Hi all.
I appreciated all of the advice and news as we planned our journey to Italia, and wanted to share some tips and info from our trip. I booked this on July 13 and planned it so we could leave home within a month. This replaced a spring break 2020 trip, and I could not disappoint my kids again with a cancellation. Good luck to all of you debating about fall or winter 2021 or later. We just do not know what COVID will do.
We flew from JFK to Venezia on August 11th. Delta required a temperature check before they let people board the flight. The flight was about 60-70% full.
At passport control in Venezia, the man at the desk asked for my PLF form and I showed him the code on my phone.
We went by train from Venezia to Roma. Temperature checks on the platform before they let us board. This was the only train ride of four where that happened.
Roma had so few tourists. I was amazed! Granted we were there for three extremely hot days (up to 100 degrees). On Thursday we had a 9am private tour of the Vatican Museums, but there were only about ten people in line out front, so I could have saved those pricey tickets.... We needed to show CDC vax cards to enter. The next morning we were at the Colosseum and again there were so few people in line out front. One restaurant dinner where they asked to see vax cards.
Train to Assisi on the 15th, which is Ferragosto. I was worried everything would be shut down for the national holiday, including finding a taxi in Roma and the trains, but it was not. My first time in Assisi, and I wish we had just done a day trip by bus from Roma. Seeing the Basilica di San Francesco was a very moving experience.
Monday morning train to Firenze. That city was full of tourists! Lots of French, German, Italian and other Europeans. I had heard few Americans in Rome, but there were many in Firenze. Maybe 50% of the people were wearing masks. We had booked online 9am tickets to the Accademia, saw David and the Prisoners statues (my kids are not big on art) and got out of the gift shop by 10am, by which time there was a long line around the corner already. Bistecca alla fiorentina at a lovely restaurant one evening but they did not check for vax cards. We did a pasta-making class and ate what we made - it made me VERY nervous that they did not check for vax cards and sat 10 people (four parties) at one table for dinner with the door closed....
Thursday morning train back to Venezia. We had an amazing flat close to Piazza San Marco. In the early morning, say from 6-8:30am, there are so few people out. But after that, the streets are full of tourists, including so many Americans. Riding crowded vaporetti was fine as we stayed mostly outside. but even in the cabins the windows were open. Masks required on the vaporetti, but very few people wearing masks just walking around. We had one restaurant meal but they did not check vax cards despite a notice so stating.
On Friday we made an appointment for COVID testing on Saturday. Unlike other cities, the small pharmacies do not do the testing in Venezia; there are only two central locations. We went to San Tome, were told the results on the spot, then returned to the pharmacy to collect the printout certification. At the airport, the forms were checked just one time. The flight to Atlanta was completely full - every last seat - but at least I knew that everyone else had tested negative, too.
I came home to more news, like a drumbeat of bad COVID news. Despite a bit of concern about the testing to come home, I do not regret this trip at all. I needed to go to Italia for my soul, and if/when we are locked down again, I have the memories and some Venetian pasta to help see me through.