Okay, so as I mentioned in the Visa post, I was required to book a flight out of the Schengen Area within 180 days of entry (as this is when the Visa expires). As I was booking this in October while Qantas was not operating international flights, there weren't too many options, however, I decided to get a quote through Flight Centre. I would highly recommend them as I had a lovely travel agent who responded instantly to my emails and sent me reminders on what I would need Covid-restriction-wise. Eventually we found the perfect flight from Melbourne to Madrid with a 2-hour layover in Doha.
Spain was one of the most lax countries to visit at this time as there were no Covid vaccinations or tests required to enter the country. I did, however, need to fill out the Spain Travel Health (SpTH) form to get my individual QR code which gets scanned upon arrival. This can only be completed within the 72-hours of entry and you'll need your flight and first night details as well as to declare that you are not presenting any Covid symptoms.
As for the airline restrictions, Qatar Airways also did not require Covid vaccinations or tests, however, I knew how quickly rules could change and decided to get a PCR test at Melbourne Airport the day before, for $72. I received the negative result via email 3-hours later and collected my official certificate from Terminal 1 before my flight.
As for packing, I really left this to the last 2 days. I had watched some long-term packing videos beforehand and had made a list (see attached).
Note that I had to buy gloves on Day 1 as I was cold in Madrid, so maybe check the weather forecast before you go.
Okay, so...the flight! Well Mum drove me to the airport 5 hours early (which was potentially too early as the check-in desk didn't open for another hour and a half), so I think 3.5-4 hours would have been fine. For the bag check-in, I needed my passport, the check-in on my phone, my SpTH, and my PCR certificate and Australian International Vaccine Certificate were also both scanned. Then I said goodbye to Mum after a final Australian dinner and went through customs.
The first flight was 12 and a half hours and the second was 7.5. I was able to watch 5 movies and received two meals on each flight. The airline also provided us with a little pack with a mask, gloves, hand san, ear plugs, socks, and lip balm.
It was pretty cool seeing 'SMALL LIE', the wooden sculpture by KAWS in Hamad International Airport and flying over the crazy islands of Qatar.
Notes:
- I wasn't hit too hard with jet lag as I left Australia at 11pm and arrived in Spain at 2pm, so all I had to do was stay awake on my first day so that I would crash for first night in Madrid.
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