Europe Trip — Travelling Midst the Covid Pandemic!

It’s not possible for one to visit such a fascinating place like Europe and not be awestruck by it. 

 Want to know what it feels like to have a Europe trip during a Covid outbreak? Hey guys! I’m back to traveling outside the Philippines! This time I’ll be sharing with you my Europe Trip that happened during Covid! 

Introduction

Bonjour, mga lakwatsera! In this blog, I will be sharing my unique trip to Europe in the midst of covid. In addition to this blog, I will also be posting a separate blog on how I applied for my Schengen Visa.

Why a Europe Trip?

Europe is known to be one of the best travel destinations in the world, having a rich cultural heritage and picturesque tourist destination.  From the well-known Eiffel tower to its museums, it will surely not disappoint. 

This travel guide will give you an overview of the know-how of Europe Travel. So sit back and enjoy reading and unraveling the beauty of Europe with me!

If you’re interested in seeing Europe through my lenses, make sure to check out my short vlog! here.

Prepping for Europe Trip 

Best time for a Europe Trip

In all honesty, Europe is a place worth visiting any time of the year! But if you want to maximize your stay, I recommend traveling during Spring (March to April) or Autumn (September to November). The peak season is summer, which means that there are more tourists and everything just seems to be A LOT expensive!! So to avoid the influx of tourists and unreasonable price increases, visit around early spring or autumn.

Booking your flight (Cheapest and best airlines)

Budgeted flights are gifts from above for travelers like me. There are many available airlines that provide a roud trip flight ticket to Europe which ranges from Php 30,000- Php 60,000 which is approximately $625 -$1,250.

Be sure to look out for promo flights around mid-June. AirAsia, Cebu Pacific, and  Philippine Airlines are just some of the airlines that have occasional price drop every now and then. To make it convenient for you check out Filo Online Ticketing, they help you find the cheapest flight there is!

Places to visit (plan ahead) 

It’s always important to plan ahead of time to avoid wasting your time deciding which tourist attraction to visit first and which route to take.

A route map is something you’ll find useful when traveling, especially in Europe – you wouldn’t want to miss the Eiffel travel, would you? 

In making a route map, you can utilize platforms like Google Maps. To start, go to Google Maps Site/App, make sure you’re signed in to your account. 

1. Under the menu icon on the top left, you’ll find the option Your Places 
2. In the Your Places menu, click the Maps tab and select Create Map button at the bottom.
3. Customize it! 

From there, you’ll have your own customized map with your desired stopovers. The best part? It also suggests routes you can take using different modes of transportation! 

Where to stay for a Europe Trip?

Europe is known to have grand hotels, however, this may cost so much! Cities like Paris are usually swamped with tourists. To have a more peaceful experience – far from the noise of cities and crowds – you may want to try staying in smaller towns which are near the main cities like Girona. 

In regard to lodging, there are lots of affordable hostels that provide private room options but you may find apartment rentals and homestays more appealing. 

Pre- Europe Trip Checklist 

What to have on a flight?

Make sure you allow ample time in packing for your carry-on bag since it will contain most of your essentials! Remember, Manila to Paris is (at the very least) a 17-hour flight, so make sure to bring things that will help you with the boredom. Below is the list of things you should and can bring in your carry-on.

Travel Documents

• Passport
• ID
• Copies of flight details 
• Petty Cash

Essentials

Electronics

• Smartphone
• Laptop or tablet
• Travel adapter
• Chargers

Information you need to know before a Europe Trip

Similar to other countries, France requires all travelers entering the country to show proof of a negative result of a biological test of virological screening “RT-PCR COVID” not more than seventy-two (72) hours before departure. In addition to that, travelers over age 11 must also have a statement attesting to: 

1. there are no symptoms of covid-19 infection,
2. he is not aware that he has been in contact with a confirmed case of covid-19 in the fourteen days prior to the trip,
3. that it accepts that a viral screening test or examination for SARS-CoV-2 can be carried out upon arrival in the country,
4. that it undertakes to respect voluntary isolation of seven days after its arrival in metropolitan France and to carry out, at the end of this period, a biological examination of virological screening (PCR).

You can check out the website here to download the statement needed and to read more about the latest news regarding the protocols for traveling to France. Answers to queries regarding the situation of France with the coronavirus COVID-19 and recommendations for health may be read here.

Visa needed (Schengen)

Schengen visa is a short stay visa that authorizes a person to travel around the Schengen area for ninety (90) to one-hundred eighty (180) days. Schengen covers 26 countries which are Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.  that covers countries 

I made a separate blog for this, you can read more about the visa application Schengen Visa.

Europe Trip Flight Experience

Our Europe trip began on the first leg of our trip which was from Manila to Singapore. We left manila at 1:57 pm (PST)  and had a layover at Changi Airport in Singapore at around 5:24 pm (Singapore Time). Travel time from the Philippines to Singapore is approximately 4 hours.

After waiting for about 6 hours, we traveled from Singapore to Paris and landed at  Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport at around 5:50 am (Paris Time)

France Trip

After a very long flight, we decided to head straight to our accommodation to rest so we’ll have plenty of energy to walk around and tour France.

Europe Trip| DAY 1- France

Eiffel Tower

On our 1st day in France, we walked around the famous Eiffel Tower and was awestruck with the beauty of the place (like a dream come true for every traveler). 

Jardin des Grands Explorateurs

After our tour around the Eiffel Tower, we headed to Downtown Paris and visited Paris Catacombs and Jardin des Grands Explorateurs.

Paris Catacombs

The Paris Catacombs is essentially an underground ossuary in Paris, France found at approximately 20 m below the ground with a total of 243 steps!

This location holds the remains of about 6 million people. To know more about the Paris Catacombs, you can visit their official website here.

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Europe Trip| DAY 2- France

The following day, we visited the Louvre Museum, Arc de Triomphe, and Champs-Élysées.

Louvre Museum

A little story about the Louvre Museum, it was originally constructed as a fortress to protect and watch over Paris but was then torn down and rebuilt as a palace for the royal residence of the French monarch. It was only in the 19th century when it was opened as a public museum.

Now, the Louvre Museum is known to be one of the richest art museums and historic monuments in Paris, having famous artworks like the “Mona Lisa”.

Arc de Triomphe

This is one of the most famous monuments in France. It was built to signify the French National Identity. This monument took 30 years to build and is still looking marvelous and strong up to this date!

Arc de Triomphe is one of the world’s best-known commemorative monuments, honoring the soldiers who fought for France in the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars. It is located on the most famous avenue in Paris, the Champs-Élysées.

Champs-Élysées

 This avenue runs between the “Palace de la Concorde” and the “Palace Charles de Gaulle”.  The Arc de Triomphe has been through a lot; however, one of the most memorable and saddest moments was when Nazi tanks rumble past it in 1940.

Also, being one of the tourist spots of Paris, it has been visited by well-known people. One of which is the Beatles back in 1964, when they were sightseeing in the city. 

Europe Trip| DAY 3- France

Disneyland

Every little girl’s dream come true is to visit Disneyland! And this is exactly what my brother and I did!

We spent the whole day trying out activities and riding one of the most thrilling rides in Disneyland. The ticket price for Disneyland is 93£ per person/ 1 day, which is approximately Php 5, 500.00. It’s a bit more than we were used to, but the experience made it all worth it.

If you plan to go on a Europe trip with your family, don’t miss the chance to take a day and explore Disneyland. Disneyland Paris is currently closed due to the pandemic, however, they will reopen on April 2, 2021. For more updates about Disneyland, you can check out their website here: Disneyland Paris

Europe Trip| DAY 4- France

This was our last day in Paris before we travelled to Switzerland! We had to make sure to visit the best tour locations in France. These are the places we planned to visit on our last day in France

• Tonton Banh Mi
• Père Lachaise
• Grand Palais
• Pont de Levallois-Bécon
• Châtillon Montrouge
• Montmartre

We wanted to visit Palace of Versailles as well, but we weren’t able to do that because of the travel restrictions.

Père Lachaise

“To find Jim Morrison’s grave in Père Lachaise, go to one of the key entrances on Boulevard de Ménilmontant. You can get to this entrance by taking the line 2 metro to Père Lachaise or Philippe Auguste.

Then, you have to walk up the big alley until the first intersection. Turn right on Avenue du Puits, inside the cemetery. At some point, the Avenue du Puits becomes Avenue Casimir Périer. Don’t worry, keep walking this alley until you reach a roundabout, which is “rond point” in French.

Take your first right after passing through the Casimir Perier roundabout and walk down to the next intersection. Turn right at the intersection into Chemin Lauriston. Continue walking until the alley splits into two. After that, turn left. You’ll usually see several people standing near Morrison’s grave, so it’ll be easy to spot!

You’ll probably be surprised when you arrive at his grave because it’s very humble and unassuming. Since some fans used to trash the cemetery, it has undergone many changes over the years. However, it is remote and quite “cheap” for such a legend! But the fact is that it doesn’t really matter because he’ll always be with us.”

Getting around Paris using the Metro

Like any traveler would, my brother and I got ourselves a card where you can store money similar here in the Philippines with LRT/MRT. In Paris they called it Navigo, it’s a loadable personal card that you can use for metro when going around Paris.

To acquire this, you need to present an ID picture. Along with other requirements, check out this blog for Navigo requirements and other details you may need to know https://parisbytrain.com/paris-train-metro-week-pass-navigo-decouverte/. Aside from the Navigo pass, you can also download an app called the Paris Metro App.

It really helps a lot if you have these with you while you roam and enjoy the streets of Paris, France.

France Trip

I hope you found my France blog trip helpful! For those of you who are planning to take a trip to Paris, France during the pandemic, feel free to comment here or reach me through my social media for questions and clarifications! I’d be more than happy to help!

For more blog updates you can:
– Check out my website @ www.lakwatsanisay.com
– Follow me on Facebook @Lakwatsanisay
– Follow me on Instagram @lakwatsanisayph

The 2nd part of my Europe trip is coming soon! Stay tuned and stay safe everyone!