My family is planning a trip to Hamburg and Berlin in late June. According to the German Embassy, you must show that you tested negative 3 days before travel. Also, in Berlin it says that you can't stay overnight in a hotel.
My family has been fully vaccinated.
Thanks for any advise.
Chris Zilg
It's not about us being vaccinated, it's about the EU opening their borders to us.
Germany is very behind on vaccinating their citizens.
No one can say what will happen, but, for now, Travel Agents, AAA, Travel Magazines, and articles coming out of the EU don't 'expect' International travel to happen until the Fall, if by then.
It's all speculation, but with all the variants now and with the slow pace of vaccinations, it's looking more unlikely.
We had a trip planned to Germany and Austria in NOV/DEC 2021 and we canceled and postponed to 2022 -- when we contacted our hotels to change our dates, even they told us we made the right decision.
You can do some 'searches' on this forum about this- as it is discussed VERY OFTEN and even people who live in France and Germany post here about it.
I'm a nurse and have been vaccinated too, but we can still get and transmit Covid, so being vaccinated protects us from dying and getting VERY sick, but being around 1000s of people who haven't been vaccinated is risky and I can't imagine travel will open Internationally until MANY, MANY more people are vaccinated across the globe, not just in America.
Here's the link to Covid-19 travel information provided by the US Embassy in Berlin: https://de.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/
It is extensive with many links to more detailed German information sources on many related topics. Both the US and German sources are frequently updated. What I noticed today is that what you can and can't do and where you can and can't go varies greatly depending on where you're coming from as well as where you want to go.
We have two families of friends who live in Berlin. They are expecting an announcement on or about March 7 with new rules. Right now they are pretty restricted. The friends expect that restrictions will be continued until a future date. Keep watching various sites for the March ~7 announcement.
I have a friend who lives in Munich and is stuck in Egypt and can't get home.
So is Berlin inviting visitors to spend the day there, providing they have a negative test within the prior 3 days, but not spend the night?
That’s like “Be out of Dodge before sundown.”
I recently looked at a hotel we like in Berlin to check prices and they were only allowing bookings for business travelers. They said no holiday bookings could be made until the government allowed it. My advice is to check back after March 7 to see what rules are still in place. Also the people we know say they know no one who’s been vaccinated yet.
So is Berlin inviting visitors to spend the day there, providing they
have a negative test within the prior 3 days, but not spend the night?
Two things: As of now, it is not possible to enter Germany from outside the EU for touristic purposes at all, so the thing about negative tests only applies to people who are allowed to enter under the exceptions.
And, inside of Germany, there is a country-wide ban on hotel-stays for touristic purposes. Travel per se is not banned, but it is strongly discouraged even to go visit with family, and since the hotels do not accept guests, it limits how many people can travel.
Until Germany is stable at 35/100000 and under and vaccines are widespread, I don't expect much to be going on. The UK and South African strains are spreading here and there have been recent border crack downs with the Czech Republic and Tyrol, Austria. Countries above 50/100000 will still be RKI high risk areas and I would expect the travel restrictions and regulations to remain in effect. I also expect decisions made for 7 March will be for Germany internally only. Some talk of extending many current restrictions through Easter.
At midnight on 3 March, they finally announced that the lockdown would extend to 28 March.
As of 1 March - you can get your hair cut
As of 8 March - you can go to the bookstores, garden centers, and hardware stores. Plus you can get a free test once a week.
Some retail stores offer a click and meet limited shopping, reservation only. (we went to Mainz today, and many of their small stores were doing this, but this is in a different state than Frankfurt and they have a lower incidence.)
Update - starting 12 March, they will re-open zoos, botanical gardens, and museums, with reserved timed entry
The rate of vaccinations is still woefully lagging. The over 70s are having their turn now as well as teachers, child care employees and medical personnel. They may approve the Astra vaccine for the 65 and over population, later this week.
Ms. Jo, are the infection rates you cite daily ones, averaged over a 7-day period? The statistics I see are usually in a different format and I want to be sure I understand what I'm looking at.
Or are they infection rates for the last seven days? That seems closer to the figures I'm seeing. I think. The current weekly rate for the US is about 138/100,000 by my calculation.
acraven, The Robert Koch-Institut measures it in 7 Day Incidence (7-Tage-Inzidenz). Overall Germany is currently at 64.7/100,000. Highest now currently is LK Wunsiedel 35 miles north from me at 316,6/100,000. RKI daily dashboard: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/478220a4c454480e823b17327b2bf1d4
Thank you. I want to share Germany's situation with American friends interested in traveling when it is safe and permitted, and I figure the information will make more sense to them if compare Germany's (better) statistics to ours.
I have noticed that RKI has stopped or moved their post on International Risk Areas, but prior was 50/100.000. At that time Germans traveling to risk areas required a COVID test and quarantine/possible quarantine upon return. Not sure what future Germany policy will be as the Hospitality and Tourist fueled economy has taken a major hit. I do not expect Germany to haphazardly open and setback gains made with COVID restrictions.
RKI moved the International High Risk list on their website to Startseite > Infektionskrankheiten A-Z > Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 > Informationen zur Ausweisung internationaler Risikogebiete durch das Auswärtige Amt, BMG und BMI.
The catagories are: “areas of variant of concern”, “high incidence areas”, “risk areas” and regions that are no longer considered as risk areas.
If I understand it correctly, from 8 March anyone returning from “areas of variant of concern” must self-isolate for 14 days when arriving back in Germany. “High incidence areas” return requirements remain the same.
The USA is a "high incidence area" since 3 July 2020 and as of 24 January 2021 incl. all outlying territories.
The actual "Measures against the corona virus" of Berlin are updated every 3-4 weeks.
Status as of today: "Hotels and proprietors of vacation homes and similar establishments may not offer overnight stays to tourists."
Hamburg has own rules on its website.
I think June is really optimistic. Right now Germany with their incredibly slow vaccination pace is not going to be done vaccinating their own people until August. I would anticipate tourism maybe opening up after Octoberfest if they still decide to have some form of a limited Octoberfest, and then maybe depending on what the block does, requiring proof of vaccination. I personally don't have a problem with it. I've been waiting now for 12+ months to go to Germany. I've moved my trip 3x and am hoping I don't have to move it again (I rescheduled for LATE October). That is my optimistic guess. US citizens are currently not allowed in for general tourism. Could this change by the Fall? I'm hoping. Can it change by June? Extremely dubious. The United States is not vaccinated yet (we are at about 10% fully vaccinated, and you think about 10% have gotten sick from covid at some point). With the increase in variants and our own states being, less than germaphobic, I'm not sure what will happen here, or if we will have a dreaded 3rd, 4th? 5th? wave before Fall. Italy is going into lockdown again due to the variants.
That's optimistic jaeson1992. The US will open vaccination to all regardless of age in May and will probably not be finished with vaccinations for several months. France will open vaccinations to all in the fall according to a chart I saw on FranceInfo.com. So judging from that today, I'd put most of Europe at winter 2021-2022 before there are any significant changes.
The USA has already vaccinated 105 million plus doses as of March 14.
62.8% of people over 65 have received one dose and 34.4% two doses. 20.7% of the total population and 26.6% of people over 18 have received one dose.
The daily numbers just keep on going up. As of March 10, the 7-day average number of administered vaccine doses reported to CDC per day was 2.2 million, an 8% increase from the previous week. With three approved vaccines (one requiring one dose) by the end April it is likely that 100 more doses will have been administered. With no vaccine yet for under 18 and millions having immunity from the virus already, herd immunity is very possible.
https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations
Our state is opening up vaccinations to over 55 this coming week. Other states are dropping the age.
geovagriffith: given the challenge the US results have been pretty spectacular.
The RKI has now recognized The Oberpfalz as a UK variant B.1.1.7 strain hotspot. I expect this to impact travel, and for at least the Oberpfalz COVID restrictions. Scroll down at the link below for the map. Watched a very disheartening show on BR Fernsehen last night. The old city in Regensburg has been losing businesses, but the coronavirus is now accelerating it. I'm sure Regensburg is not alone as I can witness it here in my own town too.
https://www.onetz.de/oberpfalz/rki-weist-oberpfalz-mutations-hotspot-id3194417.html
FYI German coronavirus restrictions are to be extended four more weeks through 18 April 2021. The lockdown will be tightened 1-5 April over Easter.
I have planned an extended itinerary for early September. I too am vaccinated and think by September travel will be available, BUT what will be the restrictions on visiting sites with limited capacity and social distancing? Timed tickets for everything? Pre-registration? Just waiting in line? I'm thinking of canceling that portion of our trip, the remainder on a barge and biking may work well. A countryside trip might be the best alternative at this time. They have accepted hotel reservations, but they are for September
Does Germany have a date for when they expect to a have sufficient number of Germans vaccinated? That would help guide the discussion. Americas date is 4th of July, the UK sometime in September.
Germany has been very slow with vaccinations. I don’t think my 76 year old aunt has received hers yet. My cousins, in their 40’s, have no idea when they might receive theirs, but don’t think it will be any time soon. My aunt is in Hannover and my cousins are in Cologne. A friend in Frankfurt says it is slow there as well.
Lockdown restrictions have been extended until 30 June, with changes going into effect on 23 & 24 April 2021
FFP2 masks are now required on public transportation, in hair salons, barbers, and foot care practices
Negative Covid tests, not older than 24 hours will be required at hair salons, barbers, foot care practices, Zoos
Children under 6 are not required to have a test.
The Covid quick tests must be from official testing centers, not the quick tests that you do at home.
The nightly curfew is 22:00-05:00. Walks and jogging are permitted from 22:00-midnight. Essential workers are exempted from this curfew, going to and from their workplace.
Castles and monuments are closed
All tourist activities are closed, no tours or boat tours.
Fitness centers, gyms, pools, are closed
Museums will stay closed as of 29 March.
Zoos may stay open, but only the open-air sections. Entry is only allowed with a negative Covid test less than 24 hours old.
“Click and meet” at stores will no longer be possible starting 29 Mar. They will revert back to “Click and Collect”
Baumarkt are now “Click and Collect” only.
No public gatherings
Religious services should be online only, but this is not a must, only strongly suggested. Singing is not allowed
1 household may meet with 1 person from a 2nd household, children under 14 do not count in this maximum
Thank you, Miss Jo. Understandably, the situation is fluid, but this kind of country-specific information is very helpful.
For those who were hoping to attend the Oktoberfest this autumn, your hopes just got dashed.
https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-oktoberfest-canceled-again-in-2021-due-to-coronavirus/a-57413659
Rumors have been swirling around the news for a few weeks now and it was thought that the decision would be made in June, but they canceled yesterday.
Other festivals in Germany that are usually held in the summer and early autumn, are also being canceled.
