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Our experience travelling to Larnaca Sat 4th Sept

Posted: Tue 07 Sep 2021 2:03 pm
by scarlets
Booked rapid PCR test at Heathrow walk in center and received response 2 hours later. Booked in to a Premier Inn the night before flight for £31 as it was a 7.30am take off with BA. There is a lovely pub a short walk down the road that's got good beer and excellent food. We checked our luggage in the night before and it was easy although they checked every digit on every form but all was easy and BA staff helpful

Arrived at Terminal 5 early walked straight through with the hand luggage and straight into Spoons for Brekkie before the check in desks upstairs had really started. Boarded plane early and although flight was fairly full all was good and the drinks were served on the plane by ordering using the BA app only, no drinks trolley only app. . WIFI on the plane was free and worked well to order. Payment was taken by the stewards using card payment machine only.

The queue at Larnaca was reasonable and we were through in about 15 minutes without any issue whatsoever, even though when my wife stood in front of the machine for her photo to be taken she still had her mask on but they didn't pay any attention to the picture

At the traffic lights on the last turn to the Metahan crossing we were met by one long queue of traffic and took us almost 90 minutes to reach the border. Then followed the shambles of cars and vans parked everywhere and our passport changed hands several times before getting to the girl doing the Antigen testing. Only one girl testing everyone, the queue was long and was very hot. I watched her with the may strips on the desk and she had no idea of which one related to who. I was tested and then my wife and 5 minutes after she was done we were handed the passports and said all was OK, I wasn't convinced but took advantage and left

Overall is was a good experience clouded by the disorganized shambles at the crossing, nevertheless, here we are and all is OK

Re: Our experience travelling to Larnaca Sat 4th Sept

Posted: Tue 07 Sep 2021 6:21 pm
by jameslevel7
I am pleased to hear of you successful journey from LHR via LCA to the North. Did you use your North destination address on your Cyprus Flight Pass?

Re: Our experience travelling to Larnaca Sat 4th Sept

Posted: Tue 07 Sep 2021 7:30 pm
by wanderer
Thanks for that in June larnaca was a pain herded like cattle for an hour in the non eu bit before immigration we were on the same time BA flight as you
Dis you go through the eu side

Re: Our experience travelling to Larnaca Sat 4th Sept

Posted: Wed 08 Sep 2021 4:57 am
by scarlets
We used our North Cyprus address on the Cyprus pass, they gave it no attention whatsoever and in fairness

We walked towards the Non EU queue but the staff told us to use the EU side, I did double check but no issue whatever and the machine took my photo first time and it was fairly quick

Re: Our experience travelling to Larnaca Sat 4th Sept

Posted: Wed 08 Sep 2021 8:41 am
by MnM
All sounds promising scarlets. Planning on coming out shortly but have to wait for a funeral date so by the time that turns up i've no doubt something will have changed.

Re: Our experience travelling to Larnaca Sat 4th Sept

Posted: Wed 08 Sep 2021 11:47 am
by jameslevel7
scarlets wrote:
Wed 08 Sep 2021 4:57 am
We used our North Cyprus address on the Cyprus pass, they gave it no attention whatsoever and in fairness

We walked towards the Non EU queue but the staff told us to use the EU side, I did double check but no issue whatever and the machine took my photo first time and it was fairly quick
Thanks for that Scarlets. Most encouraging.Enjoy your stay.

James

Re: Our experience travelling to Larnaca Sat 4th Sept

Posted: Thu 09 Sep 2021 9:36 am
by Panchocat
Sadly I could not get the BA app to work on my flight and they wouldn't give me a cup of coffee. My phone would not connect to the wifi and no allowances were made for old fashioned verbal requests!

Re: Our experience travelling to Larnaca Sat 4th Sept

Posted: Thu 09 Sep 2021 12:51 pm
by benjaminbutton
Panchocat, could you not persuade someone to ask for a second cup of coffee and then buy it off them. Once upon a time, face to face worked wonders, but not any more it would seem.