Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Feb 20, 2026

Europe reopens: Spain, France, Denmark and Greece welcome tourists

Europe reopens: Spain, France, Denmark and Greece welcome tourists

Spain, France and Denmark welcome international tourists, while cruising is back - but it's not plain sailing

If you're struggling to know your PCRs from your CDCs from your PPEs, you're not alone.

Luckily CNN Travel is here to help you unravel the rat's nest that is the constantly changing world of global travel restrictions.

Come to these round-ups each week to learn about the countries relaxing entry rules, the attractions reopening the doors and the places that have shuttered because of Covid-19 outbreaks.

Explainers explained


Our travel elves have been working around the clock to put together explainers on all the latest twists and turns in travel guidance.

In Europe or hoping to travel there? The EU Digital Covid Certificate -- known informally as a "Covid vaccine passport" -- will be issued by July 1. CNN Travel gives you the lowdown here on who's eligible, how to get one, and which countries have started using it.

In the United States? The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued new travel advice for more than 120 countries. Thirty-three destinations -- including Iceland, Israel and Singapore -- have moved into the lowest risk category. Find out more here.

Cruise news
On board Celebrity Millennium, part of the Celebrity Cruises group.


Celebrity Millennium -- the first major cruise ship allowing American passengers since the pandemic began -- set off last weekend from Sint Maarten. Its first port of call was Barbados, which is now welcoming fully vaccinated travelers.

However, it wasn't all plain sailing. Two guests had to be put in isolation after testing positive for Covid-19 in required end-of-cruise testing. And in in the Mediterranean this week, two passengers also tested positive for Covid on the MSC Seaside cruise ship.

Royal Caribbean International has announced that six of its ships will sail from major US ports in Florida and Texas beginning in July and -- further ahead -- a cruise themed around '90s sitcom "Friends" will make its debut next year.

It'll depart from Florida in May 2022 with a select 500 guests on board a 2,800-passenger ship. However, the most on-brand sitcom-meets-cruise adventure is still "Golden Fan at Seas," a celebration of "The Golden Girls," which is also set to return next year.

Luxury barging specialist European Waterways plans to resume barge cruises this June. It serves nine countries, including France, Germany, Holland and Italy.

Meanwhile, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises will resume operations on June 20 with a range of itineraries in Italy, Portugal and France.

The latest from Europe
Tourists walk toward the Erechtheion on the Acropolis hill in Athens on June 4.


The EU has a white list of countries from which nonessential travel into the bloc is approved: Israel, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Japan and Australia.

While the European Union is trying to create more universal requirements for tourism, conditions of entry differ from country to country.

Spain opened to vaccinated travelers from outside the EU on June 7 while France opened in international travelers on June 9 (the same day as it resumed indoor dining and the national curfew moved to 11 p.m.)

Those on France's "green list" -- vaccinated travelers from the European Union, Australia, South Korea, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, New Zealand and Singapore -- can enter restriction-free. Nonvaccinated travelers will need to do a Covid test.

Vaccinated travelers from the "orange list" -- which includes the US and the UK -- will need to do a test, while the unvaccinated will be allowed in only for essential purposes. United Airlines will resume nonstop flights from Washington Dulles Airport to Paris Charles De Gaulle on July 1.

Denmark has also opened to fully vaccinated travelers from the UK and the US and its neighbor Norway is letting the fully vaccinated skip quarantine.

All foreign tourists can now visit Greece without the need for quarantine on arrival, provided they have a negative PCR test. The government plans to declare 80 islands -- including most of the country's top tourism destinations -- Covid-safe by the end of June.

The island of Cyprus is open to vaccinated travelers from 65 countries, including the US and the UK.

Ireland, which has had one of Europe's strictest lockdowns, will reopen to the EU, UK and US on July 19. Non-EU unvaccinated travelers will have to arrive with a negative test, then self-quarantine until they take a second post-arrival test


Slovenia has also reopened to tourism with its own traffic light system and testing requirements, which you can read about here.

The Netherlands is welcoming tourists from "safe countries with a low Covid-19 risk," while Iceland, a member state of the European Economic Area, opened its borders to vaccinated travelers back in April.

Croatia is also welcoming vaccinated travelers, as well as those who present a negative PCR test or proof that they've recovered from Covid-19 within the past 180 days, and no less than 11 days before they arrive.

The UK's transport minister, Grant Shapps, announced via Twitter on June 9 that a US-UK taskforce had been set up to facilitate the reopening of transatlantic travel, but there is no news yet of resumption of flights.

The Isle of Man, a self-governing British Crown dependency in the Irish Sea, is reportedly on course to fully reopen its borders with the UK on June 28, having been closed to almost all non-residents since March 2020.

Having recently been knocked off the UK's green list, Portugal is hoping to build up some tourist numbers by welcoming vaccinated US travelers, but no date has been confirmed yet.

The Americas
The Macy's July 4 Fireworks -- pictured here in 2020 -- will be open to in-person viewing this year.


California is poised for its grand reopening of business on June 15, with masks becoming optional in many public settings -- although restrictions vary between the vaccinated and unvaccinated. Be sure to check ahead before traveling, as there will be plenty of caveats.

New York City will be following suit on July 1 and, to kick the month off on style, Macy's July 4 Fireworks will return to being an in-person event.

Canada, which has only been open to essential travel since the pandemic began last year, has given a cautious nod to possibly allowing fully vaccinated citizens to return home as early as July.

The Caribbean island of St. Bart's is now welcoming fully vaccinated travelers from the US while UK and EU residents just need to do a pre-departure Covid test. St. Lucia has also eased on-island protocols for vaccinated travelers -- including being able to book rental cars and dine at more local restaurants.

Middle East, Africa and Asia


Morocco will reopen to international travelers on June 15 and Algeria is also starting to reopen air travel. In the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi will end mandatory quarantine for international travelers on July 1. That's the same day Phuket will be reopening over in Thailand.

Covid escape plan of the week


The UK's green list of countries its citizens are allowed to travel to is "select," to say the least -- there are only 11 destinations and some are so remote they only recently acquired an airport.

However, there is some good news for fans of sheep-strewn archipelagos. Atlantic Airways is starting direct flights from Edinburgh to the Faroe Islands on July 1 -- although at £308 ($406) per person return, it's not cheap for a short hop.

The islands feature in the hotly anticipated and long delayed James Bond movie "No Time to Die," coming later this year, and a new Sightseeing Tour visits the key locations. Keep your eyes closed to avoid spoilers.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Concerns Mount Over Potential Saudi Uranium Enrichment in Prospective US Nuclear Accord
Investability Emerges as the Defining Test of Saudi Arabia’s Next Market Phase
Saudi Arabia’s Packaging Market Accelerates as Sustainability and E-Commerce Drive Transformation
Saudi Arabia’s Strategic Minerals Drive Offers Lessons for Europe’s Supply Chain Ambitions
Saudi Arabia Unveils $32 Billion Push Into Theme Parks and Global Entertainment
Saudi Crude Exports to India Climb Sharply, Closing Gap With Russia
Saudi Arabia’s Halal Cosmetics Market Expands as Faith and Ethical Beauty Drive Growth
United Kingdom Denies U.S. Access to Military Base for Potential Iran Strike
ImmunityBio Secures Saudi Partnerships to Launch Flagship Cancer Therapy
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia Launch Expanded Renewable Energy Partnership
US Supreme Court Voids Trump’s Emergency Tariff Plan, Reshaping Trade Power and Fiscal Risk
UK Intensifies Efforts to Secure Saudi Investment in Next-Generation Fighter Jet Programme
Saudi Arabia Tops Middle East Green Building Rankings with Record Growth in 2025
Qatar and Saudi Arabia Each Commit One Billion Dollars to President Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ Initiative
Ramadan 2026 Prayer Times Set as Fasting Begins in Saudi Arabia and Egypt Announces Dates
Saudi Arabia Launches Ramadan 2026 Hotel Campaign to Boost Religious and Leisure Tourism
Saudi Arabia Seeks Reroute of Greece-Bound Fibre-Optic Cable Through Syria Instead of Israel
Saudi-Backed Scopely Acquires Majority Stake in Turkey’s Loom Games to Expand Mobile Portfolio
Zodiac Milpro Launches Zid Marine Joint Venture in Saudi Arabia to Expand Regional Shipbuilding
Saudi Arabia Reaffirms Reform Path Amid Claims of Ideological Reversal
Calls Grow for Saudi Arabia and UAE to Settle Differences Through Direct Dialogue
Jensen Huang just told the story of how Elon Musk became NVIDIA’s very first customer for their powerful AI supercomputer
British couple sentenced to 10 years in Iran for espionage
Former British Prince Andrew Arrested on Suspicion of Misconduct in Public Office
Unitree Robotics founder Wang Xingxing showcases future robot deployment during Spring Festival Gala.
Prince William Holds Talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman During Saudi Visit
Saudi Arabia’s Humain Commits $3 Billion Investment to Elon Musk’s xAI
SCOPA Executive Unveils Ambitious Relaunch Strategy for Saudi Production Company
Saudi Arabia Sees Rise in Business Visa Rejections Amid Tighter Compliance Checks
Saudi PIF Transfers Take-Two Stake to Savvy Games Group in Strategic Gaming Push
Jimmy Carr Says He ‘Loved’ Saudi Arabia Show Amid Debate Over Performing in the Kingdom
Sotheby’s ‘Origins II’ Auction Signals Saudi Collectors’ Shift Toward Cultural Legacy
EY and Microsoft Deepen Saudi Arabia Partnership with Launch of EY Studio+
Google Pay Launches Support for Mastercard Cards in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia Bolsters Maritime Surveillance Fleet with Four C-27J Patrol Aircraft
Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia Deepen Strategic Partnership with New Investment and Energy Agreements
Saudi Crown Prince Receives Written Message from Kazakhstan’s President Amid Expanding Strategic Ties
ImmunityBio Shares Rise After Saudi Arabia BCG Manufacturing Update Spurs Investor Optimism
Global Music Star Tyla Confirmed as Headliner at 2026 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Entertainment Lineup
Somalia and Saudi Arabia Forge New Military Partnership Amid Regional Power Shifts
Saudi Arabia and Several Nations Criticize Israeli West Bank Land Measures as Diplomatic Tensions Rise
Saudi Public Investment Fund Transfers Stake in Take-Two Interactive as Portfolio Strategy Evolves
Saudi Arabia’s Flagship Defense Expo Highlights Industrial Ambitions and Expanding Arms Portfolio
Strategic Divergence Deepens as Saudi Arabia and UAE Recalibrate Gulf Partnership
Saudi Arabia Confirms Start of Ramadan as Crescent Moon Sighted, While Other Nations Begin a Day Later
Rubio Calls for Sweeping U.N. Reform, Saying It Has Failed to End Wars in Gaza and Ukraine
10,000 Condoms Distributed at Winter Olympics 2026 Athlete Village Depleted Within 72 Hours
Prince William Meets Saudi Crown Prince as Epstein-Andrew Fallout Casts Shadow
Goldman Sachs and DP World Executive Resignations: Elite-Reputation Risk and Corporate Governance Fallout From the Epstein Disclosures
OpenAI and DeepCent Superintelligence Race: Artificial General Intelligence and AI Agents as a National Security Arms Race
×