Driving over the boarder to catch a flight

[Luv2Cruze4]

Hello!

We are so excited to be cruising again. Just booked out first cruise "post-pandemic" for march break. We wanted to use all of or airline credits from our many cancelled cruises over the past couple of years, so we are driving over the border into Buffalo to catch our flight to Tampa. I've looked on many US sights to try and find out if the US land border still requires a negative covid test to cross and I am getting so many different answers. I am going to have one anyway in order to get on my cruise ship, but If I need one to cross the border by car I just want to make sure it is the proper test.  Has anyone crossed over the border by car recently?

Thanks!!

[edrussell]

You do not need one to cross into the US at a land border.  We crossed for our Jan cruise at the Peace bridge.  It took about 10 seconds.  The border agent did not care one single bit about testing.  He did mention as we were pulling away about vaccination but said to my wife that he 'didn't give a damn about the paperwork'.  with that said we had tested using our Switch Health rapid antigen anyway before we left to drive as our timeline allowed us to do that before embarkation.  It was nice to have them just in case.

 

[Luv2Cruze4]

What did you use for your return to Canada? I had thought we no longer needed a test to return after Feb 28th...but I seem to have been incorrect. We arrive late at night and were planning on heading straight to the border.

[ByThePond]

There are lots of posts already on here about the upcoming change in rules. 

[stefndoug]

no test needed to cross into the US via land border...provided you are vaccinated.  To come home before Fab 28th you need a PCR/NAAT test.  AFter the 28th you need either a PCR/NAAT test 72 hours in advance or an Antigen 24 hours in advance (or day before...wording has been iffy).

[nickiford]

You can do a rapid test right at the Buffalo airport for $65 as long as you land before 1 am.  And yes, no test required to drive over, I've done it twice in the last 6 weeks.

[Luv2Cruze4]

Test at the Buffalo airport?  I need to check this out. We don't fly out of Tampa until 5:00pm so we are going to try and hit a CVS prior to that, but worst case the Buffalo airport is an option.

[Russ Lomas]

6 hours ago, nickiford said:

You can do a rapid test right at the Buffalo airport for $65 as long as you land before 1 am.  And yes, no test required to drive over, I've done it twice in the last 6 weeks.

Someone is making a killing on that one.  Only $60 with Switch at the Toronto airport (in Canadian funds as well), or if you do it a day early at a Shoppers, Rexall, Walmart, or Costco, you pay $40, $30, $20, $17 (in Canadian)

[Luv2Cruze4]

55 minutes ago, Russ Lomas said:

Someone is making a killing on that one.  Only $60 with Switch at the Toronto airport (in Canadian funds as well), or if you do it a day early at a Shoppers, Rexall, Walmart, or Costco, you pay $40, $30, $20, $17 (in Canadian)

But I need this to come BACK to Canada. Checking prices at CVS  and Walgreens as well. I’m already doing shoppers for my trip down.

[*Miss G*]

2 hours ago, Russ Lomas said:

Someone is making a killing on that one.  Only $60 with Switch at the Toronto airport (in Canadian funds as well),

 

Just booked appointments with Switch Health the other day:

 

[Russ Lomas]

9 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

 

Just booked appointments with Switch Health the other day:

 

Yes, that’s the one I was referring to above. $60 plus tax is the one we used to back in August. If you book a family or for the price goes down as wellYes, that’s the one I was referring to above. $60 plus tax is the one we used to back in August. If you book a family or for the price goes down as well

[AandBmom]

We are doing the same for march break.  Correct we can enter US by land with no test. 

 

We need one to board our Carnival Cruise.  I'm looking in to using the ones the kids got from school and having them "proctored" by a lab online.

 

We return after March 1 by land so we will need a rapid test to come back. We are looking to use the same option as noted above for the cruise. 

[Luv2Cruze4]

39 minutes ago, AandBmom said:

We are doing the same for march break.  Correct we can enter US by land with no test. 

 

We need one to board our Carnival Cruise.  I'm looking in to using the ones the kids got from school and having them "proctored" by a lab online.

 

We return after March 1 by land so we will need a rapid test to come back. We are looking to use the same option as noted above for the cruise. 

I think we are going to go with the Buffalo airport option when we land as a back up. It is right in baggage claim. Simple. We are also booking with a CVS/Walgreens locally in Tampa, we have many many hours before we fly out and are renting a car to tour around.

[AandBmom]

1 hour ago, Luv2Cruze4 said:

I think we are going to go with the Buffalo airport option when we land as a back up. It is right in baggage claim. Simple. We are also booking with a CVS/Walgreens locally in Tampa, we have many many hours before we fly out and are renting a car to tour around.

unfortunately we don't have any viable options in Buffalo as we land at approx 5am. 

[MrsK]

I have a question that is sort of related.  I haven't been able to find a definite answer so far.

 

I know there is no testing required to cross the border to the US but there is to come back to Canada.

 

Is a test required to board an airplane in the US and fly to another US airport?

 

We are crossing the border at Detroit and flying to Newark for a cruise.  We will have tests for that portion because we will need it to get on the cruise ship.

 

If necessary, would we be able to fly back to Detroit from Newark without a test and then get one in Michigan before we cross the border back to Canada?

 

Our plan is to try and get tested before our flight back to Detroit. If it is possible to take our flight back to Detroit and then get tested, that opens up a back up plan in case we can't get a test before we leave Newark.

 

 

[broberts]

1 hour ago, MrsK said:

I have a question that is sort of related.  I haven't been able to find a definite answer so far.

 

I know there is no testing required to cross the border to the US but there is to come back to Canada.

 

Is a test required to board an airplane in the US and fly to another US airport?

 

We are crossing the border at Detroit and flying to Newark for a cruise.  We will have tests for that portion because we will need it to get on the cruise ship.

 

If necessary, would we be able to fly back to Detroit from Newark without a test and then get one in Michigan before we cross the border back to Canada?

 

Our plan is to try and get tested before our flight back to Detroit. If it is possible to take our flight back to Detroit and then get tested, that opens up a back up plan in case we can't get a test before we leave Newark.

 

 

 

The CDC recommends but does not require testing before flying domestically, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/travel-during-covid19.html. One should check with the airline as it might have different requirements.

 

Keep in mind that COVID related policies are prone to change with little notice.

[*Miss G*]

That is correct that no tests are required to fly domestically within the US.  Although they have never been required, I would be mindful of @broberts advice in that you should always double-check on the airline’s website.  Have a great trip!