As lockdown eases in Europe how are we affected?
AS Europe gradually starts to reopen again after nearly three months of lockdown, we give you the country-by-country guide of current holiday restrictions for Britons.
SPAIN
German, Danish and Norwegian travellers will be welcome from mid-June. If the coronavirus is still under control other holidaymakers may be able to follow suit in July and August. British nationals did not make the list due to the UK’s high coronavirus infection rate. Spain’s tourism minister Maria Reyes Maroto said: “There, the health situation still has to improve. For us it is important to guarantee that people arrive healthy and leave healthy.”
GREECE
Britons will not be among the first wave of nations flying to Greece when it opens to tourists on July 1. Visitors from 29 different countries, including Australia, Austria, Germany, Denmark, Japan and China have been given the all-clear.
Tourism minister Harry Theoharis said Britain’s record on Covid-19 is currently not good enough. He said: “I think that the UK has a big difference in terms of the current medical status of the country with Greece, so I don’t think it’s likely it will be there.”
ITALY
Holidays to Italy are possible as it will reopen its borders to tourists from Britain, the EU, Andorra, Monaco, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and San Marino tomorrow. Tourist hot spots
such as the Colosseum, the Vatican Museums and Leaning Tower of Pisa have reopened with stringent safety measures in place.
PORTUGAL
Tourists will be welcome from June 15, with Portugal currently in talks with Britain to form an “air bridge” to exempt travellers from the UK’s 14-day quarantine policy. Hoteliers say 75 per cent of hotels will reopen in the Algarve this month and most will be operational by July. Restaurants reopened in May but at 50 per cent their usual capacity. Beaches and waterparks are also reopening this month, but with strict guidelines in place.
FRANCE
EasyJet is resuming flights from Gatwick to Nice from mid-June. However, a date has not been set for when France will welcome back non-essential travellers. Beaches, parks, restaurants and bars will gradually start to reopen today.
UNITED STATES
Britons are still not able to travel to the US as officials have banned anyone entering the country if they have recently been in the UK, Iran, Ireland, the Schengen zone, or China.
CYPRUS
There is hope British travellers could be included in a second wave of flights from mid-July as the government is already in talks with UK tour operators, according to tourism minister Savvas Perdios.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office currently advises against all but essential foreign travel.