks for confirming! That will make it a lot easier for our trip. Still hoping that we receive the QR codes before Saturday, but we're looking forward to the trip regardless of how the details fall in this uncertain world.

I am intolerant of the 'brain tickle' covid test. If my pass does not come through, is that the test that they are performing?

I am intolerant of the 'brain tickle' covid test. If my pass does not come through, is that the test that they are performing?
Has anyone been to Corsica to report what is the pattern there?

Yes, it is the “brain tickle” antigen test, and it is €25.01 per person down here. Very happy our codes came through so we don’t need to go every 72 hours, but we will be back for one last test before we fly out

To get from Nice to Corsica via air (have ticket) just received email I need pass.
Any replies?
Has anyone gotten the swab that does not go as far? If so, where?
If I do receive pass assume I would only need one test prior to returning to US, so would drive hours to get the more shallow test