If you're planning a European vacation this year but find it difficult to make sense of the hodgepodge rules around border restrictions, help is at hand. The European Union has set up a website with the most up-to-date travel information, letting you know where you can go and when, and what you can do when you get there.
Re-open EU is a new platform that provides travellers with real-time information about coronavirus-related restrictions in each of the 27 member states of the EU. It offers information on local border rules, the best ways to get there, and details the health and safety measures that are being implemented in each country, such as the mandatory use of face masks, health certificate requirements, social distancing guidelines and so on.
The platform also lets users know what tourism services will be available to them when they arrive at their destination of choice. With just the click of a button, you can find out if restaurants and shops are open and what protocols are in place for, say, a visit to the museum or the beach. Later down the line, the website will include testimonials and feedback from tourists to help users make well-informed and practical decisions when organising their itineraries.
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The Re-open EU site "will provide travellers with easy access to information to help them confidently make their travel plans and stay safe during their trip," European Commissioner Thierry Breton said in a statement. "It will also help small restaurant and hotel owners, as well as towns across Europe, draw inspiration from innovative solutions developed by others."
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