COVID-19 Latest Information for Travellers
HEDONISTIC HIKING: COVID-19 LATEST INFORMATION FOR TRAVELLERS
Last updated: May 2023
From 2023 it will no longer be mandatory for you to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 to join a Hedonistic Hiking tour, but we strongly recommend that you are. Entry requirements for each European country are different and it is imperative that you have read and understood what is mandatory. There are now no COVID-19-related travel restrictions to enter Italy.
Check on your own government website for the latest travel information. If you have booked your trip through a Travel Agent they will be able to assist you.
In Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/europe/italy
In the UK: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/italy/entry-requirements
In the US: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/COVID-19-Country-Specific-Information.html
Requirements for returning home also vary from country and country and are subject to changes. It is your responsibility to understand the requirements of the country you are travelling to and to build in sufficient time to your travel itinerary after the tour is finished to take relevant tests and wait for results. If you need to show a negative test result for international travel, you should get either a molecular (PCR) or antigen swab test from a testing centre. Lab results for a PCR test usually take a day whereas results for antigen tests take around half an hour. Private tests can be carried out without a prescription at airports, labs, testing centres, or even at your accommodation via private doctors such as Med in Action or Medelit and prices vary from €20 to €100. If you do need to arrange a test during the tour please understand that you will miss part of the itinerary and you will need to organise your own transport to a testing centre. Find more useful information via this link.
Useful websites for travel in Italy are as follows:
The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
The wearing of masks on public transport in Italy is no longer required. However, we ask our guests to be responsible for their own health, and that of their fellow travellers. If you feel unwell on the tour for any reason, take a day off to rest and recover. Please bring a FFP2/N95 mask to wear, should the need arise, when in close proximity to others.
In the unfortunate event that you get Covid-19 during a tour, we will ask you to isolate but will continue to look after you to the best of our ability for the duration of the tour. In most cases you will be able to isolate in your hotel and all meals will be provided. You (or your insurance) will need to cover any additional costs which may be incurred in this situation.
We strongly suggest you purchase travel insurance at the time you pay your deposit, as cancellation fees and charges are payable from that time. We recommend a policy from a reputable insurer, such as this one from Covermore. Some airlines continue to make short-notice schedule changes, so make sure you have a policy which covers you for any disruption.
We have reviewed our Terms & Conditions in line with CATO guidelines (Council for Australian Tour Operators) for both European and Australian tours. These have been updated to include latest industry standards and can be viewed here.
See our Health and Safety procedures to ensure the wellbeing of our guests, and give reassurance that they can travel with confidence.
Jackie and Mick Parsons