KarenWoo

I don't know if anyone can answer my question but just wondering if any Europeans on this board have some inside info. Today I was talking to someone in Florida who has friends in Europe. These friends have told her they have heard that Europe will not allow Americans into Europe until 2022 because the US government has not been able to control the pandemic and because of its continued denial about the severity of COVID-19. I could go on and on but won't since this is a travel forum, not a political forum.

J62

Step one would be for the US to get COVID in control. Until that happens anything else is just speculation.

The # US cases per day is increasing daily - the plot below is 7d moving average # cases, from jhu. Eight months into the pandemic and the US is at all time high case levels. As anyone can see this isn't magically going away on its own, despite what you might have heard.

One of the key metrics to gauge whether the virus is in contorl is the % of positive tests below 5%. That mean there are enough tests being done to be able to detect and isolate the positive cases. About 30 states currently have positivity rates > 5%. Anyone who says "Slow the testing down" is not helping the US get this under control. https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/testing/tracker/overview

dreamon

I don't think anyone knows, Karen, except to say that with rising cases in Europe (with associated impact on lives and health facilities) and cases seemingly out of control in the USA, it could be some way off. It will really depend on when a fully tested and reliable vaccine becomes available, and when people are willing to do the things necessary to inhibit infection. It's tough everywhere at the moment. I know that I am personally SO over staying at home but if that's what it takes, that's what we'll do. I too can't wait until I can travel (pretty much anywhere would be good!) and hope that comes sooner rather than later. I originally hoped to visit Europe in 2022 but we'll see how things go.

KayF

Pretty sure it will vary by country. Europe is not a country. I would try checking online with whichever country you are interested in visiting. That said, COVID rules are changing all the time so whatever you read today may not be accurate next week.

rialtogrl

I think there will be a lot of pressure to allow US citizens in, because so many European people are reliant on tourism, and US citizens are valued in this regard. So I think some countries will start to allow it, with a negative test not more than a few days old. A vaccine of course will also help immensely.

Heimdall

Until the USA lifts its restrictions on EU and UK citizens travelling to the US I don’t see much hope of that happening. Even then the US would have to get its infection rate under control, and right now it is going in the wrong direction. As written above, individual countries have sovereign control of their own borders, but most EU countries will stay aligned with the European Commission restrictions on travel to the EU, last updated on Aug 6th as far as I know:
https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-...us-pandemic_en

As a US passport holder living in the UK it is frustrating for me. If I were to return to the US to visit my family I wouldn’t be able to take my usual direct flights, and would have to prove to the airline I am entitled to return to my UK home at the end of the visit. As a long term resident of the UK I could travel to other countries under UK restrictions, but have heard of US passport holders being turned away by airlines when they attempt to check in.

Traveler_Nick

I hate to say this there is a certain amount of propaganda in all this.

USA this week had a peak over 70K cases. Sounds horrible right? France had 30K with less than a fifth of the population. The Uk had almost 23K earlier this month. With less than a fifth of the population. Then you have Italy at 11K with less than a fifth of the population.

Many (all?) of the EU countries have been trying to explaining their own failures by pointing to the US. If they let Americans in they can't do that anymore.

dreamon

The reality is that increased freedom of movement means increased cases and increased deaths. Overcoming that is very, very difficult.

For me, I also feel that if a holiday involves wearing a mask all day, keeping my distance and feeling anxious about either contracting or sharing the virus, I'd rather stay home. Depressing but true.

balthy

There has been talk of an airbridge between London & NY for a while now. Whether this actually happens is anyone's guess, it is supposed to be open by Thanksgiving.

Heimdall

I would have thought the opposite is true. You can’t blame Americans if you aren’t letting them into your country.

Tulips

The vast majority of tourists in Europe are European. In France, for example, 70% of tourists are domestic. Of the 30% international tourists, about 80% are European.
So no, allowing American tourists is not a priority.

Tulips

"Many (all?) of the EU countries have been trying to explaining their own failures by pointing to the US. If they let Americans in they can't do that anymore."

Interesting Traveler Nick, I have not read that. Which countries are blaming the US for their own failures? Can you please point me to a source for this?

Macross

I have not seen that. I think Canada is doing a great job. Vermont is really keeping their numbers down but they have enforced many restrictions. So glad to see signs at stores in Fl telling people to wear a mask or stay out. I want to travel but think a vaccine will have to be in place first. Europe is not afraid to shut down where the US will never do that again.

KarenWoo

Thanks everyone for your input.

J62, I know this isn't going away any time soon. I have never believed Trump when he keeps saying that. I knew last February the coronavirus was not like the seasonal flu and would not go away by April. The White House is responsible for not getting the pandemic under control, IMO. My daughter lives in France, and I know France was much stricter than the US last spring, and France was able to open up more than the US. My grandchildren were in school in June, and they are currently in school, although I hope that might change since cases are on the rise again.

I am hoping we can travel to France sometime in 2021, so I was surprised and disheartened to hear that there is the possibility of not being allowed in Europe until 2022. As KayF says, I realize Europe is not a country, but based on what I have seen, most of the countries are following the same restrictions as Heimdall mentions. And when we fly to France (specifically Marseilles), we have to change planes somewhere, so that complicates matters more.

Hopefully, we will have a reliable vaccine in 2021 and then restrictions will be eased for perhaps the last half of 2021. So sad that we are still talking about this 8 months later!

Traveler_Nick

A few weeks ago an Italian correspondent that lives in NYC was almost lynched for saying he had no trouble getting a covid test. Worse he said NYC wasn't worse off than Europe.

A few weeks back (Might have been a month) the local news started

Trump makes outrageous claim that the vaccine will be available early November

VERY next segment. VERY next one.

Our great health minister states vaccine will be available early November.

Best part they were talking about the exact same vaccine.

I can't think of one day that somebody doesn't say

"Well we could be worse. Look at America. "

Every so often somebody brings up the UK but in general claiming we should be happy because we're better than the US is a pretty common.

swandav2000

Hi,

Yes, I agree with Tulips' summary of tourist origins in the EU. I live next to a 4-star hotel in a small town in Germany, and their parking lot has been crammed full every day since they were allowed to open. I'm sure they'd love even more tourists from America, but they are not going broke now without them.

Macross, I am afraid that Germans are most definitely afraid of shutting down again. In fact, that is the foundation of the government's localized, tiered responses to infections (certain measures if new infections reach 35 per 100,000 inhabitants, and severe restrictions when infections reach 50 per 100,000) as well as the foundation of the government's pleas to wear a mask.

s

Tulips

Traveler Nick, there is plenty of criticism of the US, but I read American, British, Belgian and Dutch newspapers daily, and there is also a lot of criticism of the local governments.
In Belgium people are blaming their failing state. Quite right too, since we've only had a government here sinds October 1st after the elections in May 2019.
Sure, the media don't paint a rosy picture of the US, but I don't see them blaming the US for their own problems.
Here in Belgium all restaurants have been closed down again. It is not going well. And it's not easy to get a covid test at all. I know several people who have been refused a test.
One who is ill, with several covid symptoms, has been told by her GP to wait a week, if she is not better she can then get a test. It is not possible to be tested without a GP's referral.

Macross

Swandav, I understand but Dublin still has not let pubs that don't serve food to open. Scotland has some weird alcohol rules now with dining. You can drink outside but not inside. Fl is wide open, no restrictions and we have some of the highest outbreaks. Our high schools are very bad in my town. You see so many blatantly refusing to wear a mask when the signs on the door are asking. I know they want the Christmas markets to open but they still didn't allow Oktoberfest. Were there smaller local festivals? Yesterday the US had 70, 451 new cases, some states with a 20% rate.

rialtogrl

I never said anything about majorities. I only said American tourists are valued, which they are, in many places. All we can go is wait and see, but I do think some countries will do what they can to let US citizens in.

MinnBeef

Exactly. I have work colleagues in Barcelona and one just mentioned this past Friday that restaurant and bar lockdowns are forthcoming, The Europeans, for all their lockdowns, have been no more successful than the U,S. But because of political tensions, many of those countries are pointing their fingers at us “diseased Americans” as an excuse to keep us out of their pristine countries.

As rialtogrl said, it may come down to presenting a recent negative PCR test. I took two COVID tests in the 24 hours prior to my departing for the beautiful country of Croatia, which is almost certainly 2 more COVID tests than 98% of the world has taken.