London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Oct 10, 2026

Europe reopens: Spain, France, Denmark and Greece welcome tourists

Europe reopens: Spain, France, Denmark and Greece welcome tourists

Spain, France and Denmark welcome international tourists, while cruising is back - but it's not plain sailing

If you're struggling to know your PCRs from your CDCs from your PPEs, you're not alone.

Luckily CNN Travel is here to help you unravel the rat's nest that is the constantly changing world of global travel restrictions.

Come to these round-ups each week to learn about the countries relaxing entry rules, the attractions reopening the doors and the places that have shuttered because of Covid-19 outbreaks.

Explainers explained


Our travel elves have been working around the clock to put together explainers on all the latest twists and turns in travel guidance.

In Europe or hoping to travel there? The EU Digital Covid Certificate -- known informally as a "Covid vaccine passport" -- will be issued by July 1. CNN Travel gives you the lowdown here on who's eligible, how to get one, and which countries have started using it.

In the United States? The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued new travel advice for more than 120 countries. Thirty-three destinations -- including Iceland, Israel and Singapore -- have moved into the lowest risk category. Find out more here.

Cruise news
On board Celebrity Millennium, part of the Celebrity Cruises group.


Celebrity Millennium -- the first major cruise ship allowing American passengers since the pandemic began -- set off last weekend from Sint Maarten. Its first port of call was Barbados, which is now welcoming fully vaccinated travelers.

However, it wasn't all plain sailing. Two guests had to be put in isolation after testing positive for Covid-19 in required end-of-cruise testing. And in in the Mediterranean this week, two passengers also tested positive for Covid on the MSC Seaside cruise ship.

Royal Caribbean International has announced that six of its ships will sail from major US ports in Florida and Texas beginning in July and -- further ahead -- a cruise themed around '90s sitcom "Friends" will make its debut next year.

It'll depart from Florida in May 2022 with a select 500 guests on board a 2,800-passenger ship. However, the most on-brand sitcom-meets-cruise adventure is still "Golden Fan at Seas," a celebration of "The Golden Girls," which is also set to return next year.

Luxury barging specialist European Waterways plans to resume barge cruises this June. It serves nine countries, including France, Germany, Holland and Italy.

Meanwhile, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises will resume operations on June 20 with a range of itineraries in Italy, Portugal and France.

The latest from Europe
Tourists walk toward the Erechtheion on the Acropolis hill in Athens on June 4.


The EU has a white list of countries from which nonessential travel into the bloc is approved: Israel, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Japan and Australia.

While the European Union is trying to create more universal requirements for tourism, conditions of entry differ from country to country.

Spain opened to vaccinated travelers from outside the EU on June 7 while France opened in international travelers on June 9 (the same day as it resumed indoor dining and the national curfew moved to 11 p.m.)

Those on France's "green list" -- vaccinated travelers from the European Union, Australia, South Korea, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, New Zealand and Singapore -- can enter restriction-free. Nonvaccinated travelers will need to do a Covid test.

Vaccinated travelers from the "orange list" -- which includes the US and the UK -- will need to do a test, while the unvaccinated will be allowed in only for essential purposes. United Airlines will resume nonstop flights from Washington Dulles Airport to Paris Charles De Gaulle on July 1.

Denmark has also opened to fully vaccinated travelers from the UK and the US and its neighbor Norway is letting the fully vaccinated skip quarantine.

All foreign tourists can now visit Greece without the need for quarantine on arrival, provided they have a negative PCR test. The government plans to declare 80 islands -- including most of the country's top tourism destinations -- Covid-safe by the end of June.

The island of Cyprus is open to vaccinated travelers from 65 countries, including the US and the UK.

Ireland, which has had one of Europe's strictest lockdowns, will reopen to the EU, UK and US on July 19. Non-EU unvaccinated travelers will have to arrive with a negative test, then self-quarantine until they take a second post-arrival test


Slovenia has also reopened to tourism with its own traffic light system and testing requirements, which you can read about here.

The Netherlands is welcoming tourists from "safe countries with a low Covid-19 risk," while Iceland, a member state of the European Economic Area, opened its borders to vaccinated travelers back in April.

Croatia is also welcoming vaccinated travelers, as well as those who present a negative PCR test or proof that they've recovered from Covid-19 within the past 180 days, and no less than 11 days before they arrive.

The UK's transport minister, Grant Shapps, announced via Twitter on June 9 that a US-UK taskforce had been set up to facilitate the reopening of transatlantic travel, but there is no news yet of resumption of flights.

The Isle of Man, a self-governing British Crown dependency in the Irish Sea, is reportedly on course to fully reopen its borders with the UK on June 28, having been closed to almost all non-residents since March 2020.

Having recently been knocked off the UK's green list, Portugal is hoping to build up some tourist numbers by welcoming vaccinated US travelers, but no date has been confirmed yet.

The Americas
The Macy's July 4 Fireworks -- pictured here in 2020 -- will be open to in-person viewing this year.


California is poised for its grand reopening of business on June 15, with masks becoming optional in many public settings -- although restrictions vary between the vaccinated and unvaccinated. Be sure to check ahead before traveling, as there will be plenty of caveats.

New York City will be following suit on July 1 and, to kick the month off on style, Macy's July 4 Fireworks will return to being an in-person event.

Canada, which has only been open to essential travel since the pandemic began last year, has given a cautious nod to possibly allowing fully vaccinated citizens to return home as early as July.

The Caribbean island of St. Bart's is now welcoming fully vaccinated travelers from the US while UK and EU residents just need to do a pre-departure Covid test. St. Lucia has also eased on-island protocols for vaccinated travelers -- including being able to book rental cars and dine at more local restaurants.

Middle East, Africa and Asia


Morocco will reopen to international travelers on June 15 and Algeria is also starting to reopen air travel. In the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi will end mandatory quarantine for international travelers on July 1. That's the same day Phuket will be reopening over in Thailand.

Covid escape plan of the week


The UK's green list of countries its citizens are allowed to travel to is "select," to say the least -- there are only 11 destinations and some are so remote they only recently acquired an airport.

However, there is some good news for fans of sheep-strewn archipelagos. Atlantic Airways is starting direct flights from Edinburgh to the Faroe Islands on July 1 -- although at £308 ($406) per person return, it's not cheap for a short hop.

The islands feature in the hotly anticipated and long delayed James Bond movie "No Time to Die," coming later this year, and a new Sightseeing Tour visits the key locations. Keep your eyes closed to avoid spoilers.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
British Prime Minister Burnham Pledges Closer EU Ties During Visit to Germany
UK Announces New Sanctions on 17 Russia-Linked Entities During Foreign Secretary's Ukraine Visit
UK and Germany Finalize Kensington Treaty to Strengthen Defense and Technology Cooperation
Britain Maintains Diplomatic Mission in East Jerusalem Despite Israeli Closure Deadline
English Councils Push Government to Rethink Proposed Funding Cuts
Scottish Homebuilding Falls to Lowest Level in 11 Years
BBC Chief Matt Brittin Defends Restructuring as Staff Challenge Job Cuts
UK Finance Warns High Energy Costs and Bond Yields Are Complicating Fiscal Outlook
UK Adopts All 44 Recommendations on Regulating AI in Healthcare
Chancellor John Healey Prepares Autumn Budget as Borrowing Costs Strain Public Finances
UK Investigators See Strong Indications of Iranian Link After RAF Fairford Security Operation
Laura Trott Pledges Tighter Controls on Political Activism in UK Classrooms
Welsh Ministers Launch Long-Term Review of North Wales and Anglesey Crossings
Welsh Government Orders 18-Month Study of Road Solutions Around Newport
Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin Faces Scrutiny Over £800,000 Second Home Purchase
British Households Grow More Concerned About Fuel and Energy Prices
NHS Leaders Warn of Rising Winter Pressure on Emergency Departments
Kemi Badenoch Proposes £2.3 Billion Employer National Insurance Cut for Young Workers
Middle East Conflict Could Erase UK Fiscal Headroom, Economists Warn
Manchester City Found Guilty of Multiple Premier League Financial Rule Breaches
UK Security Services Find Strong Indications of Iranian Role in RAF Fairford Incident
Costa Coffee Returns to Operating Profit on Iced Drinks and Menu Changes
Asos Warns Customers After Unauthorized Access to Retail App and Data
Kemi Badenoch Puts Growth and Deregulation at Center of Conservative Conference
Campaigners Warn of Deepening Social Care Crisis for Disabled Adults
Study Finds Rising Early-Onset Cancer Rates Among Adults Under 50 in Britain
UK Coach Operators Warn High Diesel Prices Could Force Route Cuts
FCA Opens Independent Review Into Handling of Epstein-Linked Whistleblower Case
Argentina Vows to Block Falkland Islands Offshore Oil Development
UK Chancellor Prepares Fiscal Measures and Welfare Reforms Ahead of Autumn Budget
Sainsbury’s and Morrisons Explore Potential Multi-Billion-Pound Merger
UK Weighs Tariffs on Chinese Electric Vehicles to Align With European Union
UK Threatens Diplomatic Expulsions Over Planned Closure of East Jerusalem Consulate
UK Energy Price Cap Hits Three-Year High as Middle East Conflict Raises Costs
Seventh Arrest Made in Suspected Terror Plot at RAF Fairford
Systemic Education Collapse Sparks Mass Student Uprisings in France
Green Party Faces Backlash Over Resolution Equating Zionism With Racism
Conservatives Debate Scrapping Environmental Rules for New Homes
Cornwall Insight Warns UK Energy Bills Could Approach £2,000 This Winter
UK Coach Operators Warn of Service Cuts as Diesel Prices Exceed £2
Scottish Parliament Approves £68 Billion Budget With New Tax and Property Measures
FCA Opens Independent Review Into Handling of Epstein Whistleblower
UK Government Drops Plan to Suspend Jury Trials in England and Wales
Bank of England Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% as Markets Watch November
Two Iranian Nationals Charged Over Alleged Plot Targeting Manchester Jewish Community
UK Fiscal Headroom Halves to £11 Billion Ahead of Budget, EY Warns
US Bomber Withdrawal From RAF Fairford Prompts UK Security Review
Sarah Wakfer Appointed Chair of Northern Ireland’s Health and Care Regulator
Scotland Housing Completions Fall to 11-Year Low Amid National Shortage
UK Water Companies Face Tougher Oversight and Unannounced Regulatory Inspections
×