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Travelling has been off the agenda for almost a year, and it hasn’t got any easier. Okay, moaning about the restrictions is the epitome of first-world problems, but we’ve all got our issues!
When we can finally turn up at the airport without fear of being arrested, it will be a glorious day. Of course, some lucky people can travel because they fall into certain categories. Regardless, a new mentality towards packing is on the cards. Gone are the days when stuffing fifteen different outfits into a suitcase was “covering all the basis”.
This is Rona’s world now, and she demands the following on arrival.
A Negative Test
Not only won’t airlines let you travel when you turn up at the airport ill-equipped, but if they do, the immigration office at your destination will lock you up and throw away the key. Well, they probably won’t arrest you, yet most countries do have the power now. At the least, you can expect a sizeable fine of no more than £2,500 in Ireland, while the rates in the rest of Europe vary depending on the nation. Commercialisation, eh?! A negative test, or proof of the vaccine, is and will be essential for the foreseeable future, so make sure it’s in your carry-on luggage.
Hotel Entertainment
If it can happen to a bunch of privileged tennis players in Australia, it will almost definitely happen to you. Sadly, waiting out a period of self-isolation in a boring hotel room is pretty much standard procedure now, especially with different strains of the virus popping up out of the blue. Leave and you could be nicked (are you spotting a theme?), so it’s better to sit and stare at the same four walls. Of course, you can pack your suitcase with tons of books and mobile devices to help the minutes pass quicker. Or, choose a spacious villa.
Dual Citizenship
The only leverage you have is to pull out your trump card – a second passport. Countries can’t turn nationals away at the border because it looks bad politically. Therefore, a dual-national will have an easier time getting through the inevitably strict immigration policies. That isn’t the only reason to pay the citizenship application fee, though. Let’s not forget about Brexit. When travel does resume, border bureaucracy will be at an all-time high. Thankfully, an EU travel document will cut through the Brussels’ red tape like a hot knife through butter!
A Mask
You thought you’d run away from wearing a mask, didn’t you? You thought, just for a second, that a different country might have more flexible rules. Good effort, but it won’t be rewarded with a sweat-free face you’re so desperate to avoid. Sadly, the makeup will continue to smudge and the weird smell of the cloth will still invade your senses since mask-wearing is now a global policy. From the UK to the US and Australia, mask mandates are real, and, you guessed it – not wearing one could see you on the wrong end of the law.
Can’t you just wait to finally start travelling again?!
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