It is more than two weeks into what will likely be a two month trip in Europe. After a hiatus of two years I am back, running tours, researching and doing what I normally do. Although it is not quite normal. The pandemic continues and I am wrestling with ethical, personal and practical questions of this return to travel.

The decision to spend September and October in Europe was made gradually and fraught with uncertainty, concern and stress. Now that I am here, I am finding the rhythm of travelling again, although uncertainty and worry remain.

In March, April of this year, when cases were declining and countries were gradually opening their borders to non-essential travellers, the possibility of running some of our long delayed trips became more real. We gave the green light (always cautiously) to some tours. Then along came the Delta variant and the fourth wave, but also higher vaccination rates. Having set things in motion, the decision to go to Europe seemed out of my hands – as long as I had guests wanting to take a trip and entry requirements and local Covid protocol meant that we could run the trips as planned, I was getting on that plane.

The ethical aspects of a return to travel

The Canadian government still maintains a worldwide travel advisory against non-essential travel. This is a business trip for me, so technically I am good to go. Every single one of my Canadian guests registered for trips chose not to travel this year. Australians are simple not able to leave their island. Many other nationalities also took a pass this year, which I find very understandable. Just enough guests remain to run three tours this fall.

A recent Guardian article, in which three experts were consulted on the very question of “should you travel”, aligned with what I felt are the factors to be considered. There is no question that travel has contributed to the spread of the virus, including the new variants. Many of us need a break and feel that we deserve a holiday, especially to places where we might own a second home or have developed the custom of visiting regularly. If your plans take you to places where infections are relatively low, vaccination rates relatively high, and protection measures like proof of vaccination and mask wearing required then you are likely at a lower risk of exposure, travel complications if you do become infected, and a lower likelihood of transporting the virus home with you.

Travel and hospitality remain the hardest hit industries. Despite local tourism boosts, many businesses and employees remain deeply impacted. I understand this firsthand. Regardless, I have been appalled over the past year by some tourism business leaders who have promoted the lifting of all restrictions, insisting that economic interests are more important than lives and health. What is now apparent and I am seeing first hand while travelling in Europe, is that we can find ways to make travel work, carefully, during a pandemic. All of us have learnt that the on again, off again yoyo of travel planning is hard to take. Nonetheless it is not appropriate and perhaps not ethical to barge ahead regardless, presuming that you have the right to go anywhere without restraint.

Then there is the whole discussion about whether a return to travel means that things will just go back to the way things were before, with cruise ships disgorging passengers for an over-crowded day in a port to buy trinkets and an ice cream. This is a massive topic and fodder for a future post. Brief synopsis is that I hope it is true, but I am not particularly optimistic.

The personal aspects of a return to travel

At home in Winnipeg, I led a very sheltered and safe existence to date during this pandemic. So did the majority of my friends and acquaintances. I worked from home, did more and more virtually, mostly strictly adhered to provincial health orders including not having people into my home for months and not doing much otherwise indoors besides grocery shopping.  I didn’t and don’t want to get this disease, so embraced my inner hermit, as one friend put it. It is what you did.

Mentally preparing for this trip was almost as hard as all the practical aspects. As restrictions eased this past summer in Manitoba, I started to have some invitations to visit friends at their cottages and was able to travel there in a car with other people. So wonderful for so many reasons. After the first 24 hours at a cottage with a small group of friends, I realized that I was going to have to practice being around people more before I would be able to be on as a guide 24/7 during a tour.

I recognized that my risk of exposure would dramatically increase once I left Winnipeg. I was going to be in planes, trains and automobiles as well as in busy, crowded European cities. The concern about exposure has not diminished as I spend time here.  It still bothers me to see people wearing their masks around the chins or not covering their nose. Especially when it is a young person sitting opposite me on a three hour train ride, knowing that their age demographic typically has lower rates of vaccination. I remain uncomfortable in crowds, even outside and am unhappy on crowded railway stations, trains and other places.

In the last while before leaving Canada, I recognized that I was fixating on the worry. An attitude adjustment was required. I started thinking about what it would be like to see friends again, to stroll through an Italian piazza eating gelato, or admire great architecture and eat dishes that I have missed. I have been enjoying all those things, albeit cautiously. It is wonderful to be back. My pleasure seemed to be directly connected to my level of comfort which is related to reassurance. I felt much happier in northern Italy, where adherence to mask wearing, hand sanitizing and vaccination checking was very high. I walked out of a store in Salzburg where the clerk was not wearing a mask and told me not to bother with mine. France is a bit of a mixture and I am much happier in smaller towns and cities.

To sum up, I am not sure that I would jump on a plane any time in the near future just for a holiday here. I am enjoying many aspects of being in Europe again, but I am not completely at ease. Could be because I am from a Canadian city with a lot of space and high levels of vaccination and adherence to rules. Doesn’t matter – how you feel and what you do matter.

The practical aspects of a return to travel

There are definitely more things to figure out when planning a multi-country trip in Europe. Although they have largely been lifted now, entry restrictions were a problem and could be re-imposed. Until about 04 July, all my guests on our Austrian Lakes trip who were from France and the USA could enter Austria, but I could not as a Canadian – not even if I had previously spent two weeks in Europe. The day after that changed, flights between Toronto and Vienna were added to schedules and I booked my trip. The EU has recently recommended that its member states restrict the entry of Americans due to their soaring case and hospitalization numbers, which would be a significant issue for my two remaining trips. So far so good, but I remain poised for the possibility.

You also need to know the re-entry requirements for your own country, and especially where to get tests of the right kind in time for those returning to North America. Having the right apps on your phone and correctly filled in forms is essential. I breathed a sigh of relief when some guests from our Austrian Lakes tour got negative results on their pre-return tests. Not only did it mean that no one had to worry about quarantining, but if they were negative, then likely the rest of us were too.

There are different requirements for moving between countries with a remarkable number of different forms that need filling in. I am living by the Re-Open EU website and app on my phone.  I entered Switzerland on 19 September with nary a glance from the border agents, but apparently beginning on the 20^th, new forms are required. It seems that the level of verification is ad hoc, reliant primarily on spot checking. Travel Weekly pointed out that until there is harmonization of requirements, both within Europe and for people coming from abroad, travellers will remain skittish.

I saw someone unable to check in for their international trip because they had not brought the correct form of proof of vaccination. I was not able to eat indoors in Switzerland because I did not have a QR code that could be read. Obtaining a pass sanitaire in France is proving very difficult. Without one, I cannot eat in restaurants, not even on the terrace. Luckily this week I am in an apartment with a kitchen, but I could get very hungry next week when I start staying in hotels. The only solution right now is to be patient and potentially get tested every three days. I got caught by trusting secondary sources, and not official government sites. Travel is always about finding solutions and maximizing the positive and this is true even more now.

Tips to smooth your travels

1. Keep your travel plans simple. Tight connections and complicated itineraries can be difficult even in normal times, but there can be additional delays or unexpected requirements during a pandemic.
2. Be prepared to pay more, both generally and strategically. Knowing that I am still not fully comfortable in crowds, I took a taxi between Gare de Lyon and Gare de Montparnesse in Paris rather than the significantly cheaper and efficient metro. Extra bonus of a wee sightseeing tour of a city I love after a two year hiatus. Some travel prices, like flights are significantly higher. It is a reminder that travel is a luxury.
3. Recognize that things are arbitrary. Better to have everything filled in than scrambling at the last minute and potentially missing trains or planes.
4. Pay attention to your health generally. Travel can wear you down, and you can be more susceptible to infection of any kind when you are run down.
5. Be prepared. Stay aware of what is happening locally and internationally. Requirements can change virtually overnight. Recognize that a positive test or cessation of flights could radically alter your plans.
6. Use official websites and apps. There are lots of rumours on travel websites and often much that is inaccurate.
7. Buy the insurance. I shelled out big bucks for travel health insurance that included not only coverage should I get ill with covid, but also quarantine costs.
8. Enjoy the trip. Travel is still special and a great enrichment to our lives. Have that gelato in the piazza, enjoy a quieter Venice, and give the Mona Lisa your best grin.