This post contains observations from our trip to Greece and Italy in late October and early November of 2021. WARNING: This information is correct as of this writing to the best of my knowledge based on my observations, but the policies and restrictions related to COVID-19 continue to change frequently and only official documentation should be used to fully understand a given nation's entry requirements at any given time.
Vaccination Cards are Required and Checked
We needed to show our vaccination cards to enter nations as we expected, but were required to show them many additional times while in Greece and Italy. We had to show them at some restaurants to dine indoors. We needed to show them to enter museums and other indoor attractions and even needed them to enter attractions that were mostly outdoors such as the Colosseum and Heptapyrgion Fortress.
Although COVID-19 vaccination may not be required in some cases, it is typically easier for those who are vaccinated and have the cards showing that than it is for those who need to take COVID tests frequently and show negative results for entry. In some cases, entry may not be allowed at all for the unvaccinated and in other cases tests may be required even for the vaccinated.
Masks are Required
As is the case in many parts of the United States, people are generally expected to wear masks when indoors or when in busy places outdoors except when eating and drinking. Airline passengers and train passengers are also expected to wear masks except when eating and drinking.
Multiple Checkpoints ("Chokepoints") Abound
We traveled through Frankfurt in both directons and the experience in that airport was far less efficient than one would hope for. Long lines are common and many travelers worry (with reason) that they might not make their connecting flights. I recommend that anyone traveling through Frankfurt schedule plenty of time for the layover. Better yet, consider flights that fly directly from your home nation to your destination nation of choice and avoid the extra hassles associated with entry into a third nation.
On our way to Greece, we had a layover in Frankfurt and were in line to enter the European Union for over 45 minutes. With only a 2-hour layover and the added time to walk between our arrival terminal and the departure terminal, this left us with less time to make our connection flight to Thessaloniki than we would have desired. We were required to show our passport and CDC vaccination card in Frankfurt and then again in Greece (where we also needed to show our Greece Passenger Locator Form).
On the return flight, we again had a layover in Frankfurt. This much longer layover allowed plenty of time for standing in multiple lines, but it still is unpleasant to spend so much time in line. We again had to get in line for our vaccination cards to be checked before we could enter the terminal with gates for travel to the United States and other nations. When we finally got through that line, we sat where we could charge our devices. While we were sitting there, the checkpoint for checking vaccination cards was moved further into the airport terminal so that we needed to go through that line again (at least it was relatively short this second time)! One of the frustrating things about the first line is that we chose our line poorly and had the agent who also checked the vaccination cards of those who were riding on carts instead of walking. Because the agent always checked the passengers of the carts as soon as they arrived (probably in an effort to free up the carts as quickly as possible), those of us in line had to watch around 15 people arriving around the same time all get their vaccination cards examined while we just stood there.
Nations of the European Union and Schengen Area Set Their Own Policies and Restrictions
Although Greece and Italy are both part of the European Union and are both part of the Schengen Area, they have their own distinct entry requirements related to COVID-19. Although the individual nations have their own requirements and processes, it was easier to travel to Italy after being in Greece for 14 days because we did not need to take a COVID-19 test before flying to Italy.
We were able to fill out the nation-specific entry documentation for Greece and Italy online. A single Passenger Locator Form was encouraged per family for Greece entry while Italy required an EU Digital Passenger Locator Form per individual entering Italy. I found it interesting that only three nations (at the time of this writing) appear to be using the EU Passenger Locator Form (Italy, Malta, and Slovenia).
There is an EU Digital COVID Certificate, but for Americans traveling in Europe, the CDC COVID vaccination white cards are generally considered valid substitutes.
Because each nation sets its own policies, it is best to repeatedly review each nation's requirements before and during travel to those nations. Good sources of information include the COVID-19 pages those nations manintain and the U.S. Embassy pages for those nations. The Re-open EU site can also be helpful.
Uncertainty Abounds and Adaptability is a Must
The policies and restrictions related to COVID-19 continue to change in different nations of the world. More than ever, it's important to purchase travel insurance and to purchase flights, lodging, and activities that are as changeable or refundable as possible.
Re-entry into the United States
When the European vacation is almost over, there is still a need to deal with COVID-19 entry policies for those returning to the United States. The requirements depend on vaccination status and for those who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19, the requirements are to fill out the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) form and to produce negative results of a viral COVID-19 test taken within 3 days before return to the United States (or evidence of recovery from COVID-19). Unfortunately, I could not find a way to submit the APIS form electronically. It appeared that one needed to print it out and sign the hard copy. I printed it out at the hotel we were staying at for our last night, but Lufthansa Airlines did have some copies of it for passengers when we were checking in for our flight.
Some Attractions Will be Closed or Have Very Limited Operating Hours
Although most of the things we wanted to do were available, we did find some restaura and shops in the nations we visited and in the airports to still be closed due to the pandemic. There were some attractions and tours not operating because of the pandemic and some had their availability reduced. We also ran into issues where schedules were changed due to effects of COVID-19. For example, protests against COVID-19 policies in Greece and Italy impacted our ability to get to an Athens restaurant and to enter the Roman Forum. The "Green Pass" and other COVID-19 restrictions are not welcomed by everyone as this photo in Rome shows.
Conclusion
COVID-19 has caused new issues for travelers wanting to travel to and between other nations. In addition to carrying a passport, travelers must submit entry forms and carry related documentation and must carry evidence of vaccination and/or evidence of testing negative for COVID-19 to enter nations and to participate in some activities within those nations. However, we found that those we met in Greece and Italy were generally welcoming to us and doing what they could to ensure that travelers can visit their beautiful countries.
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