10 Travel Stories from COVID-19 Lockdowns Around the World
In early 2020 when the novel coronavirus was spreading like wildfire, governments, medical institutions and people were panicking. Many countries were shutting down borders for travel. Simple things like going home to reunite with family or getting to the next travel destination, was filled with uncertainty and anxiety. In this article read the stories of 10 travelers who got stuck in various countries across Europe and Asia. Read how they fared and managed to find hope and joy in their travels.
Irish couple gets stuck under Albania’s martial law lockdown
By Maria Perrett from Ireland
Where is your home base?
I’m an American but lived in Ireland for a year before we left to do full time travel. We returned to Ireland this year because Ciaran (my partner) is from here and we didn’t want to be separated during COVID if possible. Since returning I’ve been allowed to stay on the short stay visa that keeps getting extended from COVID.
Where were you planning to travel in 2020?
Our plan was to go to Montengro, Albania, possibly some other Balkan countries, then to the country of Georgia. I also planned to visit my friend in Kenya and family in the US.
Can you share your story of getting stuck during the novel coronavirus pandemic and how you handled it?
My partner and I made plans to full-time travel for 6 months, starting in February. Our first stop was to volunteer in Montenegro for a month before heading south. At the beginning of March, we crossed over the border into Albania and it seemed like all hell had broken loose. Within 24 hours of entering Albania, the borders closed and the country went into lockdown immediately. The European epicenter of the virus was Italy and since Albania has close relations with Italy, there was an urgency to stop the spread.
There was so much unknown about the virus that it created a panic. The government’s response was interesting, to say the least since they never made any official decrees. Instead, updates on restrictions, curfews, fines, advice, etc. were given to the population by Facebook status updates from the prime minister’s account.
He also sent mass text message updates to everyone. Translated from Albanian, one of them went along these lines, “keep doors and windows open so the spring wind will come in and rid the virus”.
We planned to only spend 3 nights in the hostel I randomly picked online, and then we ended up spending 2 whole months before we were able to leave. One thing is for certain, experiencing a martial law lockdown in Albania is something that we will never forget!
What is your travel blog site? My website is Maptrekking.
Where can we find you on social media? You can find me on Instagram at maptrekking.
Since our visit to Peru and Bolivia in 2003, the tourist volume in Peru has been steadily rising. In the last few years, the popular sites get packed with tourists from around the world. So, when Megan got stuck in Peru, she did the smart thing and stayed back. She got to see the most iconic places around Peru in absolute peace and quiet.
Traveler treks in Peru during COVID-19 lockdown – with no tourists!
by Megs Anderson from Onalaska, WI
Where is your home base?
My home base is at Wisconsin, USA
Where were you planning to travel in 2020?
I was planning to travel in Chile, Peru, Bolivia, and Uruguay in 2020.
How did you travel during the 2020 pandemic?
2020 really didn’t turn out the way any of us imagined it would, but for me, it was one of my most incredible years of travel and self-growth. I rang in the New Year in Iquique, Chile and then moved north to cross the border of Peru. I had scheduled a few house sitting gigs in the magnificent Sacred Valley, and one would change and alter the entire course of my year.
While house sitting, there were whispers that Peru would shut its borders, and within 24 hours those whispers became a reality. Peru closed itself off from the world on March 16, 2020 and it wouldn’t open again until November 2, 2020.
With many people purchasing ridiculous repatriation flights, (some as high as $2,000), many people, like me, chose to ride it out. The streets of Cusco became quiet and abandoned. Peru had one of the strictest lockdowns in the entire world, and included a nightly curfew and days where we couldn’t leave our homes. Although the quarantine continued, some of the rules loosened, and nearby local destinations opened up. Buses and public transportation required a face mask and a face shield. Almost every store and market place had set up hand washing stations and required temperature checks.
To respect the enforced social distancing requirements, I spent many days hiking and sleeping in the mountains, visiting destinations that I had never heard of before. One of the highlights of the entire trip was standing on the incredible Rainbow Mountain, with only a handful of locals passing through to get cell phone reception.
What’s your takeaway from being locked down in Peru due to the pandemic?
To see Peru, Cusco, and many popular tourist destinations almost empty will be a memory that I will never forget. This year of travel has been one of my favorites, and I was forced to slow down, be still, and appreciate all the small things.
What is your travel blog? My blog is Packing-up-the-Pieces
Where can we find you on social media? You can find me on Instagram @packingupthepieces.
Student explores Pakistan when China closes for international students in 2020
by Arabela in Pakistan
Where is your home base?
My home base is in Shanghai, China where I attend university.
Where were you planning to travel in 2020?
I was originally planning to spend the semester as usual at my university in China and go for short trips in between, such as Japan, Indonesia, some domestic travel, and Central Asia over summer.
How did your travel plans come together when the novel coronavirus shut down travel to China?
The pandemic completely messed up all my plans for 2020. I was still in China by the end of January when I received a last-minute notice from my university to leave the country due to the emergence of a mysterious new virus. We were told to come back in two weeks, however, this didn’t happen and as of the beginning of 2021, international students remain banned from entering China.
This unusual situation that occurred just half a year into my undergraduate studies resulted in the least expected trips. After spending the first half of the year in Peru and the United States, I was eagerly prepared to join my boyfriend in his home country Pakistan. I made sure to hop on one of the first flights to the country after an international flight ban, a twenty-hour long-haul flight in the middle of the pandemic, and entered the country as one of the first foreigners during COVID times.
During my six months in the country, I got to experience more of the country than I ever thought I would. From the pristine beaches in the south to the tall mountains in the north and from the impressive Mughal-era architecture in the cities to the peaceful life in the villages, Pakistan has been full of beautiful surprises. I visited the most remote parts of the country that few tourists get to see and met the most hospitable people on earth.
How did you handle the lack or covid related restrictions and practices in Pakistan?
In the beginning, the pandemic still influenced my domestic travel plans a lot. I received a voluntary COVID-19 test on arrival and avoided going out in the first months when most attractions remained shut. However, Pakistan has since moved away from lockdowns and the like and people attend huge weddings and public gatherings again. This makes it more difficult for travelers to stay responsible in terms of the virus transmission but the best ways to travel safely across Pakistan include booking private transportation, dining outdoors, and always wearing a mask.
What is your travel blog? My blog is The Spicy Travel Girl
Where can we find you on social media? You can find me on Instagram at thespicytravelgirl.
Digital nomad makes a temporarily family when stuck housesitting in Greece
by Matt from Cyprus
Where is your home base?
We are Matt and Hye-min, a British / Korean digital nomad couple who spend most of our time on the road. I am originally from the UK, but have been a digital nomad for 5 years. Right now I am house sitting in Cyprus.
Where were you planning to travel in 2020?
Our plan for 2020 was to travel across Europe while house sitting. This is the act of looking after someone’s house and pets while they are away, in exchange for free accommodation. We had planned to travel in the USA for the last 3 months of the year.
However, like many other travelers around the world, our plans had changed due to the pandemic.
How did your big travel plans change because of the Covid pandemic?
We had been accepted for a 6-week house-sit in Greece, caring for two dogs and two cats in a remote beach town. By the time we arrived, the virus was in full swing and the lockdown soon came into effect.
As the homeowners could not return from their trip and we could not leave, our 6-week assignment turned into 4 months. Of course, there are worse places to be stuck during the COVID crisis, and we weren’t complaining!
It was the perfect setup: a comfortable house, a massive garden, Mediterranean weather, and only five minutes to the beach by car. And of course, our new furry companions to keep us company!
We were limited to the places we could go during the lockdown, but we were happy to spend most of our days lying in the sun and walking on the beach. With no rent or bills for 4 months, we managed to save a shed load of cash.
The only downside was saying goodbye to our temporary animal family once we finally had to leave. Looking after them for so long made the final day a difficult and emotional one.
Our time in Greece was simply unforgettable, and we still consider it to be our favorite house sitting experience. We are now always on the hunt for long-term house sits in the sun!
What is your travel blog? Our blog is No Hassle Travel.
Where can I read more about house sitting? You can read more about long term house sitting on our blog.
Where can we find you on social media? You can find us on instagram at nohassle_travel.
A nomad navigates to his next country amidst Covid-19 restriction
by Marco Sison, a nomad
Where is your home base?
I don’t have a home base. I retired early and have been perpetually traveling for 5+ years.
Where were you planning to travel in 2020?
I was planning to travel in Spain in 2020.
How did the plan change because of the 2020 pandemic?
I started the year flying to the Philippines to apply for my Non-Lucrative Visa to retire to Spain. I was living in Cyprus prior, but you need to apply for Spain’s long-term visas in a country you have residency or citizenship. A tourist visa won’t cut it. Given the US response to the pandemic, waiting several months in the US for the visa to process wasn’t an option. Luckily, I have dual citizenship with the US and the Philippines.
When I arrived at my Airbnb outside Manila, the first COVID death outside China was reported. In…wait for it…the Philippines. At the time, the Consulate was still open, and while masks and social distancing was required, they still accepted my application for processing. However, a few weeks after I submitted, the initial COVID wave hit Spain hard. The Spanish Consulate locked down and halted all visa applications. With Spain dealing with the wave, I decided to halt the application and wait in the Philippines until it was safe to travel to Spain.
While waiting in the Philippines, my insurance company invalidated my travel insurance due to COVID-19. While I thought the Philippines was a relatively safe place to ride out the pandemic, not having health insurance during a pandemic wasn’t a gamble I was willing to take.
I researched countries where I could get a long-term visa and health insurance coverage. I chose Turkey, where the Turkish government offered COVID-19 health insurance to any visitors to the country for $20 per month. In August, I boarded a 20+ hour international flight to move from Manila, Philippines, to Antalya, Turkey.
From Turkey, I got access into EU. From there I traveled in Austria for 3 months and then to Croatia for 3 months.
What is your takeaway from the experiences of 2020?
My travel plans changing dramatically in 2020 showed me the value of having different country residencies and multiple passive income streams to give you options when things go wrong.
What is your travel blog? My travel blog is called the Nomadic Fire.
Where can we find you on social media? You can find me on Instagram at nomadic.fire.
Where can we find you on social media? You can find Macro on Instagram at nomadic.fire and Sandra at time2n.joy.
British motorhome dwellers navigate lockdowns between UK & France
by Kathryn Bird from the UK
Where were you planning to travel in 2020?
Although we’re British and based in the UK, we spend most of our time touring Europe in a motorhome. We had plenty of plans for 2020, including trips to Norway, Spain, Portugal and Greece. But, alas, none of them happened.
How did your travel plans materialize in the year of the pandemic?
What did happen was my husband popping back to the UK for work in March 2020 and discovering that France (where I was waiting with our dog and our motorhome) was about to go into lockdown- and they were closing the borders. Immediately. For about 24hrs, we had a horrible situation where he couldn’t get out of the UK – there were no planes, no room on the trains or ferries and no travel allowed to France.
Luckily, he managed to grab a seat on a Eurostar and crossed the border as it was locked down. Once in France, he then struggled to get out of Paris, grabbing trains wherever he could but many were cancelled even as people were sitting onboard with tickets. There was very little information and a lot of fear and frustration.
Eventually, after about 18 hours, he made it back to us and we found somewhere safe to stay during the first lockdown, but it was a stark lesson in how quickly communications and travel routes can break down during difficult times. We were much better prepared for the second lockdown.
What happened once you were re-united?
We were locked down in France for months, and could only travel a little in the summer when things lifted. We travelled some more in the Pyrenees and southern France, and made it back to the UK for a few weeks, before leaving again. We got locked down for a second time in France but this time we were together and prepared so it wasn’t scary – we had somewhere to stay! We’re still here now. We didn’t make it back to the UK for Christmas sadly but hope to go see family as soon as we can.
What is your travel blog? My blog is called Wandering Bird
Where can we find you on social media? You can find me on Instagram at wanderingbird.adventures.
It sounds blissful to be stranded on a gorgeous island. During the pandemic travel shutdowns, many luxurious resorts and villas lay empty through much of 2020. Ilsa and her partner made the most of their year by staying stuck in island paradises for months at a time. In a year filled with fear and worry, Ilsa and her partner made the most of what the world offered while keeping their family and themselves safe.
Dutch couple makes home on island paradises for COVID safety
By Ilse de Groot from The Netherlands
What is your home base?
We were both born and raised in the west of The Netherlands, nearby Rotterdam in small villages.
Where were you planning to travel in 2020?
We planned to travel to Hawaii in 2020. After that we would have returned to Bali.
How did your travel plans materialize in the year of the pandemic?
When COVID arrived to the world in February, we were in Myanmar. In the first week of March we traveled from Myanmar to the Thai tropical paradise island Koh Phangan which already was the plan. There were no safety measurements at that moment, and the flight went normal as always.
During the second week of March it became increasingly clear that the world was in panic and we could forget about our dream trip to Hawaii which we booked months before. We asked each other ‘where do we want to be in lockdown?’, and both our feelings were the same. We wanted to stay on the relaxing island Koh Phangan. This isolated tropical island felt safe, we still had the freedom to go out in nature, eat healthy, get our daily doses of Vitamin D and… the rent prices for luxury villas dropped enormously. For more than 4 months we stayed with 2 friends in a dream villa with infinity pool, sea and jungle view. The best lockdown location!! It felt as if we were in a ‘paradise bubble’ while there was so much going on in the world.
When things started to get insecure with VISA extension in Thailand and other Asian countries kept their borders closed, we decided we should head to Europe. With our Dutch passports we have more options in Europe, but the last thing we wanted was ending up in our country of origin, the Netherlands. We heard about a Portuguese island also known as ‘Europe’s Hawaii’, and after some research we knew it. Madeira was a great option to base ourselves for the foreseeing future, and would still give us the ‘Hawaii vibes’ we were looking for!
In August we left Koh Phangan and traveled from Bangkok to Amsterdam to see our family for a few days. Masks were required during the whole flight, but once arrived on Schiphol Airport, no checks were done. After a short week we continued our journey to Madeira Island where we did a COVID test on arrival, paid by the government of Madeira. In 12 hours we would get the test results and in the meantime we weren’t allowed to leave our accommodation. As expected we both tested negative so we were free to explore the island! For more than 4 months we’re now living on Madeira and besides wearing masks in public spaces, there are no restrictions. Life is relaxing here and the nature is incredible. We are happy to be here, again isolated on an island, where life is pretty normal except wearing masks and keeping distance.
What is your travel blog? I blog at Digital Travel Couple.
Where can we find you on social media? You can find us on YouTube at @digitaltravelvideos.
No one can forget March 2020 ever in their life. It was the month when the world was waking up to the devastation caused by the novel coronavirus. Things were changing by the hour. New regulations and travel restrictions were being drafted every day. Italy was the first county outside China to be inundated by the surge of COVID-19 cases. In the midst of the chaos, Dave and his group found them selves on the ski slopes of Northern Italy. Needless to say drama unfolded for the next 48 hours.
British group gets turned around from a ski trip in Northern Italy in March 2020
by Dave Chant from the UK
What happened when you arrived in Italy for a ski trip as the coronavirus cases were surging and the country was locking down?
A local leaned across our table, greeted us and informed us that there were rumors all the ski resorts in the valley where closing that day. We had just arrived in Italy hours ago for a week of skiing, and were tucking in to our first Italian pizza of the trip. Tomorrow would have been our first skiing day. The timing could not be more ridiculous.
Coronavirus was starting to hit Italy and the news was confirmed hours later. All ski resorts would be closed, and several regions nearby were going into the red zone. Unknown to us, over the next week France, Austria, Andorra and other countries would follow suit and close all their ski areas.
Faced with this predicament, we did the only thing we could. Enjoy one day eating and drinking great Italian food and wine.
At the same time, we needed to figure out plans to get back to the UK. Our transfers back to the airport were not for a week, but our flights would be cancelled in a few days anyway. We patched together a haphazard plan.
The next morning, not very fresh-faced, we awoke to get an emergency shuttle out of Italy through South France and into Switzerland to take flights back from Geneva home.
About 28 hours after we left England, we arrived back into the country. The whole group went into two week quarantine as a safety precaution, weeks before the country would then adopt a national lockdown.
Did anyone in your group contract COVID-19 during the short trip to Italy in the middle of the pandemic?
The quick return didn’t stop one of our group testing positive for Coronavirus. England silently stopped community testing two days after we returned so the rest of our groups tests were never conducted – to this day we do not now for sure if we got the disease.
However, we still fondly remember our one day in Italy and look forward to the day where we can visit a ski resort and actually get onto the mountain!
Where can we read more about your experience? You can see more details at post about Coronavirus in Italy.
What is your travel blog? My blog is called Dave Chant.
Where can we find you on social media? You can find me on Facebook @itsdavechant.
The 2020 coronavirus pandemic caught us in the middle of what ever we were doing. There were no forewarnings and shutdowns were just days or hours away. This family was separated across Bangkok, Northern Ireland and a Cruise ship. They eventually figured out a way to come together and also travel to some remarkable places – without any tourists.
Irish family gets separated across Bangkok, Northern Ireland and a Cruise
by Allan Wilson from Northern Ireland
Where is your home base?
I’m based in Northern Ireland
Where were you planning to travel in 2020?
Normally we spend at least half the year in Asia where we have a condo in Bangkok and a home (and lots of cats) in the rice fields of rural Thailand. We also already had travels planned for Japan in Autumn and through the year we always just hop around a bit with visa runs and cheap last minute flights in Asia. Fingers crossed for 2021.
How did your travel plans materialize in the year of the pandemic?
In the first weeks of the pandemic I was housesitting in Northern Ireland for my parents who were found themselves stuck onboard an around-the-world cruise. Meanwhile my wife was stranded in our Bangkok condo with flight cancellations, ongoing travel restrictions, lockdowns and curfews.
It wasn’t until months later when we finally reunited in a bubble in Northern Ireland. Fortunately we are members of the National Trust in the U.K. and so we were embarking on regular excursions covering all the properties still open in the country. But we were still itching to properly travel, and are also fortunate that it is just a short drive to cross the border into the Republic of Ireland, meaning we can explore somewhere new.
So we took on a road trip following Ireland’s western coastline on what is known as the Wild Atlantic Way, starting at the northernmost point of Ireland, to the most south-westerly. This was during a new wave of the pandemic and we were pretty much relying on local news stations to find out about local restrictions, tiered lockdowns, and had to maneuver certain areas where the virus was worse. But travel by car is otherwise safe, as we would bring our own snacks and meals, and the only times we were near people was on check-in’s at hotels and B&Bs. Many of the destinations are also very wild and rural, and with travel restrictions in the country, we saw few travelers on the roads or at attractions throughout our journey.
What is your travel blog? My blog is called It’s Sometimes Sunny in Bangor.
Where can we find you on social media? You can find me on YouTube at @Allen Wilson
Parts of Portugal were severely impacted by the early coronavirus surge. But when Dariece and her partner were stuck in Portugal for a few months during the COVID lockdowns, they innovated and found new ways to travel safely and make the most of their slow travels.
Full time travelers stuck in Portugal. Is that lucky or what?
by Dariece Swift, full-time travelers for 12 years
Where is your home base?
My partner and I don’t have a full-time home base, but before COVID, we were based in Grenada.
Where were you planning to travel in 2020?
We had taken off on a trip to Europe at the beginning of January (well before anyone even heard about COVID).
Even though we’ve been traveling for 12 years, we still hadn’t seen some of the major highlights of Europe. So, we started with Paris, then Barcelona, before returning to Rome — a city we fell in love with years before.
From there, we made our way to Lisbon, which is when news of COVID began to surface. What was supposed to be 3 weeks in the city and surrounding areas ended up being almost 7 months!
There were many more travels in our 2020 future, including more of Europe and the Caribbean, but we ended up having to cancel those plans.
How did your travel plans materialize in the year of the pandemic?
Even though we found ourselves in Portugal when COVID hit, to be honest, we absolutely loved Portugal. Once we were able to safely move within the country, we rented a camper-van and explored the northern region, followed by a 2-month road trip around the Algarve region in the south.
We felt those were responsible ways to move around.
Once our visa ran out, we needed to leave Portugal. Figuring out where to live during a pandemic is stressful, but we landed on Mexico and have been here for 4 months already.
With less time spent traveling so fast, we’ve been able to work on creating new business projects, connecting with one another, and Nick even learned how to play the acoustic guitar and ukulele.
Even though we were supposed to spend more than a month in Ireland, and some time in Croatia, The Netherlands and Belgium, we’re happy with how our year turned out.
What is your travel blog? My blog is called Goats On The Road.
Where can we find you on social media? You can find me on Instagram.
2020 has been a year in upheaval. We’ve become digital natives – working, schooling, socializing and entertaining virtually. Everyone is home all day. Its been comfort for some and hardship for some. But, everywhere I see, I find that people are resilient and innovative. As you can see in the stories above, even travelers most impacted by national lockdowns found ways to make 2020 the most memorable. Most traveler took extra precautions to stay healthy and keep their communities save.
Most places saw no tourists, just travelers that want to engage with nature and experience the places they visit. They cherished it even more because 2020 was the year of slow travel and the year to soak in the joys of which ever place one was locked in.
Do you have a travel experience from where you were stuck. We’d love to hear from you.
More Travel Stories from Covid-19 Pandemic
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
Cosette
January 8, 2021 @ 11:45 pm
These are some stories, pfew. Glad people still could explore and mostly return home again.
Sue
January 9, 2021 @ 1:20 am
Really interesting post so thank you for sharing. We probably all have stories to tell about where we were & the responses of different countries & individual travellers to the pandemic. I ended up racing through a road trip to make it out of the USA before they stopped flights back to the UK. So good read others stories.
Megs
January 9, 2021 @ 2:42 am
Thank you so much for allowing me to share my story with fellow travelers, so many of us still found magic and beauty in the world. 💙
Jenn - The Solivagant Soul
January 9, 2021 @ 2:56 am
What an amazing set of cool stories from travelers. I believe this 2020 has brought pain and hurt to many, but these guys all seem to have come up pretty nicely from such a disastrous year. I was planning on traveling for a few months and ended up working from home all year… I guess 2021 can only be better? Thanks for sharing this great compilation!
Jyoti
January 9, 2021 @ 12:05 pm
Hi Jenn, thank for stopping by. 2020 was a harsh year for everyone. Like you said so many travels made the most of this year – the year of the covid pandemic. I’m curious to see how 2021 unfolds.
One thing is for sure, that the itchy feet travelers won’t be sticking indoors. We’ll find a way to be out and do so safely for our community.
Anita
January 9, 2021 @ 3:36 am
Yes, things have changed dramatically and rapidly in 2020. Each story is different and very touching. I also experienced my own Covid story in Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands last March. Thanks for sharing. Cross fingers for a brighter travel future!
Jyoti
January 9, 2021 @ 12:02 pm
Thanks Anita for stopping by. So true how each country reacted so differently to the covid pandemic. The lockdown rules were different, which made each travel story so much more interesting. What happened doing your trip to Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands last March?
arv!
January 9, 2021 @ 4:26 am
Thanks for introducing me to so many travelers and their travel tales. These are difficult times. I watched a video of a female traveler who was stuck on an island near Yemen when all flights were suspended. She made her way back by using a cargo ship to travel to Dubai and then taking a flight back to Europe. Digital nomads had to travel back to their home countries. There are so many stories. Thanks for compiling them here. There are learnings from each of them. Until now, travelers would take so many things for granted while traveling. COVID has provided a new perspective- uncertainty.
Jyoti
January 9, 2021 @ 11:57 am
Thanks Are for stopping by! Wow what an incredible story! Its shows true grit and resourcefulness. We certainly can not take travel for granted anymore.
Another common theme I found was that people traveled slow in the places where they were stuck during lockdown. They soaked in more of the culture and enjoyed the place a lot more than they would do if they had rushed through. So, there is a silver lining.
Krista
January 9, 2021 @ 1:14 pm
It’s always so interesting to read about how other people are dealing with the virus – this was a great read!
Jyoti
January 9, 2021 @ 5:38 pm
Hi Krista, I couldn’t agree more. I too found the travel stories of travelers impacted by covid lockdown very fascinating. It’s inspiring how each one quickly adapted to the pandemic and made a memorable year of discovery and slow travel.