Now is the moment to book European travel for summer but many are questioning the reasoning around booking up something that might not come to pass.
Many travel agents are reporting that people have a domestic travel plan booked and an international/European/U.K. one as a back up, if and when the borders do open or if they stay open.
With Iceland, Cyprus, Greece, Germany and the U.K. starting to open their borders, here are the key dates that have been announced so far across the EU/Schengen area and the U.K. to date.
26 June-Denmark: open to international arrivals
Denmark is currently in a phased opening in regard to its borders and plans to be fully reopen to international tourists by 26 June using the EU’s Digital Green Certificate. On May 1, it reopened its borders to EU/Schengen area countries.
9 June-France: open to international travelers
After a slow start, France hit its target of 20 million people vaccinated with a first dose by 15 May, meaning that it might be on track to allow in some international travelers from 9 June onwards. It has yet to announce how and who, although two things are clear: 1) it will be easier to pass through border control with the TousAntiCovid application on your phone, with your vaccination and/or negative Covid-19 test documents uploaded and 2) countries will be placed into a traffic light system to determine who can visit and under what restrictions.
1 June–Malta: open to vaccinated travelers
From 1 June, the Mediterranean island of Malta intends to allow travelers into the country if they have been fully vaccinated and will even pay a small amount if they stay in hotels for longer than two nights in order to entice more visitors in.
17 May–U.K.: quarantine-free travel only between 12 countries
From 17 May, the U.K. is operating a traffic light list of countries with different travel restrictions. Arriving and returning passengers from green-list countries can move around freely without quarantine, but they still need to have a negative PCR Covid-19 test result before travel and take another test on day 2 of arriving (back) into the U.K. Quarantine is still required for all other countries.
There are currently 12 green-list countries: Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Brunei, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Falkland Islands, Israel and Jerusalem, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, and Portugal, including the Azores and Madeira. The latter is the only traditional beach summer holiday destination to have been favored by the U.K. government and is currently experiencing a windfall of bookings.
17 May–Portugal: open to EU nationals
From Monday 17 May, Portugal announced, as reported by EuroNews, that its border is open for non-essential travel to all EU/Schengen area nationals, as well as the U.K. (which coincides with the U.K. listing Portugal on its safe list of countries).
Portugal now has the lowest 14-day incidence rate of Covid-19 at 49.5 cases per 100,000 people (as reported by the ECDC). All arrivals over the age of two must be in possession of a negative Covid-19 test result.
This is just in time for people to book up to see the soccer match in Porto between Manchester City and Chelsea in the Champion League’s final on 29 May.
Porto, Portugal
16 May–Italy: ends quarantine for U.K., EU and Israel passengers, if fully vaccinated
In what Prime Minister Draghi called the first step to opening up to other international passengers, Italy is now open to fully-vaccinated U.K., EU and Israeli arrivals without the need for quarantine–but they must still have a negative Covid-19 test result upon arrival. If this policy is successful, Italy will open up to other countries in June.
It has also announced that U.S. travelers will be allowed to visit from 16 May if they arrive into the country on a Delta Covid-tested flight.
15 May–Netherlands: travel open to and from low-risk countries
The government has opened up travel to and from certain countries from 15 May onwards for non-essential travel–Portugal, Malta, Ireland, Thailand, Rwanda, the former Dutch colonies of Aruba, Curacao and Sint Maarten and some Greek islands, as reported by EuroNews.
Health Minister Hugo de Jonge announced the news but added that border decisions remain volatile, saying “there are no guarantees” and “booking remains at your own risk.”
14 May–Greece: open to all U.S., U.K. and EU travelers
Greece is the EU country to have probably taken the biggest early gamble by opening up to everyone before the EU-wide systems are in place. From 14 May, tourists from countries in the EU, the U.S., the U.K. and Israel, will be allowed to visit Greece if they have been fully vaccinated or provide a negative Covid-19 test. A seven-day quarantine is no longer required and the current curfew of 12.30am doesn’t apply to tourists.
13 May–Germany: open to (some) vaccinated passengers
Germany’s Robert Koch Institute announced that arrivals can avoid the current ten-day quarantine if they can prove they are fully-vaccinated, have had Covid-19 or have tested negative via a PCR test in the 72 hours before arrival. However, the quarantine is still in place for people coming from what the country deems a ‘high-risk’ area, regardless of vaccinations or negative tests.
10 May–Cyprus: no quarantine for vaccinated Americans
From May 10 onwards, Cyprus has been allowing vaccinated passengers from 65 countries to visit, including the U.S. and the U.K. (the latter makes up the most sizeable chunk of annual visitors).
For the unvaccinated, the countries on the traffic light list (green, amber and red) have considerably opened up and do not need to quarantine–but arrivals from amber and red list countries must arrive with negative test results not taken more than 72 hours prior to departure and furthermore, people arriving from red list countries (the U.S. is one of them) must take another test on arrival.
1 April–Croatia: vaccinated travelers don’t need to quarantine (but must pay for hotel in advance)
Since 1 April, anyone who can prove upon arrival of being fully vaccinated or of having had Covid-19 (and have proof of having paid for a hotel in advance) will be allowed to bypass the 10-day quarantine that other travelers currently have to observe.
Dubrovnik, Croatia
18 March–Iceland: 5-day quarantine for unvaccinated
Iceland was one of the first EU/Schengen area countries to open to fully vaccinated travelers on 18 March 2021. Anyone with a certificate from the EU or WHO to say they have been fully vaccinated will be allowed in from anywhere in the world–with two caveats. 1) The country is not accepting people who have been vaccinated with the Russian or Chinese vaccines and 2) Entry into Iceland doesn’t allow further travel across other EU countries.
A five-day quarantine is still in place for all unvaccinated arrivals and the need for a negative Covid-19 test result is required before travel for the unvaccinated and upon arrival for both children and vaccinated travelers.
18 February–Poland: vaccinated travelers from select countries (not U.S.)
Poland opened up without the need for quarantine to fully vaccinated travelers arriving from EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Georgia, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, Thailand, South Korea, Tunisia, and Australia.
2 February-Estonia: all vaccinated travelers welcome
On 2 February, the Estonian government announced that it would allow vaccinated travelers and those recovered from Covid-19 to enter the country and waiver quarantine requirements.
What’s more, it is accepting any of the nine global possible vaccination suppliers but certificates must be written in Estonian, Russian, or English and either in the Roman or Cyrillic alphabets.
25 January–Romania: open to vaccinated people
Romania’s National Committee for Emergency Situations (CNSU) announced at the end of January that vaccinated travelers would not need to quarantine.
All other travelers are either banned or need to observe a 14-day quarantine (the latter applies to U.S. unvaccinated people). The country hopes to lift quarantine in June.
Article By: www.forbes.com