Singapore to Spain journey 2022: Pre-Journey Prep, COVID measures

I lastly made my first worldwide journey in two years since COVID hit! I made a decision on my first journey to be in Spain and thought I’d share a few of my journey prep work that will help you plan your individual journeys within the close to future. COVID has modified journey quite a bit and whereas we’re steadily opening up, the principles are altering very often and shortly however I assumed I’d offer you an in depth run down on what my Singapore to Spain journey in 2022 was like and what to anticipate.

Why Spain?

I picked Spain as a result of I needed to make use of my languishing Spanish a little bit bit, and rules-wise it didn’t have any significantly strict entry necessities which was a plus for me. I’ve been to various Spain – Andalucia and Barcelona once I’d simply graduated, Valencia and Madrid throughout my profession break and extra not too long ago Bilbao the place I checked out ‘Dragonstone‘. I kinda missed the southern Spanish vibe and needed to see all that once more.

Additionally, again in February 2022, costs for close by VTL flights like South Korea and even Malaysia had been dearer than ordinary, and it simply appeared extra worthwhile to pay a little bit bit extra to fly rather a lot additional to Europe.

Official Assets

I spent lots of time poring over wonderful print and altering guidelines to verify I used to be comliant for my journey. Right here’s what I like to recommend you try:

Singapore to Spain: Entry Necessities

As of March 2022, Spain doesn’t have particular checks or necessities wanted for entry into Spain so long as you might be absolutely vaccinated. In case you are not absolutely vaccinated, chances are you’ll have to both have an exemption certificates or take a take a look at beforehand, however for absolutely vaccinated folks like myself, it’s fairly simple.

Issues to prep

• Vaccination Certification:
  • Spain requires the EU Digital COVID Certificates, however the great point is that the Singapore Vaccination Certificates is recognised as an equal. What Singaporeans have to do is obtain your immunisation data from Notarise, comply with the steps and you need to obtain your certificates virtually instantly through e mail. The PDF could have each a web-based QR code (for all of your pictures) in addition to EU-DCC suitable QR codes for offline verification (1 QR for every shot you are taking)
  • I like to recommend saving your PDF to Dropbox/Recordsdata or one thing you may entry simply even offline. For iOS customers, I recommend opening the certificates on one other display and scanning the QR code along with your cellphone digicam. It can robotically set off so that you can add the immunisation data to the Well being app in your iphone, and from there you may as well save to Pockets so you may simply pull out the QR codes when wanted.
  • When this was checked: on the SIA check-in counter
• SpTH Type:
  • Spain additionally requires you to do is to replenish a Well being Management Type (FCS) earlier than entry into the nation. You may really can fill it in as early as you need (you have to so as to add flight/seat particulars so have that readily available), however you may solely full the shape and get the Spain Journey Well being Go QR code 48 hours earlier than your departure.
  • You’ll want your cellphone – they may ship you a pin quantity which might be your password (reusable when you login a number of instances so save that quantity), and the ultimate QR code in PDF type/passbook type might be despatched to your e mail so it can save you and add to your Pockets as properly.
  • When this was checked: at Spain’s airport earlier than going to the bags declare
• Singapore Airways:
  • On-line test in was fairly normal, however one further step was that SIA requested for the QR code to wish to confirm my vaccination cert earlier than I may get my boarding move. I used to be on my laptop computer so I took a screenshot of the QR from the PDF and uploaded that file as a picture which labored for me.

Scenario In Spain

Masks

In Spain as of March 2022, face masks had been nonetheless obligatory in indoor areas, vacationer sights and on public transport, however the rule is principally so long as it covers your nostril and mouth. I noticed just a few uncommon folks in mesh masks the place you can nonetheless see their mouths (like, clearly it’s not blocking very a lot) however usually most individuals had been fairly okay in regards to the masks guidelines.

Individuals can be reminded to put on their masks when indoors, and whereas outdoor I did see some folks protecting their masks on nonetheless particularly in additional crowded city centre areas with out being reminded, which I believe is a good signal that most individuals perceive how and why the masks work.

However the climate was fairly cool once I visited Spain so having the masks on wasn’t a lot of a hardship, and typically fairly welcome for protecting my face heat on windy mornings. Could be a distinct story in summe!

What occurs when you get COVID in Spain?

In response to Spain’s Secure Journey web site, the recommendation is to remain in isolation for 10 days if in case you have COVID signs or a minimum of 3 days after you cease having signs which might be an actual bummer in your journey. Actually, until you’ve gotten an official analysis from a physician and are actually sick to the bone, it’s not like they monitor this strictly like they did in Singapore for a bit.

However the extra essential query for many travellers is when will you be allowed to fly again to Singapore when you get COVID, and principally that you must have the primary formally recorded constructive COVID take a look at be MORE than 7 days out of your date of departure earlier than they permit you on the aircraft. So meaning when you get COVID late in your journey, you’ll need to push again your departure date until a minimum of 7 days after that constructive end result, so ensuring you’ve gotten journey insurance coverage and versatile flight plans is unquestionably one thing to contemplate.

At this level, you have to to point out a damaging take a look at that’s inside 48 hours of your journey and each obligatory and supervised, so when you suspect you’ve gotten COVID whereas in your journey, you’ll in all probability need to take a look at earlier in order that hopefully it doesn’t influence your return date an excessive amount of.

Spain to Singapore: Entry Necessities

With the vaccinated journey framework in April 2022, there are literally rather a lot much less guidelines now when travelling from Spain to Singapore. Right here’s my expertise in March-April 2022 flying in from Spain to Singapore as a Singaporean citizen.

Issues to prep

• Supervised ART Take a look at:
  • Singapore requires everybody to do a pre-departure take a look at inside 48 hours earlier than departure time – minimally this must be a supervised ART. My preliminary plan was to e book an ART take a look at time slot at Barcelona Airport through Fly COVID Take a look at Heart at 30 Euros, however I came upon that Spain is likely one of the international locations the place Singapore permits for distant supervised ART swab checks through on-line means.There are a number of choices listed, however this can be a lot cheaper with costs round S$12-15 as a substitute.
  • You will want to take into consideration time distinction when reserving your take a look at, and in addition present your individual COVID take a look at kits which have been HSA authorized. Minimally that you must have a minimum of 2 kits readily available per take a look at, however I recommend you carry extra in case you really do get COVID.
  • How the take a look at works:
    • I did my take a look at with Kingston and acquired a Google Type hyperlink an hour earlier than my take a look at time to fill in some primary details about your self and the take a look at package that you’re utilizing, in addition to the Zoom Hyperlink for the take a look at itself
    • On the time you booked, you login the Zoom room like a typical assembly name with all the opposite folks getting examined throughout that timeslot. The host checked our names after which shuffled us individually into smaller breakout rooms with the one who will really monitor you doing the take a look at. You should still produce other strangers in the identical breakout room as you however a lot fewer.
    • After doing the take a look at, you might be shuffled again into the primary holding space to attend on your take a look at outcomes. The host will name your title when the 15-minutes is up and ask you to carry up the take a look at outcomes to the digicam for verification, and as soon as they’ve confirmed what they’ve seen, you may go away the room and they’re going to e mail you the ends in the subsequent few hours.
  • When this was checked: on the SIA check-in counter on the Barcelona airport
• Singapore Arrival Card with Well being Declaration:
  • This arrival card is just not obligatory, however apparently will assist pace up paperwork checks at immigration because it principally declares your well being standing. You may fill it as much as 3 days earlier than your arrival in Singapore.
  • I’d really forgotten to replenish the shape and solely did it on my cellphone proper when after my flight landed in Singapore and whereas ready to disembark. It’s fairly straightforward to replenish.

My Spain journey planning

An enormous a part of my consideration for any of my bookings on this journey was to make sure that I’d not be penalised so far as attainable within the occasion I received COVID earlier than/in the course of the journey. Versatile bookings had been one thing I actively seemed out for, and I additionally extremely advocate getting journey insurance coverage (a should for me no matter COVID), however be sure your plan has COVID issues and canopy.

Singapore to Spain Flight: Singapore Airways

I booked my flight to Spain in February as a result of it was a VTL flight (so no quarantine on return) and since Singapore Airways promotional flights had been about $980 for Singapore-Spain flights on the most cost-effective tier, which is what an honest promo value SG-Europe ticket would have value pre-COVID – I added baggage so paid simply barely over 1k SGD.

However the greatest draw for me was that SIA was permitting free limitless flight adjustments all the way in which until 31 March 2022 at the moment (at the moment I see it prolonged to Might 2022) it doesn’t matter what tier to procure, in order that gave me some assurance on having the ability to make final minute adjustments within the occasion I caught COVID unexpectedly.

Be aware that in case you are redeeming miles, you is perhaps locked into fastened dates with out room to vary, so test your T&Cs fairly clearly earlier than you e book.

Flight overview: SIA has an amenity pack that comes with a floor wipe, 2 sanitary handwipes and a disposable facemask. I used the floor wipe to wash all of the contact surfaces (window, headrest, arm relaxation, television display, desk…). The flight wasn’t tremendous full – I had an empty center seat in my row fortunately, and so they had been serving meals and drinks as per ordinary, although they might remind you to place your masks again on after meals.

Barcelona-Seville Flight bookings: Vueling

Now I needed to go from Barcelona to Seville, and whereas I did think about taking the Spain’s excessive pace rail (takes about 5-6 hours), the timings didn’t actually work for my flight arrival time so I opted to fly through their low-cost Vueling airline as a substitute which has a number of flights a day linking Barcelona and Seville.

Vueling’s tickets are greatest purchased as early as attainable to get the most affordable costs – it will get steadily dearer as days go by, and for my Optima tier, they provide one free change of flight per leg in case you must do final minute adjustments. They’ve a TimeFlex tier that allows you to do limitless adjustments, however doesn’t appear to incorporate check-in baggage within the value. Should you use your free change and wish to vary once more, you may think about cancelling and getting full refunds as credit and rebooking once more.

Flight overview: Typically fairly fuss free, although as a low-cost airline there aren’t at all times lots of employees readily available to assist with the self check-ins and stuff, so I recommend going early when it’s much less crowded to get your check-ins settled. You’re not seeing Heathrow-level sort of crowds, however basic recommendation is to do as a lot as you may on-line when it comes to check-in and go early to keep away from queuing an excessive amount of.

Inter-city Prepare bookings: Rail Europe

A lot of the Spain prepare web sites will let you know that the official Renfe web site is fairly finicky particularly with accepting abroad bank cards, so I booked all my prepare tickets with Rail Europe (Trainline is one other good possibility) which has a superb interface and is very easy to make use of. They cost a one-time 6.95 euro reserving charge irrespective of what number of tickets you e book, so greatest to e book all of your tickets at a go. Costs additionally enhance nearer so far so e book early to get promos.

You’ll get the prepare tickets as a PDF, and also you’ll often have to scan the bar code both on the entrance to the station or once they test on the prepare itself. I printed mine out to be protected, however I believe it nonetheless works when you scan the codes off your cellphone.

Resort bookings: Reserving.com

My go-to web site for lodging bookings is reserving.com [affiliate link] as a result of it’s straightforward to make use of and examine locations and evaluations, and use filters to seek out what works for me.

Now sometimes I are likely to e book hostels and my ordinary price range is round $30/evening, however given the COVID scenario, I made a decision to splurge a bit extra and e book personal rooms with personal bogs as a substitute. I’m nonetheless making an attempt very arduous to keep away from getting COVID, and whereas I’m completely satisfied to share house often and I just like the social nature of hostel dorms, this primary journey again I made a decision to be extra cautious, however it did spike my lodging price range to about S$100+/evening, which is okay in case you are travelling as a pair however a bit steep for a solo traveller.

My lodging [affiliate links]

SIM Card: Airalo eSIM

My ordinary MO in relation to connectivity is to both purchase a SIM card on the airport or ask my accom reception to level me within the path of a cell store, however this journey I assumed I’d attempt the eSIM card as a substitute, through which I wouldn’t need to manually swap out my SIM card (I’ve so many random SIM playing cards mendacity round and I at all times lose my tray ejection pin).

I opted for Airalo [affiliate link] and purchased a 10Gb Guay eSIM card for US$18 (US$15 after utilizing somebody’s referral code) and putting in it in my iphone was fairly straightforward. It labored the minute I landed and linked to the community and was usually properly linked all through the journey apart from just a few hours the place sign simply dropped unexpectedly.

What I preferred about it as properly is that I can toggle between my main SIM card and this e-SIM so I can nonetheless obtain my financial institution’s PIN quantity SMSes (by my main line) when making on-line purchases whereas accessing the web (by the eSIM’s knowledge plan). I switched off roaming on my main SIM card to verify I didn’t incur any roaming fees.

I do like this eSIM card, and if it the costs are affordable for my subsequent journey, I’d in all probability go for it as a substitute of

Try Airalo [affiliate link] for your self, and you should utilize my referral code JACLYN4873 to save lots of your self US$3 (It’ll give me US$3 credit score too!).

Journey Insurance coverage: SOMPO

I extremely advocate journey insurance coverage whether or not you get COVID or not simply to be protected. I’ve written extensively about how journey insurance coverage has bailed me out prior to now, so now with these uncertainties, it’s much more important. Some international locations require you to have obligatory COVID-related insurance coverage and enough protection – Singapore is a kind of international locations (in case you are not native), however fortunately Spain is just not, however I nonetheless received myself a bundle anyway.

Why I received SOMPO? Actually it’s as a result of my Insurance coverage agent advisable it, I don’t have a greater reply for you.

Attraction Bookings

Lots of the main sights in Spain require a booked time slot to enter and I extremely advocate checking the web site to see if you should purchase tickets beforehand. This can prevent from having to queue up in particular person, which many individuals nonetheless do and truthfully is an actual waste of time! Examples embody Barcelona’s La Sagrada Familia, Seville’s Actual Alcazar and Cathedral, Cordoba’s Mezquita-Cathedral and Viana Palace.

Purchase your tickets on-line, and also you often obtain a QR code or bar code which you simply have to scan on the door while you enter. One other factor to notice is that a number of of those sights have additionally shifted their audio guides to on-line web sites or specialised apps that you need to obtain beforehand. Carrying round earphones with you so you may take heed to the guides as you stroll round!

Journey Planner: Wanderlog

I often throw my journey itinerary right into a Google Doc and put all my docs in a dropbox folder, however on this journey I attempted utilizing one thing referred to as Wanderlog and it’s been a fairly cool expertise. I like the way it robotically organises your lodging and transport and it does make it straightforward to determine potential itineraries and routes. I can even add attachments there and entry it offline within the Professional model, and even add my spending there too so it was very helpful simply to have all my stuff in a single place.

Right here’s a mock model that I did up so you may see what I imply for your self! I’m not sharing my precise journey plan as a result of there’s lots of private data in there, however I did use this rather a lot all through my journey and I fairly prefer it.

Any questions? Drop them within the feedback beneath, am completely satisfied to reply them! I’m additionally hoping to work on extra Spain blogs so keep tuned for these.