Raven4

When do you think Europe will be open to American travelers? Late 2021 or 22?
Will travelers have to have the vaccine to enter a country?
Im ready to travel again. As is a lot of people. Just curious .

mike1728

Depends on where you are going in Europe. I am booked for Croatia and Bosnia in May-a short 3 months away. Need a test prior to entering (72 hours prior). Spain, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Austria, UK, I would say late fall...October maybe. You can now travel to Albania, Bosnia, Montenegro and I would think soon Serbia. Time to explore the Balkans if you are so inclined to travel prior to the fall season.

Moderator1

We have deleted several of your country tags because they messed up the page view

Trophywife007

Is there one website you can go to to check on current entry requirements for other countries?

Tulips

Needing a test for some countries, applies to other EU travelers. Travelers from outside the EU not allowed at the moment, unless in some exceptions.
I don't know if there is one site that lists all requirements, since these can change at short notice and are different country by country.
This one shows an overview, don't know how up-to-date it is
https://www.euronews.com/travel/2021...l-restrictions

swandav2000

Hi Raven4,

Right now the Oktoberfest in Germany is in danger of being canceled for the second year; I think they will make the decision in May or so. If they cancel the Oktoberfest, it's likely they will not be allowing outsiders into the country until November or later. If they give the ok, then it's likely they'll let outsiders in by Sep. So you can keep your eye on that decision and use it as a good criterion to judge when they'll let folks in.

Have fun as you plan!

s

Heimdall

Raven4, that is a helpful link from Tulips. May I also suggest you check the websites of the US embassies in the countries you hope to visit. The ones I have checked all have a section called “Covid-19 Information”, and a paragraph within entitled “Entry and Exit Requirements”. Information is updated when the host country changes its rules. An example below is from the US Embassy Athens:
https://gr.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/

Raven4

Thanks for all the replies. I am hoping for Germany in December. But am waiting to see. I was suppose to go to Germany for the first time last May , but Covid ruined that plan.

Tulips

If the EU countries manage to get their vaccination sorted, I'm hopeful for a return to normal in the fall.

Traveler_Nick

If it doesn't happen before autumn I can't imagine it happening before next spring. Winter includes flu season. The last thing anybody is going to want is that and a new wave of covid.

Something also to think about is many hotels , airlines etc have been more or less closed. It'll take them time to ramp up to normal. Even if it didn't I'd expect many to be leary of just throwing the doors open during what would in the best of times be a slow part of the year.

Trophywife007

How many more months can we keep businesses closed/on hold and expect to have an economy afterward?

twk

Flu season hasn't closed Europe, for the flu, in 100 years. If the covid vaccine finally gets distributed in Europe, there will be no further justification for travel restrictions or lockdowns. It wouldn't be economically feasible either.

The travel industry will be ready whenever things are opened up. Of course, there will be an interesting dichotomy presented between folks who are acting on pent up demand, and those who are still concerned about catching the virus, but I think that will just about cancel each other out.

mike1728

Raven,
also looking for Germany, Belgium and Netherlands in December for the Christmas Markets (not hopeful) Germany in December is Aces.

Traveler_Nick

You could have asked that question months ago. Hotels etc are only still alive because of what little money they've received from the governments.

Traveler_Nick

Part of the reason for the heighten closures during the winter is the flu season. Similarity of the symptoms. The beds that the flu takes up.

I think it's wishful thinking to think hotels etc will just open. Too many stop and start cycles. Every opening ended up being wasted money.

In addition many of all those airbnb type short rentals are out of the market and not likely coming back any time soon. It's also more wide spread than just the short term rentals. Everybody has been thinking about alternative uses outside of tourism.

Tulips

Airbnb's and other self-catering accommodation are doing a roaring trade here in Belgium, since people are not allowed to travel abroad for holidays. During the Christmas and spring holiday places on the coast and in the Ardennen were almost fully booked. Same for the upcoming Easter holidays. Hotels are a bit more difficult since their restaurants cannot open, but they are dealing with this by offering in-room catering. A hotel in Brussel is offering two rooms for the price of one: one room to sleep in, one for dining.

Domestic tourism makes up for some of the lost international tourism. A guy I know who has a rental business on the coast has never been so busy. He has a waitlist for accommodation during school holidays. Tourist hotspots like Brugge are suffering, but some locals are now visiting without the crowds. Restaurants are closed, but museums are open.

It's not all disastrous. Businesses catering to tourists may not survive, but those that have local customers will be OK. There is not a huge demand for take-away waffles, but restaurants with a good take-away service are busy.

StuDudley

Question:

I'm from the USA and have already received both of my Covid vaccine shots. The US president says that the US will have enough Covid vaccine shots for everyone in the US by the end of May.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-c...ay-2021-03-02/

Is Europe (France, UK in particular) vaccinating a large number of people now, and are they on a pace to vaccinate everyone by late July or so???

Stu Dudley

Tulips

Very far from it StuDudley. Here in Belgium they are STARTING to vaccinate 85 plus age next week. So far they have done the retirement homes and staff in hospitals and care homes. Vaccine centres are all ready, but they have little supply. They centralised the purchases through the EU.
The Netherlands and Germany are not much better than Belgium.
Hopefully with the J&J vaccine being approved, things will improve.

The UK is doing much better; and it shows, with cases going down fast.

StuDudley

Thanks, Tulips. Do you know how your neighbor to the south is doing??

Stu Dudley

Heimdall

StuDudley, here is a bar graph showing Covid vaccinations per capita in Europe as of 3 March. The United Kingdom is doing very well, other Western European countries not so much:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/...pe-by-country/