Options from Serbia #1 - Ukraine
Posted: July 12 2020 | Tagged: The Balkans
I've been in Beograd | Serbia 2 weeks now. What are my options? It is far from easy.
Moving around during the Coronavirus pandemic is proving to be a bigger headache than getting visas in West Africa.
This is the New Normal, moving from one place to the next, while you can, then looking for the next option.
Things change, very quickly! As my dear and fellow, 'previously stranded' friend, Sarah said, "If you snooze, you lose". How very apt.
Having taken a KLM evac out of Kenya, though truly grateful that they charged much less than Qatar and Kenya Airways it was still freaking expensive especially as it was a 'business as usual' flight, I ended up in Serbia who at that point was taking in anybody.
Nomadic Backpacker, with no fixed abode, needs a place to hole up as the world disintegrates around him. I am the original school backpacker who hates paying over the odds for a place to sleep. And it's more than 6 months since I quit my job. I have no income. I am not earning anything thru this blog other than what readers donate. Eastern Europe offers better rates than the West. Period.
Serbia was for many countries, categorised as being in the 'green zone', which meant that even if I hold a very red 'red zone' passport, as long as I am entering a new country from a 'green zone' country and have been in situ more than 14 days, my passport is irrelevant. :)
If you snooze, you lose:
"The FCO now advise against all but essential travel to Serbia, based on the current assessment of COVID-19 risks. Serbia is no longer exempt from the FCO advice against all non-essential international travel." UK Gov Travel Advice: Serbia
Serbia was on the initial 'won't need to quarantine upon arrival in UK' list for when they lifted the blanket rule on July 11. This was updated 2 days ago, July 10.
A spike in cases and demonstrations/riots saw to that. If you snooze, you're gonna end up being quarantined. I am once again, no longer 'free' to go back to the UK without a 14 day quarantine period. Not that I am wanting to go back, just saying.
This is the New Normal, moving from one place to the next, while you can, then looking for the next option.
Things change, very quickly! As my dear and fellow, 'previously stranded' friend, Sarah said, "If you snooze, you lose". How very apt.
Having taken a KLM evac out of Kenya, though truly grateful that they charged much less than Qatar and Kenya Airways it was still freaking expensive especially as it was a 'business as usual' flight, I ended up in Serbia who at that point was taking in anybody.
Nomadic Backpacker, with no fixed abode, needs a place to hole up as the world disintegrates around him. I am the original school backpacker who hates paying over the odds for a place to sleep. And it's more than 6 months since I quit my job. I have no income. I am not earning anything thru this blog other than what readers donate. Eastern Europe offers better rates than the West. Period.
Serbia was for many countries, categorised as being in the 'green zone', which meant that even if I hold a very red 'red zone' passport, as long as I am entering a new country from a 'green zone' country and have been in situ more than 14 days, my passport is irrelevant. :)
If you snooze, you lose:
"The FCO now advise against all but essential travel to Serbia, based on the current assessment of COVID-19 risks. Serbia is no longer exempt from the FCO advice against all non-essential international travel." UK Gov Travel Advice: Serbia
Serbia was on the initial 'won't need to quarantine upon arrival in UK' list for when they lifted the blanket rule on July 11. This was updated 2 days ago, July 10.
A spike in cases and demonstrations/riots saw to that. If you snooze, you're gonna end up being quarantined. I am once again, no longer 'free' to go back to the UK without a 14 day quarantine period. Not that I am wanting to go back, just saying.
Ukraine is one of the non-EU countries who have laid out their terms, very clearly, for all to see and understand.
There is a list of green zone countries which clearly stipulates that if you are arriving from one of them, you can enter Ukraine without any need to isolate, take any tests nor download a track and trace app.
You will be required to buy the relevant insurance which you can do online. And they even say that the site will be updated every 24 hours. How cool is that?
There is a list of green zone countries which clearly stipulates that if you are arriving from one of them, you can enter Ukraine without any need to isolate, take any tests nor download a track and trace app.
You will be required to buy the relevant insurance which you can do online. And they even say that the site will be updated every 24 hours. How cool is that?
But a quick check on Expedia showed me that there are no direct flights from Beograd to Kyiv. You can go via Istanbul, with a 7 hrs lay-over, 2 or 3 times a week.
The trouble here is, that there are more chances for things to go wrong. You never know when there might be a temperature check. You never know when you might start showing symptoms and the authorities are gonna pick up on this and slam you in a state-run isolation hotel or hospital and slap you with a nice big check.
And when you book a flight say a week before, that's plenty of time for the rules over the need to quarantine to change. Even with the need to take a Covid test, 72 hours before you fly. You could be on your way to the airport and someone sneezes in your face and boom. The Covid test 72 hours before is for nothing unless you sit in a vacuum-sealed room. But they are the rules!
The trouble here is, that there are more chances for things to go wrong. You never know when there might be a temperature check. You never know when you might start showing symptoms and the authorities are gonna pick up on this and slam you in a state-run isolation hotel or hospital and slap you with a nice big check.
And when you book a flight say a week before, that's plenty of time for the rules over the need to quarantine to change. Even with the need to take a Covid test, 72 hours before you fly. You could be on your way to the airport and someone sneezes in your face and boom. The Covid test 72 hours before is for nothing unless you sit in a vacuum-sealed room. But they are the rules!
I would prefer to go overland. Flying is scary these days even with their new filtration systems installed.
Only Romania lies between me and Ukraine.
"On 7 July 2020, the Romanian Government issued an updated list of countries for which Covid-19 travel restrictions have been lifted. Travellers from these countries, including the UK, are no longer required to comply with quarantine and isolation rules for 14 days. On the same day, Wizz Air and the Romanian low-cost carrier Blue Air resumed regular flights with the UK. More flights are expected to resume soon, check website for further details. UK Gov Travel Advice: Romania Can't find a link to said list. Sigh!
I have a roomie here. She was stuck in Pristina. Got out of Kosovo into Serbia via Macedonia hours before they closed the land borders. This was just last week. A friend of hers is from Romania. She was told to wait until after July 15 before going back without having to look forward to another period of quarantine. July 15 is also the new date when Moldova is said to be reopening.
Why Ukraine? I like it there! It's cheap, people are cool, there's plenty to see. Have been in Chernivtsi, Lviv, Odesa and Kyiv. Am interested in seeing Dnipro and Kharkiv. Plenty of blog posts to be written on all of these places and many more.
And if I transited through Romania I'd wanna stop at Timişoara and Cluj. And sure, if I snoozed too long there I'd lose again.
Only Romania lies between me and Ukraine.
"On 7 July 2020, the Romanian Government issued an updated list of countries for which Covid-19 travel restrictions have been lifted. Travellers from these countries, including the UK, are no longer required to comply with quarantine and isolation rules for 14 days. On the same day, Wizz Air and the Romanian low-cost carrier Blue Air resumed regular flights with the UK. More flights are expected to resume soon, check website for further details. UK Gov Travel Advice: Romania Can't find a link to said list. Sigh!
I have a roomie here. She was stuck in Pristina. Got out of Kosovo into Serbia via Macedonia hours before they closed the land borders. This was just last week. A friend of hers is from Romania. She was told to wait until after July 15 before going back without having to look forward to another period of quarantine. July 15 is also the new date when Moldova is said to be reopening.
Why Ukraine? I like it there! It's cheap, people are cool, there's plenty to see. Have been in Chernivtsi, Lviv, Odesa and Kyiv. Am interested in seeing Dnipro and Kharkiv. Plenty of blog posts to be written on all of these places and many more.
And if I transited through Romania I'd wanna stop at Timişoara and Cluj. And sure, if I snoozed too long there I'd lose again.
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