I've been looking at rules to travel into the UK because there's a gig I'd like to go to next month and the rules just make absolutely no sense to me.

So apparently fully vaccinated people no longer need to take a test before departure but still need to book a test on day 2 after arrival. When staying less than 2 days, you don't actually have to TAKE the test (because you'll be out of the country again on day 2!) but you still need to book it and pay for it. WHAT?! What is the point in that??? I need to book and pay for a test I won't take? I'm hoping they losen up the rules a bit more in the coming weeks. At least by the end of november it won't have to be the expensive PCR test anymore.

Some of the rules are so silly. Like the concert I went to last week. The location actually had stricter rules than the state - state rules only required a mask in crowds, the location had a mask mandate except when seated at your table. So basically, we could stand in line for hours outside the location (still some distance apart so not exactly a crowd = no mask) but as soon as we entered the concert location (still outside), there was a mask mandate. WHAT. IS. THE. POINT?! There was actually MORE distance between people walking towards the concert area than in line before the concert.

And then near the end of the concert the artist asked us all to come a bit closer and we were all standing together in front of the stage and it finally felt like a real concert again! And still people kept a bit more distance than in pre-covid times. Best concert of the year, I had a great time!

Also - wearing an FFP2 mask for 4 hours straight on a train sucks. My face was all red and irritated after