COVID-19

My wife and I flew to Rome, Italy, Jan. 2, 2022, in order to see the Torlonia Marbles exhibit (ending Feb. 27). We transited through Munich, Germany.

Shortly before we flew to Germany, the country changed its COVID testing requirements for those transiting and required a 24-hour rapid antigen or 48-hour PCR test. (The previous requirement was a PCR test taken within 72 hours.) This caused us to scramble because we had appointments for tests that would not meet the new requirements.

During three months of heavy travel in late 2021, I experienced difficulties when it came to the COVID-19 testing, tracing and reporting requirements imposed by multiple countries. Here are some choice examples of what a nightmare it was to comply with a few countries’ COVID-entry requirements.

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Dear Globetrotter:

My wife, Bev, and I took a safari trip to Tanzania, Oct. 11-28, 2021, during which we also took a side trip to Nairobi, Kenya, for one night. Our group was accompanied by two expert guides and local camp driver-guides.

We stayed at Ngare Sero Mountain Lodge, Arusha; Roho ya Selous, Nyerere National Park; Kigelia Ruaha, Ruaha National Park; Kuro Tarangire, Tarangire National Park; Elewana Arusha Coffee Lodge, below Mt. Meru, and the Fairview Hotel, Nairobi.

For a Ryanair flight from Edinburgh, Scotland, to Dublin, Ireland, departing May 23, 2020, on Jan. 14 I booked tickets for our tour group of eight through Roxanne McCallum at the excellent travel agency Travelosophy (Commerce Township, MI; 800/332-2687, itravelosophy.com). The cost was $727.11 total, or about $91 per person.

In late March 2020, Roxanne informed me that, due to COVID-19, Ryanair had canceled all of its April and May flights.

I used the COVID-19 travel downtime to renew my passport for planned travel at the end of 2021.