Last edit by: flyingfkb
All internal restrictions removed:
European airlines not requiring masks on board:
- Belgium - No border restrictions (per IATA, no restrictions; per Belgian government, "This does not apply to travelers coming from a country with a new variant of concern.").
- Bosnia and Herzegovina - No border restrictions.
- Bulgaria - No border restrictions.
- Denmark - No border restrictions.
- Croatia - No border restrictions.
- Czech Republic - No border restrictions.
- England - No border restrictions.
- Estonia - No border restrictions.
- Finland - No border restrictions.
- France - Some border restrictions remain for non-vaccinated pax coming from some non-EU countries. Masks required on some public transport (Nice).
- Germany - No border restrictions.
- Greece - No border restrictions.
- Hungary - No border restrictions.
- Iceland - No border restrictions.
- Ireland - No border restrictions.
- Kosovo - No border restrictions.
- Latvia - No border restrictions.
- Malta - No border restrictions.
- Moldova - No border restrictions.
- Netherlands - Some border restrictions remain for non-EU arrivals.
- Norway - No border restrictions.
- North Macedonia - No border restrictions.
- Poland - No border restrictions.
- Portugal, Madeira and Porto Santo - no border restrictions (excludes Azores)
- Romania - No border restrictions.
- Scotland - No border restrictions.
- Serbia - No border restrictions.
- Slovakia - No border restrictions.
- Slovenia - No border restrictions.
- Sweden - No border restrictions.
- Switzerland - No border restrictions.
- Turkey - No border restrictions.
- Wales - No border restrictions.
- Austria - No border restrictions. Masks required in Vienna.
- Cyprus (excluding TRNC) - No border restrictions. Masks needed on public transport.
- Italy - No border restrictions. Face mask rules extended to 30 September on public transport and indoor settings.
- Lithuania - No border restrictions but masks required on public transport.
European airlines not requiring masks on board:
- Network-wide: Norwegian, Czech Airlines, Smartwings, Flyr, Widerře, BRA, TAP, Brussels Airlines
- On some routes:
- airBaltic - Recommended on all flights, but only required where origin/destination has a mask mandate. List not available.
- Air France - Required where origin/destination has a mask mandate. List not available.
- Air Serbia
- Austrian - Required where origin/destination has a mask mandate. List not available.
- British Airways - Required where origin/destination has a mask mandate - list available on BA's website
- Croatia Airlines - Required to/from Germany
- EasyJet - Required where origin/destination has a mask mandate.
- Finnair - Required where origin/destination has a mask mandate. Currently only TO Spain. List here: https://www.finnair.com/fi-en/flight...lights-2364672
- Icelandair - Required where origin/destination has a mask mandate: Paris, Germany and Canada
- KLM - Required where origin/destination has a mask mandate, list not available.
- LOT - Required where origin/destination has a mask mandate extending to foreign planes. List not available.
- SAS - Required where origin/destination has a mask mandate extending to foreign planes: Flights to/from Italy and China.
- Swiss - Required where origin/destination has a mask mandate - list available on Swiss website.
- Wizz Air - Required where origin/destination has a mask mandate, list not available.
Europe reopening 2022 -
#451
Join Date: May 2013
Location: MAD
Programs: IB+, BAEC
Posts: 3,105
I mean you can try but they are entirely within their right to deny you boarding if you don't meet entry requirements to Spain. And good luck arguing what Timatic correctly says with a contract agent in Boston.
#452
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: VIE
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Germany is a bit extremist when it comes to COVID, I don't see myself going there anytime soon (if I'm lucky, I will be able to check out BER before my status expires in 12/2023). But I'm quite happy with central Europe, Scandinavia, Benelux and the UK and I'm fairly confident they won't go crazy again. I still hope that Portugal will get normal by winter as I usually go there in January, but I'm not holding my breath.
#453
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: M&S Elite+
Posts: 3,652
NL only has restrictions for entering from outside Schengen. A colleague from the US was unable to meet me there a couple of weeks back when he had no documents at check in. Everything is quite normal there from what I saw. The only people wearing masks were the German tourists...
Last edited by l etoile; Aug 9, 2022 at 7:29 am
#454
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,967
And let's not assume all Germans are like the ones who have been very loud on FT the last few years. It's to the point that I had to stop posting because real life doesn't match what a few would have you believe.
#455
Join Date: May 2013
Location: MAD
Programs: IB+, BAEC
Posts: 3,105
I can assure you that the rules in Spain are ridiculous. Masking is mostly followed on crowded trains, but often ignored when there are fewer. On Madrid metro most people will remove their mask immediately upon getting off the train as the rule is only on the transport itself. Similarly in the airport you don't have to mask but as soon as you step on the plane you do. Also the type of mask isn't regulated in Spain so it's a complete farce of theater since people wear poor fitting cloth masks.
#456
Senior Moderator; Moderator, Eco-Conscious Travel, United and Flyertalk Cares
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: Fulltime travel/mostly Europe
Programs: UA 1.7 MM;; Accor & Marriott Pt; Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 17,831
Moderator note:
I just removed dozens of posts that were off-topic for this thread and largely of a political nature.
This thread is for the purpose of helping travelers to know what is required in countries throughout Europe. It’s not for arguing your opinions, namecalling and sharing your politics. Such posts only make it difficult for people to find information.
Please stick to factual information about requirements in each country.
l etoile
moderator
I just removed dozens of posts that were off-topic for this thread and largely of a political nature.
This thread is for the purpose of helping travelers to know what is required in countries throughout Europe. It’s not for arguing your opinions, namecalling and sharing your politics. Such posts only make it difficult for people to find information.
Please stick to factual information about requirements in each country.
l etoile
moderator
#457
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: not far from MUC
Posts: 6,620
https://www.bahn.de/info/corona_startseite_bahnde
#458
Community Director
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,476
However, outside a public transport setting life is absolutely normal, people aren't masked up in the street, or in the shops, or in pubs, or at events. When I was there Munich Pride was taking place, and I also attended a medieval fair about 30km outside the city. I really don't recall seeing anyone wearing a mask at those events - where you're talking about coming into contact with perhaps 100,000 people in total.
The restrictions are very, very minor and short-lived in the scheme of things compared to the number of hours in a day, and they're certainly not enough to persuade me that Germany doesn't have an awful lot going for it - including 9 Euro tickets for a month on public transport.
#459
Join Date: Aug 2021
Location: USA
Programs: American Airlines (Executive Platinum), Hyatt (Globalist), Hilton (Diamond), IHG (Diamond)
Posts: 2,917
Is there a site that tracks Covid restrictions such as “mask use required in indoor public areas” and that sort of thing on a country by country basis in Europe? Trying to plan a relatively last-minute trip to Europe after my schedule opened up, and was surprised to see a “mask use required indoors as of 02.08” notice pop up on a reservation in Sofia, Bulgaria, which apparently didn’t have any such rules as of late July.
Are people seeing or expecting a similar trend across Europe for the fall? [Moderator edit. See note below]. Thanks.
Are people seeing or expecting a similar trend across Europe for the fall? [Moderator edit. See note below]. Thanks.
Last edited by Ocn Vw 1K; Aug 15, 2022 at 8:24 am Reason: Off topic for this thread per post 456 above.
#460
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: M&S Elite+
Posts: 3,652
Is there a site that tracks Covid restrictions such as “mask use required in indoor public areas” and that sort of thing on a country by country basis in Europe? Trying to plan a relatively last-minute trip to Europe after my schedule opened up, and was surprised to see a “mask use required indoors as of 02.08” notice pop up on a reservation in Sofia, Bulgaria, which apparently didn’t have any such rules as of late July.
Are people seeing or expecting a similar trend across Europe for the fall? [Conforming Moderator edit; see post above.]. Thanks.
Are people seeing or expecting a similar trend across Europe for the fall? [Conforming Moderator edit; see post above.]. Thanks.
https://www.kayak.co.uk/travel-restrictions?
As for what happens later in the year, no one really knows. I think there are going to be more pressing issues for most countries to deal with. You could look back through this thread and see which countries were the slowest to remove restrictions. They may be the most likely to reintroduce them.
Last edited by Ocn Vw 1K; Aug 15, 2022 at 8:26 am Reason: Conforming Moderator edit.
#461
Join Date: Aug 2021
Location: USA
Programs: American Airlines (Executive Platinum), Hyatt (Globalist), Hilton (Diamond), IHG (Diamond)
Posts: 2,917
Delving into Tripadvisor forums will help. Asking here too. For Bulgaria there is some information here
As for what happens later in the year, no one really knows. I think there are going to be more pressing issues for most countries to deal with.
As for what happens later in the year, no one really knows. I think there are going to be more pressing issues for most countries to deal with.
[mod edit] Worst case, I spend more time in places like Sweden, but I can't believe these rules are making a comeback — or even being proposed — without riots.
Last edited by NewbieRunner; Aug 15, 2022 at 7:53 am Reason: Redacted OT comment
#462
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Posts: 98
There are some countries where masks are very unlikely to return: Denmark, Norway, the UK, Hungary (and Sweden of course).
I'd say the Netherlands, Switzerland and Ireland are fairly unlikely to bring back masks also.
At the other end of the spectrum Germany have pretty much said that masks will be mandatory in more situations from October. Austria and Italy are quite likely to bring back mask rules too. Spain, Portugal and Greece are also strong possibilities.
They're just my guesses based on how quickly mask restrictions in those countries were eased and their governments' general attitude to Covid restrictions.
Last edited by Ocn Vw 1K; Aug 15, 2022 at 8:27 am Reason: See posts above on previous page.
#463
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: HEL
Programs: lots of shiny metal cards
Posts: 14,105
Is there a site that tracks Covid restrictions such as “mask use required in indoor public areas” and that sort of thing on a country by country basis in Europe? Trying to plan a relatively last-minute trip to Europe after my schedule opened up, and was surprised to see a “mask use required indoors as of 02.08” notice pop up on a reservation in Sofia, Bulgaria, which apparently didn’t have any such rules as of late July.
Last edited by WilcoRoger; Aug 15, 2022 at 8:43 am
#464
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: VIE
Programs: SAS EBS / *A Silver, Hilton Diamond, Radisson VIP, IHG Platinum
Posts: 3,759
Regarding Austria, we'll see. The plan was to reintroduced masks from September but with the current numbers, I don't see how could authorities go for stricter measures than what applies now. If anything, I expect Vienna to catch up and drop masks soon.
#465
Join Date: Aug 2021
Location: USA
Programs: American Airlines (Executive Platinum), Hyatt (Globalist), Hilton (Diamond), IHG (Diamond)
Posts: 2,917
Central Europe should be safe as a whole - health authorities both Slovakia and Czechia already claimed they don't expect any new restrictions, and the attitude in Poland is similar.
Regarding Austria, we'll see. The plan was to reintroduced masks from September but with the current numbers, I don't see how could authorities go for stricter measures than what applies now. If anything, I expect Vienna to catch up and drop masks soon.
Regarding Austria, we'll see. The plan was to reintroduced masks from September but with the current numbers, I don't see how could authorities go for stricter measures than what applies now. If anything, I expect Vienna to catch up and drop masks soon.