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Coronavirus Briefing: What Happened Today - The New York Times

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Planning a European vacation.

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The New York Times

The European Union recommended today that its member states lift their ban on nonessential travel for visitors from the U.S.

As one of the Americans eager to travel to Europe this summer, I had a lot of questions. For advice, I turned to Sarah Firshein and Paige McClanahan, who write about travel for The Times.

What’s the vaccine situation?

After a slow start, the rollout really accelerated, Paige said. “Covid cases are also dropping pretty much across Europe, with a couple of exceptions. Now, Europeans are starting to feel that sense of liberation — the beginning of the end — that New Yorkers had back in early April.” By the end of the summer, Paige added, “basically anybody who wants to have a vaccine in Europe will have gotten one.”

When should I book a flight?

You probably won’t see the amazing deals of last summer. Prices have been picking up since February, though they’re still lower than in 2019, Sarah said. Any U.S.-Europe flights for under $500 should be considered a great deal, she said.

Aviation analysts expect a drop in fares after the Fourth of July, when presumably most Americans will have already booked their plans for the summer, Sarah said. The general rules for when to book international flights haven’t really changed: You’ll probably get a cheaper ticket if you book at least two months out, rather than last minute. If you can, avoid high-travel days (like Fridays) — Tuesday is often cited as the best day to fly.

What about hotels and excursions?

“Unlike airfare, everything I’ve seen so far for on-the-ground pricing for those types of experiences isn’t really going to be all that different than before the pandemic,” Sarah said. Yes, a lot of hotels and tours want Americans back, but Americans are also champing at the bit to book them, Sarah said.

What should American travelers keep in mind?

“In general, Americans should expect to encounter more restrictions, especially surrounding mask wearing, than they would see in the U.S.” Paige said. U.S. Embassy websites for specific countries are a good resource: They list up-to-date rules and Covid restrictions, which can vary significantly from country to country. “Also, keep in mind that the United States has not yet opened to Europeans,” Paige said. “You’re in a slightly more privileged position, so just remember that as you go about your business.”

When should I go?

Paige organized the summer into three phases. From now until mid-July, there will be fewer crowds and tourists, yet lots of open restaurants and attractions. “Personally, I would come as soon as possible,” she said. “In most places, schools are still in session through the end of June, so the only Europeans on vacation at the moment are empty nesters and couples without kids. Most tourist spots are open, but pretty empty.”

Mid-July through August will be the summer surge, she said, “when literally the entire continent is on vacation.” More people will be vaccinated, and beaches, restaurants and attractions will be packed. If you want a party scene, this may be the time to come. Many nightclubs across Europe have not been allowed to reopen yet, “but the later you go in the summer, the more likely those kinds of restrictions are going to be lifted.”

The third phase is after Labor Day, which Paige recommends. Vaccination rates will be high, most businesses and attractions will have opened and “the weather is usually lovely, and the crowds are quiet.”

What should I expect on the ground?

“That bustling Parisian cafe that you once loved may be a little less bustling, and for that reason, you might find it less charming,” Sarah said. But overall, the daily experience, which will include some level of masking and lots of life happening outside, will feel familiar to many Americans, she said.

That said, this is the year for doing your research, rather than winging it: “Museums, music venues, churches and typical tourist attractions are open, but people need to be prepared for limited capacity and hours,” Sarah said. “And a lot of attractions are requiring timed tickets with reservations, so traveling this summer is really an exercise in planning and commitment.”

Where should I go?

“Right now, people might not want to go to a crowded city and walk around and go to museums — they want to be outdoors,” Paige said. “And Europe has some beautiful areas for escaping to nature. I think if you’re ever going to go off the beaten path and look for natural landscapes to explore in Europe, this is the summer to do it.”

A few of Paige’s suggestions: Explore the French Alps or Germany’s north coast. Hike in northern Spain or the Julian Alps in Slovenia. Go on a bear-watching safari in Croatia. Or visit the “pristine” Swiss National Park.

Any advice about traveling within Europe?

“I’ve definitely done those breakneck multiweek European trips that started in one country and ended in another, with rented cars and regional planes and trains and buses,” Sarah said. “That’s a certain type of European adventure that I think so many people love. But in my opinion, this is not the year to be planning that kind of trip. I think this is the time to just sort of pick a place and stay there.”

Travelers should generally expect longer lines, more checkpoints, and more headaches at regional airports, train stations and other transit hubs, she said. You will also need to do extra planning this year “so it might be nice to also leave yourself some downtime where you don’t have a set itinerary so you can wander around and enjoy your destination.”

Sounds like a lot of work.

“I think if you feel hemmed in by needing to make a bunch of reservations, then perhaps this is not the year for you,” Sarah said. “Flight schedules are likely to change for a while and airline customer service hold times are still really long, so you sort of have to have a stomach for that.”

“Then again, I think that there’s some magic to being one of the first few Americans over there,” Sarah said. “I think that with everyone you encounter — from the hotel owner to the restaurant proprietor — it’s probably going to be a celebration to welcome you back. And we can all trade stories about the last year. I think that shared experience is really going to be palpable and exciting.”

More travel advice:

Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine was supposed to be a game changer — a breakthrough for reaching vulnerable Americans, and a crucial alternative to the two-dose Pfizer and Moderna vaccines that require fussier storage.

After it was authorized in the U.S., it quickly became popular on college campuses, in door-to-door campaigns and with harder-to-reach communities that often struggle with access to health care.

But since then, as my colleague Noah Weiland reports, the vaccine has fallen flat. Only 11.8 million doses were administered in the United States so far — less than 4 percent of the total. States are having trouble finding recipients for millions of does that will soon expire.

The vaccine took a series of hits: It was linked to a rare but serious blood-clotting disorder, leading to a 10-day pause in April. Then, regulators told the company that it should throw out tens of millions of additional doses produced at a plant in Baltimore because they might be contaminated.

“It was supposed to be the vaccine that could help the country quickly amass tens of millions of fully vaccinated people,” Noah said. Instead, he added, “the vaccine’s appeal has sputtered as the country’s vaccination rates are slowing dramatically.”

  • The path to one billion vaccine doses in China includes eggs, water bottles, free rides and new concern.

  • Israel will bolster the West Bank vaccination drive, trading a million doses to the Palestinian Authority, which will be donated back to Israel once its own delayed supply arrives later in the year.

  • AstraZeneca must send the E.U. 50 million additional doses by late September, a Brussels court ruled. That’s hundreds of millions fewer than the bloc demanded.

  • Suspicion about vaccination videos is fueling attacks on health workers in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

See how the vaccine rollout is going in your county and state.

My fingers accidentally brushed those of a store clerk. My first reaction was shock and fear. And then I realized how nice it was to touch a stranger. Left us both smiling.

— Alison Law, Gainesville, Florida

Let us know how you’re dealing with the pandemic. Send us a response here, and we may feature it in an upcoming newsletter.

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