How to safely travel internationally during a pandemic, and not be a total ass doing it
My boyfriend Matt and I met a few months before COVID, and one of the things that we instantly bonded over was our love of travel. I was nearly trapped in Guatemala when things shut down last March and thankfully made it home just under the wire, but we hadn’t been able to do an international trip together yet. The trip we booked for last Fall to Chile and Argentina (which was wishful thinking when we thought it would be a “two week lockdown” in the first COVID Spring), was obviously canceled.
I love Eastern Europe, and have wanted to do a trip there for my entire life, because I love the food, culture, and how easy it is to get around from country to country via train and bus. Matt and I booked tickets for September flying into Ljubljana, Slovenia, and out of Tirana, Albania, way back in the Spring, and all summer we crossed our fingers but also kind of expected it to get canceled. Luckily, things stayed open and we were able to do a 2-week trip through 7 cities and 5 different countries, which was already quite a feat and made even more difficult due to COVID restrictions at border crossings. It certainly wasn’t easy, but travel is something that is so important to both of us that we were willing to put in the extra effort to make it work. We flew into Ljubljana, Slovenia, and took buses and ferries to Zagreb, Croatia, Split, Croatia, Dubrovnik, Croatia, Kotor, Montenegro, Ohrid in North Macedonia, and Tirana in Albania, which turned out to be an incredible trip despite a few hiccups. Here are a couple of things I learned about international travel during COVID, just in case you’re considering snagging one of the amazing flight deals that are currently available.
You’re going to need to be flexible.
We were totally lucky with all of the buses and transportation we booked, but we heard horror stories about other passengers having to change all of their travel plans because borders or countries shut down or developed more restrictions during their trips. For example, a woman we met on a bus from Macedonia to Albania planned to fly back to the US out of Rome, but Italy started a mandatory quarantine upon arrival to the country, so she had to divert to flying out of Greece. Expect that you may have to fly by the seat of your pants, and if you’re crossing any borders, the wait will likely be an hour or two longer than expected, which can really screw up catching another mode of transport. Eastern Europe has one of the loosest restrictions on COVID protocols and masking right now, but we still had to show either a negative COVID test at the border or our vaccination cards. Many countries did have rapid testing stations at the border, which would likely take quite a while but would be a fine option in case of emergency.
Every country and city is going to have different COVID protocols.
Because we crossed so many borders, we experienced culture shock so many times I felt like my head was spinning, but not just for the normal reasons like language and currency. Each country and even different cities within the country had very different requirements for going into restaurants and shops, or boarding buses or taxis. In Ohrid, North Macedonia, our hotel told us to take our vaccine cards and masks at all times because they would be required for entering any indoor facility, but in Tirana, the capital of Albania, there was nary a mask in sight. My best advice is to see what the locals are doing and follow their lead. You can always wear a mask even if no one else is if you prefer!
The US requires a negative COVID-19 test with 72 hours of flight departure, regardless of vaccination status.
This seems daunting, but it shouldn’t be. We flew out of Tirana, Albania, at 6am, and so didn’t do the testing at the airport because it requires a very early arrival and you can’t check in for your flight until you have your negative result back. We planned ahead, and instead used one of the only 2 virtual kits approved for international travel and entry requirements, called BinaxNOW. We were able to order online just a week before our flight, and it came in plenty of time. We carried the kits with us throughout the trip (an extra test is recommended in case of an inconclusive result), and 2 days before our flight home, we booked an appointment with a doctor via their eMed program. My doctor walked me through the steps to open the kit, swab deep inside my own nostrils (ugh), and then wait 15 minutes for a negative result. The proof is then sent right to your email, so that you can show it upon check in to your flight at the airport (and it WILL be required, we had to show it leaving both Tirana and Frankfurt, which was our connecting flight). The benefits are that it’s low stress and you don’t have to worry about getting to the airport early or finding a testing station, but those do seem to be widely available, especially at more touristy destinations. The only cons seem to be having to carry the tests with you during your trip (they take up precious space otherwise reserved for shoes and cute outfits), and if you have a spotty WiFi connection, it can be a bit of a hassle (Matt and I had to sit at a very particular spot on the bed for our connection to work). The cost is around the same cost of an in-person test at any of the locations we saw, which is $40-50.
I asked Matt what his top tidbit would be about traveling internationally in these times, and he simply said “DO IT, but with patience.”
He’s not wrong… traveling during this unprecedented time is going to require more patience than you’ve ever needed before during a trip. Security takes forever, many restaurants and hotels are very understaffed, and people are uncertain of what they’re supposed to be doing and where and when. Be kind to your airline peeps, flight attendants, reception and cleaning staff at hotels, and your drivers, because nobody knows quite what the F we’re supposed to be acting right now. Stay, eat and drink locally at small family shops, so that you help bolster the small local economy of wherever you’re going. Clean up after yourself, wear your mask when you’re supposed to, wash your hands, and just generally, don’t be an ass even if we’ve all been locked in our homes for the last year or so and kind of forgotten how to “people”. Until next time, “nastravje” and “adijo” (that’s “cheers” and “goodbye” in Slovenian)!
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Heidi Keyes is the Founder of Puff, Pass & Paint, and Co-Founder & President of Cannabis Tours. Heidi writes about her experiences, sharing her advice, travel tips, and wisdom in Puff, Pass Ponder.