Tips for Traveling in the Time of Covid
Men’s Vows very own Richard Dusseau, along with his husband, embarked on a trip to Europe. Read on to learn about the tips and tricks of traveling in the time of Covid.
Months of sequestered living, trepidation over leaving home and the all of the uncertainty associated with resuming our typical routines, have left many of us wondering when it will be safe to travel again. After six months of home confinement and an exhaustive nightly search on Netflix for something new to watch, we decided it was time to travel.
We set our sights on Croatia, Serbia and Egypt, which are some of the few countries welcoming Americans who arrive with a negative Covid test result within 48-hours of taking the test. With our time-stamped negative Covid test, as much hand sanitizer as TSA would allow and enough face masks to blanket a small country… off we went to our first stop in Croatia.
Once we landed in Split, the immigration officer requested our Covid test documentation and reviewed it carefully. After about 2 minutes, our passports were stamped, and we were through. While immigration kept the paper Covid test results, they never requested proof of our hotel reservations or asked to see our itinerary, which we had been told would be required. (Click here for all of the specifics required by Croatia.)
After a spectacular few days in Split, our next stop was Belgrade, Serbia. But, our plans to fly out of Split were scuttled thanks to a canceled flight. We made our way to Dubrovnik to catch the flight from there. At the ticket counter at the Dubrovnik airport, we discovered that, even though we were Americans, a recent restriction between the countries did not allow for any travelers to enter Serbia from Croatia without a recent Covid test. We decided to re-route to Zagreb for a few days to reorganize and consider our options.
In Zagreb, the hotel directed us to a government clinic that reportedly provided results within 24-hours. Realizing it would be challenging to now fit both Serbia and Egypt into our itinerary, we opted for the pyramids and again had to make it through a 72-hour window to get our tests and results and arrive at the Egyptian border.
A 15-minute Uber ride, following some confusing signage, a few language barriers and lots of government processing, finally found us at the testing site. The entire process took about 90-minutes. We took the test at 1:00 pm and much to our we had results by 8:00 pm that evening. The wrinkle, however, was that the Egyptian government required the results in English or Arabic and one of our results came in Croatian. A quick email back to the clinic yielded the results by 9:00 am the next morning. So, we set off to Cairo via Frankfurt.
The flight was fairly empty with a row to ourselves. We were provided paperwork on the flight requesting detailed information regarding our travel for German immigration. These forms were collected by the flight attendants once they were completed prior to landing. On our final leg to Cairo, we were again provided forms to complete for the Egyptian government that detailed our itinerary, and confirmed that we had a recent Covid test.
Once in Cairo, we proceeded through an empty airport at 2:00 am to receive temperature checks, and a careful examination of the printed results of our Covid test. Following a $25 “visa” payment in US dollars just before approaching passport control, we were quickly through the process on our way to another exceptional adventure.
Our return trip to the US required us to connect in Frankfurt and then overnight in London. We went to the UK government website to once again complete landing forms. However, the form did not have an option for our self-quarantined, overnight stay at the Heathrow airport hotel, so we completed the forms to the best of our ability. When we arrived at passport control, the automated kiosk allowed one of us to enter without any issues, and one of us was sent to an agent. The passport control agent quickly scanned my passport, and without any further questions waved me through. We overnighted at the airport hotel and caught our final flight back to the US in the morning. Again, it was unexpectedly easy.
To say a pandemic takes typical travel complications and uncertainties to a new level, would be an understatement. However, governments, airlines, hotels and locals are all doing their utmost to make travel in the time of Covid both viable, if not even pleasant.
Airplanes, airports and hotels have never been cleaner, and it’s noticeable. There is also a degree of comfort in knowing that many of the passengers on the plane recently received a negative Covid test in order to board the flight. The locals genuinely appreciate tourists, and there’s an unexpected form of camaraderie that exists between you and the very few other travelers you encounter.
When weighing the risks versus the reward, it’s a very personal decision and one only you can make. However, if traveling is in your blood and you take the sensible precautions, it’s truly a remarkable time to experience the world.
Five key reminders regarding international travel during Covid:
Flexibility is key. Many schedules and government restrictions change at the last minute. Flights cancel, hotels and restaurants can close unexpectedly, public transportation schedules may be reduced, and hours for attractions and museums are limited.
Many frequent flyers amenities and services have been suspended or reduced. Don’t expect all of the airport restaurants and amenities to be open, and airline club lounges have very reduced hours and may even be closed. Most airports are somewhat empty compared to what we typically see with summer travel.
Service on flights has really been reduced to limit the amount of contact between the flight attendants and passengers. While masks are mandatory on the majority of airlines and in airports, don’t expect the same level of service even in premium cabins as enjoyed prior to Covid.
Entry requirements are changing almost weekly for many countries, so have a back-up plan if the requirements or restrictions change for the next international stop on your journey. Make sure that every hotel and flight reservation has a liberal cancelation and change policy.
While the prices have never been lower and crowds practically non-existent, make sure and use a travel advisor to assist with planning and booking. They have the best access to up-to-date information and the ever-changing requirements, as well as the expertise to provide recommendations on exceptional hotels, excursions and unique experiences.
