CDC cards as Green cards

Hello all:

Has anyone flown into Italy since July 29th, or is anyone flying in prior to Monday? I am getting conflicting information on what is needed to get through Italiian customs, from and from very smart travel sources.

We are Flying into Italy on Tuesday. 5 of us. My wife, 3 boys 15, 13, 11. Trip of a lifetime, and celebrating my wife beating cancer last year. This trip was delayed a year bc of Covid.

Everyone except my 11 year old is vaccinated. I understood that all we had to do was bring our vaccination CDC Cards with us to enter. And my youngest simply needed the antigen rapid test.

However, I'm a centurion card member. And a senior staff member at Amex Centurion, with 30 years experience, and massive expertise in Italy, disagrees. He said we all need PCR tests (they cost 250 each), and we won't be allowed into Italy without it. Here is the email I just got 2 hours ago.

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"To recap, the Italy Green Pass requirements for US travelers to Italy are ALL of the following:

Your official Covid Vaccine card as authorized by the CDC. Carry this everywhere, as you will need to produce for dining, museums, shops, etc.

Proof of negative Covid PCR test for each traveler taken within 3 days of flight departure to Italy.

Same negative Covid PCR tests for each traveler taken within 3 days of flight departure back to U.S.

FAILURE TO HAVE YOUR VACCINE CARDS AND PROOF OF NEGATIVE TESTS UPON ARRIVAL TO ITALY WILL RESULT IN YOU NOT BEING ADMITTED INTO THE COUNTRY VIA ITALIAN CUSTOMS.

I left you a message stating that your 11 year old son does not have to have vaccine card, as he is too young for vaccine, which is the same for Italy. HOWEVER, he WILL have to have a negative Covid test within 48 hours of going to a museum, cultural attraction, and indoor dining.

Which means since you are in Rome for 10 days he will need multiple tests to continue to visit museums."

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Has anyone just landed in Rome that can tell me if this is correct? Or is anyone traveling before Monday I feel sick about this. Delta says only CDC Cards needed for those the are vaccinated. I would rather not pay the $1250. And don't want my son to be swabbed every two days. But more than anything just want the right answers. Thanks in advance.

So in Florence my friend and I bought postcards at a store, and I asked the clerk if they sold stamps - the clerk said Yes and we bought them.

Later on we realized the stamps were stickers from a private mail company called "Globe Postal Service (GPS)" and the clerk had included a brochure with information on where to mail the cards (ie: NOT in a regular mail box).

So we put the stamp/stickers on (2 stamps per card for Canada) and then had a hard time finding a GPS mailbox. We finally found one at the Florence train station in a random spot (in a convenience store).

Anyways, it's been a month since we mailed the cards and NONE of our 7 recipients have received them! All the cards we had sent from

France (with regular stamps) were received 2 weeks ago.

I tracked down this GPS company on Facebook and asked them how long the cards take to get to Canada - they said 13 days. Well it's been way beyond that.

I don't know if this company is fraudulent or seriously incompetent but they are best avoided.

If you buy stamps in a store make sure they are the regular type - NOT GPS!

PS: if anyone used GPS and had cards arrive, I would love to hear from you.

Does any one know if the self-administered rapid antigen test provided on line from eMed/Binax now is accepted by Italian authorities? This is a swab based test and from what I have read on the Italian Government web site, the rapid antigen test must be swab based. This is the test accepted by US authorities for travel and promoted by most US airlines for convenience. It would be great to know if Italy will accept this too.

Hi,

We are scheduled to fly from the US to Rome, travel within Italy to Venice and Sorrento. We are fully vaccinated. Aside from safety our question is: are the museums, restaurants, tours expected to be open or has diminished tourism forced a reduction in available attractions? Has anyone recently returned from Italy and how was the testing/re-entry process? We are scouring the online resources but find fellow travelers' information to be the most helpful. Thank you!

As many are aware, Italo Treno is the arch rival of state-owned Trenitalia for high-speed rail service in Italy (but only Trenitalia operates non-reserved commuter trains on local and medium-distance routes). Italo Treno competes with Trenitalia on many (but not all) high-speed rail routes within Italy.

There is not much distinction in the quality of service between these two operators on routes where they compete directly. HOWEVER, there ARE at least three major differences:

1. Italo Treno often has lower fares than Trenitalia;

2. Italo Treno's rules and surcharges for reservation changes are more liberal than those of Trenitalia; and

3. Italo Treno has installed high-filtration HEPA filters on its trains, which re-circulate the air every 3 minutes, thereby decreasing the risk of virus contagion.

https://www.italotreno.it/en/the-train/travel-safely

https://www.italotreno.it/en/the-train/hepa-filters

Trenitalia's trains are apparently NOT equipped with HEPA filters. However, Trenitalia is currently studying a PROPOSAL to augment the safety standards of at least some of its high speed trains on several routes by requiring all passengers to have a "green pass" (or its equivalent) which documents their full vaccination status, or having tested negative to Covid-19 no more than 48 hours prior to train boarding. Presumably, American travelers should present their CDC vaccination cards to establish their vaccination status.

https://it.notizie.yahoo.com/sui-treni-frecciarossa-si-potra-salire-solo-con-green-pass-lipotesi-allo-studio-142335798.html

Hello,

I am a fully vaccinated American, I arrived in Milan from the US on August 31, and have been in Italy since.

I am traveling to Sardinia (via plane) on September 4. When I booked these flights, I was aware that all I needed to show was my equivalent of the Green Pass. However, now, there are new regulations for vaccinated Americans needing to show a recent negative tests if they have been in the US within the past 14 days. I know this applies to Americans entering Italy from overseas, but does it apply to Americans who have only been in Italy for less than 14 days?

I know I do not need to fill out a new passenger locator form, but I am confused about the test.

I can't seem to find that information anywhere.

If anyone has any information on this, it would be much appreciated!

Hi, we booked a vacation in Sicily on September 16th and we are planning on going form Catania to Palermo with a bus. Considering new COVID regulations, will I have to have green pass for that trip? Same questions goes for trains in Sicilian inner region

Hi all - my sincere apologies if this has been discussed but I'm having trouble finding a clear answer. I have to fly last minute to Florence, leaving LAX on Wednesday. I have a layover at CDG in Paris for an hour or so, then on to Florence. It seems I can enter Italy with just my vaccine card...but does the layover in France mean I need a test? Or will my vaccine card be enough?

Thanks in advance!

We will be in Italy for 10 days and would like to buy a SIM card and plan with data and SMS. Which would be the best provider, can we get the card/plan at the airport or wait to buy it in Rome?

Thanks,

Does anyone know where I can purchase a SIM card in Rome that would provide phone, texting and data throughout Europe? And what normal cost is? In London, I purchased a few years ago, 6 GB for 15 pounds (have lost it unfortunately).