Travel hopes 2021

Well so far the EU countries allowing US tourists are Iceland, Croatia and Greece.

Soon Spain and France.

After July 19 Iceland. Also heard Denmark may open up.

Surprising Italy isn't there yet.
 
My DIL is a dual citizen including Poland. They won’t accept her vaccination card and she has to take a Covid test before leaving the US and upon arrival. When she leaves she has to take the test 4 hours before her plane leaves Poland.
 
We have been tempted by some very attractive international air fares for the late fall and for the winter.

We are holding off for two reasons. The first is covid. The second is entry restrictions at our destination and entry restrictions in our own country.

If we do manage to get away in the fall it will be last minute. I suspect we will pay higher fares but that is fine with us. Depending of what transpires over the next four months we may book our winter fares early if the fares are as good as they are now.
 
explanade said:
Well so far the EU countries allowing US tourists are Iceland, Croatia and Greece.

Soon Spain and France.

After July 19 Iceland. Also heard Denmark may open up.

Surprising Italy isn't there yet.
Click to expand...

Viking is selling tours starting July 1 for Iceland. Maybe they have a special deal, as no kids and everyone has to be vaccinated.

I wanted to take a cruise around Iceland, on Viking.
While not cheap, one has to realized Iceland is not cheap by itself, and we really want to travel.

However, after talking with a Rep, I'm holding off as it turns out from the Rep and a long video by "Joost Ouendag, Vice President of Group Product Development at Viking."

  • the Passengers are not permitted to leave the ship and wander around Iceland.
  • Even if you have a friend in Iceland to visit, it's not allowed.(Q&A reveal)
  • So only leaving the ship on tours, but the rub is the tours are limited and certainly too few to fill your day.

So basically stuck on the ship, except for 1.5 hours per day of a tour, in most cases. Maybe early sign up's filled their day with double or triple tours, but now it's pretty barren. :(
 
That is one reason why we have zero interest in booking any cruise.

The issue for us is that we can make our final payment ninety days prior to sailing. During that time anything can happen.

We do not want to be restricted to cruise line tours, some ports may change or be cancelled. The cruise contract protects the cruise line, not the customer.

Apart from that we do not think covid is over. This has a ways to go yet. North Americans should not make the assumption that because things are better here that they will be better some where else. Same with any covid health and safety requirements/precautions imposed by those countries on visitors.
 
Viking in Iceland is only 1 line in 1 country. The CSO for 95% vax cruises is:
> independent shore excursions
> testing not required
> masks optional
Several lines have moved final payment to 60 days pre-embarkation + 100% FCC if canceled within 30 days due to a positive Covid test. Rules get more relaxed every week. The sky is not falling
 
We do not think the sky is falling. We simply do not want to pay 60 days in advance for an international vacation during covid. Especially when we see what is transpiring in the UK and in a few other places in Europe today. Even in the US there are states that are struggling to get their first shot vaccination rates up to 50 percent while others have achieved 75 percnet plus and continue to increase at a good pace.

We are accustomed to booking international travel (and cruises for that matter) a week, three weeks prior to blast off. Sometimes less. So our view is why take a chance when we do not have to?

In the past this spontaneous method of travel has saved us thousands of dollars and had us visit places that we not even on our bucket list.

We want to go back to Greece in late Sept for five weeks, then to Cyprus for two. If we go, we do not anticipate buying air until very late Aug or early Sept at he earliest even if it costs more than it does today. Same for Thailand in Jan/March If it opens up with no extended quarantine we will buy tickets in early/mid Jan a 7-10 days prior to departure. Our experience over the past few years is that buying close to departure date can a low pricing point.

As for cruising...we will wait for reviews from those who have cruised post covid before we consider buying a cruise
 
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brett said:
As for cruising...we will wait for reviews from those who have cruised post covid before we consider buying a cruise
Click to expand...
I'll let you know how it goes
Screenshot_20210607-082035_Gmail.jpeg
 
Have done Vegas twice this year. Probably will do a long weekend in Oct for DD's 21st.
We have a cruise booked the end of July & early Nov.
I am following this 1st Celebrity cruise out of St. Maarten this week closely. Barbados did require passengers to be on a ship excursions but Aruba & Curacao are not. Our cruise goes to Nassau (who knows?), Cozumel & Costa Maya--I'm guessing MX will have not restrictions.
Yes, things are fluid & there are extra hoops to jump through, but I am excited to cruise again! Get me out on that ocean!!!
 
We have a niece getting married in Houston later this month, so we have extended the trip to include San Antonio (DW wants to see The Alamo) and Austin (we both have relatives we have not seen for a while living there).

For now we are not planning any international trips anywhere where someone who is vaccinated still has to quarantine for a number of days. Unfortunately that includes countries when close relatives are living, but so be it for now.
 
if we cannot get to Greece in Sept/Oct our backup will be a few weeks in Puerto Vallarta in November.
 
brett said:
We are accustomed to booking international travel (and cruises for that matter) a week, three weeks prior to blast off. Sometimes less. So our view is why take a chance when we do not have to?

In the past this spontaneous method of travel has saved us thousands of dollars and had us visit places that we not even on our bucket list.
Click to expand...
Would you mind sharing which web sites to book these last minute trips? DW and I would love to do the same. Thanks in advance.
 
Have been pondering dreaming about a round the country Amtrak tour for some years. Even went so far at one point as to print out the different Amtrak route maps, and the daily schedules of what cities each route hit, to try and narrow down places I would like to explore.

One problem, from west coast, a lot of the cities I would want to layover at have the Amtrak arriving and/or leaving at the most inopportune times of early morning or late or middle of the night!

But with the rona virus coming under control and states opening back up, I may start looking into a trip again.
 
gayl said:
I'll let you know how it goes
..
Click to expand...

Please do, good and bad.

The Viking Rep did say Greece and Croatia were wide open, without Covid restrictions.
But since I don't know the Covid rules for those countries, I told him I'd think about it.
The other issue is I think the Mediterranean would be very hot during the Summer.
 
I'm heading to the Smokies for the annual "camping" trip. Usually we get one of the cabins at the campground, but they were booked, so we're down the road a piece, in a converted shipping container. Hopefully the pictures on AirBnB didn't oversell it.

Also, looking into a Scottish highlands motorcycle trek. That would be September or so, and I was thinking of coming back on a TA cruise.
 
Going up to the UP this week. Cousin has a cabin on the Lake Superior shore. Looking out on the big lake is like standing at the edge of the earth.
 
Mr._Graybeard said:
Going up to the UP this week. Cousin has a cabin on the Lake Superior shore. Looking out on the big lake is like standing at the edge of the earth.
Click to expand...

I'm jealous. The Porkies and Pictured Rocks are two of my very favorite hiking areas.
 
Well had an outdoor cousin reunion Sunday ages from 70 to 50 plus and quite a few travelers in the mix.



It seems that cruising and road tripping are the only game in town right now. Between hard to find and expensive airfare and the still out of control rental car prices flying trips are not happening. If you fly to and stay at resort yes, but otherwise not a good value ATM.
 
Never heard of Pictured Rocks.

Looks like the Mediterranean.

Is it a National or State Park? Or Nature Reserve?
 
explanade said:
Never heard of Pictured Rocks.

Looks like the Mediterranean.

Is it a National or State Park? Or Nature Reserve?
Click to expand...

It's a national lakeshore. There are two such reserves along the south shore of Lake Superior, Pictured Rocks and the Apostle Islands in Wisconsin. Both feature lots of wind-and water-eroded sandstone cliffs overlooking the lake.

Pictured Rocks is relatively unknown even here in Wisconsin. It's out of the way, to say the least.
 
65 days until I fly to Seattle* ..... 67 days until I cruise*[emoji16]*Almost ready! Just read that Seattle has more fully vaxed people than SF and our rate isn't too shabby.
 
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