I am back from an outstanding vacation in France over the past two weeks. I’m getting a lot of questions regarding safety protocols during the trip. I’ll address those here, but please do not hesitate to reach out if you would like a more detailed conversation.

If you are even thinking about going to Europe before the crowds return, grab your passport and your vaccination card and let’s get started. It truly was magical walking hand in hand with my husband throughout Paris on the night we arrived without the typical crowds. The photo above was taken just after 8pm, at most there were 20 people in the interior courtyard of the Louvre.

Here are the top 5 questions I’ve received since my return:

Did you feel safe on the airplane?

Absolutely! When we boarded each flight we were handed sanitizing wipes. We are in the habit of cleaning our seat area when we board, but this made the process even easier than fishing around our bag for our supplies. We wore masks throughout the flight and service was as expected.

What about in Paris?

Again, absolutely! Protocols are strict throughout France. Nearly everyone you pass on the street is wearing a medical grade mask, very few cloth masks were seen. We carried our EU Covid Certification on our phone as well as in my bag to show when entering establishments. Hand sanitizer dispensers were at every doorway as well as bus stops and along the sidewalks.

Were there safety protocols in place on the ship?

Yes! We sailed aboard the AMALyra round trip from Paris along the Seine to the North. Before boarding the ship we provided our vaccine information along with a health form. On arrival our luggage was sanitized and our temperatures recorded. The ship capacity is just under 150 passengers. Our sailing had 43 guests and 43 crew members. Needless to say, service was impeccable. Masks were worn onboard in the hallways, but in the dining room and lounge could be removed once you were seated. Temperatures were also taken each morning as you entered the dining room. One difference we did notice was that we were assigned tables and table mates for the duration of the cruise to help with contact tracing, if necessary.

Did you have to get tested to go to Europe?

We did not since it was not required of vaccinated travelers to France at the time of our trip. These protocols are different for each country and continue to change on a very fluid basis.

How did you get tested to return to the US?

AMAWaterways facilitated the testing three days before our return flight. They arranged for guests to be transported to a local lab for a swab test at our expense (44€ per person). Results were emailed directly to each passenger within 6 hours. We downloaded the results to our phone and were also provided a hard copy by the ship, at our request.