Travel During COVID: What it’s Actually Like
On Valentine’s day this year I was with my one true love…Travel
I got to Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam ready to depart to New Delhi, India. I’ve been to this airport a few dozen times in the last year and this was a mostly typical visit to Schiphol.
Some folks were wearing masks, and all of the airport employees were masked up.
Arriving in New Delhi airport, though, was a different ball game. About half of the people had masks, and we were given medical declaration forms to fill out. We stood in a 2 hour queue just to get through immigration, which was slowed down in a major way because of the additional paperwork.
This was at a time before masks were mandatory, and COVID hadn’t changed the world yet. We only knew that China was getting hit hard and there were a handful of cases around the world. Travel during COVID wasn’t a thing yet.
Naive and ignorant times to say the least.
I remember everyone had their own philosophy about masks at the time. Some people said it makes things worse, while some thought it was the holy gospel.
Well, I guess some things haven’t changed.
Immediately after 9 days in India I flew home to Amsterdam and immediately got on another plane to London. This was when the world was waking up a bit to COVID, and it was spreading faster.
I remember seeing newspapers everyday in London with headlines, “A DOZEN CASES AND 2 DEAD ALREADY!”
I saw that and thought, a dozen cases ain’t shit. This must be a fluke.
At the same time I was deathly sick for the week I was in London, and didn’t even consider the possibility that I could have the virus. How could I have it? I didn’t even know the symptoms at the time.
When I returned to the Netherlands we had one week of sweet bliss before the world went to shit and everything got shut down. Stores, gyms, restaurants, cinemas. All of it except grocery stores and pharmacies.
Let the FUN begin!
Travel during covid
I had multiple trips that were planned so far for the Spring. One to Nice, France that I canceled myself, because I was worried about getting stuck there in case of a lockdown.
I was justified in that, because France and the Netherlands went on lockdown when I would’ve been there.
I had a 5 day trip to Malaga, Spain planned that was cancelled by the airline due to the lockdown. I was butt-hurt about that one.
Over the next 3 months, all I did was sit & dream of my next travel destination while learning to play the ukulele and harmonica. Dark times, indeed.
But once travel opened back up within the EU, my homey/co-worker Ryan proposed we catch a flight to Bari, Italy for a Southern Italian road trip. And to his proposal, I said “I do”.
Ryan did all of the leg work for our planning. He found the tickets, rented a car, researched the area, and booked the first night in Polignano a Mare.
A day before the trip, we were notified at the office that one of our colleagues has tested positive for corona-virus. Right after that, my homey Ryan texted me and said he wasn’t feeling well and just got a corona test.
The worst part is he had to wait a few days for the results and wasn’t allowed to travel while he’s waiting for them. But the flight’s tomorrow??
Ahh shit, Bari just became a solo Corona trip!!
I went home, packed up, and booked my own rental car. And didn’t have time to research anything about the Puglian region of Italy.
The next night I went back to familiar Schiphol airport and….it was a ghost town.
There was absolutely no line to check in my bag and I breezed through security. There were hand sanitizer dispensers every 10 meters on my walk to the gate B26.
Once I got to the gate I found out that I needed to get my temperature taken at Gate T0. Dammit I already walked past that.
I walked back 15 minutes to the gate and had the temperature gun pointed at my forehead as it blew my brains all over the polished floor.
They put a green sticker on my medical declaration form to indicate I’m healthy, and I walked my healthy ass back to the gate to board my Transavia flight.
I arrived around 10pm in Italy and got another temperature check at the Bari airport, but outside of that nothing outta the ordinary happened.
Check out the Bari travel video here!!
Solo travel during covid
Solo traveling during COVID was an interesting experience. Especially for my first COVID trip. I didn’t know what was okay.
I didn’t know how people saw me. I didn’t know how to feel about people.
I just didn’t know.
But what I learned is that the Italians have a very intimate and “touchy” culture. Extremely family-oriented and I loved every bit of it.
I also knew that COVID wasn’t over, so I was afraid of getting in on that action.
I was on a boat tour through the Italian grottoes. There were about 12 people on the boat and among them were 4 Italian dudes just a little younger than I am, and I honestly couldn’t hold myself back. They were so warm and poured me champagne while putting their arm around my shoulder.
I was having way too good of a time to deny the love, but in the back of my mind all I was thinking was COVID, COVID, COVID!!!!
As the trip went on, it dawned on me that while solo tripping can be lonely at times, Corona made it a little tougher.
Since meeting new people is such an important and special part of solo travel, it was hard that people (including myself) are a little more on edge when it comes to meeting new people.
The uncertainties
The most concerning part about traveling during COVID are the unknowns.
Every day, countries are making decisions on who can or can’t visit.
Who can or can’t leave.
Who does or doesn’t have to quarantine on arrival.
And all the national restrictions being put in place within the country itself such, as masks and social distancing.
Halfway through our trip in Croatia, I woke up to one of my travel buds, Ainee, showing me an announcement by the Dutch government.
It said that Croatia is now on the “Orange List”!
What the hell is the Orange List?
That means that Croatia is now considered a high-risk country for Coronavirus. To make the plot juicier, anybody that travels from Croatia to the Netherlands is highly suggested to quarantine for two weeks on arrival.
Ahh shit, we still have 5 days of vacation in Croatia, and who the hell knows what’s gonna happen from now till then.
Will they cancel all flights from Croatia? Will they stick those corona tests up my nose on arrival?
Will they cavity search me ‘where the sun don’t shine’?
For the next 5 days, there was no more news from the Dutch government. We got on the plane to Croatia, and the attendants gave us health declaration forms to fill out for the Netherlands.
On arrival to Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, there was a line where attendants were collecting our forms, and whispering to us that we should quarantine for two weeks. Honestly, the guy didn’t tell me but my boy told me that they told him.
Maybe I just wasn’t listening, but I’m surprised that they didn’t give a more blatant notice of quarantine.
If my friend didn’t show me the Dutch government article, I wouldn’t know anything about the “Orange Listing” of Croatia.
In a lot of ways, I feel like the Netherlands has always been super lax about the virus, and this was one of the ways. But it still never got so much more outta hand than other Western European countries.
Soooo, I ain’t trippin’.
covid travel as an american
Traveling during COVID as an American was the major surprise of all my wanders through our virus-infested world.
I’m used to people hearing my accent and making my American nationality a talking point. Whether that’s a good or bad thing!
In Croatia, I traveled with my American friend and my Indian friend. During Corona, every time someone heard our accent they’d ask where we’re from…per usual.
But this time when we answered “America”, the reactions we got were a complete 180 from the usual.
The most usual reaction would be a resounding “Oh!”, clearly surprised that we were able to travel from America right now.
Then they’d either follow-up by confirming my thoughts. Usually they’d say “So are they letting Americans travel?”
Either that, or they’d get awkward, and I’d have to fill in the silence by saying, “We live in the Netherlands, but we’re from America.”
They’d say “Ohhhhh! That makes sense! I was wondering how you got here.”
One guy even responded by “jokingly” taking his mask out of his pocket and putting it on while laughing. What a wise guy!
At some point, me and my friends made a covenant to tell everyone from now on that we’re from the Netherlands.
We were so sick of explaining ourselves!
This was truly a revelation of what a unique time we find ourselves in. A time when America is looked at as undesirable. Not for our arrogance, hypocrisy, or shallow values. But because we have the cooties and nobody wants to get infected!
To be fair, that was just what the intro convos were like. I made so many solid connections and had great interactions with Croatians, as well as other travelers over my 9 days in the Mediterranean.
Actually my favorite part about Zagreb, Croatia were the locals and the open space caused by the lack of tourists.
Thanks COVID!
the benefits
Okay if there’s one true silver lining of this tragedy of a year, it’s the bare naked airports!
My last two trips in July had no lines for bag check and I strolled straight through the security clearance line. The airports started off as ghost towns, and anyone there is mandated to wear a mask.
Returning from Croatia, the Dubrovnik airport was actually pretty crowded and had a relatively long line for bag check. But for flying out of an extremely touristy city (where a lot of Game of Thrones was shot) on a Sunday in July, it was a cake walk.
These benefits go past the airport. In Croatia, we visited a lot of places that are considered to be tourist traps.
Krka Falls National Park, Plitvice Lakes National Park, Dubrovnik, Split, Zagreb, and a couple islands!
The most crowded places were by far the National Parks but it was still obvious that a typical day before corona times would be shoulder-shoulder traffic in these places. During Corona there are still many people, but the hoards of peeps are bunched up at the most instagrammable spots!
On top of that, most establishments have restricted capacities now. So there’s going to be much more room inside of these joints, which is super dope!
The important thing to remember, is that you need to look up whether you need to reserve a spot ahead of time.
In Italy, I hiked through Alta Murgia National Park in search of an octagonal castle called Castel Del Monte in the middle of the forest! Weird, huh?
Once I found the castle at the peak of the mountain, I was amazed by the views all around. I got super excited about exploring the inside of the castle, but when I went to the entrance I got super swerved.
They told me that they have corona restrictions and I shoulda booked it ahead of time. And essentially that I should walk my happy ass back down that hill.
It didn’t take away from the great time, but it woke me up.
what next?
This COVID period has taught me a lot about life, travel, and myself. The world is a collection of fragile institutions, and 2020 has been the most globally unstable year in my lifetime.
Who knows what the future will bring, but we do know that the world of travel is in flux. I’m happy to be a guinea pig of COVID travel as long as it’s allowed.
With this info, I hope you have a better idea of what to expect when it’s time to get back out in the air. I’m also interested in comparing what it’s like to travel in different countries right now.
If you’ve done any travel during COVID and have had a different experience, I’d love to hear all about it. Shoot me a message either via email or Instagram.
I’m looking forward to hearing your stories and catching you when the world’s back on track!
Stay trippin’ travel fam.
Ya boi,
Zekarias
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Irene
This was such a great read and insight, I’m yet to take my first trip post covid but I’m gagging for a short trip somewhere! Keep writing!
zfasica
Thank you so much! I’m glad that you found it insightful. Your first trip is gonna be amazing. I’ll keep ’em coming for you!