Tagged: coronavirus

What to Do When Your Tour Company Goes Out of Business

Traveland.com looked like a solid travel agency. But Sandra Baker and dozens of other travelers found the ground was more than a little shaky when Traveland's abrupt disappearance…

Sicily's Vacation Discount Extended Until December—We Think

Way back in April, when many of us still harbored naive hopes that the pandemic would be over by summer, I reported that Sicily was making vacationers an offer they couldn't refuse. To…

Reminder: Now Is a Good Time to Make Summer Reservations

Well, the vaccines are here, and so for the first time in a year, we finally have a clearer vision of the road map to the future. We know that as long as significant chunks of the…

Need a Cheap Hotel? This Year, Hostels Have More Private Rooms Than Usual

Hostels, as every nomadic youth knows, are the tentpoles of budget travel, and Covid-19 failed to take them down. The coronavirus did, however, shake up how hostels apportion space—and…

USA Borders Will End Covid Testing Requirement as of June 12

Just in time for the peak summer travel season, the United States will scrap a cumbersome requirement for all incoming air passengers to furnish negative results from a fresh Covid-19…

European Union Dropping Mask Requirement for Air Travel

UPDATE, May 18: As explained below, the European Union has dropped its requirement that air travelers wear masks on planes and in airports across the 27-nation bloc. However,…

U.S. Extends Mask Mandate for Travel, But Only By Two Weeks

Update, April 18: The TSA announced that as of April 18, it will no longer enforce the mask mandate during its last few remaining days. Some airlines and travel facilities have…

The U.S. Has 8 of the 10 Busiest Airports in the World

Eight of the world's 10 busiest airports are located in the United States, including the busiest of all: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). That's according to an…

The CDC Drops Its Safety Warning: Go Ahead and Cruise!

Lifting two years of warnings about the dangers of cruising in the age of Covid-19, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has dropped its risk advisory for cruise…

Canada Dumps Pre-Arrival Covid Testing for Most Travelers

So many countries are dropping Covid-19 hurdles for inbound tourists that we could fill our pages with dozens of happy announcements every day. (And in our consistently up-to-date post…

France's "Health Pass" System for Tourism Is Officially Over

France's so-called "Health Pass" system that was introduced last August has been eliminated as of today, March 14. The system's QR code—which was required to enter the country's bars,…

U.S. Mask Mandate Extended Again on Airplanes, Transit

The Transportation Security Agency is extending the mask mandate that was set to expire on March 18. This is the third time it has been extended. The change was confirmed by multiple…

Throw Away the Test Kit! Hawaii Drops All Covid Entry Rules

Hawaii is ending all Covid entry restrictions for domestic visitors. On the state's official Safe Travels website, a new alert appeared this week. Framed in an orange box that usually…

Anxious About Returning to Travel? Try These Tips from Psychologists

Missed connections and lost luggage feel like minor concerns now. The past few years of the pandemic have stirred up much deeper fears for many travelers, like crowds, germs, and a…

After Two Years, (Most of) Australia Will Welcome (Most) Tourists Again!

After two agonizing years in southerly isolation, Australia will finally open its borders to tourists. Covid-19 infections remain an issue Down Under, but because so many…

It's True: This European Country Has Abandoned Covid Restrictions

Imagine a land with no masks. No social distancing. No entry tests, no quarantine. A place where tourists can do whatever they want as soon as they get off the plane. Imagine, in…

New Zealand Is Reopening, the Headlines Cheer. Don't Get Too Excited

If you were to go by the headlines this week, you'd be planning a vacation to New Zealand tomorrow. New Zealand is "welcoming vaccinated Americans this summer," says USA Today. New…

Vaccination Is No Longer Enough—a Booster Is Now a Must in These Places

Like a winter snowstorm, it came in a sudden flurry. The list of destinations that now require visitors to have proof of a Covid-19 booster shot in addition to an original vaccination…

The U.K. Scraps All Entry Obstacles for Vaxxed Visitors

The world has lived with Covid-19 travel restrictions for so long that the news seems too good to be true. Starting February 11, most tourists who enter the United Kingdom will need…

Ireland Officially Ends Most Covid-19 Public Restrictions

Are we finally near the end of the rainbow? This is good news we've been waiting nearly two years to hear. The Republic of Ireland has decided to end nearly all public Covid-19…

WHO Revises Guidance: "Lift or Ease International Traffic Bans"

The World Health Organization has a new message for governments around the world: We can't stop Omicron anymore. The horse has left the barn, so why close the gate behind it? Those…

How to Get Proof of Recovery from Covid-19 for Travel

Here's a good reason to hold onto your positive Covid-19 test results: For several months after you've recovered from the virus, those positive results can be your key to resuming…

2022's Safest U.S. Airline—and Where It Ranks Worldwide

Covid-19 has been the biggest safety concern in air travel (and every other kind of travel) for two years now. So it's no wonder the expert safety monitors at AirlineRatings.com have…

Hawaii Simplifies Entry Requirements for Omicron

As of this week, visitors to Hawaii no longer have to fill out a pre-arrival questionnaire. Border officials will still ask asking visiting U.S. citizens for a recent negative NAAT or…

Year in Review: 2021’s Top Travel Stories, According to Frommer’s Readers

In 2021, as in 2020, the seemingly never-ending Covid-19 pandemic dominated every aspect of public life, from the economy to the arts.  Here at Frommer’s, we covered all the…