Thoughts about Italy right now??

Hello fellow travelers, and good day. We are scheduled to head to Italy in a couple weeks. Fly into Rome, on the Naples, high speed train up to Florence, and then leave home from Venice. I fully expect to have our Venice stop cancelled, but wonder what all you would think about going right now to the places south of the virus line? I'm not too worried at this time, but I'm usually the one too laid back.

Personally I would go and not focus on what if's. But, "If" I had a health issue and my immune system was compromised I don't think I would travel that far. I am editing a previous trip report because the pics are gone, it happens to include a couple days in Florence! Enjoy your trip!

ScurvyD I wrote that knee jerk response without really educating myself on the current conditions specifically in Italy. Of course I knew that a few cases were spreading to other countries, but I just read several recent articles that describe what the Lombardy and Veneto regions are going through. The "lock downs" in certain cities and towns, with designated "red zones" including road blocks and discontinued train service etc, would concern me as a traveler or resident. I did read that the Duomo should reopen in a few days, I could read that as a positive and that they must believe they have a better handle on the spread, or a negative because they want to send a message that would help tourism? I hope the current upward trend of the spread slows considerably over the coming days. Sorry this is impacting your trip.

I would be concerned because I wouldn't want to get quarantined when I got back home, or refused entry into the country. Pretty soon it is going to be literally everywhere, I think, which is really a scary thought.

We are in the same boat… Except our trip is 6 weeks away. So, I think by then the virus will be gone or Italy will be on total locked down. Our decision process will be made much easier in either case. We are going to remain optimistic, but do realize we may not be able to go.

I have heard that some airlines / travel insurance companies are not allowing cancellations or refunds. While others like United and Delta are allowing to reschedule without a fee or cancel and use money for a future flight. No cash back. Which I guess is fair.

However, I have read that in many travel policies have exclusion statements like: Your disinclination to travel due to an epidemic or pandemic… Simply translated – no money if you decide not to travel because of a virus outbreak. Will be reading our policy carefully this weekend.

Our current plans are 6 days in Rome and then 7 days in Tuscany. Our Tuscany stay will be on a working farm surrounded by Chianti vineyards. The bad news is we will be only about 50 miles south of the dividing line recommended for self-quarantine currently.

I have also been reading the BBC reports that Milan is opening things back up again, and even in some of the small quarantine towns face masks are no longer required in the grocery stores. The US news makes it sound a more dire situation in Italy then European outlets. Albeit, no matter who is reporting it is SERIOUS issue. Also adding to the confusion of USA travelers is Trump’s mentioning possible future travel restrictions to Italy. Oh well I will not get political…. (see I am getting better Carol)

The upside of this situation… I would think Italy would be a whole lot less crowded with tourist! I know that sounds bad, but the last time I was in Rome I got beat up by folks with those damn selfie sticks that were thick as bees around hive. I can also say about being stuck longer (which I realize is not the same as quarantine) in a place is not all bad. 10 years ago, my wife and I were stuck in Amsterdam for an extra week because of the Icelandic volcano. We had a really a fun time, with no tourist coming in, museums not crowded, and the finest restaurants easily available for reservations.

ScurvyD - please keep us in the loop as you go forward in your decision process. I know it will be helpful for all of us that will follow you.

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Tom--you are the ultimate optimist if you think the virus will be 'gone' in 6 weeks. Best of luck.

Carol - I will take your comment as a compliment.

Don Quixote always was a favorite and true inspiration

Tom--I never really thought of you as a 'windmills' kinda person, but I've been wrong before. Anyway, hope it works out for you, as I always look forward to your trip reports!

Tom, think Rome to Sardinia!!

Beerman,

That would be an option to reroute where we are traveling.

The downside of that is I won a discounted week lodging at the farm/B&B in Tuscany link: l'Aiolina
And I am pumped to visit the surrounding wineries.

Not real excited about Rome... However, I was able to get Sacvi Tickets. That is the Vatican Underground tour and Night tickets to the Sistine Chapel for a concert.
I am excited about those two events, but if the Vatican starts shutting down... I would be totally bummed.

I do want to go to Sardinia - Just not this trip.
An ideal retirement trip for me would be Sardinia, Corsica, and Sicily for a week each.

Being the windmill kinda guy... On the bright side it is the first day of no reported new cases in Italy.

I forgot this was your prize trip. I'll stay positive for you and ScurvyD!

Talked to my daughter today in Vicenza. 4 new cases there and anticipating lockdown on army base. She mentioned that rumor has it that air travel will soon be shutdown

Unfortunately, TravelHat I think your daughter's warning will come true.

Our chariot home is on United and they have already started cutting flights to Asia.
Italy moving up on the active cases list may fuel them to do the same to Italy...
Have not heard anything on Swiss Air regarding our flight over the pond going East

The Italian Travel Ministry is still saying PLEASE COME.
Not that I would expect anything less

But I am still optimistic....

Got an email last night from tour company that our trip is cancelled. Haven't heard what our options are yet.

ScurvyD - Sorry to hear that...
Please keep us in the loop as the dust settles on the cancellation.
Curious how your travel company will handle the trip.

We are on our own and so it will be up to us unless the airlines say no.

ScurvyD--sorry this happened to you. As Tom said, please let us know how it turned out..

So cases of the virus on the rise in Italy growing

Delta will stop flights going to Milan on Monday
Last return from Milan on Tuesday
Will not start again until May 1
Rome, our destination, still open.

Trump making noise that he is considering limiting travel to Italy in total

So we were suppose to go to Cuba last year and month before we were to leave he shutdown trips to Cuba.
Now this...
I hope this is not going to become a pattern
If we have to re-plan our trip please no one tell him where we are going

You must be a deep stater😀. They are telling people not to leave their region. I don’t know if you land in Rome you can go to Tuscany and return.

They are trying to reschedule us for this summer. I'm not sure it won't get worse before it gets better.

ScurvyD--tough times, but I'd rather be cancelled now, than possibly go and have to get quarantined on the trip home. Supposedly the virus does not do well in heat, so possibly the situation will be better by the summer??

So we are in a different situation. We are independent travelers so it is all on us.

Complicating things to save money, I booked our tickets through the Lufthansa web site. However we are flying to Europe on Swiss Air and Returning from Europe on United. So the question becomes, who do you call when things go south. I decided to try to figure that out.

So I started by calling Lufthansa. The Lufthansa agent (A HUMAN) picked up on the first ring! I was very happy!!

I explained the situation of buying my tickets online from Lufthansa, but flying on their partners Swiss Air and United for my trip. She reviewed my record… Drum roll please….

Sir, Lufthansa, and their partners, are still operating normally to Rome. Currently, there are no waivers for rescheduling or cancelling at this time to Rome. However, if the virus continues and it causes service to be stopped or suspended to Rome then you will contact Lufthansa and reschedule with no fees or you will be able to cancel and receive a full refund.

So our place in Rome, I can cancel up to 24 hours before the date. (Yes, I could have saved money by paying up front... but I did not)

Our place in Tuscany is a prize for winning a contest. If we go I will be flipping over the moon.... If not - nothing lost.

As for quarantine: Six weeks from now my guess is that Italy will be over the hump and the USA will be in the thick of it.
So Italy probably will not want us (or not allow us) to come. The shoe will be on the other foot.
But if they made me stay in my home for 14 days on my return... I would say thank you.
If they put me in a barracks in the suburbs of DC, I would be very unhappy.
If they said, you cannot leave Italy and you will have to stay in this designate place.... I would ask which wine they were serving.

So there is just too many unknowns that I cannot worry at this time. We are suppose to leave 4/15. By then the US Government or the Italian Government will tell me if I welcomed or cannot travel.

Until then I will live by my new mantra...

Please say a prayer for all those who are sick, and then go WASH your HANDS!!!!

Good luck, Tom! Keep us advised.

Tentatively scheduled for July 16. Keeping our fingers crossed. If that does not work, we will go next spring break.

OK. Hope it works out for you.

July just got cancelled. Hopefully we can go next spring break, or at least that's the plan. I read the optimistic posts on the BVI thread, but I'm not buying it. I don't think anyone will travel internationally until the fall at the earliest. I hope I am wrong.

Sorry about your trip, but it's the new reality, I guess. Anyone who says they know what's going to happen is lying or a fool, or both.

ScurvyD sorry about your trip, we cancelled our July charter as well. I want to thank you for starting this thread on February 27th, why? that's actually the exact day I started reading about the virus and began opening my eyes. After I made my initial knee jerk reply to your question, not only did I begin reading, I called my daughter who is finishing her grad work in epidemiology, She said it was serious, I realized I might be blinded by TV talking heads. The following weekend we picked up our daughter from school for spring break not realizing she would not return to campus, she had us using hand sanitizer all the way home. Fast forward just 5 weeks.....we've been hunkered down since returning home. I'm very happy to have our daughter at home, some of her friends did not go home for spring break and are stuck in their apartments at school. Stay healthy everyone.

No worries my friend. Hope all is well.

We have Italy booked for October. Right now we are just leaving it sit. Some of us have written it off already and some are saying wait and see.

Being patient is the only option right now.

I certainly could use a vacation...

Stay healthy everyone!

Ellen

Amen to that.