I have updated #74 to reflect testing details (as I see them) for when visiting Denmark.

Already this weekend, Sweden has passport control back in place for trains arriving into Sweden from Denmark.

There is a blurb on the coronasmitte website about how kids between 15-17 need to have a negative COVID test, which is weird since kids in the US have been able to get them for weeks now. I called the Danish Police border control hotline, and the lady on the phone confirmed with her supervisor that Miss Swede, since she has a valid vaccination card, does not need a negative COVID test as well. Then you have SAS e-mailing me almost daily yelling about how I need to provide a negative COVID test when entering Sweden, even though the Swedish Police have washed their hands of any responsibility since you are not supposed to provide one if transiting via Denmark/Norway/Finland/Iceland. Regardless, we all got COVID tests this morning for tonight's flight.

Have a good trip. The weather is good and maybe we will share the same IP address for a little bit. :D

GUWonder:
How did that work? On the polisen website, it seems to indicate that your admittance into Sweden is based on the country you are coming from, not citizenship. So is the Swedish border control asking for proof of vaccination?

Mini Trip Report

• Flew DEN-EWR on Sunday night. Storms delayed our takeoff by about 75 minutes due to ramp closure because of lightning in the area. Landed and didn't get to the Newark Marriott until about 2am.
• Since I was awake, I called the Danish Police hotline mentioned above. Got the answer then went to bed.
• I won't bore you with the details of taking an UberXL to CVS to get our rapid antigen tests. We all tested negative and were handed our paperwork. Went back to the hotel and relaxed until 2pm checkout.
• Upon check-in at the SAS desk, where I gave the TA a stack of American and Swedish passports as well as four CDC vaccination cards, the TA immediately asked for our COVID tests. I pushed back saying that Denmark now allows entry for vaccinated Americans. She again asked for COVID test results, I repeated myself, and she finally relented.
• Sat with a bunch of Swedes at an airside bar to watch the Sweden/Spain match. How the match ended a 0-0 draw is beyond logical explanation.
• After an uneventful EWR-CPH flight, though very glad we arrived 50 minutes earlier than scheduled, once parked, we were told we would all proceed to the COVID test center. uh-oh.
• What actually happened was that we followed the masses and ended up at passport control. I guess there is a COVID test center around there, but we were never directed to it. I gave my US passport and the ladies' Swedish passports along with our vaccination cards. She looked through the vaccination cards, scanned the passports, stamped my passport, and we were let through.
• The walk from the E pier to B pier is probably one of the longest airport walks I've ever done. No idea how anyone could make a 45-minute connection unless you're an Olympic long distance runner or one of the first off the plane. (spoiler alert: I'm neither. :D)

• After our uneventful CPH-ARN flight, we landed, proceeded directly to baggage claim, then through the green lane at customs, and we were now ground-side on T5 arrivals. No passport controls, no COVID test requirement, etc.
• All in all, it was basically like a regular trip to Sweden except we had to also present a vaccination card.

After being bussed to E or otherwise entering the terminal for the testing area and E, the vaccinated and air transit passengers stick to the right side and often aren’t even aware there is the testing stuff going on (on both sides, just some “randoms” for vaccinated/transfers when staffed)). It’s quite a hike indeed before clearing passport control (which means ending up being close to where the SAS lounge and escalator down to baggage claim is) and then another hike after secondary passport control to the B and A gate area.

CPH-ARN was delayed a bit this morning.

It’s the Swedish bordercontrol asking for passport or ID but nothing about testing nor vaccinations when coming from Denmark. Speaking of surface transport from Denmark to Sweden.

Arrived at CPH early morning. Fully vaccinated; got an Antigen test, my first, ahead of time in case SFO staff insisted on a negative test result and Kaiser couldn’t deliver a PCR within the 48 hour window.

But SAS at SFO was on top of it and checked us in already at 8:00a for an 11:30 departure. Two passports and two CDC cards, and we were good to go with time for lounges.

We opted for the full experience at CPH by taking the antigen test, my second, getting off the bus that took us from the rear exit of the plane. Result back in 15 minutes and in my coronapas a mere hour later.

So the bus bypassed the Eventyr lounge as expected, but then we were kindly let back in through passport control, only to find that the lounge wasn’t open quite yet, so that’s how we got to spend some time in the Carlsberg Aviator lounge.

It appears most people haven’t paid much attention to the rule about reduction in mask use in public attention because about 80% in the metro were still wearing them. Or maybe they have just gotten used to them and like the benefits of having them on.

Every step of the way, staff everywhere was up-to-date and nice. Even the weather looks flawless for the rest of the week.

I think in Denmark we are carrying masks and using them still because: the rule had something to do with mask use when standing on public transit and many are never sure that there will always be a seat; people have a supply of masks to run down anyway; a substantial portion of the population is still not “fully vaccinated” against Covid19; and for the test-based coronavirus “passports”, people want to make sure they minimize becoming a positive test case next time they need a test for indoor stuff.

Had some fun yesterday in buses sorting out that the official mask requirement while “standing” is not standing, but rather not sitting as it has been for restaurants for some time, although these now don’t require masks at all, but rather coronapas or test.

Best part of the trip report.

To have the most fun, I’d better take the train to Sweden within the next week!

Danish borders reopen on 26 June
https://www.yourdanishlife.dk/danish...en-on-26-june/

Sweden had no passport control for train arrivals from Denmark yesterday but they did have customs teams checking out the train and passengers. They are suspecting an increase in drug and weapons trafficking ahead.

Seems like Danish kids are using the trains to go to Sweden too. Something we couldn’t do as kids. :D

Don't they usually also search for animals like cats and dogs? But maybe those travel by car where it's easier to hide animals.

They don’t usually search for pets in this way at those border crossings. When they come across pets there, there is an assumption that the pet probably has an EU pet passport of some sort somewhere, while when they flag someone for a search for weapons or drugs or other restricted objects there is an assumption that there isn’t a license/passport equivalent. And who and how they flag down is very much different than with regard to pets.

Automobiles and pleasure boats provide for more and bigger hiding spots for drugs and weapons and other stuff than train passengers and train passenger baggage.