COVID Travel

We started with a potentially dumb move . . .

We bought plane tickets we might never be able to use. In November 2020, during a COVID-19 surge in Colorado, we bought one-way tickets to Croatia for June 2021. By that point in the pandemic we knew that any plans we made were a risk, but it felt good to think about the possibility that our long-planned, but then delayed trip might happen. It was risky, and possibly dumb, but it gave us a target date upon which to pin all of our what-ifs: What if there’s a vaccine soon? What if we move our plane tickets out a few more months? What if we go to fewer places?

But then some good things started happening.

• Croatia was the first EU country to welcome back tourism. They opened their borders in July and by November it was still working (if you define working as staying open). More countries in the region were starting to open, giving us hope that there might be somewhere to go.
  
• The first vaccine was approved in the U.S. and by June, we had half our family vaccinated, even our oldest kid!
  
• Other people were beginning to travel and gave us some examples to consider. We read social media and blog posts about travel in the pandemic and we saw people who were traveling safely and supporting countries that needed tourism.

We decided to go, with some parameters. We would not travel to places where COVID was straining the healthcare system, and we would be willing to return home at any time.

And now we are doing it. For better or worse.

How do you travel with four kids in a pandemic? We research, test, wear masks whenever indoors, wash our hands, stay out of crowds when possible, and show our vaccine cards all the time. COVID added an extra layer to all travel planning and logistics, and it has even kept us from going to some places we wanted to go (oh Hungary, why did it take you so long to allow tourists?!). We’ve changed how we travel. We always carry masks and we have only eaten at an indoor restaurant two times, and both times we were the only customers.

There are lots of challenges, but there has been one huge benefit: there are far fewer people traveling. We had the morning in Plitvice National Park to ourselves, we saw the David without the throngs of people we remembered from our visits twenty years ago, we toured the Doge’s Palace in relative peace and quiet, beautiful outdoor restaurants are more than half empty, and at one point we even experienced the main hallway of the Uffizi Gallery without another single visitor. Are there still crowds in some places? Yes, of course, but we aren’t taking the smaller crowds for granted when we find them.

COVID travel, country by country

This is not meant to be a how-to blog or a resource for current travel conditions. DO NOT USE THIS TABLE FOR CURRENT OR ACCURATE INFORMATION. This is just our family’s experiences. With that in mind, we share our country-by-country COVID travel. I’ll update as we go. I include the month of travel because requirements are always changing, but also because our experiences may vary based on time of year.

NOTE: A good place to start with COVID travel plans is the same website airlines use for entry requirements at https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/world.php. We look for some key pieces of information: 1) do they have limitations on who can visit or from which country you can travel? 2) what’s required for fully vaccinated travelers? 3) do they allow children to travel without a vaccination and what are the age cutoffs? and 4) what kinds of tests are accepted and within what timeframe?

Where and when	Entry for our family	Our experience
Croatia, June 2021	Vaccination cards for age 12+ Proof of accommodation Entry form Kids under 12 can travel with vaccinated adult	We read blogs about how packed Dubrovnik would be. It wasn’t crowded at all. Restaurants were mostly empty, walking streets were wide open, and we had time and space to explore. Parking lots were empty and lines were non existent at national parks. Beaches were not crowded. Restaurants were empty. Bus routes between popular destinations were not operating due to decreased demand and some border closures. We hired private drivers and rented a van instead.
Bosnia and Herzogovenia, June 2021	Vaccine cards for ages 12+ Rapid antigen tests for children aged 6-11 Nothing for kids under 6	The border opened to us just days before we went. We added this stop at the last minute and experienced Mostar without the crowds.
Montenegro, July 2021	Vaccine cards for ages 12+ Younger kids allowed with vaccinated adults	No cruise ships meant the harbor and narrow walkways were free from congestion. A children’s music festival ensured a lively atmosphere, but crowds stayed outside and spaced.
Albania, July 2021	Nothing required	This was the first place we went where most people did not wear masks and seemed to ignore COVID. Northern Albania had very few travelers. Southern Albania was different: lots of Albanian and Russian tourists, public transportation was overly crowded, taxi drivers did not mask, and beaches were a zoo.
Greece (Corfu), July-August 2021	Vaccination cards for ages 12+ Passenger locator form	Ferries reopened routes between Serrande and Corfu in early July and we jumped at the opportunity. Some places were crowded (sunset viewing and Achilleon Palace), but for the most part there was plenty of space. Parking in Corfu Town was really tough – it must be impossible in ‘normal’ times.
Austria, August 2021	Vaccination cards for ages 12+ Vaccination or test to enter indoor spaces	Anyone without a vaccination card had to be tested to enter the zoo in Vienna. Vaccine cards were checked at all accommodations. You can’t eat indoors without a vaccine or test. Tests are free and fast everywhere. Results sent to your phone in minutes and can be used for entry to public places.
Italy, August 2021	Vaccination cards for ages 12+ Vaccination or test to enter indoor spaces	Vaccine cards needed for everyone age 12+ at every museum or public place. Lots of social distancing. Lots of mask wearing. Timed entry to most places. Tests widely available.