Where to go Without Quarantine (Kids)

i think that is going to be an very short list, I would certainly say absolutely no chance of visiting Scotland , the whole UK has a ban of foreign travel for all but essential reasons and that will be in force till early summer with a good chance of it being extended .I cannot travel outside my own immediate area at the moment and may be able to travel a little bit further by the end of April. Furthest I have travel this year is to the Covid vaccination centre about 12 miles from my house.
I normally travel to mainland Europe 4 or 5 times a year but talking to folk in this country and in several european countries the chance of travelling before late summer is slim at best.
Personally i think your best bet is to stick in your home country and visit there,it's a big place and hope that things will be back to as near normal as we can get by next year.

Some of Europe maybe open in July for those that are fully vaccinated and with a negative Covid test, usually within 72 hours of arrival.

Sorry to say, but I doubt that anywhere will be open for unvaccinated people and children are known to be virus carriers. Just because you are vaccinated doesn’t mean you can’t transmit the virus.

English people are banned from travelling abroad until at least 30 June, so you visiting Scotland in July is highly unlikely. Bookings here have rocketed with staycation holidaymakers and there is little availability in peak season in some places. Prices have also rocketed. Presumably this is being repeated across Europe.

France is likely to be added to the British red list soon due to a rapid increase in cases - our June holiday there will have to be cancelled.

Policies can change rapidly. However, with so much uncertainty, I suggest a staycation this year, as your children aren’t likely to be vaccinated.

Croatia is open to travelers with a negative test, and that might be your best bet in Europe. I believe Turkey is also an option. Iceland is opening to the vaccinated from the US, you might want to keep an eye on it to see if they say anything about children who, by definition, are unvaccinated. It's probable that no one unvaccinated, regardless of age, is allowed, but I can't say that for sure and it may change.

Right now, it is looking likely from studies that vaccinated people are much less likely to spread the virus, so I expect that once Europe's own vaccine rate picks up, cases go down, and these studies are finished/more conclusive that more places will open for the vaccinated. That won't include small children this year, but I can see some places allowing them with a negative test and accompanied by vaccinated adults. Depends on how much the tourism industry needs family travelers vs. how they assess risk. I have no crystal ball so cannot tell you when or where!

As for me (parent of pre-teens), we are skipping Europe at least until late fall to avoid any uncertainty. The US is likely to be fairly open and safe this summer. We are looking at Hawaii, which requires a negative test but no quarantine, or some national parks in the west. I am also keeping my eye on Mexico (Mexico City or Merida) to see how their cases and policies are. My husband and I will be fully vaccinated by 3 weeks from now. We will have the kids tested before we travel even if not required, since I don't want them to be asymptomatic and spread the virus to other places.

Iceland after everyone is vaccinated.

Sorry to say, but I doubt that anywhere will be open for unvaccinated

Jennifer posted on my original thread that listed these open places. I guess she didnt remember. But there is a lot of threads and I forget sometimes too.

You can get updates here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/COVID-19-Country-Specific-Information.html

But last time i checked:

Albania Wide open. No tests. Open since July. I was there in September. One of my best trips. https://www.traveloffpath.com/albania-has-reopened-for-tourism-all-countries-welcome/

Armenia It has been open since September with a PCR test. https://www.traveloffpath.com/armenia-reopening-for-tourism/ State Department website: https://am.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/covid-19-information/

Bosnia & Herzegovina Open with a PCR test since September. https://www.traveloffpath.com/bosnia-and-herzegovina-reopening-for-tourism-guide/ State Department website for more information: https://ba.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/

Croatia with vaccine, and I think without but with a PCR test.

Georgia Open since 1 February to Americans who have gotten a vaccine or a PCR test. More here: https://ge.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information-on-georgia/ .

Greece Soon if not already. Check me

Iceland With a vaccine

Kosovo Wide open. No tests. Has been open since June of last year. I was there in September, but not for nearly long enough. Beautiful country https://www.traveloffpath.com/kosovo-has-reopened-for-tourism/

Montenegro Open with a PCR test. Based on some governmental comments I don’t expect Montenegro will close any time in the near future. They are extremely committed to staying open. https://www.traveloffpath.com/montenegro-removes-testing-and-quarantines-for-arriving-tourists/ Montenegro is hammering social media with this sort of thing right now: https://see.montenegro.travel/en/highlights/wild-beauty-relax Here is the official site: https://www.ijzcg.me/me/novosti/covid-19-popustanje-mjera-u-medunarodnom-saobracaju

North Macedonia Opened in July with no PCR test requirement. https://www.traveloffpath.com/montenegro-removes-testing-and-quarantines-for-arriving-tourists/ and https://mk.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/

Serbia Its been open with PCR test since May. https://www.traveloffpath.com/serbia-has-reopened-to-tourists-from-all-countries/ and https://rs.usembassy.gov/serbia-covid-19-information/

Turkey Open since June and revised to require a PCR test in December. BUT!! Turkey has pretty restrictive curfews. I would check on updates to this before planning to stay in Turkey. Transit passengers are not required to submit a PCR test in Turkey which is excellent because you can reach most every other country listed here on a Turkish Air flight changing in Istanbul. The airport has what is reportedly and excellent testing facility. https://www.traveloffpath.com/turkey-covid-19-entry-requirements-for-international-travelers/ Testing https://www.traveloffpath.com/istanbul-airport-pcr-test-everything-you-need-to-know/ I also love their gate area hotel. Very nicely done. More information here: https://tr.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information-2/

Ukraine Open since September with a PCR test. https://www.traveloffpath.com/ukraine-has-reopened-for-tourism-everything-you-need-to-know/ and the official site: https://visitukraine.today/

Closer to home, most of the Caribbean, Central and South America is also open to American tourists.

Even the open countries are experiencing rolling lockdowns in various cities. My hope is by summer thats not as bad. And currently you have to get a PCR test to get back into the US. Most of Europe is accessible through Istanbul and Istanbul has a lab in the airport with quick turn around.

So, yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus

These places are sort of off the beaten path, but isnt that what RS tourism is about? Still here are some descriptions. Enjoy

Albania https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7tg80Fc6DM
Armenia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQ-dm9YFy9w
Bosnia & Herzegovina https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teyVUYpva9k
Georgia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXszgrp4YMc
Kosovo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EloVulrUFL8
Montenegro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksRoiNKNMFM
North Macedonia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99S-msXlIrY
Serbia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDHpcAFSMr0
Turkey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKQdVm5MLWU
Ukraine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jufiUKMP_bY

James E - apologies.

Croatia requires a negative Covid test within 48 hours of arrival. I don’t know about where you are based, but in the U.K., it takes at least 48 hours to get the test results through plus you would then need to get there. What happens if one of your children tests positive at the last moment? Make sure you have good trip insurance.

The list today may change significantly by July for better or worse. No one knows. Be prepared for the entry requirements to change at short notice. Turkey, Greece, France etc are currently seeing infections rocket. Infections usually drop in the summer.

As of last week Iceland has experienced an 89.5 % increase in Covid cases, Croatia 44.9 and Ukraine 42.1. The EU countries are struggling considerably with vaccinations due to a combination of reluctance to be vaccinated, deliberate misinformation about the safety and efficacy of the OxfordAstrazeneca vaccine and mismanagement of supplies. Many EU countries are also experiencing a rise in cases including those of the more virulent viruses. Countries are now implementing more stringent lockdown measures and curtailments and with such a slow vaccination rate most will not see the majority of their populations vaccinated until the autumn at the earliest.

Whilst you may be vaccinated and willing to be tested in order to travel there will likely be many countries that may not permit you to enter. There is also the issue of visiting a country with such high numbers of cases and the strain this places on the health system. If you or a member of your family were to become seriously ill (non Covid related) or suffered an accident there may not be sufficient space in an ICU. Notwithstanding this you may also find most of the tourist infrastructure closed and be forced to comply with tough restrictions on movement.

The UK is on track to vaccinate all adults who want to be vaccinated by early summer at the latest. News today revealed discussions between the UK and US in creating an air bridge between the two countries to facilitate tourism based on the success of both vaccine programs. Who knows whether this will be in place by July, the Biden administration would like to see it in place in time for Independence Day however you may like to bear in mind that many Brits are looking to holiday in the UK this summer and accommodation is fast booking up and rates are very high.

Jennifer, in my home town in Texas I can get a PCR test result in about 3 hours at a dozen locations. I assumed the OP could do the same in North Carolina. But could be wrong. I also suggested the airport in Istanbul which can do it in about an hour, but they do recommend a 3 hour lay over to be safe. Sorry things are more difficult in the UK.

To touch on some of JC's points. He is correct that you dont want to be in a place that can not handle you. These places above are not "open" they are "inviting". There are a few other place that can be "accessed" but I don't list them because I got the impression they really dont want tourists right now. But no, you certainly dont want to be in a location where the health care system can not handle you. Being vaccinated puts a different light on that though. Still, if i fell down and broke my neck, I dont think i would want to be in Albania, COVID or no COVID. But I loved my last trip there and will return.

As for open today, but closed before you can get there. Always a risk. The places above have generally been open for many, many months. While that doesnt mean they wont close, it does indicate that they arent fickle in their decision making on the subject. They are working off their own comprehensive metrics, or so I assume. Like the finance minister of Montenegro said, (paraphrasing) if we dont open now, there will be nothing to open. This presumably because 30% of their GDP is tied up in tourism. Tourist in 2019 were 3x the population of the country.

I dont endorse travel now. I dont discourage it either. I just post information that I find.

I do believe, that with a little travel experience, a willingness to be flexible, and a bit of creativity you can plan and execute a successful trip.

Every country has to balance economy vs health.

The Portuguese tourism minister has indicated that he hopes tourism will resume early May. The President has said the state of emergency will continue until at least the end of May. It’s unlikely that tourism will resume whilst the emergency continues, so this is contradictory. Last month, Portuguese hospitals were unable to cope and had to send patients elsewhere in Europe to be treated. Infection rates have dropped significantly since then due to the tight lockdown. I know some people there in their 70s and haven’t been able to get vaccinated yet.

The concern in Europe are some of the variants, as the OxfordAstraZeneca vaccine that many have had isn’t thought to work against these.

Thank you all for the information! I greatly appreciate it.
With all your input, I think our family will avoid going abroad this Summer 2021, especially because our kids will not be vaccinated.

We will now research Hawaii :)

Hawaii? Maybe something has changed, but when I went there a few months ago it was tougher to get into than those open countries I listed above. PCR test was required and it had to be from certain approved vendors. Then you had to file with the state, then get on line every night and provide updates. At the airport they checked all your state documentation before you got to leave the airport. In restaurants you had to show your paperwork. Dont get me wrong, I had a great time. But the COVID numbers are up and Hawaii has been very cautious. I think there is a better chance that Hawaii will close down than Croatia.

I thought about going to the Northwestern US, but there are a couple of volcanos there that are past due for eruption so that put that trip off. Running out of options. So I guess Europe.

start with this state site for Hawaii safe hawaii

yeah, not very straightforward

As of today, 29% of the Hawaiian population has received one vaccine dose and about 17% are fully vaccinated, better than most US states (https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/health/covid-vaccine-states-distribution-doses/?itid=sn_coronavirus_3/). By July, those figures will improve even more. In comparison, Europe (with exception of the UK of course) is further behind. For example, Croatia's fully vaccinated rate is 1.9%....so I don't see the draw of going to Europe when they are having a tough time and all sorts of lockdown disruptions. The one downside is, of course, the cost of Hawaii.

I'd be especially careful about central and eastern Europe at this point. The current COVID-10 death rates in most of those countries are quite high: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/poland-averts-lockdown-as-virus-sweeps-world-s-deadliest-region/ar-BB1eXeTb?ocid=msedgntp

Hawaii isn’t too hard if you read the restrictions, which are meant to balance safety with the economic need for tourists. It seems like a reasonable approach to me. You need a negative test from an approved vendor (some of the at-home tests are approved as well as places like Walgreens, and I think the airlines have partnered with approved testing companies). Submit the test to their website in the right timeframe, you get a QR code for verification that is checked coming off the plane. There is no checking in or monitoring - have an approved negative test in the timeframe and you are set. The monitoring is for if you don’t have a test, with no test you have to quarantine and they are strict about it - rightfully so!

You do have to be careful with timing the test (I think it’s within 72 hours before you get on the flight but definitely double check that!) and making sure it is an approved test. Mess it up and you have to quarantine. There are other rules (an app for Maui, Kauai had different rules from the rest of the state but that ends April 5).

https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel/travel-overview/

Obviously all this could change at any time.