19 European Travel Stories from the COVID Pandemic: Road Trips and (mis) Adventures
The year 2020 will be remembered forever. Not only did it change the way we live and interact with each other, but it also derailed travel and moving plans for many. The European continent is popular with travelers, for its history, road trips, outdoors, and city breaks.
But with European borders closing, international travelers were no longer invited, and locals had to follow new rules and regulations. The summer of 2020 saw slight ease in restrictions, including the creation of clusters or bubbles to allow domestic travel.
In this post, we will showcase travel stories from Europe during the pandemic, from tales of ex-pats trying to move back or get a resident permit, to many re-discovering their local favorites and exploring their own backyard.
Europe Travel Stories from the COVID pandemic: That became a hot mess!
With the outbreak of the pandemic, so many travelers either canceled their plans entirely or came up with a feasible (in present circumstances) Plan B. Ex-pat travel during this time was tricky, but it all pays off when you get to explore rugged landscapes, safely.
Changing travel plans in the middle of COVID: getting Turkish residency & exploring Eastern Turkey
By Sasha Kasthuriarachchi from the United Kingdom
Where were you planning to travel in 2020?
We started 2020 just like any other year: with a three-month house sitting stint in Southern Turkey. This is something we had done over the past three years as winters in this part of Turkey are generally gorgeously sunny and mild (basically much nicer than the wet, grey winter back home in the UK).
After our three months were up, we planned to travel to Armenia and Georgia and then explore the ‘Stans of Central Asia (something we had been itching to do for years), before heading to Iran.
How did your travel plans come change during the 2020 pandemic?
Then Covid hit. On the news we watched as borders closed, people started panic-buying toilet rolls, and suddenly international travel ground to a halt. In Turkey, weekend curfews and masks became mandatory and intercity travel was banned. We realized we weren’t going to be going anywhere fast.
And so we decided to switch our plans completely and apply for Turkish residency. After falling in love with Istanbul during our first visit in 2008, we’d always talked about living there one day, but couldn’t really justify doing this on a 90-day visitor visa, as there was so much else to see in the country.
But seeing as 2020 had thrown a huge spanner in our travel plans, maybe now was the time to fulfill a longstanding dream. And so, we applied for a short term tourist permit, crossed our fingers, and hoped for the best.
Whilst domestic and international travel was at a standstill, our house sitting host generously let us stay on for three more months, which was great because we had somewhere safe to stay during the peak of the pandemic and weekend lockdowns.
We also joined Facebook groups for UK citizens in Turkey, which kept us up to date on measures the government was introducing to fight the virus and monitored cases in our area on the Turkish HES coronavirus app.
Our residency permit was granted in April and as the country opened up again for tourism in June, we headed to Istanbul. All flight and bus bookings now require a special health code, but this is easy to get if you have a Turkish mobile number.
Luckily for us, most of the restrictions were eased over the next four months and so we could enjoy all the amazing things that the city had to offer including cafe hopping (the summer months allowed for sitting outside which was one of the rules) and eating amazing Turkish breakfasts to our hearts’ content.
In November, we decided to hit the road again and explore Eastern Turkey. Cases started to rise around the country one month into our trip and new restrictions were introduced, including restaurants only serving takeaway food; curfews, and weekend lockdowns. Traveling now requires a bit more preparation – we try to stay in apartments so we can cook/reheat our own food and the extra space means we don’t kill each other when we are locked in at weekends! (Hotels with a restaurant are the next best option!)
What were your best memories of the trip?
One of the most memorable things about traveling in this period, apart from having the most incredible tourist sites all to ourselves, is the many new friends we have made. With fewer visitors around, locals are even more eager to talk to you about life in Turkey, politics, and of course, the pandemic. We’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve been invited to have socially distanced coffee, breakfast, and dinner in people’s homes and experienced Turkish hospitality at its finest.
What is your travel blog? My blog is called Mog and Dog Travels.
Where can we find you on social media? You can find me on Instagram @moganddogtravels
We are relying on the internet and social media platforms to stay connected more than ever. Here is a story of how Facebook came to the rescue when it came time to unite grandparents to new born baby.
A newborn baby, pandemic travel & ex-pat struggles: A Facebook Miracle Story
By Giulia Dal Pont Spritz from Budapest, Hungary
Where is your home base?
My hometown is Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, but I live in Budapest, Hungary, with my Polish husband and our son.
Where were you planning to travel in 2020?
We were planning local trips in Hungary and Italy.
How did your travel plans materialize in the year of the pandemic?
For us, travel in 2020 was different not only because of the pandemic but mostly because we had a baby! I rediscovered the value of our independence as an ex-pat family in Budapest, but also how much I missed my parents in Italy.
Sending pictures and doing video calls wasn’t enough: I decided that our baby’s first Christmas had to be shared with his grandparents.
Traveling from Hungary to Italy seemed incredibly complicated: flights and buses were limited or non-existent, plus we had to carry also the stroller, the car seat, and a backpack for our baby. At least, being residents in Hungary but Italian nationals, we were allowed to travel.
Clearly, traveling by car was the most convenient and safest choice: it takes 8 hours from Budapest to my hometown, Cortina d’Ampezzo. I couldn’t believe that renting a car from Budapest to Venice would cost 1700 EUROS!
Hungarian borders were closed to tourists, so my parents could not drive to Budapest and pick us up. A friend could drive us to the border with Slovenia, and my parents could pick us up there… were we going to cross on foot? Was it even possible?
Surprisingly (or not), Facebook offered a solution! On one of the groups for Italians in Hungary, a professional driver advertised their services: they travel with people and packages between Italy and Hungary! It felt surreal to “book” our trip on Messenger!
Concerned with sitting in a closed space with strangers for hours, we paid a higher fee in order to travel by car instead of a minivan. This way, there were just three of us and the driver in the car. We wore the mask for a while, but eventually, we took it off.
Crossing the border to Austria and then to Italy was quite thrilling! We passed the controls easily, as we were prepared with documents and paperwork.
My parents picked us up at a service area on the highway: the smile on their faces when they hugged their grandson was the best Christmas present I could have asked for.
What is your travel blog? My travel blog is Travelling Sunglasses
Where can we find you on social media? You can find me on Instagram:@travelling_sunglasses
Being sick on a trip is tough. But it is nerve-wracking when a global pandemic is declared. Delphine was on a ski vacation when she fell sick, and her travel plans changed completely.
A ski vacation turned into a covid nightmare
By Delphine Mignon from Sydney, Australia
Where were you planning to travel in 2020?
Our 2020 plan was to go skiing in French Alps.
How did your skiing plans come together during the pandemic?
Very few travelers will look back at 2020 with fondness. For most of us, 2020 has been a year of cut wings and travel flops. At best, people have canceled their plans and hold on to travel credits; for others, things went very wrong.
My 2020 travel plans had been in place for a long time, and when February came along, I wanted to believe all was going to be well. It was a trip home to France and I felt quite safe. The flight over was more empty than usual, and people wiped their seats and armrests onboard, but no one wore masks.
I spent a few days in Paris visiting family and things felt pretty normal, with no social distancing to speak of on the streets and public transport. The real holiday started when my husband and some friends joined me for a week of skiing in the French Alps, in my house.
We set out to hire ski gear and enjoy the fresh snow, but within a few days, headaches and sore muscles started and I took to my bed. That same day, a worldwide pandemic was declared. It took a few more days for the reality to sink in: my travel companions and I had caught the virus and the world was going into lockdown.
Our friends managed to leave but my husband and I stayed behind, as I was too sick to travel. All of this was followed by three weeks of extreme fatigue, and by the time we could consider leaving, our airline had closed its flights back to Australia.
Thankfully, we were able to switch to another airline and flew on a virtually empty plane. Before that, we had experienced a 600-km drive back to Paris on a mostly empty highway.
And upon returning to Australia, we had to undergo 14-days of hotel quarantine. Not the travel plans I had in mind but we came out alive!
What is your travel blog? My blog is called Lester Lost
Where can we find you on social media? You can find me on Facebook @lesterlost
Being stuck at home, many of us took to honing our passions from blogging, catch up on reading, and of course the never-ending Netflix marathon. Catalin headed to Stockholm techno rave party during the pandemic. You see, Sweden was experimenting with ‘herd immunity’ and no restrictions. But the spread was going out of control, even in Sweden. She was in for a surprise that night when Sweden went into lockdown too!
Techno rave party in Stockholm turned to ghost city experience during the pandemic
By Catalin Geangos from Romania
What is your home base?
I’m based in Romania for now, and in the last 6 years, I’ve spent it in the UK.
Where were you planning to travel in 2020?
My initial plan was to travel in Southeast Asia for 1-2 years but in March I had to leave Myanmar because of the COVID-19.
Where in Europe did you travel during the coronavirus pandemic?
Since the beginning of April, I was at my parent’s house in Romania and learned as much as I could about what it takes to be a travel blogger. I also invested in new equipment, video, and photo editing and built up my website – Travel Trained, and based on my previous SEO experience I’ve managed to hit 5k unique visitors/month in just 8 months. My goal is to reach 10k visitors/month in the first year and also to be back on the road.
From April 2020, I only traveled outside of Romania once.
On 20th November I managed to fly from Bucharest, Romania to Stockholm, Sweden. The main reason to get there was a techno rave party but, apart from this, I also missed a lot of the backpacking life, the feeling of being in the airport, and the freedom of traveling.
Once I landed off in Stockholm I realized the freedom that I was expecting, people were allowed to go into the bars, drink, and no safety measures at all. Nobody was wearing face masks at the time.
The big surprise of the trip was after I checked into the most social hostel in Stockholm. No people to talk with or hang out with. And that wasn’t even the biggest disappointment. I went into the hostel bar and ordered the overpriced beer, about 8$ for a pint. After I had a little chat with the bartender, he told me there won’t be any more parties as, from today (at that time), every place is allowed to sell drinks only until 10 pm and to close by 10:30 pm.
Just my luck!
Stuck in Stockholm in very bad weather, by myself, with no real chances to find people to socialize with. My trip was saved after I went on a free walking tour the next day where I met really nice people and hung out together for the next few days.
What is your travel blog? My blog is called TravelTrained.
Iceland was one of the first few countries to open up borders for international visitors. It is also one of the European nations that implemented a rigorous testing system. Here is Elisa shares her COVID testing challenges and traveling to Iceland during this time. Her reward was – no tourists, just a few travelers in Iceland!
COVID Test Challenges when traveling to Iceland during the pandemic
By Elisa van Velzen from Alkmaar, The Netherlands
Where were you planning to travel in 2020?
We had planned an epic trip to Iceland for 2020!
How did your Iceland trip pan out given the in 2020 travel restrictions?
In January 2020 we booked a summer trip to Iceland. In March, COVID-19 hit Europe. Multiple trips were canceled. I feared our trip to Iceland would meet the same fate.
With borders closed, negative travel advice, stricter COVID-19 measures, and so many uncertainties.
Five days prior to our planned trip, the Icelandic authorities announced new rules, which were effective on our departure date – five days of quarantine plus a 2nd COVID-19 test.
We decided to depart two days earlier. We took a COVID-19 test and anxiously awaited the results before rescheduling our outward flight, rental car, accommodation, etc. Lots of work. In the meantime, I received the sad news a befriended former colleague had passed away.
What a rollercoaster!
Luckily my boss approved and everything could be rescheduled with little extra costs. Two extra days in Iceland – great!
We home-quarantined ourselves until leaving for the airport. We did a COVID-19 test upon arrival and switched on the tracking app. No quarantine, but the 2nd test on day 4-6.
To limit the risks, we rented a car first for only 36 hours. With a negative airport test result, we would extend the rental for the rest of our stay. During the night we received the test results and an email saying we had to get the 2nd test in Reykjavik on Saturday afternoon, which we planned on doing in Höfn on Friday.
Did we have to drive 16 hours by car or change our roundtrip plan again?
Several emails and phone calls later we got the approval to get the 2nd test in Höfn on Friday. The car rental company offered an extension without us having to drive back to the airport.
Our holiday could finally begin.
What a hassle! But absolutely worth the unique experience of visiting this gorgeous country with fewer tourists!
Where can I read more? The whole story is here – traveling to Iceland during COVID-19.
Where can we find you on social media? You can find me on Facebook @flitterfever.
Joyful travels in Europe despite the coronavirus pandemic
With the majority of Europe under lockdown, and with borders opening up in clusters in the summer provided an opportunity to those living in Europe to explore their favorite cities minus international tourists.
Exploring an Italian City during the pandemic: Venice without Crowds
By Helene D’Souza from Austria
Where were you planning to travel in 2020?
We were planning a trip to Italy.
Did you travel to Italy during the 2020 pandemic?
We traveled by car from Austria to Venice back in July during the main summer holiday season. It’s a 4 hours drive across the alps. Venice is known to be super crowded and the city has been struggling with mass tourism in the past years. We saw and experienced Venice with other eyes.
The city was not crowded, the water channels were not polluted but rather clear, the people who visited seemed to be genuine travelers, who were interested in the city’s history and it’s beauty. We had a great time!
Local restaurant and bar owners welcomed us and shared their perspective of the city. We saw locals living in the city, roaming about and we talked to some of them. Most were glad to see the city without tourist masses, some were hit by the pandemic and struggled with their businesses.
When we strolled around the city, we always wore masks. Wearing masks in shops was anyway compulsory and it never bothered us. We did see some tourists running around without masks but because there were no large crowds forming, it was rather easy to keep away. We didn’t wait in queues to visit most sights but the Rialto bridge seemed to be a bit busy. We can only imagine how it must be during peak season!
What is your travel blog? My travel blog is Masala Herb.
Germany loosened some of its restrictions during the summer, and a few of the travelers we interviewed here visited popular German destinations, which were now deserted (and not crowded).
Exploring Dresden Germany during COVID-19 partial lockdown
By Evelina Nodara from Greece
Where were you planning to travel in 2020?
I was planning a trip to Dresden in Germany.
Did you get to travel to Dresden, Germany in the year of the pandemic?
I traveled to Dresden when Germany was under a so-called nationwide “lockdown light”. Overnight stays in hotels for tourist purposes were banned, however, I was lucky enough to visit loved ones and relatives in the county of Saxony.
Traveling under Covid-19 restrictions was weird to experience. I took a flight to Berlin and then traveled to Dresden by train. I felt perfectly safe, took all the measures required such as keeping a distance of 2m and wearing a mask (over mouth and nose).
All major Dresden tourist attractions were closed, including museums and churches observatories. All events were canceled, the cafes and restaurants were closed too.
Dresden looked like a ghost city in the early morning hours. Should have been the only time I traveled to a city without crowds. I was allowed entrance only to Dresden Frauenkirche and marveled at magnificent views into the inner dom and Kreuzkirche, Church of the Holy Cross, within a short space of time in both of them. Most retail shops had remained open during Germany’s partial shutdown!
What I loved the most about this trip was that I had the chance to explore gorgeous Dresden on foot, see all of the main sights (from the outside), walk around the highlight of Dresden, Zwinger, without crowds, and capture the quiet side of city life through my lockdown lens!
What is your travel blog? My blog is called evbeing.
Where can we find you on social media? On Pinterest @evbeing.
Physical or better known as social distancing is the norm these days. This story from Veronika is a delightful read, where she undertook a small group tour to explore the outdoors. Travel agencies are adhering to health and safety rules outlined by their local governments to keep participants safe.
Hiking in Bulgaria with a small group tour during the pandemic
By Veronika Primm from Czech Republic
Where were you planning to travel in 2020?
I was planning a trip to Bulgaria.
How did your travel to Bulgaria during the COVID-19 pandemic go?
In the Czech Republic in the middle of Europe where most Covid restrictions were substantially lifted in the summer of 2020. I used the opportunity to go on a trip to the Bulgarian mountains – Rila and Pirin.
It was an organized trip with a Czech outdoor travel agency and we traveled by bus. Crossing all borders on the way was relatively smooth and we didn’t face any hurdles. We had to wear our facemasks at gas stations and at border checks, but that was it.
During the trip, we hiked with all our gear in the mountains and spent our nights at mountain huts far from civilization, without any road access. There the business went as usual and apart from one mountain cabin being closed, nothing looked out of the ordinary.
To get to the mountains, we used a ski lift. The operators were diligent about spraying all the cabins with disinfectant and making sure everybody had their masks on.
Otherwise, it felt quite wonderful and free to hike through the mountains, be mostly away from wifi and mobile signal, and not hear about coronavirus every single day. We faced all kinds of weather conditions, but nothing that would stop us.
On the last full day of the trip, we hiked to Vihren, the second highest peak in Bulgaria. The weather really got us there. It was crazy windy and so foggy we couldn’t see the path, let alone any views. The wind even knocked me down once and I scratched my hand on the rocks. Still, it was a fun challenge and I’m very fond of the whole trip. 2020 was a stark reminder that travel cannot be taken for granted.
What is your travel blog? My blog is Travel Geekery
Where can we find you on social media? You can find me on Instagram: @TravelGeekery
If visiting cities during COVID-19, it is important to abide by the rules of the locality and individual sites. Museums and attraction sites have timed entry, and limited visitors on-site. Dymphe visited Acropolis in the summer of 2020 and was happy to explore the Greek Ruins minus crowds.
Visiting Athens with new regulations for covid safety
By Dymphe from Amsterdam
Where were you planning to travel in 2020?
I had many travel plans for 2020. I was planning on traveling through Europe by train and visiting as many countries as possible. However, because of covid, I chose to go to a place for a longer time.
How was you slow experience in Europe during the coronavirus restrictions?
Last summer I went to Athens. Athens is the capital city of Greece and I already visited it before Covid several times. This time there were some things that were very different from usual.
First of all, I arrived at the airport in Athens at midnight. When I was on the airplane I got a form from the government of Greece that I needed to fill in. I had to provide information about our health, where I stayed for the last few weeks, and more.
After that, I could be subject to a Covid test based on the form, but this didn’t happen to me. In Athens, it was required to wear a face mask in some locations, such as in public transport. I took some extra measures for myself.
One of these measures was to avoid public transport. I stayed in the center of Athens, making public transport unnecessary. Also, I wore a face mask at places where it wasn’t required.
A very memorable experience during my trip was visiting the Acropolis every day of the week in the morning. I love the Acropolis and I think it’s a very impressive piece of history.
Walking up to the Acropolis is a very relaxing activity and seeing it so many times in a row is a very special thing to do. Visiting the Acropolis would be more difficult normally. But it’s a very suitable activity during covid, as it is outside and it’s very large, so you can easily keep a distance from other people.
If you ever have one day in Athens you should definitely visit the Acropolis!
What is your travel blog? My blog is called Dymabroad.
Where can we find you on social media? You can find me on Instagram @Dymabroad.
Canary Island is an amazing visit to escape the winters in Spain. With flights resuming to the islands, and with revised COVID-19 hygiene protocols, Philip had a fabulous time exploring Gran Canaria.
Visiting Gran Canaria at the height of the 2nd wave of Coronavirus
By Philipp Muders from Germany
Where were you planning to travel in 2020?
Marseille & Côte d’Azur (France), Backpacking Africa: From South Africa to Zanzibar (incl. Victoria Falls) – both trips canceled by the airline.
How did you travel despite the covid restrictions?
At the end of November – the beginning of December, exactly in the tough German Corona Lockdown, I traveled to the Canary Island of Gran Canaria. A great warm destination to avoid the cold European winter – and especially not a risk area from a German point of view at this point in time.
In order to be allowed to travel to the Canaries, you have to show a negative corona test, which is also used to check-in hotels and other accommodations. In addition, the Spanish Corona warning app “Radar Covid” must be installed on the smartphone, and registration with Spain Travel Health must be made upon entry. A temperature check was carried out at Las Palmas airport.
In Spain, you have to wear a mask everywhere – even on the street. They can only be removed from the seat in restaurants and bars.
I had the queasiest feeling during the flight. Again, the mask must be worn during the entire flight time. However, the mask can be removed during drinks or snack breaks – which of course the other passengers made ample use of. The flight was fully occupied and it feels very strange to suddenly have strangers sitting close who do not wear a mask.
Nevertheless, from my point of view, the effort was worth it and I had perfect days in Las Palmas and all of Gran Canaria.
What is your travel blog? My site is JOURNICATION Travel Blog.
Where can we find you on social media? You can find me on Facebook @journication.
Socially Distance: European Road trips during COVID-19
2020 saw a lot of travelers opting for physically distant vacations, venturing into the lesser-known destinations. And road trips were the way to go. Read about Jiayi’s fairytale summer holidays road tripping through Slovakia’s pretty towns, villages, and castles!
Exploring Slovakia’s medieval towns, villages, and hidden gems, in a socially distant road trip
By Jiayi Wang from London
Where were you planning to travel in 2020?
I was planning to travel to Kazakhstan in May this year which got canceled obviously.
Did you travel during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in Europe?
This year, I explored one of the best dream travel destinations in the world that not many people know about: Slovakia. Since my partner is from there, we spent a few months with his family there to get through the pandemic together.
We took a Covid test before flying and right after we landed. We also quarantined for 5 days as per the rules of the country, and once we received our negative test results, we were free to go outside.
While we spent most of the time with family in a small Slovak town called Levice, we also managed to explore lots of hidden gems within this beautiful country by doing many small road trips.
We found this method of traveling quite safe as we were able to mostly just be by ourselves, and the places we visited were also not crowded at all because they weren’t big touristy spots (for the most part at least).
With that said, the places that we visited in Slovakia definitely didn’t fail to amaze me. There are so many gorgeous hikes, castles, and charming towns in this country, from the mining village of Špania Dolina to the colorful medieval town of Bardejov.
One of the highlights of this trip is definitely getting to see Orava Castle, a true fairytale spot with incredible views of its surroundings. Being there simply reminded me again of how many hidden gems there are on earth if we simply look hard enough and go off the beaten path (which is the safest way to travel this year anyway!).
What is your travel blog? My blog is called The Diary of a Nomad.
Where can we find you on social media? You can find me on Instagram: @thediaryofanomad.
The situation in Europe drastically changed during the pandemic. With new policy and border closures among neighbors, travelers were either panicking to get back home or staying put. We have heard from many travelers that last-minute border closures and strict measures made traveling difficult within the European Union/Schengen Zone.
Panic drive back from Croatia to Slovenia during the pandemic
By Simona D. Čuček from Slovenia
Where were you planning to travel in 2020?
My initial plan was to visit the Philippines or Mexico.
How did your travel plans materialize in the year of the pandemic?
The summer of 2020 was quite different from my usual summer vacations. Thanks to my job, I can have 5 weeks off, which I usually use to travel to other continents. The initial plan was to visit the Philippines or Mexico, but I ended up on a road trip through Croatia.
Not that I’m complaining, Croatia is a beautiful country with lots of sights, but since I can drive there in 3 hours I wasn’t keen on spending my entire vacation there. And I didn’t – why not, I’ll tell you later.
Ok, so my husband and I packed our car and drove to Dalmatia, the southern part of Croatia. In the beginning, we visited the National parks Plitvice and Krka and I must admit, I was quite shocked in Krka National Park – there were so many people and no one was paying attention to others.
We also managed to visit the brand-new viewing platform Biokovo, but since we got there very early in the morning, the crowds were bearable.
In a normal year, it would be almost impossible to travel in high season spontaneously and without a real plan to the Croatian coast, but this year it was possible without a problem. We could book accommodation just a day or two in advance and always got beautiful serviced apartments for a great price.
Yes, we chose to use just serviced apartments, because this way we really minimized contact with other people. But we didn’t know that a bad surprise was waiting for us – when we were the furthest away from home in Dubrovnik, our country announced that from Saturday midnight Croatia is on the red list and everyone crossing the border has to quarantine themselves for 10 days.
The first panic got us packing and driving home, although we wanted to visit some more islands. Once home, we were really angry with ourselves – why did we get so scared? We just needed to take a test and that’s it and we could stay longer.
So we drove back. 😊 Yes, this is the advantage of living so close. We visited the biggest Croatian island Krk, took a corona test at the end, and returned home after an amazing summer in Croatia.
What is your travel blog? My blog is called Slovenians Travel.
Where can we find you on social media? You can find me on Instagram @slovenians_travel.
Keeping yourself up to date on COVID news is essential. For Lotte and her family, it meant changing travel plans and being flexible with accommodation. And with a toddler in tow, it makes for fun family times together.
Traveling to Portugal with a newborn and toddler during COVID: A camper-van to the rescue
By Lotte Eschbach from Utrecht, in the Netherlands
Where were you planning to travel in 2020?
We were actually quite lucky that we made a trip to Morocco in February, just one month before everything changed.
Our Portugal trip was actually supposed to happen in April 2020. However, since all European borders were closed for several months, we rescheduled our trip to October.
Our original plan for October (had our April trip pulled through) was either a trip to South Africa or one of the lesser-known regions in Italy, though luckily we hadn’t booked anything yet so we could easily reschedule our Portugal travel plans.
Did you travel to Portugal during the 2020 pandemic? What was he experience of traveling to Portugal with the new born baby?
In October 2020, we made a 2-week road trip to Portugal. We drove from Lisbon to Porto and explored Sintra, beautiful Serra de Estrela Natural Park, the Alto Douro wine region, and much more.
In July 2020 our daughter was born and this was our first trip as a family of four, which made it a very memorable family vacation in itself. However, the fact that it was our first trip in ‘the Covid era’ also had a large impact on how we traveled.
First of all, our Portugal trip was actually supposed to happen in April 2020. However, since all European borders were closed for several months, we rescheduled our trip to October.
Secondly, we were supposed to fly into Lisbon, but Lisbon was given a ‘Code Orange’ by the Dutch government, meaning only essential travel was recommended due to increasing Covid cases. Therefore, we didn’t go sightseeing in Lisbon but only stayed there for one night before we picked up our campervan.
That’s another measure we took to travel as safely as possible during Covid. Traveling by campervan meant we had our own accommodation throughout our entire trip and could avoid public restrooms most of the time.
When we weren’t staying in our campervan, we stayed at Airbnb apartments that had the Clean & Safe qualification from the Portuguese government.
Finally, we planned to spend the final days of our trip in Porto, however, we adjusted our itinerary as the number of COVID-19 cases in Porto increased during our trip. So we ended up spending a couple of days in Braga instead.
What is your travel blog? I blog at Phenomenal Globe Travel Blog
You can find me on Instagram: @thephenomenalglobe
2020 was also the year we explored our own backyard. From staycations, road trips to outdoorsy activities, the year of COVID, brought us closer to nature and provided us with an opportunity to explore our own cities, and the countryside. Like Cosette, who canceled her summer road trip in the Baltics to enjoy a relaxing getaway in the Netherlands.
Netherlands Road Trip: Away from COVID, cozy in a cabin
By Cosette Karsmakers-Adriaans from Utrecht, in the Netherlands
Where were you planning to travel in 2020?
A road trip through Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in the Summer. A week in the snow in Austria in February, a week-long road trip to the Wadden Islands during Fall break, and 5-weekend getaways throughout the year.
How did your travel plans materialize in the year of the pandemic?
Our first-weekend getaway and the week in the snow in Austria went ahead as planned. After that everything changed. We did 3 more weekend getaways in 2020, instead of 4. The weekend getaways were also more restricted with less time exploring and more time relaxing.
Our plans to road trip to the Wadden islands didn’t go through in October, since numbers were rising again and everything was booked out or too expensive. In the Summer we road tripped through The Netherlands instead of North-Eastern Europe.
We stayed inside the Netherlands, although we were allowed to travel around most of Europe. But with countries going orange and red at any moment and all the different rules and regulations in every country, it just didn’t feel right. So we booked accommodations in 7 different places all over the Netherlands: Tilburg, Kootwijk, Gasselternijveen, Wyns, Hoge Hexel, Oudewater, and Bruinisse.
We went to all the places in our own car. Usually, we just toss a tent in our car and drive away and just find somewhere to stay. That wasn’t an option this time, we wanted to be sure we had a kitchen/bathroom and things were booking up fast. We mostly prepared our meals in our own places, only going out a few times. Next to that, we avoided crowded places or where we suspected that they would be crowded.
During our road trip, there was a heatwave, so we didn’t do much that week. Luckily there was a lake in front of our cabin and we floated on tubes each day and just relaxed. This way we had great memories and vacations with social distancing and keeping to all the other rules.
Where can I read more? On our blog – KarsTravels
Where can we find you on social media? On Pinterest @KarsTravels
Italy was the worst hit in Europe during the 2020 pandemic. But it is nice to see Italy open up to tourists, as it will help boost their economy and local businesses. Apart from road trips, Airbnb’s (with private space and fully equipped kitchens) was a favorite with a lot of travelers this year.
Visiting Tuscany during COVID-19 in – between Lockdown 1.0 and 2.0, with enhanced safety measures
By Martina Hza & Jürgen from Central Europe
How did you travel during the 2020 pandemic?
This travel year was filled with many obstacles for us. Nevertheless, we were lucky to experience even a few highlights. It has to be said that we live in the center of Europe and it was quite possible to travel to some of our neighboring countries in the summertime.
At the end of summer, just before the Lockdown 2.0, we went on a road trip through Tuscany, more precisely through the famous Val d’Orcia in Italy. This area is mainly scenically interesting, there have been few tourists especially in these times and also the small medieval towns are rather quiet.
Our experience was entirely positive, and we felt very safe throughout our trip to Italy. In addition, it must be said that the local regulations were very strictly observed. Mandatory masks inside, taking the temperature before entering museums or other public buildings, keeping the distance, opportunities to disinfect your hands – all of this was just perfectly implemented.
To keep crowds under control, entry to various attractions including museums was only possible with pre-reservation only.
Apart from that, we slept only in Airbnb’s and we completely renounced hotels. The landlords were very well trained each time and had mostly also offered contactless check-in.
We avoided restaurants and bars for safety reasons, and cooking at home seemed safer. All in all, we had a fantastic and very safe trip!
What is your travel blog? My blog is called Places of Juma
Where can we find you on social media? You can find me on Instagram: @PlacesofJuma
Road tripping through the south of France is a dream. Many of us exploring our own backyard, this was a great opportunity for locals to revisit local favorites minus crowds.
Europe Local Travels During International Travel Restrictions
Road Trip in South of France during the pandemic
By Ophelie from Paris, France
Did you get to travel during the 2020 pandemic?
This summer as traveling abroad was complicated, I have chosen to discover more of my own country: France. I decided to take a road trip with two friends in the South of France, a very appealing region in summer.
First, I visited Provence to enjoy its gorgeous lavender fields and pretty villages. And then I went to the French Riviera to admire its beautiful cities and towns on the coastline.
To go there from Paris, I decided to take the train. The journey by car is 7 hours and it was too long and tiring. I booked the train ticket together with my friends so that we could choose our seats and sit together, avoiding at the same time mixing with people we do not know. I was carrying with me some disinfecting wipes to clean the area around me. During the train ride, I kept my mask on my face all the way (except for lunch) and I used hand sanitizer each time it was needed.
Once we arrived in Provence, we rented a car for the tour of the South of France. This allowed my friends and me not only to be independent but also to stay far from others as much as possible. All the hotels we visited had social distancing measures in place and mandatory masks in the common spaces.
During the trip, we stayed outdoors as much as possible. There were so many landscapes to explore that it made sense anyway! Because I traveled in summer, it was easy to eat outside at the terrace of the restaurants or do picnics.
One of the best memories from this trip was to wander in the lavender fields in Provence at sunrise or sunset. It’s magnificent and the smell is divine! I can only recommend it!
What is your travel blog? My blog is called Limitless Secrets.
Where can we find you on social media? You can find me on Instagram.
A lot of us turned into avid outdoorsy lovers during this pandemic. I didn’t know that Bulgaria has so many pretty glacial lakes, and hiking opportunities. Definitely, a year that brought us closer to nature!
Unforgettable Hiking Experience in Bulgaria: Away from crowds in the lap of nature
By Krasen Jelyazkov from Bulgaria
How did your travel plans materialize in the year of the pandemic?
The beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic caught us in Bulgaria. There was a “first wave” in Spring and we couldn’t go out of our city. Then, the lockdown was eased, and we could even travel abroad, but since it was very complicated, we chose to explore the country where we were- Bulgaria.
And we chose the wilder part of this country- the high mountains, far from cites, far from crowds, and far from the pandemic.
We made many hikes in the Bulgarian mountains- mainly in the Rhodope Mountains, but they were only a day hike. However, we focused on the highest mountain in Bulgaria and the whole of Southeast Europe – Rila Mountain, with its highest peak Mt. Musala (2925 m). And since it is not so large in area, we decided to cross it on foot for 3 days.
So, we started our trek from the famous Seven Rila Lakes- a touristy place, pretending to present the most beautiful glacial lakes in Bulgaria. But we were not limited to the other tourists- we proceeded further deep in the mountain, hiking on trails in the mountain alpine zone, above the forests.
On the first two days, we crossed the most difficult part of Rila- the rugged Malyovitsa sub-range, and on the third day, we reached milder, but still higher areas with alpine tundra.
During our hike we passed by many other glacial lakes, not less beautiful than the Seven Rila Lakes, but more remote and wilder. We walked on dangerous ridges over hundreds of meters deep abysses, and glacial canyons.
And we spent the night in the lap of nature- in a small shelter for mountaineers climbing the rugged peaks in the area, and camping at the coast of small glacial lakes, “in the middle of nowhere”.
It was a difficult, almost extreme trekking, “not for everybody”, but that’s what we were looking for- something that we did seldom before the pandemic. I must admit that if there was no pandemic, probably we would travel abroad on “more normal trips in the civilization”, but now we saw the situation as a good opportunity for such an adventure. And it was a great, unforgettable experience!
What is your travel blog? My blog is Journey Beyond the Horizon.
Where can we find you on social media? You can find me on Facebook @journeybeyondhorizon.
What is more delightful than being away in the woods, inside a cozy cabin with your loved one, fire and warmth by your side? With so many unique staycations, cabins, and glamping options, 2020 surely showed us different ways to enjoy a vacation this year.
Secluded Cabin Stay in the woods, tucked away from the crowds
By Jessie Moore from South East England
Where were you planning to travel in 2020?
I was planning a trip to Bali. Also planned a ski trip in the French Alps
Where did you visit during the covid-19 pandemic restrictions?
2020 was the year in which I set a goal to travel somewhere new every single month. I had a month in Bali arranged a ski trip to the Alps, and a couple of weeks exploring the south of France.
With a serious case of wanderlust and the option of a holiday abroad off the cards, I decided to look closer to home for a getaway. Due to local restrictions, I couldn’t go far. But I just needed a change of scene – somewhere to switch off, relax, and get back to nature.
In keeping with the 2020 theme of social distancing, I found a secluded wooden cabin in the South of England. Our cabin featured a wood burner and a beautiful large window overlooking the countryside (as well as a functioning toilet and shower with hot water, of course!).
My boyfriend and I hopped in the car and drove to our cozy little getaway, where we spent two nights away from the world.
Being so secluded and not needing to get public transport, we didn’t have to worry too much about Covid safety measures. The very nature of our trip was to get away from it all. Days were spent reading, walking, and talking.
We snuggled up by the wood burner and listened to the patter of rain on the cabin roof. There was a fully stocked kitchen where we cooked up some delicious meals, which we enjoyed with red wine and no phones.
It may not have been a beach in Bali or a skiing trip in the French Alps. But our little cabin stay was perfect in its own way. A much-needed chance to recharge, reset, and reflect. Never again will we take for granted the places and beauty right on our doorstep.
What is your travel blog? My blog is Pocket Wanderings
Where can we find you on social media? Find me on Instagram: @pocketwanderings
With international travel restrictions, a common theme among all domestic tourists is that they are seeing a stark contrast from travels pre-covid and during covid. Many are enjoying the fact that popular attractions and destinations are less crowded, and more relaxed than ever before!
What about your home city? Have you experienced something similar? Dave surely enjoyed this island-hopping summer trip, which is otherwise overrun by hundreds of tourists.
Greek island hopping in the Cyclades during strictest lockdowns
By Dave Briggs from Greece
What’s your travel story in the year of the pandemic?
I’ve been living in Greece for the last few years, which means I normally get to travel around the Greek islands quite a lot. 2020, as we all know was a bit different, and in fact, the Greek government had one of the strictest lockdowns from early on.
It became apparent to me that they were trying to save the tourist season (typically June through to September), so we made plans to visit some Greek islands as soon as the lockdown measures were relaxed.
In June 2020, they announced it was good to travel again, and so we immediately went by ferry to some Greek islands that in the past would have been overly busy with tourists such as Mykonos and Santorini.
As we were really among the first tourists, we were literally the only visitors on some of the islands. In fact, when we took a day trip to Delos from Mykonos, we were the only two tourists on the island – keep in mind that in 2019, Delos receives hundreds of visitors per day, if not thousands!
After a few weeks, as things became busier, we swapped to quieter Greek islands such as Kimolos and Sikinos where there were fewer other tourists just to be on the safe side. I think in 2021, these quieter Greek islands will be of interest to travelers seeking more socially distant vacations in the summer.
Where can I read more? My website is Dave’s Travel Pages. More details about the islands are at Cyclades islands in Greece.
In Summary – Our Europe Travels in 2020
2020 brought huge changes in our family. Our older child started the year commuting every few weeks to London for work. In March his travel halted. As the year progressed it was getting hard to work from California in London timezone. After a few attempts in back & forth, our child moved to London! Our younger one who was otherwise trapped at home and virtual school, went to live with him for her breaks. So, she could get the much needed break from the monotony and the over-caring parents. Luckily the flights to London have been empty and our family has been super careful with covid- safety.
Check our blog on our safe travel strategies during the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing advice.
All we can do is try to stay safe from COVID-19 until we get our turn to take the vaccine. We can only try to keep our sanity by traveling safely and being one with nature.
With all my heart I thank the amazing story tellers for sharing their travel stories from the 2020.
Covid-19 Pandemic Travel Stories
Travel stories from the 2020 pandemic were epic! Travel stories this year were so dramatic that every other year pales in comparison. I’ve curated a few collection of short stories for your leisure reading. You’ll surely enjoy them and please do share with others.
- COVID-19 safety precaution when traveling during the pandemic
- Stories of travelers stranded during coronavirus lockdowns
- Travels Stories from USA during COVID-19 pandemic
- Travel stories from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean
- Heartwarming travel stories from the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic
- 30 things that will happen in San Francisco when shelter-in-place is lifted
Holidays from Hels
January 16, 2021 @ 1:43 am
Wow, how many people’s lives have been turned upside down this year! We had a trip of a lifetime planned for our 20th wedding anniversary with vow renewals in Vegas, a 3 week road trip across the US then seeing my sister in Canada for the first time in 4 years. I
Instead we managed to get to Venice which being crowd free was brilliant but we did spend the whole time waiting to fail the forehead temperature tests at every tourist attraction not quite knowing what would happened if we did.
Jyoti
January 18, 2021 @ 5:57 pm
He Helen, thanks so much for sharing your 2020 travel story! I hope you’ll be able to go on your dream trip in 2021.
It’s so amazing that you were able to enjoy Venice without the crowds but you make a good point! What happens if one fails the test!
EvBeing
January 16, 2021 @ 3:35 am
Such an interesting stories share on travel during the Coronavirus Outbreak and everything good to know to pick a safe vacation destination. Hope travel schedule will return to normal soon and surely our behavior matters in tackling the virus
Maria
January 16, 2021 @ 5:29 pm
The photos are stunning and love these travel stories. Also loved reading how everyone coped with the situation and made the best of it