Covid restrictions abroad: updates & observations

[kristiang85]

They can carry on like that forever for all I care. I have no intention of going there.

It's not going to help our economic recovery... this is about a lot more than just visiting there.

 

[SouthEastBuses]

What are the current Covid restrictions in Rhodes island, Greece? Going there in August for a holiday and I've heard that apart from mandatory masks on public transport, there are no restrictions whatsoever.
Is this correct? Any more covid restrictions that you guys are aware of that apply to Rhodes?

 

[Enthusiast]

It is doubtful that full lockdowns would be tolerated now.

The problem is, the majority of the damage caused by lockdowns was caused by the forced closure of businesses. Joe Public had no opportunity to rebel against this whether they wanted to or not. If similar measures were taken again, unless businesses rebelled on a large scale (extremely unlikely) the effect would be precisely the same whether it was tolerated or not. Individuals could rebel by refusing to remain at home or to wear masks or to comply with any other pointless or nonsensical regulations that were imposed. But they wouldn't be able to go to the pub.

 

[nw1]

The problem is, the majority of the damage caused by lockdowns was caused by the forced closure of businesses. Joe Public had no opportunity to rebel against this whether they wanted to or not. If similar measures were taken again, unless businesses rebelled on a large scale (extremely unlikely) the effect would be precisely the same whether it was tolerated or not. Individuals could rebel by refusing to remain at home or to wear masks or to comply with any other pointless or nonsensical regulations that were imposed. But they wouldn't be able to go to the pub.

Businesses might not be able to openly disobey such laws, however I suspect that now, in 2022, they would protest loudly and publicly as lockdown in mid-2022 would be utterly ludicrous and pointless as well as highly damaging. And governments listen to businesses more than they do individuals, on the whole.

Still I suspect any rumours of lockdown in any western country are probably just that, rumours, and will probably never happen.

 

[Eyersey468]

Businesses might not be able to openly disobey such laws, however I suspect that now, in 2022, they would protest loudly and publicly as lockdown in mid-2022 would be utterly ludicrous and pointless as well as highly damaging. And governments listen to businesses more than they do individuals, on the whole.

Still I suspect any rumours of lockdown in any western country are probably just that, rumours, and will probably never happen.

I hope not, we certainly can't afford it as a country.

 

[P Binnersley]

What are the current Covid restrictions in Rhodes island, Greece? Going there in August for a holiday and I've heard that apart from mandatory masks on public transport, there are no restrictions whatsoever.
Is this correct? Any more covid restrictions that you guys are aware of that apply to Rhodes?

That seems to agree with the Foreign Office advice for Greece.

Wearing a mask​

It is mandatory to wear a mask on public transport and in hospitals and care facilities for the elderly.

Until at least 1 July, it is also mandatory to wear a mask in pharmacies, taxis, and indoor spaces on boats.

In all other spaces, there is no legal requirement to wear a mask.

There don't seem to any island specific restrictions.

 

[Bikeman78]

It's not going to help our economic recovery... this is about a lot more than just visiting there.

Hopefully we will become less reliant on China for cheap imports. Obviously it will take a few years to settle down but this ought to be a lesson.

 

[Butts]

Hardly a mask in sight here in the good old USA - thank the Lord

Planes, Trains, Taxis, Bus, Shops, Restaurants and all visitor attractions maskless !!

 

[kristiang85]

Hardly a mask in sight here in the good old USA - thank the Lord

Planes, Trains, Taxis, Bus, Shops, Restaurants and all visitor attractions maskless !!

Where are you? I would expect if you were in New York or San Fran there would be mask diarrhoea everywhere.

 

[davetheguard]

Anyone have recent experience of Serbia & Macedonia? The Foreign Office website is suggesting masks are compulsory on public transport, but hasn't been updated since April.

A holiday booking is dependent on what the real up to date situation is like on the ground.

Thanks in advance for any info.

 

[SurreyCommuter]

I’m travelling to Sicily at the end of August for a wedding and I’ve looked on Sherpa and am slightly confused. It says there are no travel restrictions and no proof of vax required so all good there. However, it says that FFP2 masks are required in social and health facilities and on public transport but not airplanes. Is this basically saying that I shouldn’t need one on the flight there but would in the terminal? Also, what exactly is a social facility – is it referring to indoor shops, restaurants and the like? The public transport bit shouldn't be a problem as I’m probably not going to be using public transport as we’re hiring a car to get to the hotel we’re staying at. However there is the possibility of dining out or going to a shop to get food and drink for the return journey. I’m guessing it’s probably safer if I have a couple handy just in case though?

 

[Watershed]

I’m travelling to Sicily at the end of August for a wedding and I’ve looked on Sherpa and am slightly confused. It says there are no travel restrictions and no proof of vax required so all good there. However, it says that FFP2 masks are required in social and health facilities and on public transport but not airplanes. Is this basically saying that I shouldn’t need one on the flight there but would in the terminal? Also, what exactly is a social facility – is it referring to indoor shops, restaurants and the like? The public transport bit shouldn't be a problem as I’m probably not going to be using public transport as we’re hiring a car to get to the hotel we’re staying at. However there is the possibility of dining out or going to a shop to get food and drink for the return journey. I’m guessing it’s probably safer if I have a couple handy just in case though?

Yes, it's an utterly nonsensical state of affairs. Masks are only required on public transport (other than flights) and hospitals/care homes etc. But where they are mandated, you need an FFP2 one.

I would certainly bring one just in case you happen to catch a train etc. at some point. They seemed extremely hot on enforcement (even by Trenitalia staff) when I visited some months back.

 

[Howardh]

Just a quick note about Ibiza; when I landed we were ushered through passport control, then baggage, and after that and the green channel we were then told to go down a lane to have our covid vax apasses scanned.

In previous visits to there the scanning was done before passport control.

Still "forced" to mask up on buses, but nowhere else.

As a side note, Ryanair (departing from UK and then Spain) INSISTED that a mask be worn, and wouldn't let you on without. However, once on the plane the stewards were all mask-free, so no-one else bothered. No, I don't get it either!!

 

[LowLevel]

In Amsterdam there was nothing much recognisable. Some people still wearing masks, mostly Americans and the odd elderly type, but both the Eurostar process and train journey, and NL itself were basically normally as far as I could tell. Far less forgotten detritus signage and random bits of sticky tape lying around, too.

 

[Butts]

Where are you? I would expect if you were in New York or San Fran there would be mask diarrhoea everywhere.

Governor Ron DeSantis does not stand for any of that nonsense in Florida

 

[skyhigh]

In Amsterdam there was nothing much recognisable. Some people still wearing masks, mostly Americans and the odd elderly type, but both the Eurostar process and train journey, and NL itself were basically normally as far as I could tell. Far less forgotten detritus signage and random bits of sticky tape lying around, too.

Out of interest did you have to show any proof of vaccination to enter? Is the NHS app with the Covid pass accepted?

 

[LowLevel]

Out of interest did you have to show any proof of vaccination to enter? Is the NHS app with the Covid pass accepted?

It was requested to be seen and scanned by some shouty and uncivil contractors at St Pancras and scanned. NHS foreign travel COVID pass was fine.

 

[skyhigh]

It was requested to be seen and scanned by some shouty and uncivil contractors at St Pancras and scanned. NHS foreign travel COVID pass was fine.

Thanks

 

[Blindtraveler]

I didn't think we were checking vaccine status on departure anymore, or perhaps it's different for the Netherlands

 

[yorkie]

We are currently in Bordeaux after a trip from Spain.

While in Spain masks are still mandated on public transport, we saw very few people wearing them in any other setting and it is absolutely clear that the Spanish people have rejected masks as a potential cultural change.

Compliance on public transport was high from the point of view that the majority are wearing masks but of those many had exposed noses or were even wearing them on their chins. A Guard had the audacity to tell someone to put their mask on, despite having his own nose exposed.

A bus driver did ell someone to put their mask on but she then wore it on her chin right next to the driver and this wasn't challenged, which suggests that the drivers are only enforcing upon entry and it's all for show.

The bus to France was operated by a French company and I'm pleased to report the driver was not engaging in Covid theatre.

Here in France we have hardly seen anyone wearing a mask; the only people we can recall appeared to be Chinese (?) tourists. Again clearly the people of France are not interested in voluntary masking.

Those who predicted and/or hoped for a cultural shift have been proven to be very wide of the mark.

Oh and I almost forgot to mention that the Ryanair flight to Barcelona saw virtually no masking, including none of the cabin crew.

While in Spain I wore my flimsy , loose fitting cloth mask which is extremely breathable while not drinking water.

I look forward to hopefully not having to go through any more Covid theatre with any future trips. I am reluctant to book a trip to Italy until they start trusting the vaccines and our immune systems.

 

[johncrossley]

We are currently in Bordeaux after a trip from Spain.

While in Spain masks are still mandated on public transport, we saw very few people wearing them in any other setting and it is absolutely clear that the Spanish people have rejected masks as a potential cultural change.

Compliance on public transport was high from the point of view that the majority are wearing masks but of those many had exposed noses or were even wearing them on their chins. A Guard had the audacity to tell someone to put their mask on, despite having his own nose exposed.

A bus driver did ell someone to put their mask on but she then wore it on her chin right next to the driver and this wasn't challenged, which suggests that the drivers are only enforcing upon entry and it's all for show.

The bus to France was operated by a French company and I'm pleased to report the driver was not engaging in Covid theatre.

Here in France we have hardly seen anyone wearing a mask; the only people we can recall appeared to be Chinese (?) tourists. Again clearly the people of France are not interested in voluntary masking.

Those who predicted and/or hoped for a cultural shift have been proven to be very wide of the mark.

Oh and I almost forgot to mention that the Ryanair flight to Barcelona saw virtually no masking, including none of the cabin crew.

While in Spain I wore my flimsy , loose fitting cloth mask which is extremely breathable while not drinking water.

I look forward to hopefully not having to go through any more Covid theatre with any future trips. I am reluctant to book a trip to Italy until they start trusting the vaccines and our immune systems.

Did any public transport have their windows wedged open to let in fresh air? Someone I know came back from Germany and mentioned that windows were wedged open there, meaning that it is cold in the mornings and air conditioning doesn't work properly later in the day.

 

[route101]

Noticed a few people wearing FFP2 in London today, this type of mask is a giveaway for someone from Italy or Spain.

 

[Bikeman78]

Did any public transport have their windows wedged open to let in fresh air? Someone I know came back from Germany and mentioned that windows were wedged open there, meaning that it is cold in the mornings and air conditioning doesn't work properly later in the day.

They have air con buses with the windows open? That's hilarious. What do they think happens on trains with sealed windows?

 

[43096]

Having recently spent some time in several European countries, it was interesting to see the differences in what is/isn't allowed on trains and how the population complies:
- Austria. Rules now relaxed outside Vienna, with almost no-one wearing masks. I assume Vienna has a Sadiq Khan-alike mayor as masks are still required on trains and at stations: although, no-one wears them on stations and it is unenforced. On board there is a nonsense that you can take them off outside the Vienna area and certainly regional trains there was a high degree of compliance although that was decreasing through the week (and we gave up after a while). Only issue we had was a guard on a Bratislava-Vienna train walking through the train after Wien Aspern Nord station shouting (literally) at people to put masks on - quite one of the rudest people I've ever come across; had it been a UK TOC there would have been a complaint going in.
- Germany. FFP2 masks still required, and compliance quite high in the West (Frankfurt area). Interestingly a much lower compliance in the East around Leipzig and Halle, which is perhaps more surprising given the history of the East and state control. Only had one issue with a guard who insisted we had to wear a mask even though it was an empty train and we were in a compartment on our own.
- Czechia, Hungary and Slovakia. No masks required and very few wearing one.

 

[zero]

I flew from the UK to Germany and back. Masks are required on all flights to and from Germany, but not a single airline/airport staff mentioned anything about them in either direction and only about 10% of people, mostly Germans and Americans, did wear them (some Germans took them off after boarding when they realised nobody else cared).

While you can say none of it makes sense on a general scale - even on a smaller scale I don't see how it makes sense for Germany to want masks on planes but not in the airport.



Compliance on crowded trains in Germany was close to 100%. I'm not certain which states require FFP2, but some people wore cloth masks and nobody said anything. I was mainly in the western part. Train conductors did enforce masks (one made a passenger hold up a tissue to his face when he said he didn't have a mask - the passenger continued holding the tissue for the rest of his journey even though nobody was looking).

I was also told off for not wearing one in a compartment - but I had come on that train from Switzerland and I think that conductor was just reminding everyone that after crossing the border masks were required.

I took trains that were not crowded (2 or 3 people to a carriage) and on these most people did not wear them, particularly if their journey was a local journey rather than to the termini where the train became more crowded.

 

[VauxhallandI]

Asks were requestEd on our flight to Barcelona however we just ignored it and nothing was said to us.

I’ve just been on the metro here and didn’t wear one.

 

[Mainline421]

Just got back from a trip to Italy. Much better than I expected alter reading here, really surprised to find compliance was actually zero on the train to Milan, staff wore non-FFP2 one under their chin but no passengers wore any at all! On arrival I took a tram and again zero masks including the driver, but about 60% on the Italo train to Rome, although this did rise when the ticket inspector came and they politely suggested I put on a mask once I finished the two 500ml drinks I had (only because it was 30°c, not as stunt). In general Trenitalia staff don't seem to care much at all anymore, they would mention it after thoroughly inspecting my Interrail but wouldn't say anything when walking past, so I was able to breathe and compliance never reached 100%. On the Ferrovia Circumetnea even staff didn't wear masks at all, and very few passengers did, and compliance on buses and trams across the country from Florence to Syracuse seems to be at most 50% even counting non-FFP2s. Only place keen on enforcement was the Waterbuses in Venice, although even there many passengers had them as chin nappies still.

Don't think I saw a single mask or even Covid sticker during my entire time in Slovenia, wonderful country to visit at the moment.

In Germany the situation was comical, police checking passports said nothing. The next day I shared a 1st class compartment with a couple in their 30s, an elderly woman, and a businessman - none wore masks but when the guard was coming one of them said something and everyone else put one on. Didn't bother myself, we chatted briefly about where I'd been and wished me well in Germany, the rest of the compartment reverted to maskless after they left.

Many removed their masks the second the ICE crossed into France even without an announcement, and very few to be seen in France or on Eurostar. All over Europe people really seem to be over restrictions no thankfully.

 

[Butts]

Just got back from a trip to Italy. Much better than I expected alter reading here, really surprised to find compliance was actually zero on the train to Milan, staff wore non-FFP2 one under their chin but no passengers wore any at all! On arrival I took a tram and again zero masks including the driver, but about 60% on the Italo train to Rome, although this did rise when the ticket inspector came and they politely suggested I put on a mask once I finished the two 500ml drinks I had (only because it was 30°c, not as stunt). In general Trenitalia staff don't seem to care much at all anymore, they would mention it after thoroughly inspecting my Interrail but wouldn't say anything when walking past, so I was able to breathe and compliance never reached 100%. On the Ferrovia Circumetnea even staff didn't wear masks at all, and very few passengers did, and compliance on buses and trams across the country from Florence to Syracuse seems to be at most 50% even counting non-FFP2s. Only place keen on enforcement was the Waterbuses in Venice, although even there many passengers had them as chin nappies still.

Don't think I saw a single mask or even Covid sticker during my entire time in Slovenia, wonderful country to visit at the moment.

In Germany the situation was comical, police checking passports said nothing. The next day I shared a 1st class compartment with a couple in their 30s, an elderly woman, and a businessman - none wore masks but when the guard was coming one of them said something and everyone else put one on. Didn't bother myself, we chatted briefly about where I'd been and wished me well in Germany, the rest of the compartment reverted to maskless after they left.

Many removed their masks the second the ICE crossed into France even without an announcement, and very few to be seen in France or on Eurostar. All over Europe people really seem to be over restrictions no thankfully.

What is it about the former axis partners and their desire to maintain masks ?

 

[VauxhallandI]

Asks were requestEd on our flight to Barcelona however we just ignored it and nothing was said to us.

I’ve just been on the metro here and didn’t wear one.

You can add to that a trip on Renfe and a taxi ride

 

[Planesandtrain]

It's safe to say that Germany does not consider the pandemic over and that restrictions will increase as Winter approaches. Measures in discussion include more mandetory mask wearing, compulsory testing to gain access to venues regardless of vaccination status. Unfortunetly the German state has no ability to look at the situation in countries without any measures.