With thorough preparations and keeping up with international restrictions regarding COVID-19, traveling to Europe was a success.
Overview
Overhead view of Rome
Concerns
My main concerns with travelling at this time were checked baggage getting lost due to the high volume of airlines stories circulating the internet and bringing COVID-19 back home.
Baggage
Many people suggested us not to bring a checked bag at all...which did not make sense to me since I'm surely not a light packer.
My checked baggage made it to and from Europe just fine and I also brought an empty small carry-on bag (stowed in my checked bag) for souvenirs for the way back, something I do while traveling international. People suggested that we bring an extra carry-on suitcase and stuff it with essentials in case our luggage got lost, but I'd say it would have been very inconvenient especially since Europe has small sidewalks that are very rocky and there are always many stairs.
COVID-19
In regards to COVID-19, I made sure to have my vaccination card on me at all times but was never asked to present it in Italy, France, or Spain (granted, only in the cities that I visited). In addition, it was no longer mandated to have a negative COVID test going in or out of the countries so we didn't have to bother with paying for COVID tests.
My sister and I did wear masks the whole 12 days we were in Europe and it did not seem to have a huge difference compared to others who did not, but we just wanted to be safe. I would say, Europe is hot and humid so there would be times when masks are definitely not safe to have on at all times, but in crowded areas we would make sure to have our masks on. Thankfully, my sister and I did not get mask tans which we were slightly worried about.
Suggestions For Traveling to Europe:
First of all, trust your instincts and travel as you would regularly despite rumors or controversies you hear "might" happen. It is better to feel comfortable knowing your own routine while traveling than stressing over unfamiliar situations. Granted, it is helpful to know about situations happening in the areas that you are traveling to.
Packing/Clothing
From what I saw, it was very inconvenient for the people who had a large checked suitcase and another small carry-on suitcase to handle both their bags by themselves. Not only do you have to roll both your bags together, but you also have to carry both up the stairs. On the contrary, if you're travelling with children or a family then it is beneficial to travel with at least one large checked suitcase and small carry-on suitcases instead of all large suitcases, especially if your children are capable of rolling and carrying their own small carry-on suitcase.
In simple terms, pack light/tight. It's ironic for me to be suggesting this since as I said before, I'm not a light packer. However, pack light/tight in a sense that you should only be packing what you absolutely need. For example, if you plan to stay for seven days, pack maybe eight pairs of clothes, pajamas, and your essential toiletries. I say this because you'll need room to bring anything back and you'll also be hauling the suitcase as you travel, which most European roads are old, rocky, and difficult to pull luggage through.
You might be thinking, what if I need an extra change of clothes because I sweat a lot, or maybe I go out to eat at a nice restaurant, x, y, or z?
Unless you're doing absolute extreme sports and will be needing a change of clothes every day, it is unlikely that you will be going back to your hotel frequently throughout the day to be able to change. Same with eating at a nice restaurant. Unless you are in major cities like Paris and know you booked a nice restaurant, not many places will have dress codes for dinner and it is quite obvious when you're a tourist.
If by chance you're wanting to dress up for dinner for your Instagram or whatnot, I'd say just wear something cute and comfortable for the whole day that you think would look nice for dinner. Dinner is only going to take about an hour and most of the time you're wanting to rest and eat or hold light conversation because of the long day.
In addition to packing light, make sure to have a suitcase that has four wheels that roll in all directions. It is also helpful to have a suitcase that is hardcase in comparison to cloth. This applies to all traveling, not just to Europe.
Language
In Italy and Spain it isn't uncommon for people to speak English, but be prepared to know the languages of the places you'll be traveling to. If you're going in blindly it will make your travels so much more exhausting. On the contrary, in France it is a little harder to find people who speak English and if they do it is very minimum.
Your best bet is to have a cheat sheet note on your phone where you've searched how to say common things like
"Hello", "Goodbye", "Thank you", "How much is this?", "Do you speak English?", and "I don't speak (the language spoken in that country)"
In my opinion I think it's better to learn how to say each phrase than relying on a translator app to do all the translating for you since it takes a much longer time. However, translator apps are still very useful and helpful overall for more complex conversations.
Most importantly, travel to have fun! I know it's easier said than done, but you're definitely traveling to get away from home and relax so try and do just that. These are all just my suggestions based on my own experiences, and everyone's experience is different.
I hope you get a chance to travel to Europe!
- Cynthia Lor -
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