Travelling to Greece, the new normal by Sabrina Chakici

5 August 2020

Friday July 3rd, the day travel corridor countries were announced in the UK. As quickly as I could read the published list, I booked myself some flights to one of my favourite places in the world, Greece.

Sabrina Chakici

Just weeks after purchasing the tickets I brushed months of dust off my beloved passport and set out to adventure again. This trip was a little different to my usual jet off however as my seven years of ‘travelling for a living’ experience provided little comfort in tackling our ‘New Normal’ when it came to international travel.

Preparation for country hopping is now more important than ever and though the new corridor list may have provided the freedom to holiday-make without having to quarantine on our return, each and every country featured has their own rules and regulations for travel. As a UK citizen we needed to complete a government document prior to flying out to Greece, this form can be found on the Greek Government website and must be completed a few days prior to travel. The information requested was basic personal details as well as the specifics of our stay in Greece. Once completed you are sent an email 12 hours prior to travel which contains a QR code. We were required to show this code at the airport in the UK when checking in, again when we were at the boarding gate and then again at passport control in Mykonos.

We flew directly with British Airways and masks were worn by all passengers and staff throughout, the flight was surprisingly full and food service was limited but over all the experience felt safe, clean and I dare say, normal.

On the island itself, it was easy to settle straight back in to our pre-2020 lives, well, almost. Bars and restaurants are open as usual but you are asked to wear a mask when in the supermarket. Accommodations all have their own set of post-covid rules but the only difference in our stay at En Lefko Suites was the cleaning of our room was switched from the usual daily to every other day to limit interactive contact.

Mykonos is an extremely popular island and not just for us Europeans who can easily travel there within a few hours, it’s also one of the most popular Greek islands for those travelling from the United States. With border lockdowns and restrictions throughout the world it does mean that the island is noticeably quiet and although the devastating circumstances would deem not to focus on any positive, having the opportunity to wander the cobbled streets of the old town with ease and space was wonderful.

Aside from the iconic old town Mykonos is an island famed for gorgeous beaches and the swanky restaurants that line them and delightfully, all them are back open for business and delighted to see the return of customers. My top picks are Beef Bar, Nammos and Scorpios, each of which are located by crystal clear waters and offer excellent service and delicious menus. Be sure to book beforehand with everywhere in Mykonos, seating and capacity rules are understandably strict.

Being able to dip my toe back in the water was a dream and the journey home after 5 days by the Aegean was just as easy as the journey in. Will I travel again soon? My flights are already booked ;)