Europe open in July for UK and US travelers?

[Pauline]

Paul Charles, a travel consultant who is well known in the UK, says travel in Europe will open up this summer. I think Brits and Americans will be traveling in Europe and Israel from July onwards.

Getting The Crystal Ball Out – Again! — The PC Agency | Luxury Travel PR

Amid all the ups and downs of will it, won’t it happen, and before the Global Travel Taskforce initially reports back next week, Paul Charles shares his latest predictions for overseas travel this summer.

www.pc.agency

From the article:

May 17 - ... Those with higher vaccination rates will start opening up to UK tourists before the end of May, namely Israel, USA, Gibraltar, Malta, and UAE – as long as their vaccine programmes continue at pace. ...

End of June - ... most European and short-haul countries will be accessible from the UK. ...

July onwards - ... most European countries will be safely accessible for July and August. ...

 

[GailS]

Fingers crossed. I so want to book a trip to Italy for the fall, partly because once I have something booked even if far away it gives me something to look forward to.

 

[Pauline]

 

[Pauline]

Paul Charles has added percent of population vaccinated (1 dose) to the traffic light chart. He uses this to predict which countries will be open to travel this summer.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1377348446437400583

View: https://twitter.com/ppaulcharles/status/1377348446437400583?s=21

His tweet: We now have new data analysis based on the current trajectory of country vaccination / infection rates. Green are the countries which should be accessible from May 17th , where we expect just a lateral flow test on return to the UK if you’ve been jabbed once. @ThePCAgency

 

[Sharon J]

There goes our third trip. We always visit Italy at the end of May into June, and again in October. This May trip will be our third trip lost. Hoping October will be open. We ALWAYS start or finish our trips with Nico at Sant'Antonio. His property is like a second home for us. I know how badly this has hit his area, and we miss his lovely property SO much.

 

[Shannon]

Croatia is already open. Come to Croatia!

 

[Pauline]

Croatia is already open. Come to Croatia!

Brits cannot do international travel until mid May! Otherwise, I would be there!

 

[Shannon]

Brits cannot do international travel until mid May! Otherwise, I would be there!

Come in May then!

 

[Tim W]

The issue is likely to be not which countries are open to people from the UK, but if people can get back into the UK without the "quarantine hotels". I'm not going to head to Italy if I need to spend £1,500 and 10 days in a hotel on my arrival back.

 

[Pauline]

I'm not going to head to Italy if I need to spend £1,500 and 10 days in a hotel on my arrival back.

I agree. There is no way I am staying in a quarantine hotel.

I am booking our August - September Switzerland trip now and most AirBnb places let you cancel up to a few days before. I've never seen cancelation policies like that on AirBnb. Booking.com usually has policies like that which is why I like them. It feels GREAT to be trip planning again. Fingers crossed that it happens!

 

[jonathan]

I hope Paul Charles is right about green zone countries. As several of you know, we're in the opposite position to many of those on these boards: in Europe (well, sort-of, post Brexit...), but really wanting to get to the US to visit family who we haven’t seen for 18+ months! We (and they) are/will be fully vaccinated by next month, and so far Colorado is looking reasonably ok, infection-wise. So we're really hoping for a trip, July-August time.

 

[Pauline]

Today’s update from Paul Charles:

Comments from @vonderleyen in @nytimes: “American tourists who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will be able to visit the European Union over the summer.” Expect #UK to allow fully-vaccinated citizens to travel with fewer restrictions by end of June. @ThePCAgency

https://twitter.com/x/status/1386433633896996864

View: https://twitter.com/ppaulcharles/status/1386433633896996864?s=21

 

[artnbarb]

IF Ireland were to end its 14 day quarantine period I would consider doing the Ireland portion of my previously noted plans for 2022 in the fall of 2021. But I'm not getting my hopes up.

 

[Pauline]

IF Ireland were to end its 14 day quarantine period I would consider doing the Ireland portion of my previously noted plans for 2022 in the fall of 2021. But I'm not getting my hopes up.

I was wondering why you weren’t planning travel this year. I thought maybe you were being extra cautious. I think things in Europe and the UK will be fully open by July. My worry is that things close up again by November but maybe the vaccines and booster shots will prevent that.

 

[artnbarb]

I AM being extra cautious, and am still nervous about travel in 2021 - but I am willing to consider the possibility. That 14 day quarantine period makes travel impossible for us as long as it exists.

We have friends who live on Long Island who have suggested we do a house exchange this fall, so I also have that idea kicking around. Still nervous!

 

[KathyH]

As badly as I want to go back to Europe, I will probably wait until early 2022. The EU can set guidance, but each country also sets their own requirements for who can enter. Also, right now US citizens must have a negative COVID test before they can return. I'd rather wait until that's not necessary for vaccinated people.

 

[Pauline]

Today in The Guardian:

EU plans to reopen to fully Covid-vaccinated foreign tourists from June

Holidaymakers would also be welcome from countries with low case rates but bloc would retain ‘emergency brake’

www.theguardian.com

From the article: “The EU would reopen to holidaymakers from countries with low Covid infection rates such as the UK, and to anyone who has been fully vaccinated, by the start of June under a European Commission plan.

With the rate of vaccination rising “dramatically” in EU member states, commission officials said it was time to relax rules on non-essential travel while legislating to provide for powers to pull an “emergency brake” if necessary.

EU borders would be reopened at the latest by the start of June, officials said, with agreement due to be sought from member states during meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday.”

 

[Sharon J]

My worry is that they might allow us to enter Italy, but how much will be open, and what happens if they decide to shut down again while we are there? We have lost three trips, but rescheduled for October again. We always visit in May and October every year. I truly want to wait until we know we will enjoy our trip. We have moved our flights forward each time, and they did hassle us a bit this third time. My husband is a Million Miler and Flying Colonel with Delta, and the special service woman hassled him this last time. "You Can Go to Italy, they're letting you in". She wasn't going to give us our upgrade back, and went off on him. We were only changing the dates, but flying into the same airports. He did write to complain, and they apologized profusely.

At our ages, (75 and 74), we now wonder if this goes on, will we be in a position to walk those wonderful areas that we love so much, (Varenna, Venice and Sant'Antonio) Very upsetting. Thank goodness, our three favorites places have been very gracious, moving our reservations forward each time.

 

[Pauline]

My worry is that they might allow us to enter Italy, but how much will be open, and what happens if they decide to shut down again while we are there?

In the UK things are starting to open up. On May 17 restaurants and pubs can serve inside and people can visit each other inside houses. They say things will be back to normal by mid June. I think it might be July for Europe just because their vaccine rollout was slower, but they are catching up. Your vaccine rollout in the US has been faster than in the UK or Europe.

I think by October things will be good in Italy. We traveled in Italy last September in the middle of this pandemic and things were good. Masks in shops but that was about it. All else as usual.

We did get caught a bit with changes in the UK with regards to Switzerland so had to quarantine when we got home. I think things will be more organised this year with more warning given if things are going to change.

We are planning our France and Switzerland trip for mid August into September

 

[Allen]

Not sure where to post this, but a few reports today from reputable sites note that after the Italian government reps announced yesterday (as expected) the dropping of quarantine requirements for travelers from the UK, Israel, and Europe, there was an additional surprise announcement some hours later that non-essential travel to Italy from the US was now open to those booked on a ‘COVID-tested’ flight with Delta and Alitalia through JFK and Atlanta as of May 16!! Can anyone confirm this too good to be true news?