Bon voyage! France and Germany reopen

FRANCE and Germany opened their borders to British and other European tourists yesterday as EU countries emerged from months of coronavirus lockdown.

The decision by Paris and Berlin to drop border checks came nearly two weeks after Italy opened up to all European travellers, including Britons.

Travellers heading to France no longer need international travel permits and do not have to prove that their journey is essential.

However, British visitors will be “invited” to self-isolate for 14 days because of the UK’S quarantine requirement on travellers entering Britain.

For most practical purposes, Britons are still treated as EU citizens during the Brexit transition period until the end of the year.

European countries are still wary, however, of allowing in non-european tourists and the rest of the world will have to wait until next month before they can savour the joys of seeing the Eiffel Tower or tucking into a plate of spaghetti in Rome.

Many restaurateurs are worried social distancing and a dearth of foreign tourists may put them out of business this summer. “At least 60 per cent of our restaurants’ clientele is foreign,” said Xavier Denamur, owner of five bistros in Paris’s historic Marais quarter.

“Also, it’s obviously going to be hard for a lot of restaurants to survive with fewer tables because of the one-metre social distancing rule.”

Germany relaxed its ban on nonessential travel to 27 European countries as the country continued to wind back its coronavirus lockdown measures.

Holidaymakers will no longer need to provide a reason for travel, a boost for the struggling tourism industry.

Greece also welcomed visitors, with passengers on flights from other European countries not having to undergo compulsory coronavirus tests.

Greece’s prime minister said that his priority is to make Greece the safest destination in Europe.

“You can come to Greece, you will have a fantastic experience, you can sit on a veranda with this wonderful view, have your nice Assyrtiko wine, enjoy the beach,” Kyriakos Mitsotakis said. “But we don’t want you crowded in a beach bar. There are a few things that we won’t allow this summer.”

Spain put its tourism industry to the test by allowing about 1,500 Germans to fly to its Balearic Islands without a 14-day quarantine. The pilot programme is intended to help authorities gauge what is needed to guard against possible virus flare-ups. On Monday morning, 189 Germans arrived on the Spanish island of Mallorca on a direct flight from Düsseldorf.