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Germany open by Aug?

Does anyone have an opinion on Germany being completely open for tourism by Aug? Where can one look to find out?

Posted by
11247 posts

My understanding is that the Schengen countries will make a decision in early July. I read this on a Swiss site.

Posted by
797 posts

If you go to today's Watch,-Read,-Listen section and read the Forbes piece in Travel News, it looks like you had two chances, Slim and None, Unfortunately Slim just bought a ticket out of town. That is part of the price we pay for the disgraceful way we have handled this pandemic from the beginning.

Last week I cancelled all the reservations we had made for a trip in September. Bring at an age where y supply of next years is getting short, I'm not the least bit happy about it but as the saying goes, "Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans."

Posted by
8934 posts

Zero chance is my opinion for Germany or any other country in the EU opening up for tourists from the US by August.

Posted by
2613 posts

@tdw - What were you booked for? Anchorage-Seattle-Frankfurt? And they cancelled that entire thing? Or were you on an Anchorage-Frankfurt nonstop that was cancelled?

They're not selling anything through August 31st, but they'll sell Seattle-Frankfurt on Sept. 1.

Just curious.

Posted by
5697 posts

United just reinstated its SFO-Frankfurt flights this week -- but that doesn't mean that any random passenger can get on a flight. Or get off in Germany and start traveling.

Posted by
8934 posts

Iceland Air canceled my round trip flight in Oct. , Frankfurt- California.

Posted by
21 posts

Thank you to all who responded. I have a non-stop tkt Phoenix to Frankfort on Luftansa.I am expecting to have th flight canceled. If they don't and do not accomodate my no-refund tkt. I'll just have to eat it.Thank you again

Posted by
2613 posts

@tdw - Thank you. I was afraid you were going to say that even though that SEA to FRA is for sale on their website after 8/31.

Posted by
1542 posts

Schauer, by US law you are entitled to a full refund if the airline cancels your flight, even if the ticket you purchased is non-refundable.

Posted by
1275 posts

Today (15 June) Germany lifted the travel warning for Germany's 26 partner countries in the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the four countries of the border-free Schengen area that are not members of the EU: Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
If the total number of new infections in a country exceeds 50 per 100000 inhabitants in one week, the travel warning will be reactivated. I would guess until the USA is under 50 new infections per 100000 inhabitants in one week, travel will continue to be resticted. Travel warnings for most other countries were extended until 31 August.

Posted by
26836 posts

Mchpp, are you sure about that maximum infection rate (50 per 100,000)? That seems like a rather large number. The US is actually under that figure right now. For the seven days June 8 - June 14 inclusive, we had 154,779 new infections according to the Worldometers website. I'm sure there are different numbers in different places, but that website tends to run ahead of some of the other sources. The 50/100,000 limit would amount to 165,459 new infections per week in the US; our population is over 330,900,000. Just looking at the Worldometers day-by-day graph, it appears that we have been under 165,459 for several weeks.

Posted by
32519 posts

how do you know how many infections you have if people are not being systematically tested?

Posted by
1275 posts

This article is in German, but this is were I saw the 50 per 100 000 new infections.
https://www.onetz.de/deutschland-welt/urlaub-eigene-gefahr%C2%A0das-bedeutet-aufhebung-reisewarnung-id3043087.html?utm_source=piano&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NL-ST-Corona&pnespid=1rBjsOBFWVeNcsk8pbxCmoq6dVd2aGEXe._HFpBX

Also scroll down here for new infections (recorded) in Bavaria the last week per Landkreis. If the value rises above 35 in a district, tougher countermeasures must be taken there. Neue Coronafälle in den vergangenen 7 Tagen je 100.000 Einwohner:
https://www.onetz.de/deutschland-welt/weiden-oberpfalz/viele-corona-faelle-corona-tote-bayern-id2990632.html

Posted by
26836 posts

Nigel, the testing situation in the US has improved a lot. I don't know where to go to get day-by-day test counts, but our overall testing rate (per million of population) is now almost at the same level as Italy's and much higher than France's, Germany's and Sweden's--and the latter has a much higher fatality rate than we do. We are still substantially behind the UK, Spain, Russia, Belgium and Portugal in tests-per-million.

Posted by
167 posts

When the EU reopens its borders to non EU citizens next week, it will announce it loud and clear. They need a tourist season.
Because a visitor to the EU can cross old borders without stopping they are very cautious about the whole thing. Data drives them.
It looks unlikely they will open to US citizens. They have learned that small mistakes can have big consequences and are seeing small Covid-19 outbreaks even with all their measures. I suggest using the DW.de website for Deutsche Welle, in English.

Posted by
1275 posts

I have not seen the official list yet, but the US is not on the final draft list of 15 Countries that will be allowed into the EU when borders open (still expected as of 1 July). The announcement is expected later today. It will remain up to individual EU countries to make the call for their borders, and in some cases Countries could reimpose internal borders. Apparently the UK is considered still "in" the EU until 31 Dec 20, and hence not on the list.

Posted by
814 posts

This might be an option someday:

'Germany: Frankfurt Airport coronavirus test center opens'

The scheme was launched in the hope of reopening air travel and "support a return to a new normal." It could help travelers avoid quarantine at their destination.
Frankfurt Airport opened a walk-in COVID-19 testing center on Monday.
In cooperation with airport operators Fraport and Lufthansa, biotech firm Centogene hopes the operation at Germany's largest airport will serve as a "blueprint to opening international borders." The scheme is expected to run until July 31 next year.
"Passengers flying to or from Frankfurt Airport with Lufthansa will be able to perform the test at a sampling center located near the main terminal," a Centogene statement said.

https://www.dw.com/en/germany-frankfurt-airport-coronavirus-test-center-opens/a-53980153
or
https://www.frankfurt-airport.com/en/news/information-on-the-coronavirus.html
or
https://www.forbes.com/sites/lauriewerner/2020/06/29/you-can-now-be-tested-for-covid-19-by-lufthansa-in-germany/

Posted by
8934 posts

Testing at a hefty price: 59€ and you have to wait 6-8 hours or 139€ for a 2 hour wait.