The feeling was that after more than a year of tragedy and sacrifice, Italy deserved this moment of release.

Vaccinations

On July 26, Italy's COVID-19 Emergency Commissioner Francesco Paolo Figliuolo announced that Italy was on track to vaccinate 60% of the eligible population by the end of July (which they did), and 80% by the end of September. Three days later, Prime Minister Mario Draghi and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, met and it was announced that Italy will be receiving 1 million extra doses of Pfizer in August, and now Italy is on track to vaccinate every eligible person by the end of September. 

Green Pass

In our last update we wrote about the new requirements for those who want to enter Italy from the USA or Canada (and also Japan the UK and Israel). Starting on August 6, 2021 those same requirements (proof of: vaccination, negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours, or recovery from COVID-19 within the last six months) will be needed by everyone in Italy to enter museums, galleries, theaters, cinemas, sports stadiums, theme parks, indoor swimming pools, spas, and indoor seating areas at bars and restaurants, and will potentially be expanded to public transportation, workplaces and schools. For EU citizens and residents this proof comes in the form of the EU Digital COVID Certificate, known in Italy as the Green Pass.

The Italian government just announced that documents issued by health authorities in Canada, Israel, Japan, USA and UK would also be accepted in Italy.

Certificates can be shown in digital or paper format, the Ministry said, without giving further details.

IMPORTANT: Passengers arriving from Canada, Israel, Japan and the USA can enter Italy showing these documents and avoid quarantine, but those entering from the UK (or anyone who has been in the UK at any time within the last 14 days, including transit), must quarantine for five days. This quarantine requirement will be in place until at least August 30.

Zones

Italy has a color-coded tier system for regional COVID-19 restrictions in Italy. Currently all regions are in the "White Zone," which comes with the fewest restrictions. Before August 2021, zones were determined by the number of COVID-19 cases (seven-day average). As of August 1, zones are determined by hospital occupancy.

Masks are still required indoors, on public transport, and outdoors in large groups, and nightclubs are still closed. Other than that, life for the moment in Italy feels quite normal. Italians spend much of their time outdoors, and piazzas and cafes are lively and full. We're enjoying some lovely riding in different areas of northern Italy.

Travel

If you are booked on one of our fall 2021 tours, we will be following up with you separately with more info. We usually send pre-departure emails a month before the tour, but this year we will be sending it much closer to the departure date. Regulations change quickly and we want to make sure you have the most up-to-date information.

We will be following all rules set forth by the Italian government to keep our guests and staff safe. All of our guides are vaccinated, and they are all experienced in providing a safe and enjoyable experience on tour. We were able to run a limited number of tours in the fall of 2020 when restrictions were much tighter, and most of our team worked at Appenninica, the multi-day mountain bike stage race that Beppe runs, in September 2020. Strict protocols were in place, and all staff and participants (about 150 of them) did their part to stay safe and COVID-free. You can see highlights from the race HERE. With all of this real-world experience, we are well-prepared and ready to welcome you this fall!

We hope to see you in Italy soon!

-Heather & Beppe

Now booking 2022!

Our 2022 calendar is filling up, and now is a great time to book: Deposits for 2022 trips are currently 10% and we have not yet raised tour prices.