I've been thinking about what to focus writing my next post on, & well I still am. It's long overdue. Just yesterday a fellow indsutry colleague returned with his family from Italy, and shared his insight into the current experience being in Italy during the pandemic with the country now open for vaccinated tourism.
As you'll read below the exprience was incredible, non stressful and very simple, and now even more so I look forward to sending my clientele off to Italia in the coming months!
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Today I am writing to share important news and stories from Italy! I just returned from one of the best trips of my life - a spectacular family vacation - a gift to my son. I wanted to share our experience that paints an accurate picture of what it is like in Italy right now. We traveled in the same way we always recommend...no rushing with plenty of time to take in the people and culture.
Yes, there are a few obstacles when traveling during a pandemic, but they are absolutely miniscule compared to the incredible fun my family had, the epic experiences we enjoyed, and the vast number of memories we created.
For me, a highlight was connecting with our guides & experience makers. They blew us away as we learned to make gelato, rowed on The Grand Canal, and so much more! All the arrangements for our family, which were flawless from our transfers to our exploration of the newly opened and expanded Underground Experience at The Colosseum, no crowds!
What is needed to go to Italy?
Everyone must fill out a Passenger Locator Form. If you are from the US, Canada, Japan, Israel, or the Schengen Area and have been fully vaccinated more than 14days before arrival, you can travel to Italy. You must show a "GreenPass" (for Americans, this is your CDC vaccination card). We showed this at ATL airport at check-in and when we arrived at the Immigration Counter at FCO Airport along with our passports. Our daughter is four, and she was allowed to enter because we had our vaccination cards. You can also enter Italy if you have a negative result from a PCR or antigen test performed within 48 hours of your entry into Italy.
What is needed to return to the United States?
When you arrive at the airport, the airlines will check to make sure you have received a negative PCR or antigen test taken within 3-days of your trip back home. We took ourrapid antigen test at a local pharmacy near our hotel in Rome on Friday (ourflight home was Monday). There are testing facilities all over the countrybecause many Italians also frequently test. We all took the test - even our4-year old - and we received an email result which we shared at the airport.
Many hotels across Italy (and in other destinations) can also arrange tests directly at the property. The tests range widely in price. The ones we took at the pharmacy were 25 Euros each. We also had to fill out an Attestation Form swearing that we did not lie about the testing. This form was done digitally by Delta. We arrived three hours before our flight, and we were through check-in, security, and immigration in under 45-minutes.
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Wow, sounds fantastic, to the point I'm ready to go! My return to La Bella Italia is long overdue! Though due to both my & my wifes current finanical situation during the pandemic, my return to luxury traveling is on a bit of a hold. Italy is one of the places we talked the most about planning to travel to while we were couped up at home this last 18 months. So it is high on our list, if not the top of our list when we are secure again, and have the means to live it up once again.
Luxury Travel Advisor
412-345-7569