Today I am off to Gibraltar which is on the UK’s ‘Green List’ for travel during the Covid 19 pandemic. It’s 16 months since I set foot on a plane.

Little did I know that when I landed from New York in February, 2020, I would be grounded for this long. Trust me there were times in the last year when I thought I might not ever fly again.

Anyone who knows me knows that I work all hours and holidays are my pressure release valve! I live for my holidays.

Today foreign travel is a minefield of forms, Covid 19 testing and potential quarantine depending on your destination – not to mention border closures too.

As an experienced traveller, I have struggled to get my head around all of this.

For my first trip back in the air I decided to keep things simple and head for a short break to Gibraltar which is on the UK’s ‘Green List.’ 

I flew with easyJet from London Gatwick and stayed at the new Holiday Inn Express which is a short walk from the airport.

In this first post, I am going to take you through what you need to do prior to departure to Gibraltar. So:

01. Fill out a ‘Passenger Locater Form.’ 

You will need to check in prior to completing this as it requires your seat number. You can do that here.

02. Book a free Covid 19 Test for arrival in Gibraltar.

(You will automatically be redirected to do this after completing step one.) If not you can access the site here. You will receive a barcode voucher. The test centre is in temporary cabin as you exit the airport terminal and you must complete the test within 48 hours of arrival.

03.  Proof of being vaccinated against Covid  19.

Make sure you have either a paper copy of your ‘Vaccination Certificate’ or virtually on the NHS App. I have both just in case my phone battery dies.

You will be required to show this prior to boarding the aircraft. easyJet were very strict on seeing this prior to boarding.

04. Book a Covid 19 test which needs to be taken in Gibraltar two days prior to returning to the UK.

You can book this online at a cost of £30 at the same time as booking your arrival test. The test centre is located at the airport.

05. Book a ‘Day Two Return Test’ in the UK.

I booked this via the Gatwick Airport website at a cost of £69. I actually took the test at Heathrow Airport as it was more convenient to go there after work.

For this test it is worth shopping around. Cheaper options were available including home testing via a video link,  but I needed convenience and the knowledge that the test was completed properly.

My next post will be about flying from London Gatwick to Gibraltar. Until then happy travelling.