After navigating the Covid-19 travel restrictions through the majority of 2020 and into 2021, the urge for a European summer was strong. Don’t get me wrong – the Caribbean, Central America, and the northern part of South America including the Galapagos Islands have provided us amazing social-distanced outings with the airplane since we began running our group trips again in November 2020. But I was ready for our European hiatus to come to an end.
Looking at the various options for countries welcoming travelers with minimal restrictions, I created two separate itineraries for our group-guided Journeys, although not without obstacles, of course.
At the end of July, we launched our first Journey to Europe since fall 2019, a discovery of Northern Europe and former Eastern European countries. The itinerary comprised of Iceland, Sweden, Lithuania, Poland, Montenegro, Slovenia, and Switzerland. These were all countries that had announced summer re-opening plans in early spring. Our second Journey to Europe departed in mid-August with an itinerary through Western Europe, including the wonderful cities of Reykjavik, Amsterdam; Burgundy; a private barge cruise in France’s Canal du Midi; to Menorca in Spain’s Balearic Islands; France’s wine country of Bordeaux; Italy’s Lake Como; and back through France with a visit to Normandy while staying in a private chateaux.
Typically, our Journeys to Europe depart out of Quebec City, Canada. However, with Canada’s strict Covid-19 restrictions and the closed border to the United States, we were required to find a launching point within the United States. We opted to depart out of Bangor, Maine.
In early July both Canada and Greenland were only authorizing same-day tech stops for private aircraft. We were required to fly from Bangor to Goose Bay, Canada, a quick refueling stop before continuing on to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, for more fuel, and then on to Reykjavik—a nearly 2,000-mile flight. This made for an unusually long flying day, something that is not typically found on one of our Air Journeys.
Should the need to overnight in either Canada or Greenland have become necessary, it would have been possible. However, travelers would have been required to quarantine in their hotel rooms, with room service, until their departure.
When traveling abroad during times of Covid-19, one can expect additional steps when preparing their trip. Often countries require additional paperwork, and occasionally testing for entry. Prior to allowing our participants to intermingle, we require a rapid antigen test on the day of our pilot briefing. This allows us to ensure that no participant is launching on the Journey with Covid-19 and that no other participants are exposed should someone test positive. On our guided Journeys, all of these requirements are monitored and handled by Air Journey.
An advantage of traveling during these unusual times is the reduced number of tourists everywhere. Countries that are usually bustling with crowds in the summer months are providing much more enjoyable experiences with sightseeing, outdoor restaurant dining, and great attention to detail at hotels.
The most desirable timeframe to cross the North Atlantic is from mid-May to late-September. This year was no different. Both Journeys had beautiful blue skies as they flew from Canada to Iceland with views of the icebergs and fjords below. The July group refueled in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, a usually weather-reliable destination with a more-straight forward approach and multiple alternates, while our August Journey flew into Narsarsuaq, Greenland, due to unfavorable winds in Kangerlussuaq. On a beautiful blue-sky day like they experienced, flying into Narsarsuaq, surrounded by the fjords, is breathtaking.
Slightly biased, I wouldn’t change any of the destinations we visited on the itineraries. The feedback from the participants is that all were highlights in their own way.
Stockholm was a hit. This northern capital is packed with history, waterfront architecture, great museums, and easily walkable sights. Most impressive was the Vasa Museum, a maritime museum that displays a nearly fully intact seventeenth century warship—the Vasa. The 64-gun ship set off on her maiden, and only, voyage in 1628. She sank in Stockholm’s harbor that same year only to sit, untouched, on the seabed for over 330 years until it was rediscovered in the late 1950s.
Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital city, is a showcase of baroque architecture, especially in its medieval Old Town, as well as a melting pot of diverse styles reflecting the different eras experienced within the city’s staggered history.
Warsaw is a city that has been built and rebuilt throughout its existence due to its history, which has left the majority of its buildings in ruins. Gaining the moniker Phoenix City, Poland’s capital city, with its reconstruction efforts throughout the years, perfectly blends both the old and the new.
Montenegro’s coastal town of Tivat brought a dose of relaxation to our group as we stayed along the scenic Adriatic Sea at the newly opened One & Only Portonovi. A much calmer alternative to neighboring Croatia, Montenegro is becoming a top choice in waterfront escapes.
As much as we try to ensure that everything goes as planned on a Journey, some factors are out of our control such as political unrest, pandemics and, most commonly, weather. Air Journeys are meant to provide a fun discovery of faraway destinations with your airplane, but safety is of utmost importance to us. We are not shy in delaying a departure, choosing an alternate destination due to weather, changing the itinerary due to unrest, calling upon a doctor for a medical check, and more.
In the case of our next stop, Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia, this was the case. Undesirable weather was forecast for our arrival so we opted to stay an extra night in Montenegro to let it pass. The back office handled the logistics, extended our stay, found a dinner spot, revised the flight permits and authorizations and fuel releases, and with little inconvenience we were settled into Tivat for an additional night.
It wasn’t until 9:00 pm that evening that we received a phone call from Tivat airport indicating that our request to extend parking for an additional night was not approved. After a bit of negotiation, three of the airplanes were approved, but the other three needed to move. The nearest airport was a short 11-nm away but across the border into Croatia. New flight plans, revised flight briefing, authorizations, parking permits and fuel releases were taken care of by Air Journey while the participants enjoyed a restful sleep. Early the following morning, the three unapproved aircraft started their engines and made the scenic 11-nm flight, VFR at 1,000 feet, to Dubrovnik, Croatia. Although an inconvenience, the flight was spectacular and one to remember.
The following day we were back on track with our original itinerary arriving in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Since our initial stay was three nights, the loss of one night allowed us to accomplish all the originally planned tours and activities.
Situated high above Lake Lucerne, in Switzerland, sits the Burgenstock Hotel, an incredible property with an above-the-clouds view. The July group’s final stop in Europe, the area provided a breath of fresh mountain air, scenic views of Lake Lucerne and Lucerne itself, delicious Swiss delicacies and a visit to the Pilatus Aircraft factory, named after the area’s famous Mount Pilatus.
Within the timespan of our two departures, July and August, a lot had evolved with Europe’s continued fight against Covid-19. Talks about re-imposing quarantines, countries banning arrivals from neighboring high-risk countries, the rapid spread of the Delta variant, and reinstating testing requirements were all the buzz. Originally, our August itinerary included visits through the United Kingdom and Scotland before continuing to France. However, when France announced a mandatory quarantine for travelers coming from the UK, we were forced to revisit our planned stops. Multiple revisions of the itinerary were necessary, but in the end the final product was welcomed by the participants. We replaced the UK with Amsterdam and Scotland with Normandy, France. Flexibility is important when choosing to travel during these times.
After the crossing of the North Atlantic, the August Journey arrived in what many call the Venice of the North – Amsterdam. Usually filled with tourists, the group was welcomed with uncrowded streets, beautiful weather, and vibrant charm throughout. The area is perfectly visited on foot with highlights such as the amazing Van Gogh Museum and Ann Frank’s home.
This Journey had an emphasis on France. Flying first into Dijon-Longvic Airport, we were greeted by the Breitling Jet Team and their Aero L-39s. One of the participants even scored a demo flight! Arriving at the Chateau de Gilly, we discovered, and sipped, local Burgundy wines. Many of the Grand Crus of the area—Chambrolle Musigny, Meursault, Romanee Conti—where all visited.
We then headed south to Beziers Airport for a luxury barge cruise on the Canal du Midi. These beautifully appointed “barges” were built specifically for the area to ensure passage under low bridges and through the canal’s lochs, sometimes only offering inches of clearance. The group enjoyed periodic visits of famous French towns while retreating in a calm and relaxing environment. But the most raved about was the dining experiences onboard!
We still had Bordeaux and Normandy to explore in France, but before heading there we side-stepped to Spain’s small and lesser-known Balearic island of Menorca. We have a second home on this unspoiled island and love sharing the destination on our Journeys. The island is an outdoorsman’s dream with miles upon miles of walking and mountain biking trails. Its rugged coastline, lined with wildflowers and dramatic cliffs, drops into the turquoise blue Mediterranean Sea. It’s quiet, relaxing and, in my opinion, pure paradise.
A short flight to Milan became the gateway for our next stop, Italy’s Lake Como. The Mandarin Oriental Lake Como, overlooking the lake and bordered on all sides by quaint villages and stunning villas, was home for the next three nights. It was the perfect setting to indulge in our Italian favorites – pasta, pasta and more pasta.
Our wine-tasting adventures continued with another famous French region – Bordeaux. Settled into the Chateau de Pavie, our days were filled with sips upon sips of fine wine surrounded by royal-worthy gardens and picturesque French towns.
Normandy, France, was the August group’s final stop before heading toward home. Unique to our visit was a stay in a long-time family friend’s thirteenth-century castle, Chateau de Canisy. The castle has been inhabited by the same family since the time it was built. Members of the Kergorlay family have passed down ownership of the castle to the oldest male heir in the family for the past 1,000 years. Comte Denis de Kergolay is the current owner. When in house, his stories bring the already magnificent chateau to life. It was occupied by German soldiers in the early 1940s, while the French family remained on property. Once liberated, the Chateau was used as a hospital for wounded allied soldiers.
These European flying adventures fulfilled our urge, and love, for this part of the world. Filled with history, diverse architecture, various cultures, culinary delights and breathtaking scenery, we returned home with amazing memories shared among fellow pilots. I have started to plan for next summer’s European itineraries for May, July and August. This year’s Journeys proved the benefits of flying our own airplanes, providing the flexibility needed if itinerary changes were necessary, when encountering weather along our route, or while traveling in times of Covid-19. Where will you fly to next?
Theirry Pouille is the founder of the guided flight company Air Journey.
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