Looks like as of today, May 16 Italy is open for normal travelers. No essential reason needed. There are rules still in place that everyone should know about.

• If you fly one of the “Covid-tested” flights which require testing before and after your flight you do not have to quarantine upon arrival in Italy. Right now Delta is the airline with the most “Covid-tested” flights. From JFK to Rome or Milan. And from Atlanta to Rome. AlItalia has a daily JFK to Rome flight.
• If you don’t fly a “Covid-tested” flight you will have to quarantine for 10 days and test again. Any non-direct flight not mentioned above is not a “Covid-tested” flight and quarantine rules apply.
• Italy has restrictions which all tourists will have to abide by just as residents do.
• As of this writing, most of the country is a Yellow Zone. Except Val d’Osta which is Orange. Yellow zone rules are:
  • Masks mandatory inside and out unless exercising alone.
  • Curfew from 10PM to 5 AM.
  • Restaurants open for lunch and dinner outside only.
  • Museums are only at 50% capacity and tickets are mandatory. Tickets must be purchased at least one day ahead for weekends.
  • Theaters and event spaces have seating limitations.
• Orange Zone. Same as yellow, plus:
  • No travel into or out of an Orange zone from any other zone.
  • Shops closed.
  • Museums closed.
  • Restaurants are take out only.

One thing to keep in mind. The zones are fluid. The color-coded system means there’s no guarantee that if you book to visit a yellow zone, it’ll be yellow by the time you get there—just look at Sardinia which went from a White Zone (totally open) to a Red Zone (totally closed) in just three weeks.

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Buona domenica a tutti!