Vacationing in times of Covid

[conVINCEd 21,469]

17 minutes ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

On the plane. Got to JFK super early. Hung out in the Centurion Lounge. Made friends. Swiss has been very good so far. Flying with a charming as fuck Aussie gets all kinds of perks.

At this point we really have no way to determine exactly how charming as fuck she is.  Safe travels and I hope you sail through immigration.

[Mdhorn 5,987]

On 8/30/2021 at 11:14 PM, Biff Tannen said:

This.  We are going to the Maldives at the end of January and my wife realized hers was expiring in October. Sent it in with expedited fee at the end of July and I still won’t rest easy until it comes back renewed. 

I want to hear about and see picts of your trip.  I've wondered about the Maldives.  

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,143]

I want to hear about and see picts of your trip.  I've wondered about the Maldives.  

Maldives? That’s not me. This is Naples, Capri, and Ischia.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,143]

Taking my trip stuff to the Penelope Witherspoon thread.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,143]

One more report in. So, Vaccinated Americans are allowed to Italy with a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours of arrival (PCR or Antigen) and ePLF filled out. Or at least that is what we were told.

No one checked shit when we arrived in Naples, passport, COVID Vaccine, anything! Lol.

[Biff Tannen 45,742]

7 hours ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

Maldives? That’s not me. This is Naples, Capri, and Ischia.

Hence why he quoted me.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,143]

Hence why he quoted me.

My bad.

[C-Man 27,262]

We got a note from the lodge where we'll be staying in Panama that vaccinated travelers from "non high risk" countries do not need a negative COVID test. The US is not on that list. I'm a little surprised but glad we don't have to bother getting the test tomorrow afternoon. Now I've got to try and figure out Verifly.

[Mo Horn 8,855]

34 minutes ago, C-Man said:

We got a note from the lodge where we'll be staying in Panama that vaccinated travelers from "non high risk" countries do not need a negative COVID test. The US is not on that list. I'm a little surprised but glad we don't have to bother getting the test tomorrow afternoon. Now I've got to try and figure out Verifly.

Verifly is pretty easy. I've loaded all of my info on it for our upcoming trip. It walks you through the process. 

[C-Man 27,262]

Just now, Mo Horn said:

Verifly is pretty easy. I've loaded all of my info on it for our upcoming trip. It walks you through the process. 

Looks like Verifly isn't supported for trips to Panama but we can use it for the return flight next Friday. We will need a negative COVID test to get back to the US.

So is it as simple as my wife and I taking our vaccination cards for proof once we land in Panama City (Panama). Can we take photocopies? Or do we need to get these input into some sort of database like y'all are using in NYC?

[Mo Horn 8,855]

1 minute ago, C-Man said:

Looks like Verifly isn't supported for trips to Panama but we can use it for the return flight next Friday. We will need a negative COVID test to get back to the US.

So is it as simple as my wife and I taking our vaccination cards for proof once we land in Panama City (Panama). Can we take photocopies? Or do we need to get these input into some sort of database like y'all are using in NYC?

 Yes you need negative covid19 tests to get on any plane coming to the U.S. If you have a qr code for your vaccine you can upload that. If not, just take a picture of your card and they verify it. That's what we did and it was verified within minutes. 

[Mo Horn 8,855]

10 hours ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

One more report in. So, Vaccinated Americans are allowed to Italy with a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours of arrival (PCR or Antigen) and ePLF filled out. Or at least that is what we were told.

No one checked shit when we arrived in Naples, passport, COVID Vaccine, anything! Lol.

I'm guessing it's because you came from Switzerland and not directly from the U.S. We'll not be that lucky on a direct flight to Rome. 

[UpperWestside 6,190]

Headed to Honolulu tonight. This will be the last time I can take a trip before school starts on the 9th. I am looking forward to some relaxing hikes, surfing and seeing as much as I can while I am there. It’s my first trip to Hawaii and I am glad I am doing this one solo. I want at least one day of just laying on the beach near my hotel in Waikiki all day. Doing nothing sounds like a good time with school so close to beginning.

[The Ace of Aces 5,194]

2 hours ago, UpperWestside said:

Headed to Honolulu tonight. This will be the last time I can take a trip before school starts on the 9th. I am looking forward to some relaxing hikes, surfing and seeing as much as I can while I am there. It’s my first trip to Hawaii and I am glad I am doing this one solo. I want at least one day of just laying on the beach near my hotel in Waikiki all day. Doing nothing sounds like a good time with school so close to beginning.

Be careful. Hawaii is in a very bad shape - nearly out of oxygen and having to fly in doctors and nurses from FEMA to each is Alan to handle Covid cases. 
 

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2021/09/02/hawaii-reports-1068-new-covid-19-cases-4-more-fatalities/

[Brisketexan 105,346]

So, the Lufthansa flight tomorrow from Austin to Frankfurt? Yeah….they cancelled it, and rebooked the boy on the same flight….out of DFW. We found this out when we checked in online. So, instead of dropping him off at our home airport, we get a nice round trip to DFW tomorrow.

No notification from Lufthansa beforehand glad we checked in, and the boy read the itinerary - “DFW? Wtf?”

Goddamn Covid times.

[Js1 85,579]

21 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

So, the Lufthansa flight tomorrow from Austin to Frankfurt? Yeah….they cancelled it, and rebooked the boy on the same flight….out of DFW. We found this out when we checked in online. So, instead of dropping him off at our home airport, we get a nice round trip to DFW tomorrow.

No notification from Lufthansa beforehand glad we checked in, and the boy read the itinerary - “DFW? Wtf?”

Goddamn Covid times.

One more road trip of fast food farts with the boy for old times sake? 

[conVINCEd 21,469]

49 minutes ago, Js1 said:

One more road trip of fast food farts with the boy for old times sake? 

Mrs. Brisket is probably gonna want to tag along for sending junior off to college in a foreign country.

[Js1 85,579]

2 minutes ago, conVINCEd said:

Mrs. Brisket is probably gonna want to tag along for sending junior off to college in a foreign country.

Collateral damage. Plus I’m sure she’s experienced worse from him 

Edited September 3, 2021 by Js1

[conVINCEd 21,469]

1 minute ago, Js1 said:

Collateral damage

[conVINCEd 21,469]

1 hour ago, Brisketexan said:

So, the Lufthansa flight tomorrow from Austin to Frankfurt? Yeah….they cancelled it, and rebooked the boy on the same flight….out of DFW. We found this out when we checked in online. So, instead of dropping him off at our home airport, we get a nice round trip to DFW tomorrow.

No notification from Lufthansa beforehand glad we checked in, and the boy read the itinerary - “DFW? Wtf?”

Goddamn Covid times.

John Mueller is cooking at Hutchin’s in McKinney if you are road-tripping and want to grab a bite to eat.

[Don Johnson 4,756]

So..

Negative test + vaccination + 10 day quarantine.  Yikes.

 

Edited September 3, 2021 by Don Johnson

[utee94 15,863]

11 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

So, the Lufthansa flight tomorrow from Austin to Frankfurt? Yeah….they cancelled it, and rebooked the boy on the same flight….out of DFW. We found this out when we checked in online. So, instead of dropping him off at our home airport, we get a nice round trip to DFW tomorrow.

No notification from Lufthansa beforehand glad we checked in, and the boy read the itinerary - “DFW? Wtf?”

Goddamn Covid times.

Perfect opportunity to make a stop in West for some kolaches and klobasnek.  

 

[Brisketexan 105,346]

Perfect opportunity to make a stop in West for some kolaches and klobasnek.  
 

On our way back, that will happen. Nice way to spend an unplanned 7 hrs of our day, tooling up and down 35. Apparently, this sort of thing is happening a lot, so be on guard, and check your flights frequently.

So, he’s off. Had to register his vax and negative test with the German govt before they’d even issue a boarding pass, but all good. He takes off in 2 minutes….and after that, we won’t have a child living in the country anymore. This one has been hard.

[CooterBrown 18,031]

He takes off in 2 minutes….and after that, we won’t have a child living in the country anymore. This one has been hard.

You got them out of a country circling the drain. That is top shelf parenting right there.

[UpperWestside 6,190]

I had a great time in Oahu. I was able to hangout with a classmate that was in my 1st grade class. He has been in Hawaii for 22 years and loves it. His family was really cool and he was selling me on the idea of eventually moving there. I could definitely do it and be okay being that far away from the mainland. I was able to surf on the North Shore and among other things I got to free swim with some sharks. It was pretty cool having them come within three feet or so and seeing them up close while swimming. We saw a Galapagos shark, sand shark and a hammerhead which apparently can be difficult to see regularly as they don’t come around as often. 

The locals were pretty friendly and the vibe of Oahu was something I really enjoyed. I want to get a lot better at surfing and I can’t think of many better places to be able to do that. I will be going back and will probably live there at some point. My profession also makes it easier for me to work there because there are a lack of teachers, especially ones that teach special education.

[Orale 1,087]

5 hours ago, UpperWestside said:

I had a great time in Oahu. I was able to hangout with a classmate that was in my 1st grade class. He has been in Hawaii for 22 years and loves it. His family was really cool and he was selling me on the idea of eventually moving there. I could definitely do it and be okay being that far away from the mainland. I was able to surf on the North Shore and among other things I got to free swim with some sharks. It was pretty cool having them come within three feet or so and seeing them up close while swimming. We saw a Galapagos shark, sand shark and a hammerhead which apparently can be difficult to see regularly as they don’t come around as often. 

The locals were pretty friendly and the vibe of Oahu was something I really enjoyed. I want to get a lot better at surfing and I can’t think of many better places to be able to do that. I will be going back and will probably live there at some point. My profession also makes it easier for me to work there because there are a lack of teachers, especially ones that teach special education.

Awesome! Which beach did you surf? 

[midtown 3,348]

Looks like some big changes to travel into the US. .  Vaccination is going to be required for all foreign visitors.

Looks like vaccinated Americans won't have to get tested but unvaccinated have to get tested the day of their return and a second when they arrive.   Not sure if its going to be required at the point of entry of if this is an honor system.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,143]

2 minutes ago, midtown said:

Looks like some big changes to travel into the US. .  Vaccination is going to be required for all foreign visitors.

Looks like vaccinated Americans won't have to get tested but unvaccinated have to get tested the day of their return and a second when they arrive.   Not sure if its going to be required at the point of entry of if this is an honor system.

I keep waiting for the airlines to basically mandate vaccinations to be able to get on the plane.  That is what should be happening.

[4th&Five 41,590]

I flew in and out of Philly this weekend.  Yesterday there was a brawl at the gate next to mine but it had nothing to do with masks or covid so I feel like we're getting back to normal.

 

Edited September 20, 2021 by 4th&Five
video no workie

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,143]

17 minutes ago, 4th&Five said:

I flew in and out of Philly this weekend.  Yesterday there was a brawl at the gate next to mine but it had nothing to do with masks or covid so I feel like we're getting back to normal.

 

FullSizeRender.mov 21.86 MB · 0 downloads

Is there supposed to be something for me to watch?

[4th&Five 41,590]

It's supposed to be a video of the brawl.  Just picture a bunch of morons beating the hell out of each other.

[Mo Horn 8,855]

2 hours ago, midtown said:

Looks like some big changes to travel into the US. .  Vaccination is going to be required for all foreign visitors.

Looks like vaccinated Americans won't have to get tested but unvaccinated have to get tested the day of their return and a second when they arrive.   Not sure if its going to be required at the point of entry of if this is an honor system.

Quote

Fully vaccinated foreign nationals and American citizens returning to the United States from abroad will be required to take a pre-departure Covid-19 test within three days of their flight, and show proof of a negative result before boarding. Unvaccinated Americans returning to the US will be "subject to stricter testing requirements," Zients said, including a test within one day of departure and an additional test when they return.

Here's what's on CNN. Looks like everyone has to take test before flying to the U.S..

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,143]

1 minute ago, Mo Horn said:

Here's what's on CNN. Looks like everyone has to take test before flying to the U.S..

We already take a test coming back into the US, so no change there.  Should be that if you are vaxxed, no test.  

[midtown 3,348]

Well then screw this stupid ass policy.   The article I read gave the impression that there was no longer going to be testing for vaccinated Americans returning.

[Mo Horn 8,855]

8 minutes ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

We already take a test coming back into the US, so no change there.  Should be that if you are vaxxed, no test.  

 

2 minutes ago, midtown said:

Well then screw this stupid ass policy.   The article I read gave the impression that there was no longer going to be testing for vaccinated Americans returning.

I agree. If you're fully vaccinated, you shouldn't have to test. Was hoping that was going to happen immediately since we fly back on Saturday, but no such luck. 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,143]

2 minutes ago, Mo Horn said:

 

I agree. If you're fully vaccinated, you shouldn't have to test. Was hoping that was going to happen immediately since we fly back on Saturday, but no such luck. 

Did you get the at home tests that are approved for Travel?  That, IMO, is a game changer.  

[burns_312 353]

I agree. If you're fully vaccinated, you shouldn't have to test. Was hoping that was going to happen immediately since we fly back on Saturday, but no such luck. 

Yeah, since, you know, vaxed people can’t catch or transmit it and all. Makes perfect sense.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Brisketexan 105,346]

Looks like we're finally relaxing restrictions on travelers from Europe.  With proof of vax and a negative test within 72 hours, they can travel here starting in early November.  That's cool for us, because one of our son's friends was really hoping to travel back here with him to spend the holidays here in the US with us.  Looks like that can happen now.

[Mo Horn 8,855]

1 hour ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

Did you get the at home tests that are approved for Travel?  That, IMO, is a game changer.  

We thought about it, but didn't in the end. We found a pharmacy in the town where we're staying that does them. We'll go on Thursday. If that doesn't work, we're heading to a hotel near the Rome airport on Friday and should be able to get one around there. There's a pharmacy next to our hotel. If none of that works, I'll make an appointment to have it done at the airport. They open at 6 and we fly at 10.

[Biff Tannen 45,742]

Lol, this shit's never gonna end is it?

[Telegraph_it 3,359]

19 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

Lol, this shit's never gonna end is it?

Haha nope. I just canceled trip to London before Christmas because spending 2-6 days in a hotel waiting for a PCR test didn't seem very fun. Maybe one day I can spend my miles. 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,143]

2 hours ago, Telegraph_it said:

Haha nope. I just canceled trip to London before Christmas because spending 2-6 days in a hotel waiting for a PCR test didn't seem very fun. Maybe one day I can spend my miles. 

Why does it take that long?  I've been guaranteed a result in 4-6 hours.  Most the PCR tests I see gurantee in 12 to 24.

[South Austin 52,610]

22 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

Lol, this shit's never gonna end is it?

Remember many years ago when we started frequently seeing Asians on our flights wearing masks and would think to ourselves, "Well they seem like an overly cautious germaphobic bunch"?  That's what happens when your country goes through a pandemic.

That's going to be us for the foreseeable future.  

[Chopper 17,246]

Copying this over from the Germany thread where it was first posted because this one was dead...but someone bumped it:

Rome, beginning tomorrow, has instituted mask requirements for outdoor areas - shopping streets, popular attractions. We're all vaxxed (3) and will qualify for their "green pass" which we'd need to show to get in museums, restaurants, hotels, etc.

But, tell me how y'all feel about having to deal with an outdoor mask requirement while on vacation and doing a ton of walking around cities. I know it's subjective, obv some people are more comfortable wearing masks for long periods than others. I don't mind masking up to go indoors. But would you want to deal with masking up on outside tours or in popular outdoor shopping areas, or maybe just trekking across the city, while on vacation?

We're supposed to hit Rome, Sorrento/Naples, Palermo, Taormina/Catania, Florence, Verona and Venice. So far Rome is the only city with an outdoor mask requirement.

The other factor is we're supposed to be there - planes, trains, automobiles and hotels - over 4 weeks. There's a risk the Italian gov't may impose further restrictions, such as evening restaurant and bar closures after 18:00. Also I suppose there's also a risk of lockdowns, like they did last year, when things got really bad.

I don't want to cancel, but I also don't want to flush a lot of money on a long vacation that I may end up not being thrilled with.

Edited December 2, 2021 by Chopper

[Chopper 17,246]

The thread below makes me think that we ARE SO FUCKED. If you're vaxxed and boostered recently: Great. But if you're counting on other people to get vaxxed and boostered, and therefore stay out of hospitals, well, I'm feeling a bit hopeless. When the hospitals fill up is when the restrictions will likely be bolstered across the globe. God damn.

 

[Telegraph_it 3,359]

17 hours ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

Why does it take that long?  I've been guaranteed a result in 4-6 hours.  Most the PCR tests I see gurantee in 12 to 24.

I work off the worse case assumption. The main reason for not going is we will be leaving our 3 year old and 10 month old at home. If one of us tests positive I don't want to deal with that whole mess. 

[texasdago 7,579]

18 hours ago, Chopper said:

But, tell me how y'all feel about having to deal with an outdoor mask requirement while on vacation and doing a ton of walking around cities. I know it's subjective, obv some people are more comfortable wearing masks for long periods than others. I don't mind masking up to go indoors. But would you want to deal with masking up on outside tours or in popular outdoor shopping areas, or maybe just trekking across the city, while on vacation?

I put on a mask and deal with it.  

[zman13 180]

Anyone making summer plans to places that are currently closed to visitors, like Japan or Australia? Most countries are admitting travelers but there are a few countries that are closed off.

Curious if anyone bought tickets, hoping the country would re-open.

[midtown 3,348]

Anyone making summer plans to places that are currently closed to visitors, like Japan or Australia? Most countries are admitting travelers but there are a few countries that are closed off.
Curious if anyone bought tickets, hoping the country would re-open.

I'm trying to find a tour company for Laos as that's the only way to get in right now.

[Brisketexan 105,346]

37 minutes ago, midtown said:

2 hours ago, zman13 said:

Anyone making summer plans to places that are currently closed to visitors, like Japan or Australia? Most countries are admitting travelers but there are a few countries that are closed off.
Curious if anyone bought tickets, hoping the country would re-open.

I'm trying to find a tour company for Laos as that's the only way to get in right now.

I may be able to hook you up.  I have a connection.....