Travel hopes for 2022

On the cost front, I've watched a number of videos about air travel over during the pandemic, and the analysis seems to be that prices are just going to be higher for a long time due to the impact of shifted travel patterns, plus airlines getting rid of planes and staff. It's not just back to normal even when demand picks up, and pricing will be in flux for years as airlines slowly rebuild, and as the details of consumer and business travel change. For now the expectation should be that air travel is pretty freaking expensive unfortunately. :(
 
We are currently in Barcelona with our son and daughter and have been here a week. Tomorrow we fly back to England with our son while our daughter, who lives in LA, stays on for a week at a work conference. I completed the online passenger locator forms today which require proof of vaccination. I was able to scan the QR codes on our NHS passes and we now each have pdf forms on our phones with QR codes to show at the airport.

Entering Spain required filling in a Spanish health form online including uploading a copy of our vaccine status. For us it was our NHS Covid vaccine pass and for our daughter it was her CDC card which I scanned in to make it easy to upload. The resulting QR code on the health form PDF was all that was required.

For our daughter traveling to England 3 weeks ago it was similar, she needed to complete a passenger locator form before leaving LA and only needed proof of vaccination. When she flies back to LA in a week’s time she also needs a Covid test which has been booked for her by her company.

First time any of us have traveled internationally in about 2 and a half years.
 
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Spain also has a Spain Travel Health app but I couldn't submit the info so I did it on the website and printed the QR code.
 
Travel plan is to go to Chautauqua NY in July, flying BUR to BUF and renting a car for a couple weeks, see Nigra Falls and maybe Toronto if it is open then. Cost a good bit but DW is itching to 'get out of Dodge'. Later trip to NYC and maybe Norway, see how things open up and what is available.
 
When they stop requiring a Negative covid test to return to the USA will be when we travel again. Vax passport is OK. We are fine with that, but testing when one is not sick is a waste of time and money.
 
^^^^^ We went through all of that last fall on our trip to France and Spain. It was a stressful PIA and put me off of international travel until things improve.
 
We are going to Egypt and Jordan for three weeks in October, which will be our first flight since January 2020. Jordan dropped their "test to enter" requirement last week, and I am hopeful that Egypt and the US will do the same before our trip, but I am prepared to get the test as necessary. We are triple jabbed and also recovered from Covid.
 
Peru

We are making plans to hike the Inca Trail in late September/early October. DW is a weaver and we will be spending some time in Cuzco before and after for weaving-related activities.
 
We are going to Croatia (with day trips to Bosnia and Montenegro) and Switzerland for 16 days in early May. Everything has been booked.

Looking for some other trips in July and later. I don't want to do the testing things. If most countries still need testing, we will do travel in the U.S. in the Summer and go to central or south America in Fall and Winter.
 
ShokWaveRider said:
When they stop requiring a Negative covid test to return to the USA will be when we travel again. Vax passport is OK. We are fine with that, but testing when one is not sick is a waste of time and money.
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This is unavoidable at this time. But we always choose the countries that do not require entry testing.
 
ShokWaveRider said:
When they stop requiring a Negative covid test to return to the USA will be when we travel again. Vax passport is OK. We are fine with that, but testing when one is not sick is a waste of time and money.
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Markola said:
^^^^^ We went through all of that last fall on our trip to France and Spain. It was a stressful PIA and put me off of international travel until things improve.
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flyingaway said:
This is unavoidable at this time. But we always choose the countries that do not require entry testing.
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US is really low on new cases, lower than Europe. But higher in deaths.

Some European countries are seeing a rise in new cases again. Before they were able to get below the levels before the Omicron and Delta waves.


As for the test to return to the US, it's not about whether you're sick, more about whether you're infectious. It's tough because you can easily test positive now with Omicron with mild or no symptoms.

That means incurring additional costs to quarantine -- additional lodging, flight change fees, etc.

US lets you use proctored antigen tests, which means you do a video chat with someone who watches you open the test kit, take the swab, get the results.

These Emed tests are 6 for $25, like $70 or $80 for two. Otherwise in Europe, a lot of pharmacies will do the rapid antigen tests for about 25-30 Euros but you have to make an appointment.

Last summer you could get those tests 72 hours before your departure flight time but they reduced it to 24 hours because of Omicron.

If Europe is seeing a sustained rise in cases, they may not change the time.
 
Just returned from almost 2 weeks in Israel/Jordan. We were one of the first US tour groups in Jerusalem this spring (although we did see a few more groups as the week went on) and people were thrilled to see us. COVID testing is a pain, mostly because the rules keep changing and the people working at the borders can't keep up, so if you are traveling between countries be prepared for inconveniences/extra testing. Other than that, it was a fabulous time to be in the Holy Land because places were just not crowded. Masks inside except when eating, but most of the sights are outdoors so not a big deal. Planes nearly full both ways. If you are thinking about traveling to popular places and are willing to put up with the inconveniences (including potential quarantine/isolation), it's a good time to travel. I recommend getting travel insurance that covers COVID issues - got mine from Allianz and it was reasonable.
 
explanade said:
Last summer you could get those tests 72 hours before your departure flight time but they reduced it to 24 hours because of Omicron.
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It's not 24 hours, it's 1 day, big difference. You could have a flight home at 7PM but get a test done at 8AM the prior day. For people with early flights home it's more of an inconvenience.

The next window for Biden to drop this testing requirement is April 18th when the mask mandate for transportation "could" end.
 
MBAustin said:
Just returned from almost 2 weeks in Israel/Jordan. We were one of the first US tour groups in Jerusalem this spring (although we did see a few more groups as the week went on) and people were thrilled to see us. COVID testing is a pain, mostly because the rules keep changing and the people working at the borders can't keep up, so if you are traveling between countries be prepared for inconveniences/extra testing. Other than that, it was a fabulous time to be in the Holy Land because places were just not crowded. Masks inside except when eating, but most of the sights are outdoors so not a big deal. Planes nearly full both ways. If you are thinking about traveling to popular places and are willing to put up with the inconveniences (including potential quarantine/isolation), it's a good time to travel. I recommend getting travel insurance that covers COVID issues - got mine from Allianz and it was reasonable.
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Which specific policy? Which provisions talk about mandatory quarantine coverage if you test positive?

Where did you purchase it?

When I inquire in general, they say you really won't know until you submit a claim, no matter what the marketing verbiage indicates.
 
Drake3287 said:
It's not 24 hours, it's 1 day, big difference. You could have a flight home at 7PM but get a test done at 8AM the prior day. For people with early flights home it's more of an inconvenience.

The next window for Biden to drop this testing requirement is April 18th when the mask mandate for transportation "could" end.
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Maybe useful if you're coming back to the US from the Western Hemisphere.

Most flights from Europe are from morning to early afternoon.

Asia and Australia you may leave in the evening but Asia is not yet fully open and some Asian countries are going through their Omicron wave now.
 
Just booked a trip to Florence (IT) for my wife's 70th birthday next month. It has been a favorite over the years. Also we'll do a short side trip to the beach town of Viareggio as well. All by train.

-BB
 
I'll be heading out on a road trip in a few weeks, almost 2,000 miles out (2-3 days) and around 2,400 miles back (3-4 days). I've done this sort of trip for decades and it doesn't bother me at all. I find the long stretches of staring through the windshield can almost be like meditation. And I always have plenty of podcasts with me to occupy my mind.
 
Well I'm flying out to Portugal in about a month.

And cases are going up now in Europe and there's more pressure to remove mask mandates on flights.
 
Finally bit the bullet and bought tix and booked accommodations for a month-long trip to UK/France in June. Hopefully the US will have removed its Covid testing requirement for inbound passengers by then.
 
explanade said:
Which specific policy? Which provisions talk about mandatory quarantine coverage if you test positive?

Where did you purchase it?

When I inquire in general, they say you really won't know until you submit a claim, no matter what the marketing verbiage indicates.
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The policy was a Group Advantage Plan that I purchased through the tour leader. However another group member bought similar coverage through AAA.

Here is a web page that explains the provision that covers COVID: Coronavirus Coverage. Here's an excerpt that highlights what to look for:

The Epidemic Coverage Endorsement, and the covered reasons added by this endorsement, may not be available for all plans or in all jurisdictions. These new covered reasons are only available for customers whose plan includes the Epidemic Coverage Endorsement. To see if your plan includes this endorsement, please look for this endorsement in your plan details. You can view these plan details before you purchase by clicking the link in your online insurance offer or by requesting this information from us or your travel agent.
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braumeister said:
IAnd I always have plenty of podcasts with me to occupy my mind.
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+1 on the podcasts


Also, audio books.

Many of the older book series are slowly being recorded for audio distribution. That opens up an whole new world of books that can be 'read' while traveling. I went through a number of the original Bosch books that way.
 
Thanks for the pointer, I contacted them.

Seems like the epidemic endorsement is more about coverage for emergency medical expenses if you get sick, as opposed to unplanned lodging and other expenses if you test positive and have to go into quarantine.

But we'll see if they answer the questions.

Actually their single-trip premiums are about double what I've seen from the big brokers like insuremytrip.com.
 
I like podcasts when traveling so much that I usually skip the audio guides that you can get for museums and some walks.

I just try to do some walking tours instead, so that local guides can make some money.
 
Just booked our May/June trip to Madeira and mainland Portugal.

It was a toss up between Greece and Portugal. The latter won because of their great covid situation.

Made our first booking for snowbird 2023 trip. Booked a week at a resort in Thailand. Refundable of course. Sure hope that Thailand opens it's borders completely by then.
 
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