Helpful Tips For Travel to Europe Travel During The Pandemic

7 Tips for Traveling Through Europe During the Pandemic

Shockingly, we are approaching our third year of living in a global pandemic. With the Omicron variant on the rise, it seems like COVID-19 is not slowing down anytime soon. Fortunately, many travelers have learned how to continue their exploration even while adhering to restrictions and staying safe. In this article, we will share seven tips for successfully traveling through Europe amidst the global pandemic.

Opt for Outdoor Experiences

Museums and galleries are often closed due to the pandemic, but the great outdoors is open for exploration, so get yourself outside and travel. Not only is it more likely that you can follow through with an outdoor experience, it is a much safer option for you. A hike through any forest, park, or mountain range can be just as educational and enjoyable as visiting a famous museum. In addition, outdoor holidays allow travelers to be active by skiing, walking, hiking, and biking. Since it is harder to carry luggage when you are traveling outdoors, you can use a luggage storage service like Bounce to ensure your bags are safe when you are exploring.

Double Check Restrictions, Rules, and Regulations

With COVID-19 comes a variety of travel restrictions, rules, and regulations. This means that traveling is getting more difficult as time goes on. Regulations such as quarantine zones and mandatory vaccinations exist to keep travelers as safe as possible while traveling through Europe during this pandemic. After traveling, check your government’s website for travel advisories so you can plan accordingly. In addition to restrictions, this unpredictable environment can cause last minute changes in plans. Make sure to double check flight information and other reservations to ensure that nothing has been delayed or canceled.

Avoid Travelling to Too Many Countries

There are different countries that close and open at different times based on the severity of their case count. With travel restrictions going into effect in some countries but not others, traveling to multiple destinations is becoming more difficult. In order to prevent traveling difficulty and frustration, try traveling no more than two or three different destinations per trip.

Explore Beyond the Map

During your travels, make sure you still keep a map on hand of where you are traveling to and from. Rather than just hitting the main tourist attractions, try to visit small cities and scenic viewpoints. In smaller cities, you are more likely to have an experience that is less restrictive. Many smaller areas have less restrictions in place because they are not at risk due to tourists coming in and out at an aggressive rate.

Europeans Enjoy Hosting Foreigners

Although restrictions are tight, there are places across Europe that are eager to host travelers again. Explore the outskirts of a city and look for small bed and breakfasts. Negotiate with a hotel owner to see if you can pay less since they have few guests traveling through this pandemic. They will likely want as much business as possible, so negotiate as best as you can. While this experience may be different than it was three years ago, you have the opportunity to support local economies in a period of time in which they have struggled.

Don’t Allow Stress to Ruin Your Experience

With the stresses of the pandemic, many people are too uptight to enjoy a holiday getaway. Rather than spending your energy worrying about regulations and illnesses, try to truly experience the destination that you are visiting. Try traveling with someone so you can support and entertain one another throughout your travels.

When you travel with a significant other, the trip feels less like work because it is not solely relying on you. If traveling alone, do not let stress ruin your time away. Many people who travel alone make plans to meet up with other tourists and local friends. While there may be safety measures to follow, there are still ways to safely engage in group events, especially if they are hosted outdoors and you are exploring your surroundings together.

Be Willing to Change Your Plans

Don’t get too caught up on a strict plan when on your next trip to Europe. The Omicron variant has brought us to our knees, but it will not be the end of us or traveling forever. If traveling through Europe becomes too difficult because of COVID-19, then either change your plans or try traveling to other parts of the world that are not quite as restrictive. When you begin to plan your getaway, you must understand that flexibility is critical. No one can predict the nature of the virus. For that reason, plans may change at the last minute.

Summary

Traveling to Europe is an amazing experience, but traveling through Europe during a pandemic is not always easy. In order to adapt to new and stricter regulations, it is important to plan in advance and know what you can and cannot do in this state of emergency.