Summer vacation during a Pandemic

Summer is just around the corner but the main question is: What are we going to do for summer vacation during this Pandemic? What can we do? Where can we go? What regulations are implemented in our destination? Well, I try to answer these questions and help you plan your summer vacation.

 

Where can you go to in Europe?

June is the month that Europe will “open” its borders to most tourists. The countries strongly relying on tourism are getting ready to welcome those planning their summer vacation during the pandemic. In today’s post, I will be focusing on Portugal and the Netherlands, but I’ll give you resources for other countries as well.

 

Portugal

Portugal’s economy, like other European countries, is strongly dependent on tourism. Many people have been working really hard to come up with solutions to allow people to go visit Portugal during this Summer.

From June 15th, international tourists can travel to Portugal. Just be prepared for all the additional measures implemented all over the country. If you intended to visit Portuguese beaches, you will find boards indicating if it is possible to visit the beach or not, think of it as a traffic sign for beaches; the idea is to avoid a large number of people in one area.

There will be a new seal, “Clean & Safe” defined by the Tourism of Portugal, implemented I many sectors of the tourism branch. You can get more info about Clean&Safe seal on their official website

At this moment, Portugal is in its 3rd phase of releasing measures against Covid-19, meaning that more and more public spaces are open, as well as restaurants and so on. So, even though this Summer will be a different one, if you are planning on going to Portugal for your Summer break, you can still enjoy it!

If you are traveling from outside the Schengen area or Portuguese speaking country, other rules may apply.

 

Travel Suggestions in Portugal

A week in Lisbon area during Summer  //  How to spend 10 days in Portugal  //  Beach Paradise in Portugal //  5 Places to visit 1h away from Lisbon  //  Portugal travel suggestions

 

The Netherlands

Dutch borders will be open for EU or Schengen tourists from June 15th. If you are coming from outside the EU or Schengen area, it is expected that the travel ban will be lifted after June 15th.

The Dutch approach on how to fight COvi-19 has been slightly different than the one in Portugal, for example. We never had a mandatory lockdown, and the Dutch government expects the citizens (and soon the tourists) to follow the rules implemented, so the responsibility is on you, the citizen/tourist.

Masks are mandatory, only, in public transportation.

When coming to the Netherlands, you are required to have a confirmation of a reservation with you. Restaurants and bars are open since June 1st, with extra safety measures, and most of them require that you reserve in advance. Other facilities may be operating but with restricted numbers (cinemas, for example).

So if you are planning city trips in the Netherlands during the Summer, that should be possible.

 

Travel Suggestions in the Netherlands

I will soon make a 1-week travel itinerary, but until then, feel free to browse around all posts I wrote Dutch cities I’ve visited.

 

What about mandatory quarantine?

In the Netherlands, quarantine is not mandatory for tourists, but if you are coming from high-risk areas, the authorities require a health declaration beforehand. However, if you are coming from a country where the risk-level is similar to the one in the Netherlands, then is okay. The Dutch authorities only ask tourists to follow the regulations imposed in the Netherlands.

In Portugal, according to the information I could find, there is no mandatory quarantine for tourists, and like in the Netherlands, tourists are asked to follow the Portuguese safety measures implemented in the country. A summary of these could be:

• Wear face masks when in closed public spaces and transportation.
• Keep a social distance (2m).
• Wash your hands and so on

However, if you plan to visit Madeira Island and/or Azores Islands, other measures are implemented:

Madeira – tourists arriving in Madeira must fill in an online health form; if you do not present this form upon your arrival then you can be asked to quarantine.

The Azores – touristic may be subject to medical checks and quarantine unless they have a health certificate that states a negative test result for Coronavirus.

 

Other countries

I focused on Portugal and the Netherlands regulations because those are the countries I live and have more access to information, however, if you are thinking or planning to go on summer vacation now during the Pandemic I suggest you try to gather as much information as possible from authorities in the country you are planning to visit.

Additionally, you can also check the website of the European Commission where they have a very nice summary page with all measures, by country or in a general manner.

 

Transportation

Airlines

To my knowledge, many European airlines are starting to resume their schedules and by June 15th, many will have more flights available.

I suggest that you check the airline’s websites in order to get the latest information about what flights will be operating in the Summer. And what are (if existing) the extra security measures for the passengers.

Bellow, you can find a list of some airline’s websites with more relevant information:

Flagship airlines: TAP  //  KLM  //  Air France  //  Lufthansa  //  British Airways

Mid-range airlines: Transavia  //  Eurowings

Low-cost airlines: Ryanair (in Portuguese)

 

Websites to check for further information:

Portugal – Visit Portugal  //  Madeira – Visit Madeira  // The Azores – Visit Azores  //  The Netherlands – Visit the Netherlands  //  European Commission  //  IATA travel center website.