Trip Planner | Europe: Covid requirements, places to see, what to eat, and how to make the most of your European holiday

Dublin (Ireland)

Entry Guidelines: Travellers are not required to show proof of vaccination, proof of recovery or a negative PCR test result upon arrival; there are no post-arrival testing or quarantine requirements for travellers to Ireland currently.

Must see/do: Trinity College; Pub Crawl; shop on Grafton Street; stroll around St Stephen’s Green; The Little Dublin Museum; Guinness Tour; James Joyce Centre (2022 marks 100 years of Ulysses); St Patrick’s Cathedral.

Must eat: Irish stew; boxty pancake; coddle; cockles & mussels; Guinness at Guinness Storehouse; barmbrack; Irish coffee. Do not miss The Brazen Head pub that opened doors in 1198.

The Long Room at Trinity College, Dublin. (Image: Jonathan Singer via Unsplash)

Vienna (Austria)

Entry Guidelines: To enter Austria, proof of vaccination/recovery OR a negative Covid test is required. FFP 2 masks are only mandatory on public transport and in essentials shops (example, supermarkets and pharmacies). The booster jab is now valid for 365 days (previously: 270 days).

Must see/do: Vienna classical concert; Belvedere Palace; coffee crawl; Beethoven trail; House of Sigmund Freud; Schoenbrunn Palace; Maria-Theresien-Platz; Vienna zoo; Vienna State Opera House; St Stephen’s Cathedral; ride the Giant Ferris Wheel; Museum of Fake Art.

Must eat: Wiener schnitzel; sachertorte; Mozartkugel; apple strudel; almdudler; loads of coffee.

Entrance to Schloss Schoenbrunn. (Image: Allan Wadsworth via Unsplash)

Prague (The Czech Republic)

Entry Guidelines: Travellers are no longer required to show Covid-19 proof upon their arrival. Even those who have not been vaccinated or recovered from the virus, can now enter the Czech Republic’s territory without following additional rules.

Must see/do: Prague Castle; sightseeing evening cruise; Old Town Hall & Astronomical Clock; Prague Pub Crawl; Beer Bike sightseeing tour; Jewish Quarter. A day trip to Pilsner Urquell Brewery that specialises in bottom-fermented beer since 1842.

Must eat: Goulash; pickled cheese; trdelnik; chlebicky; grilled sausage; Czech pancake; gingerbread; Medieval dinner.

Trdelnik is a dessert, made with all-purpose flour or wheat and dipped in sugar and ground walnuts.

Barcelona (Spain)

Entry Guidelines: Travellers are required to present a valid international certificate for full vaccination against Covid-19. The final dose must have been administered at least 14 days before departure and not more than 9 months (270 days) ago. Thereafter, the vaccine certificate must reflect that a vaccine booster has been administered.

Must see/do: Park Guell; La Saagrada Familia; Tapas & wine tour; Montserrat with cogwheel train; walking tour of Old Town; Barcelona city tour on Hop-on-Hop-off; a paella experience; flamenco show at Tablao Flamenco. Shop in Portal del Angel (inexpensive shopping) and Passeig de Gracia (high-end shopping).

Must eat: Paella; bombas; calcots & romesco sauce; esqueixada; escalivada.

Catch a flamenco show. (Image: Kazuo Ota via Unsplash)

Rome (Italy)

Entry Guidelines: Fully vaccinated travellers are exempt from the pre-departure testing requirement. The final dose should not be more than 9 months (270 days) old; thereafter, the vaccine certificate must reflect that a vaccine booster has been administered. Non-vaccinated travellers must provide proof of a negative molecular test, taken within the previous 72 hours, on arrival.

Must see/do: Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel; St Peter’s Basilica; Colosseum; Palatine Hill; day trip to Pompeii & Positano; private tour of Rome on a golf cart; food walking tour of Rome.

Must eat: Gelato; Allesso di Bollito (simmered meat dishes); carbonara; maritozzi; pizza al Taglio.

Sistine Chapel – roof detail. (Image: Calvin Craig via Unsplash)

Amsterdam (The Netherlands)

Entry Guidelines: Travellers are required to present a valid international certificate for full vaccination against Covid-19, with the use of an approved vaccine. Those who have recently recovered from Covid-19 must provide proof of a positive NAAT test, issued at least 11 days and not more than 180 days before arrival.

Must see/do: Canal cruise; Van Gogh Museum; Anne Frank’s home; day trip to Volendam, Marken and Windmills; day trip to Keukenhof Gardens, windmills & Museum of Clogs; day trip to Bruges (do not miss Dominique Persoone’s chocolates); Amsterdam red-light district and coffee shop tour.

Must eat: Stroopwafel; raw herring; cod; Oorlog french fries; poffertjes; kibbeling.

Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam. (Image: Frans Ruiter via Unsplash)

Santorini (Greece)

Entry Guidelines: It is no longer mandatory for arrivals to complete a passenger locator form. Individuals must still, however, show proof of full vaccination, recovery, or a negative PCR or rapid antigen test result to enter.

Must see/do: Red Beach; Akrotiri; Kamari Beach; Ancient Thera; tour Santo Wines; volcano boat tour; Oia village walk.

Must eat: Fava me koukia (mashed fava beans); tomato fritters; saganaki (fried cheese in filo pastry covered with honey); kofta; roasted Greek lamb.

Thera, Greece. (Image: Simon Shim via Unsplash)

Istanbul (Turkey)

Entry Guidelines: Vaccinated travellers do not require pre-departure testing; recovered patients must carry a medical certificate showing recovery between 28 days and 6 months before travel. All incoming passengers over the age of 6 must complete a Traveler Entry Form at least four days before their arrival in Turkey.

Must see/do: Hagia Sofia; the Blue Mosque; Topkapi Palace; a cruise on the Bosphorous; shop in Grand Bazaar & Istiklal; party all night on Beyoglu rooftop clubs; belly dance & dinner programs.

Must eat: Menemen; meze; kuyu kebabi; iskender kebap; lufer; manti; kunefe; baklava.

Hagia Sofia. (Image: Raimond Klavins via Unsplash)

Reykjavik (Iceland)

Entry Guidelines: Travellers of all nationalities can enter Iceland regardless of vaccination status, with no requirement to pre-register before visiting. There is no longer a requirement for a PCR test to board aircraft, and no testing or quarantine upon arrival.

Must see/do: Icelandic Punk Museum; Icelandic Penis (Phallological) Museum; Hallgrimskirkja (the country’s largest church); Laugavegur; Grotta Lighthouse; go trekking/hiking (never without a guide); day trip to South Iceland glaciers & waterfalls.

Must eat: Pylsur (hot dog); fermented shark; ice cream & cheese; rye bread & butter; plokkfiskur (mashed fish stew).

Seljalandsfoss waterfall, Iceland. (Image: Andrey Andreyev via Unsplash)

Ljubljana (Slovenia)

Entry Guidelines: Restrictions due to Covid-19 no longer apply when entering Slovenia. This means that the RVT (recovered/vaccinated/tested) condition no longer has to be met at the border, and travellers are no longer required to quarantine.

Must see/do: Ljubljana Castle; Ljubljana Cathedral; Dragon Bridge; Preseren Square; a day trip to Lake Bled & Bled Castle; day trip to Postojna Caves; shop in Central Market (closed on Sundays); Museum of Illusions.

Must eat: Carniola sausage; fried chicken Slovenian style; potica; gibanica; Slovenian soups; roast lunch.

Dragon Bridge, Ljubljana, Slovenia. (Image: Akshaye Sikand via Unsplash)

(Attention: Please check latest entry guidelines on the destination country’s official website and/or the airline’s website).

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