Two sunshine-filled weeks in Italy, or, international travel in the time of (waning?) covid-19

The afternoon sun moves across Piazza San Marco, illuminating the magnificent Basilica di San Marco, its domes and mosaics. The four bronze horses above the main entrance are copies; the originals are inside in a museum.

By Betty Gordon

© 2022 text and photos. All rights reserved. 

This is the first in a series about my recent trip to Venice, Florence and Milan, Italy.

I got back 10 days ago from two weeks in Italy, which, if you read my previous post about homemade biscotti, should come as little surprise.

For months, I’d been thinking about going, with the original iteration of this trip starting the first week of March and including several days in Lyon, France, then venturing south to Milan and Venice, Italy. 

That was last fall, before the surge of the latest variants of the coronavirus, and when France and Italy were listed as level 3 on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website, indicating a high level of covid-19 in both countries and advising that if travelers chose to go, that they be fully vaccinated. Unvaccinated people were discouraged from any travel, and in many cases, required to quarantine for at least five days upon arrival.

Then both countries were elevated to the highest classification, level 4, with the CDC stating to “avoid travel to this destination.” (Italy remains at level 4, according to the CDC.)

So what I came to call the Go Go Go Meter, indicating how likely I was to venture outside the United States, rapidly ramped down from about 80 percent. That doesn’t mean I stopped researching the trip, checking hotel availability and airfares, but it did mean I wasn’t going to commit any money that wasn’t refundable at this point. 

Fast forward two months. I decided that if I pushed the trip back several weeks and stuck to just one country, there might be fewer obstacles to confront with regard to pre- and post-trip covid testing and online forms, in-country rules, and perhaps a lifting of some restrictions. 

I also widened my information-gathering. A friend of a friend was in Venice late last year and reported that there were relatively few tourists, that nearly everyone was taking mask-wearing seriously, and he didn’t see any reason not to go. I further consulted a reliable online travel forum.

And I was checking Italian government websites that evaluated by region the number of covid cases around that country. Its assessment seemed less dire than the CDC, classifying regions by color, as in white, yellow, orange and red, the latter being the most serious outbreak.

As I inched closer to making a decision, no Italian region was in red, and the areas surrounding Venice, Florence and Milan were either orange or yellow.

No cars or trucks are allowed on the islands that make up Venice, so boats of many shapes and sizes deliver all goods and passengers, just as they have done for hundreds of years. A vaparetto (center left in the canal) is the least expensive way to get around, if you aren’t walking to your destination.

Then came reports that Italy, having declared a state of emergency through the end of March 2022, was lifting a requirement to wear masks outdoors. (The state of emergency has since been canceled.)

The unmistakeable lure of unencumbered travel, especially in historically overcrowded Venice, was undeniably strong. Even considering the health risk, would such an opportunity present itself again? The chance to have Venice almost to myself, at least during the week? 

My decision came down to how much hoop-jumping I was willing to put up with in order to be able to travel abroad for the first time in almost 28 months. 

Get a pre-flight covid test? Check.

Wear a mask for long hours on domestic and international flights and in the airport and on public transportation? Check.

In early February, the Go Go Go Meter was reset at 100 percent. I was still cautious and booked (mostly) refundable accommodations, but I committed to an itinerary, knowing that I could buy insurance, or get credit for any canceled segments. 

While I went ahead, I was still not certain that the trip would happen, believing that until I had my feet on the ground in Venice, it could all fall apart — flight cancellation being a notable possibility, or yet another variant surge causing me to re-evaluate.

(After I made by airline reservations, Delta-code share partner KLM canceled my early-morning return from Milan via Amsterdam. I immediately rebooked Delta through JFK in New York.)

All my caution was warranted, but I’m happy to report that everything came off without a hitch, and I did not end up buying insurance. 

Pushing the trip to mid-March meant that the requirement for a covid test 72 hours before departure had expired before I was to leave. One less thing to do.

I filled out online Italy’s mandatory PFL (passenger locator form) — think contact tracing — and printed out a copy to show at airport check-in, and upon arrival, if necessary.

I made a copy of my CDC card, showing my two Pfizer vaccines and one booster. I also took a picture of it on my phone.

And I packed a 15-minute home covid test kit, just in case I didn’t feel well at any point.

While in Venice, Florence and Milan, I walked around for hours without a mask. Let me note here, that the weather for the two weeks of my trip was unexpectedly absolutely perfect: Cool evenings and early mornings, cloudless sky, and sunny, warm afternoons. Not one drop of rain, until the morning of my departure for home. I wore a light jacket some days, and others not.

Many museums also had a machine to take visitors’ temperatures. I passed at each venue.

Perhaps the most recognizable feature of Florence’s skyline is the brilliant brick dome designed and executed by architectural innovator Filippo Brunelleschi that tops the duomo of Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral. This photo was taken from the south side of the River Arno, near the Piazzale Michelangelo.

At most museums, I was asked to show a Green Pass, the European version of proof of vaccination status. All places accepted my CDC card instead without challenge.

Wear a mask anywhere indoors in Italy? Check.

Liquid sanitizer was ubiquitous, as were posted reminders to use it and wash your hands frequently.

Many small shops had signs on the door that indicated the maximum amount of persons allowed inside at one time, often only two or three, and that a mask was required.

On trains, the N95 mask (or its equivalent) was the only acceptable face-covering, which staff were not shy about enforcing.

Of all of this, putting my mask on when I wanted to go indoors was the biggest annoyance. But overall, still a small price to be able to be traveling again.

All too soon, after countless enlightening hours in museums, wandering happily in each city, and enjoying universally fresh and delightful food, it was time to get ready to leave. 

The largest Gothic cathedral in the world, the construction of Milan’s Duomo took more than 400 years to complete. Visitors can climb the stairs or take an elevator to go outside on the roof to commune among the spires, or just enjoy a panorama of the city.

The last hurdle: A covid test 24 hours or less before departure. I went to a pharmacy down the block from my Milan hotel, paid 15 euros cash, presented my documents and had both nostrils swabbed by a technician. About 15 minutes later, a rapid antigen test with a negative result cleared my way to the U.S.A. 

If it had been positive, I would have had to quarantine for five days in Milan, then retest.

One side note: While local and international media are reporting on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there is no danger while traveling in Italy.

Destinations whose economies benefit greatly from tourist dollars — and Italy is near the top of the list in this regard — have struggled mightily through the long ordeal of covid. Logically, all the hoteliers, shopkeepers and restaurateurs I spoke to seem eager for visitors to return. Hotel staff said bookings were increasing, not just for weekends, and that they are optimistic for a more robust high season in the coming months.

If you are to be among the visitors to Italy or elsewhere in Europe this year, have a backup plan (or two), and be prepared to be flexible and patient in all aspects of your journey. It’s also up to you to assess your tolerance for hoop-jumping and covid risk.

The lack of business has also been used to renovate properties and improve services, though I did see closed storefronts, particularly of restaurants, that looked like they were not going to reopen, at least not anytime soon.

 And if you are wavering on that decision to travel, remember how much fun it will be once again to experience the richness in all its forms of a culture other than your own, even if you’re still wearing a mask.