A stressfull enterprise
We, my traveling companion and I, undertook the journey by car through a deserted Europe in early April 2020. The most bizarre journey of our lives that came to a successful conclusion through a very thorough preparation and a good dose of luck.

Uncertainties, uncertainties, hassle ... What is allowed, what is definitely not possible ... Apart from the fact that the decrees are tumbling over each other and the necessary forms have already been amended four times, to give advice for those who really really want to travel to their dream spot in Italy. Who can go home and who risks a hefty fine?

Residenza
Residenza means that you are registered as a resident in the municipality where your property is located. For owners of a second home who are registered in the Netherlands, the options for a rientro are very limited at the time of this writing. There are stories known of Dutch people who were fined heavily because they were on their way to their new home address in the moving van. Not yet registered and so ... a pity but not enough reason to travel to Italy

However, for those who have residenza, there is the option of returning home. But just wanting to go home is not enough. You must have a serious reason why you want to go home so badly. That could be because you have to work. Or because you don't have a place to stay in England. Or because you still have young children and have to go back to your family. There are special entry forms for which you enter not only the personal data but also those of the vehicle. And of course an extensive motivation. You therefore promise to report immediately to the competent authorities because you must be in quarantine for two weeks. You indicate where you will be staying during this period. In my case, the competent authority was the general practitioner and he passed it on to the authorities. This form of quarantine also really means staying indoors.

Paperwork
In addition to the entry form, a Word document that can be downloaded from the site of the Italian embassy, ​​you also need a statement in which you indicate the reason for your relocation within Italian territory. This is also a form that you must provide with a good motivation. The police collects a form in the event of a check. Because we had no idea how often we would be checked, we made what turned out to be an exaggerated number of copies. The entry form and the explanation why you are traveling within Italy are the most important documents. An Italian identity card, license plate and driver's license make the journey enormously easier.

In preparation, it is important to check the website of the Italian embassy every day to see if there are any last minute changes. The sites of the German, Swiss and Austrian should also be consulted. For example about the border crossings ... a lot of smaller border crossings are closed.

The journey
Yes, there is a lot to be said about that, but many choices are so personal that it does not make much sense to give advice about routes. We, my travel companion and I, drove over Austria and afterwards it turned out to be a golden opportunity. The border crossings were extremely quiet, but what mainly made us decide to choose Austria was the fact that there was a form on which we could indicate that we were in transit. We felt a bit more secure in our shoes because of that, after all we were covered by an official document. A document that was not available for Switzerland. We only made the decision to travel across Austria in Germany, after a strict check by the German police who looked at all Italian forms as if they heard it thunder in Cologne. And came with additional requirements that we had not encountered on any website. Such as a placard on the rear window that reads: Durchreise

Keep in mind that you will show up with a full tank at the border crossing with Austria. You are not supposed to stop in Austria. Not for refueling and not for a pee ...

Gas stations
The border crossing with Italy ... would I like to say something useful about it, but when we passed there on Sunday evening there was not a living soul to be seen and so we sat a bit sheepishly looking at each other, like ... how is that possible Well? Anyway, all our documentation was fine and I had prepared a wonderful story. The situation along the autostrada is as follows: a number of petrol stations are closed. But not all of them really. The signs clearly indicate which ones are open. The roadhouses are closed. We had enough food and water to survive for two weeks, all thanks to my super cool travel companion.