VioletM

10 hours ago, jsmith2020 said:

Can someone send me a fun itinerary for 14 days around Serbia please  

Well, if you follow my fun itinerary you will stay in your accommodation for 14 days and get fat. Honestly, I don't think this is a time for "fun holidays in Serbia". The pandemic is rampant, there are protests all over the country... I mean, to each their own, but I certainly couldn't/can't enjoy myself under these circumstances. Plus, the virus situation here is bad, the less you travel around the better for you and anyone you come into contact with. I am here out of the absolute necessity, and I just hope that I can last another week without my flights getting cancelled/travel disruptions. I got affected by Trump's travel ban back in March, I was supposed to start work in April, so I am absolutely desperate to get to the US because I'm going completely broke. 

Situation is serious. Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should. But I understand that every person has a different limit of what they are and aren't comfortable with. So you do you. But whatever you do, remain vigilant, responsible and safe. 

3 hours ago, thisguyflies said:

I'm just off the phone with air serbia who told me I'd be ok to board the flight on Friday. They also said that the Saturday flight is still going ahead, despite the recent curfew news.

 

The curfew rules will become more clear today, so not sure if I'd take their word on Saturday yet or not.

 

For anyone curious: last night was a mess in Belgrade. A sleepless night for me. Obviously, the anxiety of travel was a big part, but also the noise and commotion from the protests. The people here are NOT happy. Feels like a very, very different city than the one I landed in.

 

I'm sure you're all very used to my bad luck by now, but man...when's this nightmare going to end??

You could also try contacting the US embassy here in Belgrade to double check that the time spent here is sufficient, or the DHS. 

I checked your post history and I really feel for you. Don't lose hope. It is such a weird and stressful time, I barely slept last night, too. You're so close now though.

Good luck.

42 minutes ago, thisguyflies said:

I'm in need of some advice:

 

So things here in Serbia aren't looking great with the curfew coming into effect on Friday evening. My flight out of Belgrade is Saturday... Unclear how the curfew will effect airports as of now.

 

Leaving Saturday would have been me staying here 15 days (was playing it safe), but with what's happening, I'm wanting to leave on Friday before the curfew comes. This means traveling on the 14th day of being here.

 

My question is: is traveling on the 14th day acceptable? It's super unclear. Technically, the time I'd be landing at JFK would make it 15 days given the time zones.

 

If you've been following my story, you'll know that I'm extremely anxious about airport staff after what happened to me last month. 

Hey, I'm really sorry to hear about your situation, I understand it must be super stressful for you. I was supposed to fly next Saturday and just changed it to Friday next week, hoping that the curfew/lockdown isn't continuous and is only on weekends/evenings (my Airbnb host told me that was mainly the case in April/March, but obviously that's hoping that the flights will still be operating and funny get fully cancelled/banned), but I arrived on the 1st. 

I don't really have advice for you on whether the 14th day would be sufficient other than contacting Air Serbia on whether they think they expect the flights on Saturday to still go on, or after that. There is a flight on Monday, and the curfew lasts from Friday evening until Monday morning, so that could be an option for you possibly.

Best of luck!

6 hours ago, pretzelbite said:

Any thoughts on this: 

 

In the meantime, Austria just issued a new travel warning for several Western Balkans states due to the situation there. Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said in Vienna, Austria already had new Coronavirus cases connected to trips people had taken to those states.

Corona Alarm for Western Balkans States

They are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. What Montenegro is concerned, the policies in Berlin and Vienna obviously differ. Austria just asked its citizens to leave the Western Balkan countries mentioned immediately. Anyone who returns to Austria from those states needs to go into quarantine and be tested for Corona.

Well, the cases are rising here, so it isn't shocking. The state of emergency was declared in Belgrade on Friday, and the government's narrative is that they have it under control and things are getting better, take that as you will. 

I don't know what your source is, but it seems Austria just wants to prevent its citizens from going to the countries and bringing coronavirus back. Croatia is also experiencing start of second wave, I would say it's imminent everywhere.

Of course it is concerning, particularly for those of us who are here right now... But what can we do?

13 hours ago, Robin Redemsky said:

my fiancé (he’s from the UK) is in Belgrade and leaving Saturday morning for JFK. He said he’s been wearing masks in public and takes advantage of any hand sanitizer stores leave out. Be aware of bed bugs. He stayed in a hotel that was infested with bed bugs and got bit up pretty bad. Check your bed mattress on the seams and underneath. I don’t mean to sound gloom and doom, but bed bugs travel easily and chances are lots of hotels/air bnb have them. 

Hi there, thanks for the heads up! I would take bedbugs over coronavirus tbh... Haha! 

And good luck to you and your fiance for his upcoming flight!

Hi everyone! I arrived in Belgrade last night!

This morning I went with my Airbnb host to the police about the foreigner registration thing, because they told her on the phone that just a picture of my passport wasn't enough, and when we got there they told her they didn't need my passport at all. So lots of misinformation clearly! Other than that everything went well, I did fly with KLM via Amsterdam but had no issues whatsoever. The weather is very warm but it's supposed to rain soon. I'm slightly paranoid about so many people not wearing masks (especially taxi drivers, 0 out of 3 so far wore one), but I'm planning to stay mainly indoors anyway. It was one of the most stressful journeys I've done (second time in my life I'm moving to another country, but the first time I'm moving to another country during pandemic!), but I'm very happy that the first part is done! Now to just wait...

18 hours ago, jenny53 said:

Is your layover in Amsterdam on the way to Serbia or on the way to the US?? Because even if it’s just a layover you’re not allowed to enter the US if your layover was in a country that is banned. Just making sure 🙂

It is on the way to Serbia of course! Afterwards I am taking the direct flight from Belgrade to NYC.

Hi everyone! I decided to take the plunge and fly to Serbia next week, and I have a flight to NYC on the 18th! I will be staying in an Airbnb, is there anything I might have problems with? The host will send my information to the police, is there anything else I should be mindful of?

Also, stupid question but, does anybody have experience booking extra checked luggage at the airport? My flight is with KLM with layover in Amsterdam, but I think because part of the flight is with Air Serbia it wasn't possible to book a second checked bag online, the website says I have to do it at the airport, but I have never done that! 

13 hours ago, Robin Redemsky said:

My fiancé made it to Serbia. Manchester airport gave him a hard time and Amsterdam pulled him out of the line before he boarded the plane to make sure he wasn’t going thru the Schengen Area before his flight to New York in two weeks. Customs in Serbia didn’t even ask why he was there and just let him right in. He’s safe in his hotel. I’m currently a nervous wreck. I just want him to be safe and I really hope he makes it to the US. Some American on his flight to Serbia told him he doesn’t think he will be let into the US. That really dampened his mood. I told him not to let him down because that guy doesn’t understand our situation or the rules. 

Hi there! I'm glad your fiancé is in Serbia!

Do you know why he was questioned in Amsterdam/why the airline even cared where he was going after going to Serbia? Couldn't he just have said that he was going to Serbia for holidays...?

I'm thinking about flying UK-Serbia via Amsterdam (with KLM) in a couple of weeks, too, and then take the direct flight from Serbia to NYC (after spending 14 days in Serbia), and this is making me worry.

Also, the American man who told him he wouldn't be allowed in the US is clearly wrong since so many people have managed to do just that.

1 hour ago, Amca95 said:

Hello everyone, I have been following this thread for the best part of 3 weeks now and actually currently in Mexico City, I arrived on the 11th June so my 14 day quarantine is over on the 26th. 
 

I am worried that there are now talks of an EO being put in to place to ban all travel from Mexico, I know current land restrictions end on June 22 and that will inevitably be extended.

 

i can’t find any reliable sources on the mention of said EO but I am seeing it a lot on here and that is the main reason people have moved from Mexico to Serbia as their 3rd country to quarantine. 
 

does anyone have any thoughts or sources on any of all this?

Hi! So somebody commented the following a few days ago: 

On 6/16/2020 at 10:14 PM, dpnce said:

Hey! For those of us currently (more or less patiently) waiting for their days to be over here in Mexico, the agreement on Mexico-US Border restrictions has not been amended but only extended for another 30 days i.e. until July 21, for now. 

 

My understanding is we should be fine to enter the US via Mexico until that date (July 21), provided we are not subject to another EO by then.

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-mexico/mexico-and-us-extend-border-travel-ban-for-30-days-mexico-foreign-ministry-idUSKBN23N2KH

 

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/16/us-mexico-border-closure-extended-323216

It seems that you should be ok. The EO that expires concerns immigrant ban as far as I understand, not the land border. There is an upcoming EO that might ban certain non-immigrant visa holders (H1B, J1, L1(?)...) but noone knows which visa types will be affected, what the exemptions of it are, or when it actually comes out. Apparently it doesn't have to be before the 22nd/23rd, but it might be, but it might also be later. Or not at all. Uncertainty, basically. But unless your visa is one of those types, you should be ok.

3 hours ago, ek1357 said:

Yes it is really important to remember that you won’t be able to get travel insurance so yes wherever you end up medical costs would be all on you. No matter where you travel it’s a risk during a pandemic!

 

The only issue is unreliable airlines, Turkish Airlines seem to have altered their dates to commence flights numerous times. Lots of routes that are meant to restart with many airlines are getting pushed back or cancelled. If the route has been running already it’s probably more likely to be ok but if it’s the first week that airline is starting back up on a route there’s always the danger they cancel it. 
 

Mexico was a difficult decision for me but made easier by the fact that I am travelling with my fiancé and the fact that so many on the forum are also here. 
 

That said, hopefully things are really getting moving now in Europe and new options will become available during July!

I am actually a permanent resident of an EU country, so I got travel insurance there (I was a student here in the UK), and my understanding is that they do cover me even now - but I will double check that! 

Yeah the uncertainty with the flights is what made me start reconsidering Turkey - in theory it would be ideal, but not when the flights aren't operating! 

I wish you the best of luck in Mexico, there's certainly strength in numbers. I am really glad that I found this forum, it is reassuring to hear about other people's experiences who are in a similar situation!

4 hours ago, Sarah84 said:

Hi! I just wanted to let you all know that I traveled to Belgrade, Serbia yesterday and it was one of the easiest trips I have ever taken. The airport in Dortmund, Germany was almost empty. Everything was closed. The only people that were there were ones that wanted to flew to Serbia as well. There were no other flights. Check-in, security and passport control were super easy. Everybody was really friendly and some people even made jokes. Everybody was in a good mood. Nobody asked me any questions. The plane was full, every single seat was booked. But people were wearing masks the whole time. Most people were sleeping, it was very quiet. We landed on time. The airport in Belgrade was empty too. After 15 min I was through passport control and had my luggage. Again, no questions asked, everybody was friendly. I got to my hotel and relaxed. So far I am impressed with how everything went.

This is really great to hear! I wish you a pleasant stay in Serbia

I am more and more inclined to travel to Serbia, too, if I don't get banned by the upcoming EO...

On 6/16/2020 at 1:17 AM, jvette said:

 

Hey there — I'm in a similar situation with my girlfriend. She's a German national and has her J-1 visa but has been stuck there due to the travel ban. We considered the Mexico route but didn't pull the trigger as she'd have to quit her job a second time (they luckily allowed her to stay on when the travel ban was put into place and she couldn't leave Germany) and decided it's just too risky in the event she wasn't allowed to enter. 
 

I think we're out of luck at this point as we waited too long to go through Mexico and this ridiculous executive order is due out any day now. We considered trying to get her there ASAP, but again, it's too risky as even if she got on a plane tomorrow we could soon find out that she'd be banned from entering before the 14 day quarantine is up. 

 

Are you planning on waiting until the EO comes out before you book any travel plans? 

 

 

Hello! Yeah I have been closely monitoring the situation, too, hoping I would be able to avoid having to go to Mexico/other third country.

I was talking with my boss today about the options, he is still hopeful that UK-US travel resumes sooner rather than later, but I am not so sure. So we agreed we will wait until the end of the month (I believe the EO will come by 23rd June since the previous one is set to expire then), and hope it doesn't impact me - and if it doesn't, and the UK is still banned, I will most likely travel to Serbia. And if it does impact me I will just have to discuss what the options are (if any) with my boss.

On 6/15/2020 at 9:35 PM, ek1357 said:

@VioletM the last I heard regarding Turkey was the best bet for brits was a possible air-bridge arrangement. Given summer is coming I would assume something like that might be considered in July. I considered Turkey myself but our visa expires soon so we didn’t have time to wait. 
 

That said, a lot of hotels in Cancun are reopening now and I have read a few articles confirming Canadian tour operators and airlines are now restarting flights to Cancun in addition to tourist spots in the US (LV, NY).

https://ca.travelpulse.com/news/airlines/westjet-announces-summer-schedule-including-us-and-mexico.html
https://ca.travelpulse.com/news/vacation-packages/air-canada-vacations-touches-down-in-mexico.html

 

I’m not going to say Mexico is the way to go but Mexico City is the only real problem for Mexico, cases and deaths are very low out in the tourist spots. It’s kinda obvious why when you’re here because people are literally living on top of each other in Mexico City- it’s really densely populated. 

I could probably be having quite a nice two week ‘holiday’ if I was in Cancun but I didn’t want to do 3 transfers so we stayed put in Mexico City.

So I was checking the Turkish Airlines and the flights to Boston are no longer searchable on their website for July, so likely they aren't operating by then. I did contact Istanbul airport (I couldn't figure out a way to contact the airline directly, although I think there is a way...) and haven't heard back.
I am not feeling so sure about Mexico, neither my boss nor my mum want me to go there... If anything happened there (e.g. I got sick) I would be more stranded than if I was closer to Europe I feel.

Hello everyone, I have been reading this message board for a few weeks now - what an anxious time for all of us! 

Good luck to everybody in quarantine in a foreign land right now, you're braver than me!

I am stuck in the UK and have been waiting to try and get into US on J1 visa. I am aware of the new EO that might impact me, but if it doesn't, and the travel ban isn't lifted, I will likely travel out somewhere, too. It's been too long.

Does anybody know what the latest situation about travel to/from Turkey is? I heard that they were cancelling flights/not operating properly despite meaning to reopen mid-June. Turkey would be ideal as there are direct flights there from my current city and to the city I'm (hopefully) relocating to.

Other options I'm considering are Serbia (but I think I would have to have a layover from Belgrade in Istanbul anyway), or South Korea (but SK is far/the other way).