The European Union agreed last May to reopen its
borders to travelers who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus,
including Americans and people from a list of safe countries being determined
before the busiest summer season begins.
Visitors from outside the bloc who have received
EU-approved vaccines - including Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson &
Johnson and AStrazeneca - will be allowed to enter EU countries without the
need for a test or quarantine upon arrival, if they come from safe countries.
While the EU aims for a coordinated approach to
travel this summer, it allows member states to set their own requirements for
travelers from individual countries based on their epidemiological criteria.
Below is a guide to some of the continent's most
popular tourist destinations, explaining what is required to enter and what to
expect if you visit one of them, according to the New York Times:
France
The rate of COVID-19 cases in France has been
steadily declining, thanks to the country's accelerated vaccination campaign
and the lockdown announced at the end of March. After a slow start, the
vaccination campaign has recently accelerated. Nearly 45% of the French
population has received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 21% have been
fully vaccinated so far.
France began allowing visitors from outside Europe
again to enter the country, on the condition that they hold a health permit and
that the state of public health in their country of origin meets certain
criteria. Travelers arriving from countries on the "orange list" will
be required to show evidence of vaccination, as well as a recent negative PCR
test.
The pressure on France's health system has eased
dramatically, and in a move that should attract tourists, France's Minister of
European Affairs, Clement Bonn, said in a recent interview that France will
make PCR tests available to all visitors free of charge this summer.
Anyone who shows a positive result should be
isolated and contact the local doctor's office if necessary.
Non-essential shops are reopening in the country,
outdoor dining has begun, museums such as the Louvre and d'Orsay have reopened,
as well as theaters, cinemas and cultural sites across the country, including
the Palace of Versailles and the abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel.
The night curfew in France has been delayed until 11
at night, and indoor dining is allowed limited, when the curfew is canceled and
large gatherings are allowed, opening the door for the summer festival season.
Even after all lockdown measures are relaxed,
visitors to France should expect to face mask-wearing requirements and social
distancing measures, including limited capacity in museums, restaurants, stores
and other establishments.
Greece
The country is steadily recovering from the latest
wave of the coronavirus, which peaked in early April. The average number of
daily cases has fallen back from a peak of more than 3,000 cases on April 5.
Nearly 40% of the Greek population has received at
least one dose of the vaccine, while more than 26% have been fully vaccinated.
Priority was given to those working in the tourism sector, as well as to
residents of a number of tourist islands such as Mykonos, Santorini and Corfu.
Upon arrival in Athens, travelers will need to
present a certificate of vaccination or a negative test of no more than 72
hours, or proof of recovery from infection with corona within the past nine
months. Arrivals may also undergo rapid random tests at the airport, and anyone
who proves themselves infected will be placed in a local hotel for at least 10
days, with their travel companions at the Greek government's expense.
Italy
Italy appears to be emerging from a third wave of
the epidemic that peaked in March. New cases and deaths have been steadily
declining.
More than 23% of adults in Italy were fully
vaccinated and 49% were at least partially vaccinated.
Italy distinguishes between tourists and travelers
for other reasons, such as business people or students. Visitors from Europe,
Israel and Britain can visit Italy without quarantine, regardless of their
reasons, but they are required to take a coronavirus test.
Visitors from the US and other non-European
countries considered low-risk (Japan, Canada, Australia and Singapore) can also
come regardless of their motivation, but they need to be tested for the
coronavirus and quarantine for 10 days.
Of the countries considered high-risk, only
essential travel (such as work, study or medical care) is permitted, and travel
from India and Brazil is not permitted.
Italy regulates restrictions according to a system
that places each of its 20 regions on a white-yellow-orange-red scale, which
can sometimes lead to significant differences across the country. Most of Italy
is currently listed as "yellow", with slight restrictions.
Spain
The number of coronavirus cases in Spain has been
improving since the beginning of May, in line with the acceleration of the
vaccination program.
45% of the Spanish population has received a single
dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, while 26% have been fully vaccinated so far.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez recently predicted that 70% of Spaniards will be
vaccinated.
Spain reopened to vaccinated tourists on June 7,
with negative PCR test results required before traveling to Spain. But visitors
who drive across the land border between Portugal and Spain, which reopened in
May, are not required to undergo a test.
For several months, Madrid was one of Europe's
busiest cities, with bars and shops open, as well as art museums, cinemas,
theaters and an opera house that was one of the few in the world to stage an
entire season. Indeed, Madrid's restaurant scene and cultural life are
attracting tourists from Paris and many other places that have imposed stricter
lockdown restrictions.
United Kingdom
After months of strict lockdown measures and a rapid
vaccination campaign, Britain's infection rate has been on a downward trend
since peaking in January. The country is expected to lift restrictions and see
a significant return to normal daily life in July.
62% of the British population received a single dose
of the Corona virus vaccine, while 45% were fully vaccinated. The government
aims to provide the first dose to the rest of the adult population.
England has devised a "traffic light"
system for foreign visitors, which sets quarantine and testing requirements
depending on the number of cases and the spread of coronavirus variants in
their home countries.
Only British and Irish nationals with UK residence
rights are allowed to enter England from red-listed destinations, which include
India and Brazil. Anyone who has visited or passed through a Red List country
within 10 days prior to their arrival is required to get a coronavirus test 72
hours before leaving that country, and must quarantine for 10 days at a
government-designated hotel, which costs around 2,400 Dollars per person
traveling alone.
The system will be reviewed every three weeks with
countries moving up or down the color list depending on how well they contain
the epidemic.
Restaurants, bars, theaters, museums, stores and
hotels have all reopened over the past three weeks, despite capacity
restrictions and social distancing measures still in place. Most people do not
wear masks while outside, but they are still required to do so indoors unless
they are eating or drinking in a restaurant.
Across major cities like London, Manchester,
Brighton and Edinburgh, restaurants and cafes are bustling with people
gathering with friends and family and enjoying their newfound freedom after
months of closure. Demand has surged in coastal destinations such as Cornwall
and Dorset in recent weeks as the weather warms and Britons book local beach
holidays.
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