A handy guide for planning a post-pandemic trip to Europe with kids
Where can you go?
“Where do you want to go?” used to be the first question in planning a trip to Europe before the pandemic. But now the first thing to figure out is where can you go. While European travel is generally open to Americans, the easing of country-specific travel restrictions and reopening of borders continues to be uneven and varied.
As of now (insert date) some countries, like Sweden, are not allowing Americans to visit at all—regardless of vaccination status. Others, like Greece, are allowing vaccinated travelers as long as they show a negative Covid test taken less than three days before entry. In other places, vaccinated travelers do not need a test at all.
Needless to say, where you go can be complicated and requirements can change quickly. So you must…
Research and re-research entry restrictions, vaccine, and testing requirements.
The US State Department and EU countries have posted extensive information on travel requirements, but the specific requirements for US citizens looking to spend a leisurely week or two in Europe are often buried in layers amidst information pertaining to other types of travelers such as business travelers, EU citizens residing in America and American citizens living abroad. Each one of these types of travelers could have different restrictions for entry and requirements for vaccination and testing depending on the country.
Also, be sure to see if there are any special exemptions for children. For example, Cyprus does not require a negative test for kids under the age of 12 if they are traveling with adults who can show a negative test within three days of entry. Germany does not require testing for children under the age of 12 if traveling with vaccinated adults.
Did I mention that these things change? And can change quickly? For a good portion of the summer, US citizens were allowed to go into Switzerland and Italy but could not travel from Switzerland to Italy. A family that we know had booked travel to Rome through Zurich and had to reroute their flights to avoid Switzerland. A ten-hour two-flight journey turned into three flights and a four-hour drive that totaled nearly 23 hours. Ouch.
Team Andiamo also might have to do some re-routing. We booked tickets to Stockholm for the Christmas holiday back in August. In early September, the Swedish government took the US off the list of countries whose residents can enter Sweden. Fingers crossed that changes before mid-December. If not, we’ll have to get creative in our logistics.
What hasn’t changed is that you’ll need a negative PCR test to get back into the US at the end of your trip. So be sure to…
Build an extra layer into your logistics.
As part of your research, make sure that you have a clear understanding of the above requirements, the timing of your Covid tests, your flight times, and the time change so that you don’t accidentally end up with a test that is too old for entry.
Most countries are requiring a negative PCR test three days before your flight takes off. However, there are exceptions. Germany allows rapid antigen tests 48 hours before entering the country. But that means you need to plan on a 48-hour clock that counts backward from wheels down in Germany. This is especially important on the West Coast. Look at the math this way for a trip from LA to Munich:
Time change: 9 hours (outside of daylight savings time)
Flight time: 15 hours (assumes 1 change with a 2-3 hour layover)
9+15 = 24 hours…so your testing window is cut in half.
And that is without accounting for the time to get test results or transit time to the airport. Plus, if you are like most families those 24 hours before takeoff are chaotic enough without having to get a swab up the nose of your kids.
Some rental car agencies and hotels are also requiring negative tests upon arrival, which makes careful timing of testing all the more important.
Beyond testing, also check the timing requirements for entry concerning vaccinations. Most countries that are allowing vaccinated travelers stipulate that you must be at least two weeks past your second dose before travel. Some are requiring three weeks.
Now that vaccines are approved for kids starting at age five travel should become easier, but the general guidance for children is three weeks between shots which means that it will take five-to-six weeks to be considered “fully vaccinated.”
You also need to plan for testing to get back into the United States. From everything I’ve read and everyone that I know who has traveled this year, testing is readily available and doesn’t require an appointment. However, check the cost of testing. Some countries have capped the costs at about 40 Euros. However, we had to spend 80 Euros in Greece…each…for five people, which unsurprisingly was a costly and frustrating capper to what otherwise had been a wonderful trip.
What can you do once you get there?
Once you are through immigration, customs, and health checks you can (somewhat) breathe a bit more easily…as long as you are masked up. Masks are required at just about every indoor venue and many outdoor events with masses of people. Make sure to always have some backup masks stowed in your travel pack.
But, again depending upon where you go, additional testing may be required. Countries like Switzerland and Italy are requiring that travelers get additional testing (beyond the ones used for entry into the country) every four or five days.
Contact tracing measures (like registering where you are staying) is also the norm in many places. Lastly, many countries are requiring people to show either a negative test, vaccine card or travel passport for visiting museums or indoor dining.
Again, check the country-specific requirements on dining, events and activities before you go. Have extra masks, vaccine cards and test results on the ready. It is also a good idea to have extra copies of all your documents both in hard copy and on your phone.
Are there unique stipulations for kids?
The good news is that yes, generally speaking, all of the aforementioned restrictions and rules are more relaxed for kids. In-country testing every four days in Italy does not apply to kids under 12. Covid certificates to enter museums aren’t required for kids. I say generally speaking because each country is different and (did I mention) that any and every rule could change the minute I push publish.
Is this really all worth it?
While no one likes extra paperwork, the measures should feel like a minor annoyance rather than an unbearable burden. During our summer trip to Greece, we only had to show vaccination cards once beyond our time in/out of the airport.
In the end, the joy of travel is not found in the bar codes, papers, and documents that make it possible, but in the adventures that such trifles unlock and the lifelong memories that your family will form along the way.
Comentarios