# Europe summer travel



## nerodog (May 13, 2020)

Europe promises to reopen for summer tourism in wake of coronavirus
					

As the European Union outlines plans to kickstart summer tourism in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, here's a country-by-country guide to which destinations travelers can visit.




					www.cnn.com
				




Interesting article.


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## nerodog (May 23, 2020)

The earliest the European Commission is considering allowing nonessential travel into the European Union from outside member states is June 15, 2020. Since Italy went into lockdownin the second week of March, travel into the country and between its regions has been strictly limited. Airports and railway stations remained open only to allow those with proven work needs or other urgent or health-related reasons to travel with a form verifying their purpose. Italian citizens were also allowed to return home from abroad and foreign tourists could leave the country. 
Per the Italian government’s decree, between June 3 and 15, travel to and from countries other than those listed above is still prohibited, except for “determined work needs, of absolute urgency or for health reasons.” 
To dispel rumors, Giorgio Palmucci, President of ENIT-Italian National Tourist Board issued a statementdenying that Italy was closing its borders to tourists until 2021.
“Tourism in Italy will start again, with all precautions and in maximum safety,” Palmucci said. “Those who love Italy must be allowed to return to enjoy it, in compliance with governmental and regional guidelines. It is a delicate phase in which it is essential to defend Italy also through correct communication.” 
However, the tourist board told AFAR that there is no specific date available yet for when travelers from the United States will be allowed to enter Italy.
*What else is reopening in Italy?*
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Phase 2 of Italy’s lockdown began on May 4, as Italians were allowed to return to parks within their cities and many were able to go back to work. Other lockdown restrictions will start to be loosened before the June 3 border reopening. Restaurants, bars, and shops were allowed to reopen, and travel within regions to visit friends and family is once again permitted as of May 18. Gyms and swimming pools can reopen as of May 25, and the government will allow cinemas and theaters to reopen on June 15.
*Just because the borders will open, doesn’t mean tourists will come*
In an evening address on Saturday May 16, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said easing travel restrictions within the EU would “create the conditions for tourism recovery” but also referred to the decision as a “calculated risk.” 
With hotel occupancy down 99 percent for foreigners, the Associated Press reported that Italy’s national hotel federation said it has already lost 106,000 jobs as of April and another 500,000 are at risk if travel doesn’t return this summer. Between the months of March and May, the national statistics agency ISTAT estimates Italy lost 10 billion euros (US$10.8 billion) from foreign travelers based on numbers from 2019.
But even though Italy is eager to recoup financial losses during its busy summer tourism season, its European neighbors are wary of Italy jumping the gun in reopening.
Germany is advising its citizens to not travel for nonessential reasons until at least June 15, while French officials reiterated that they were hoping for a coordinated effort within the EU to reopen borders, the Associated Press reports. In 2019, Germany contributed to 13.6 million overnight stays while French overnight stays came to 14 million, according to Eurostat figures from the Associated Press.
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It’s also unclear if hotels will be willing and ready to reopen on June 3, in order to comply with new government regulations, like requiring guests to always wear face masks.
“We don’t understand why a tourist would have to stay on the terrace or in the garden of a hotel with a mask,’’ Francesco Bechi, the head of the hotel federation in Florence, told the Associated Press. “We are very attentive to health and prevention. Clear and precise rules can guarantee services to guests.’’
There also the question of whether or not airlines will restore flight service by then. While Alitalia is still operating flights to Milan and Rome from New York and Los Angeles, American Airlines doesn’t plan on bringing back its New York–Milan and Miami–Milan routes until October 25.
_The Associated Press contributed reporting to this article._
*>> Next: **Europe’s Plan for Reopening Borders and Travel Within the EU*


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Italy news from AFAR magazine.


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## "Roger" (May 24, 2020)

Thanks for the upates. These articles are far more informative than anything that I have been able to find on my own.


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## mav (May 25, 2020)

A last resort to save tourist season: 'Travel bubbles' emerge as solution to Europe's summer woes
					

Facing the loss of a significant part of their economies, some countries in Europe are banding together to ease travel restrictions and avoid quarantines.




					www.yahoo.com


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## nerodog (May 26, 2020)

During the month of June, TAP will resume the following services:


A twice-weekly service from Lisbon to Newark.
Once per week flights to the African cities of Maputo (Mozambique) and Luanda (Angola).


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## nerodog (May 26, 2020)

Lufthansa to resume to 20 destinations in June | DW | 24.05.2020
					

Lufthansa plans to restart service to tourist destinations in Europe. The German airline has been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic and is in talks with the government over a potential bailout.




					www.dw.com


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## nerodog (May 26, 2020)

*On 1 July, Ryanair will resume daily flights to Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece and Cyprus from Ireland, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, the company announced on 26 May.*
In a statement, the Irish low-cost airline said it plans to “operate 40 percent of its flight schedule” in July, “since Spain announced this weekend that it would remove travel and visitor restrictions from 1 July, like Italy, Cyprus, Greece and Portugal, which are preparing to reopen their hotels and beaches for the main holiday season in July and August”.

The daily flights to be resumed by Ryanair from 1 July originate in “Northern European countries, including Ireland, United Kingdom, Belgium, Holland, Germany”, and destination at “main airports in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece and Cyprus”.

"After four months of blockade, we celebrate the measures taken by the governments of Italy, Greece, Portugal, Spain and Cyprus to reopen borders, eliminate travel restrictions and remove ineffective quarantines," said Ryanair's executive president, quoted in the statement.




According to Eddie Wilson, "European families that have been subject to confinement for more than 10 weeks, can now look forward to the long-awaited family holidays to Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece and other Mediterranean destinations in July and August".

All Ryanair flights will operate with new health measures in place, which require all passengers and crew to always wear masks at airport terminals and on board aircraft, in accordance with European Union recommendations.
Portugal News


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## nerodog (May 26, 2020)

These flights may not help all Stateside but it's a start of airlines opening up.


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## mav (May 30, 2020)

Isolation for 14 days 'unnecessary', claims Germany's top government scientist
					

Fourteen-day isolation periods are not necessary to defeat the coronavirus and a second wave of infections can be avoided, Germany’s leading government scientist said on Friday. With what is now known about the virus, it is possible to contain further outbreaks, claimed Prof Christian Drosten...




					www.yahoo.com
				




  Angela, please listen to him....  it's getting closer to July 3rd


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## Talent312 (May 30, 2020)

I just got a email from Austrian Rail about a change for a non-refundable ticket.
Innsbruck to Vienna. As if we could be there. I bought two of those.

I checked and they're just outside the relief they offered. <oh well>
Perhaps we should call to release the seats.


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## gresmi (May 30, 2020)

nerodog said:


> Europe promises to reopen for summer tourism in wake of coronavirus
> 
> 
> As the European Union outlines plans to kickstart summer tourism in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, here's a country-by-country guide to which destinations travelers can visit.
> ...





Indeed.


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## Jwerking (May 31, 2020)

My daughter is living in Germany and in her last year of a 5 year assignment.  Since we are retired, we have been going on a fall European vacation from Sept to Nov each year and then visit her at the end for a few weeks .  This year we have passed on a fall vacation but scheduled a Xmas visit for a few weeks. Our airline tickets are booked - so hope we will be able to travel from the US at that time!


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## gresmi (May 31, 2020)

Jwerking said:


> My daughter is living in Germany and in her last year of a 5 year assignment.  Since we are retired, we have been going on a fall European vacation from Sept to Nov each year and then visit her at the end for a few weeks .  This year we have passed on a fall vacation but scheduled a Xmas visit for a few weeks. Our airline tickets are booked - so hope we will be able to travel from the US at that time!





jwerking, hope you are able to make your trip. I think Christmas is far enough out it won't be a problem.
I believe this whole shutdown catastrophe has run its course at this point. Information was sparse at first, but we've got enough now to keep from further destroying the western world's economy.


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## Quiet Pine (May 31, 2020)

My August cruise was canceled a couple of days ago. I have Brit Air tickets nonstop PHX-LHR. There's conflicting info about whether those flights are on or off. Brit Air code shares with American, adding a level of uncertainty. I think they hope to resume in July, but it's up in the air (literally!) at this point. If they cancel, I'm entitled to a cash refund.


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## mav (Jun 3, 2020)

Italy welcomes tourists (but the feeling’s not mutual)
					

Rome wants to open its borders for the summer season, but other countries are still wary.




					www.yahoo.com


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## Pompey Family (Jun 8, 2020)

The UK Government has announced today that they intend to start lifting the quarantine requirements in early July. The first countries they intend to do this with are those within the EU. It all seems all a bit too little too late and there were so many holes in the idea that it would be almost impossible to enforce. How would any passenger flying in from the US who uses the e-gates be stopped and challenged? Plus you also have the issue of passengers being allowed to use public transport to travel to their quarantine address therefore potentially infecting other passengers and who is going to enforce the random checks?

Anyway, it looks hopeful that our August trip to Marriott's Son Antem will go ahead. I have no real concerns about visiting. We've been to the island so many times that we've 'done' all the major sights so for us it's more of a cultural downtime. We have own own villa and garden with BBQ. The pools are usually very quiet (other than the main pool at the resort centre), we self cater a lot and because our children are still relatively young we're not visiting bars in the evening. Meals in restaurants are always taken outside and given the current guidance then this would be entirely suitable. Other than flying to and from the island we have a rental car and never use public transport so all in all our two weeks there would not be entirely different to our current life here albeit with guaranteed sunshine and a bit of Spanish flair.


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