We had 72 hours to get from a COVID test laboratory to the Greek border. That’s how old the PCR test may be at most to enter Greece. We had to cross into Italy and drive down to Ancona, not knowing how the situation will be at the border. From Ancona we wanted to take the ferry to Patras. We prepared a pile of forms which are required for travelling during these times and off we went!
Our first stop was the laboratory of Dr. Greiner in Vienna, which was so helpful to provide us with an English test result sent by e-mail, which made it possible for us to leave immediately after the test – thanks again!
The weather was perfect to leave the country. Rain and snow accompanied us the whole way and the grey skies didn’t let any doubt arise, that we were driving in the right direction. Our first stop for the night was still in Austria, where we stayed also the next morning. During the night a tooth pain had started, and I decided it might be best to have this wisdom tooth removed before we left. I walked to the next dentist, sat there until they had time for me and walked back a little unstable with all the anaesthetic the doctor had injected into my jaw. But the tooth was gone and we could finally leave Austria.
We drove to the Italian border, sure that we will be able to enter for transit, but nevertheless awaiting a control. When we drove into Italy with not even one person standing there, no control station, just nothing, we were somehow disappointed. The media make you belief that you can’t travel and that there are huge restrictions everywhere and than there is no control? In the end we drove undisturbed until Ancona, where we spent the second night.
In the morning we went to get our ferry tickets. To enter the office we had our temperature scanned, luckily we were cool enough. At the counter we had to show a “Passenger Locator Form” with a QR code to enter Greece , which we had prepared after booking the ferry. Nothing more was required.
The formalities didn’t take long and we could drive to the ferry and board. Beside of our caravan there were only trucks and the huge ferry felt strangely empty with maybe 30 drivers and us sitting around the only open bar. Luckily the self service restaurant was open too.
After 25 hours we finally reached Patras and rolled of the boat. Entering Greece was the first border where we had a control since the Corona madness had started nearly one year ago. After showing them our negativ PCR test on the laptop, we could leave the harbour and were happy that we had made it without any problem at all.
The Peloponnese welcomed us with rain, but when we reached our first camping, everything was fine again and the next day we spent enjoying the sun and getting sunburned.
That’s why we came here! SUN!! We had missed the warm weather and sunshine and are happy that we are finally in the South again. The next weeks we will explore the Peloponnese, as sitting on a beach is something we can do for a day but then something else has to happen – restless as we are. More on our next posts!