European Travel Summer 2020

No maybe only if you are planning to go to China or Iran. US Government probably already had a warning about those 2. Moreover It would sound to me like it had to be related your health flying on planes since the doctor offered this info during your checkup?

My guess is that the coronavirus might be a seasonal issue like the flu once this first outbreak settles down. Or it will go into hiding. Hopefully a vaccine can be developed in the next couple of years.
I always wipe down my seat area and tray tables when I fly. Any airborne organism, like this virus requires the right mask. I don’t know if the virus can get through an N95 or not. It can if the mask does not fit properly.
My summer plans for Portugal and Spain will go forward unless the planes aren’t flying.

The coronavirus is scary, but what almost no one is paying attention to is the devastating flu virus this year. I don't think Iran will have any noticeable effect, and Brexit hasn't changed anything much of anything yet, probably won't for months to come, except maybe delays crossing between the UK and Ireland.

Brexit will have no impact until next year, if at all as we are in a transition period until the end of the year, so nothing has changed. Iran isn’t an issue for travel within Europe.

The coronavirus is an unknown quantity, but my understanding is that most people that have died are the elderly or those with breathing difficulties, who may not have survived the winter anyway. Unless the U.K. government tells me that I can’t fly to Dubai and Sri Lanka next month, which would invalidate my insurance, I still intend to travel.

Brexit will most likely not be noticed by tourists this year, the UK have de jure left the EU but are still a de facto member untill the end of the 11 month transition period. Next year, we might start to see something.

Iran is far from Europe, I can't see how that would have any effect on North Americans visiting Europe.

The coronavirus? At the moment, no there is no reason to worry. But follow the news and see how it develops. It might turn out to be nothing to worry about, or it might be something more serious. Time will tell I guess.

But, we humans are lousy at risk perception.

You're still more likely to be run down crossing the street in London or Paris than be struck by some far-away disease.
Was your doctor giving you a medical diagnosis, or speaking on security issues where she is as much an amateur as you (or I)?
The ongoing civil disturbances in France seem to have reduced tourist traffic to some extent. Last summer I found hotel prices to be lower than I expected and certainly lower than in London. You can judge for yourself by doing test runs on large booking agencies such as hotels.com or booking.com

Here is the latest distribution of the disease

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.rte.ie/amp/1111412/

I am more afraid of the person in front of me reclining his seat; or that guy with carryon that is too large and he hits everyone on the head when he is trying to put it in the overhead compartment,or an invasion by a hostile dictatorship from the east; than the issues you mentioned.

I posted this on the Corona Virus thread but I'll repeat it here.

I travel to Yellowstone every year and there are many Chinese tourists that come thru there on tours. The local area is expecting a big downturn in these tours for the first part of the summer. Here is a link to the Jackson Hole News and Guide newspaper (too long to post so ran it thru tinyurl) with comments from tourism folks in the Yellowstone Ecosystem. Some of those tours stay in park lodging in Yellowstone so I'm expecting to see more vacancies occurring than I usually see. So far nothing but I'd expect some rooms to be dumped 60+ out from their tour dates.

https://tinyurl.com/ublsoxs

I also was eavesdropping on a conversation at the Rite Aid checkout counter. The guy ahead was telling the cashier he had just booked a cruise to Spain, France and Italy. He'd started looking at it when it was $8,000 each but had been calling and each time the price dropped. When it got to $4200 he booked for himself and wife for May. I don't know this guy so don't know the real story behind it but my thought was if someone enjoys cruises, now it the time to check prices. On the other thread someone had posted about a relative getting a good deal on a European River cruise.

For myself, I'd not have a problem traveling to Europe at all right now but you should heed your Drs advice based on your issues.

I signed up for a guided tour to India two days ago. The tour departs Feb. 11, 2021. I don't know what the situation will be like by then; I will take the tour if it goes. However, I'm a bit concerned that Corona Fear will reduce the number of folks signing up to the extent that the tour ends up being canceled. This is giving me pause about nailing down my airline tickets early. I'm doing independent travel before the tour and possibly also after, so the plane tickets will not be linked to the tour.

This is the landing page for the U.S. Center for Disease Control website on coronavirus - COVID-19: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html. The specific webpage for travel is: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html. Please note that as of February 21, 2020 the only country with a Warning Level 3 (avoid non-essential travel) is China. Hong Kong and Japan are on Watch Level 1. Watch Level 1 means "practice usual precautions". For perspective, it appears that the CDC applies Watch Level 1 everywhere.

Obviously this is an evolving situation. Each of us must make our own risk assessments. No one is right and no one is wrong.

She cautioned you about air travel within the US because it would be just as much of a risk for corona virus and flu to fly in the US as to fly to Europe-more if you have several connecting flights.

Edited: as of today, 3/2, I would consider traveling to and from the West Coast of the US to be more of a risk than to most European countries, but that may well have changed by tomorrow. Who knew that the Italian cases would double overnight? I suspect that Florida (because of the theme parks) is a virus incubator through which it will spread everywhere else in the US. As Carol said on a different thread, it's best to assume that it's everywhere. I am already stocking up on groceries(especially cat supplies!) and OTC meds to beat the rush that accompanies the announcement of a confirmed case in a town in the US. This does make me more concerned about being quarantined or locked down elsewhere, since I wouldn't have the stash of supplies (and no, I have not bought even one of those useless masks) that I am accumulating at home.

I have my tickets to Spain later this year. The virus won’t stop me from going.

Jaimee ---- You may think you're still going to Spain later this year, but let's face it, that decision may be out of your control in the near future. They just locked down some towns in Italy....and fear is spreading
https://news.yahoo.com/10-italian-towns-lockdown-over-coronavirus-fears-220635548.html

Like anyone else I am very concerned with the Wuhan virus and am following the news diligently.

Unless a direct order comes from the State Dept regarding the virus situation not to go to Europe, my trip is still on for the summer. Brexit does not factor into it even though going to London is part of the itinerary. We just have to wait and see.

No, the corona virus would have no effect on any travel plans of mine. China wasn’t on my radar a year ago and isn’t now, because I have no desire to go there. Hong Kong was eliminated because of the protests, but realistically I doubt Asian travel would have been on list for 2020 anyway.

Brexit? If I was a still a student, I’d be writing papers about it, but I have a USA passport and I’m not traveling to Europe to negotiate international trade deals! My life as an American traveler isn’t affected by what paperwork is required for someone from the U.K., Russia, or Guinea-Bissau to enter EU countries.

Every flu season ends. I predict this summer we'll barely remember there was a flu virus that got so much press. Let's see how many new threads about Covid-19 are started on this site in July?

The biggest driver recently of tourism has been exchange rates. The pound and euro are much lower than they have been for years. Unless that changes soon, I'm guessing the crowds will still be there.

I doubt Brexit will register on any tourist radar screen unless Europe wants to punish the UK and make crossing the border difficult.

If you want to take advantage of low crowds/low bookings/low prices, the time to go is now, or at least before the end of the flu season. Covid 19 is, after all, a flu - nothing more. I would travel, if I could, but I've already done my spring vacation (chartered a sailboat in the British Virgin Islands in February).

I recommend if you have foreign travel and are taking a group tour, cruise or river cruise to be sure to purchase trip insurance that included medical coverage and evacuation. Also, make sure that if the CDC issues travel warnings for a specific country like it has for China, S. Korea, Iran and Italy that you can cancel your tour with coverage.

My biggest concern (as a healthy adult, not elderly or with health issues) is getting caught in some sort of quarantine situation in a foreign country. Some situation, be it flight cancellations or closed borders, where I can't get home. I'm not too worried about the virus itself, beyond taking normal health precautions. So I will be watching government responses more than the virus per se.

Iran - I don't forsee it being an issue with travel to Europe or the US. Brexit may cause some hassles in entering/leaving the UK. I'd be cautious in taking tight connections through London to Schengen, for example.