With all of the COVID travel uncertainty, my extended family has decided to head to Italy for a multi-generational vacation.
The Trevi Fountain in Rome by Christopher Czermak
My family decided our trip to Italy this summer is a go. I understand that there is no DEFINITE guarantee we won’t be in lockdown-hell. For me, personally, and the others on this family vacation, it is nerve-racking. It’s a definite crap shoot, but we’ve decided to go for it, even with today’s COVID travel uncertainty.
Who knows what the COVID statistics will be in June? And, what rules will be in effect? The COVID situation seems to change daily and there aren’t standardized rules of yet — if there will ever be. Masks or no masks? Which protocols? Will people be required to test? As of now, it’s an ongoing mystery with no exact answers.
Sharon Arkell, who lives in Melbourne, Australia, is a committed traveler. She complained, “My time used to be spent planning the next adventure. Now it is spent chasing refunds and documenting travel credits for expiry dates following three aborted trips.” She rants on, “You almost need a science degree to understand the pre-trip and transiting requirements (a fact of life).” She finished, “To get to Europe from Australia, you’re going to have to transit somewhere.” She’s ever so right.
After two years of being stuck at home, any COVID travel uncertainty will be worth it to be overseas again.
I have gone NOWHERE for more than two years. Finally, if I am seriously inconvenienced because of COVID, it will be worth it. Let me restate that: If I contract COVID while I am away, I will simply roll with the punches. However, I’m lucky, since I don’t have to be back in an office. Or, if I had family responsibilities awaiting me I’d be substantially less blasé. Though, I sure won’t enjoy shelling out money if I have to quarantine away from home.
My thoughts: Should I contract COVID before leaving the US and am not cleared to fly, well, it will have been an expensive vacation (for me) to nowhere. But my extended family is committed to going on this trip. My son and his wife together with grandchildren and close friends will have this experience. Even my doctor has assured me it’s time to travel. I suspect he knows how much my not traveling has impacted my well-being – okay, my sanity.
Planning post-COVID travel is joy in itself.
The River Arno, Florence, Italy photo by Mark Boss
Just planning this trip and putting together a wonderful vacation rental with a pre-trip to Rome and the last days in Florence has been good for my soul. I love traveling so much that planning can be almost as fulfilling as the travel itself.
Myrna, another member of the group, has been traveling throughout the pandemic. She’s braver than I and has been fine. She has made me doubt my decision not to travel. I’m impressed that Myrna hasn’t been stuck in an airport waiting to get a timely PRC test.
Of course, I have another friend, Janie, whose trip ended up being two days longer than planned. She wasn’t able to get test results quickly enough to board a plane to her final destination, Canada. She observed, “It wasn’t a perfect ending to a wonderful 70thbirthday blow-out celebration.” I also have a friend who had to stay in Canada for an extra 30 days before he could return to France.
When it comes to Italy, the book-it-now clock is ticking.
The time to cancel the apartment and the house rental, and not be on the hook for big bucks, expires in a few days. I already paid for hotel rooms in Florence because rates were incredible if I paid in advance. That was many months ago and it never occurred to me that COVID might still be dictating travel plans. Why didn’t I take out travel insurance?
At least airfares can be re-deposited for future use. But it’s still a lot of money to add to United’s float, especially because I purchased the tickets months ago when I thought the fares were at their lowest. Darn! The problems of COVID travel uncertainty.
I reserved the house in Tuscany in May 2020. It took me days of looking and surfing numerous vacation websites. I became obsessed with the search since the house and its location have to be perfect. It must be large enough to accommodate three generations, have a pool and place to eat out, be located within walking distance of a village or two, and certainly near enough to vineyards and market towns that we can do EASY daily outings. The fact that a major discount shopping mall that carries Italian designers and sheets is only 12 miles away isn’t a negative.
This will be a special trip as we break our travel fasting.
This must be a very special trip since we will be celebrating the culmination of a milestone anniversary, birthdays, graduations, and the fact that we can actually be with one another, inside as well as outside. And, NOT have to wear masks or maintain social distance.
We are assuming the time in Tuscany is going to be laid back. The granddaughters will swim and do whatever young adults do and evenings will be spent going to concerts taking place or just hanging out together.
We must start making reservations, gulp!
We’re ending the trip in Florence where (I assume) we will tour museums, churches, art galleries, and as many highlights as we can fit in in four days. Now is the time to start reserving tours and cars. Auto Europe just sent out a mailing that offers discounts on car rentals in Italy if paid in full. And there is only a week to decide. Should I or should I not hand over my credit card number?
Is it time to start booking tours? Enrolling in cooking demonstrations? Reaching out to friends or friends of friends who might have perfect ideas as to what to do and where and with whom to do it? One friend has already sent me lists of her favorite restaurants in Rome, where Myrna and I are going to spend a few days recovering from jetlag and getting our “Italy legs.” To be truthful, just sitting in cafes and walking the streets in Rome will make me feel like a new person. Having lived in Europe for so long imprinted my psyche and I miss its rhythm.
Now the question is: Should I start listening to Italian language tapes? Right now, I am only watching Italian movies dreaming of La Dolce Vita.
Let me know what you’d do in my situation if you were (hopefully) planning the perfect family trip.
Florence photo by Mark Boss on Unsplash
Trevi Fountain photo by Christopher Czermak on Unsplash
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Karen Fawcett loves to travel anywhere. Karen was a founder & president BonjourParis.com while living in Paris for more than 25 years. She has traveled across Europe and the rest of the world. She is now based in Washington, DC.
