Fingers crossed. Booked 15 days in Italy for September 2021

[mike pobega]

After my last trip fizzed due to covid, I have resumed a plan once again.
15 days in Rome as my 'base' and side trip up and down. The first one is two nights in Montalcino or Montepulciano. I have both booked with full ability to cancel either. I just need to decide how close I want to be to the railroad on departure south. My AirB&B in Rome has a good cancellation policy as well. 15 days in the heart of Prati right between the Vatican and the river. Close to Metro and on the same block as my favorite pizza restaurant, L'Archetto. Full apartment with decent kitchen. Both of my adult children will be there the second 8 days, so I am quite excited. I look forward to this trip and understand it could collapse just a quick as it came together.
Cheers!

[Jim Stewart]

Way to go, Mike! I think the odds are decent for things opening up by then and you have "insurance" with the ability to cancel. It is time to be at least partially optimistic. We have been talking about planning a European trip in that same time frame for a while now. Thanks for the post and the extra motivation to make the arrangements. Cheers.

[Matt Mauldin]

Good luck!

I also had an Italy trip cancelled in 2020, and am trying to decide to when to reschedule. I have a credit with Milan Museum for The Last Supper that I need to use, but fortunately they keep pushing the expiration back.

[Dennis Atick]

Good luck, Mike! We are so close to pulling the trigger for a return to Italy as well. Thinking July 2021, but that might be too hopeful at this point. Hope it works out for all of us!

[Peter Hirsch]

I booked Rome and Tuscany for close to 2 weeks, mid-August. I have zero worries this won't work out. Actually nothing is zero but I'll go for 85% certainty. BTW, flights were really cheap relative to past years, business class direct from NY to Rome and back at around $2,500 is a bargain!

[ChrisW]

After my last trip fizzed due to covid, I have resumed a plan once again.
15 days in Rome as my 'base' and side trip up and down. The first one is two nights in Montalcino or Montepulciano. I have both booked with full ability to cancel either. I just need to decide how close I want to be to the railroad on departure south. My AirB&B in Rome has a good cancellation policy as well. 15 days in the heart of Prati right between the Vatican and the river. Close to Metro and on the same block as my favorite pizza restaurant, L'Archetto. Full apartment with decent kitchen. Both of my adult children will be there the second 8 days, so I am quite excited. I look forward to this trip and understand it could collapse just a quick as it came together.
Cheers!

One of the thoughts I'm wrestling with right now is what Italy will 'be' if going this year. You seem to go there quite often so is there a concern it won't be the Italy you know, or at least you are unable to experience it in the mode you always have? Conscious this isn't the asylum so won't got into it re: the lockdowns, masks, curfews, etc. Just curious about others thoughts on experiencing one of the most social cultures I've come across in this environment.

[mike pobega]

Interesting question. I am the eternal pessimist but for the Eternal City the I must remain optimistic. I suppose I will know more by June and can make a determination on what my expectations can be once I see a bigger picture.

[Mont Stern]

I have pushed the Italy trip I booked a year ago for this April before COVID took off. I postponed it until October and finally to the beginning of May 2022 where I am totally confident that restrictions won't be an issue.

[Andrew Kotowski]

I have pushed the Italy trip I booked a year ago for this April before COVID took off. I postponed it until October and finally to the beginning of May 2022 where I am totally confident that restrictions won't be an issue.

We're wrestling with the same challenge on our side. Curious to see what happens, given Conte (Italian PM) got sacked today.

Having a target on the calendar to aim for makes such a psychological difference when you're cooped up in the house all day... but am not overly confident on vaccine roll-outs, quarantine rules, etc. on both sides of the Atlantic to game on something that is not 100% refundable.

[LoriMcLaughlin]

We rolled over a deposit on a villa from May 2020 to May 2021. I’m not very confident that we’ll be able to go. I’d feel much better if our booking was for September.

Friends in Sicily are talking about their current code red lockdown. They don’t give me much hope at this point for our May booking.

[Jay Rohela]

2022 would be a safe bet. Vaccine roll out is slow, and COVID is mutating. I’m sure at some point international travel may require a vaccine passport to show proof. In the mean time, a negative test 72 hrs before departure will be a requisite to avoid a 10 day quarantine upon arrival