Hello friends,
Karen and I just returned from 3 weeks in southern Italy and Croatia’s Dalmatian Islands, so I’d like to share just a bit about our apprehension, concerns, and preparation prior to departure, and our actual experience in these two wonderful countries, in light of the ongoing pandemic.
Bottom line, the current data shows that Europe is safer than many areas of the U.S. that still have relatively low vaccination rates, and thus higher infection rates. When the EU recommended in September 2021 that its member countries take the U.S. off of its “safe country” list, many Americans misinterpreted this as a growing Covid problem over there. The truth is that it was OUR growing infection rates and sluggish vaccination rates that caused the EU to suggest that America was the problem, thus attempting to protect Europeans from us!….not the other way around.
In addition, the EU recommendation was aimed primarily at UNVACCINATED Americans. For those of us already vaccinated, there was little or no change from when Europe re-opened earlier this year.
Frankly, the biggest “hassle factor” in this trip was the same that you have or will encounter in the U.S…..the government mandate to wear masks in airports and on airplanes. Other than that, very few places required that we wear masks indoors, and nobody required it outdoors, most especially for dining outdoors.
So here are some quick tips and observations from our recent experience:
Visiting more than one country more than doubles the research required to understand current restrictions, testing requirements (if any), and entry requirements. For now, stick to one or two. It was not complicated….Italy had a Passenger Locator Form, and Croatia had an even simpler entry form. Nobody ever asked for these.
Self-testing prior to to your trip (<72 hours prior to departure from US, and <3 days prior to your trip home) is the nuts! You simply do the test on-line with a qualified technician, and they call you back after 15 minutes to review the test results. If negative, you receive an immediate email certifying this…for all of the authorities who need to see it. Test kits are $25 each, so we spent a total of $100 for all of the required testing for both of us.
Everything required by your destination country should be known by your airline, and you can upload to the airline’s website prior to departure. Then, there are just the normal passport checks at the airport. Easy-peasy!
We have excellent (and free) travel insurance through our Chase Bank credit card, but to give us even more peace-of-mind, we purchased some additional Covid-related coverage through Allianz that increased the covered limits for hospitalization costs and trip delay days. Our concern was primarily how to cover the costs of quarantining, if we tested positive. As Colorado residents, we couldn’t simply purchase an insurance rider for this purpose. (State Regs)
Other than air, our travel included rental cars, private cars, taxis, and ferries. Curiously, the Denver airport train was the most jammed with people and thus felt the most “hazardous.”
And now for the upside….FEWER TOURISTS! No massive cruise ships that can ruin your day if they’re in port the same time that you are, and very few big tour buses full of…well, you know who.
So get out there and go! Life is too short, and we already had 2020 taken from us as a year for travel outside the U.S., never to be replaced.
Finally, we spoke with many Europeans who were very curious why they still cannot visit the U.S., while our southern border is WIDE OPEN, allowing folks to come in whether test, sick, or otherwise. We had no sensible explanation…because there’s not one.