Air Travel Europe: Europe travel troubles are piling up: How to avoid airport nightmares- Zach Wichter

Travelers heading to Europe this summer will have to pack a healthy supply of patience in addition to their passports. While passengers beginning their travels in Amsterdam tend to face the longest lines, Devin Matte said a flight delay leaving Boston caused him to miss his connection to Norway earlier this month. The Somerville, Massachusetts-based software engineer can attest to the customer service chaos travelers are facing in Europe firsthand.

"I talked to one guy who had flown from Atlanta to Amsterdam the night before, and he had to sleep in the airport. People in the airport, they said it was about six hours to get through security," Matte, 24, said.

When trying to rebook his flight, the customer service agent advised him to give himself at least six hours

to get through security if he wound up leaving the airport to stay in a hotel overnight.

While the pilot shortage has led to cancellations and delays in the U.S., a host of other issues overseas are leading to long lines at many major airports across the continent.

Read more at: Europe travel troubles are piling up: How to avoid airport nightmares

EU travel: These are the countries Europeans can travel to right now

Hoping that summer 2021 might be better than 2020? It’s difficult to see how it could be worse. For those not in national lockdown, there are some destinations it's possible to travel to at the moment. They even have bars, restaurants and tourist attractions open and few curfews.

It's best to check the latest travel restrictions for each country in Europe before booking.

With a mixture of non-European and EU countries on offer, all your needs are covered by this blazing hot list of holiday destinations.

Read more at" These are the countries Europeans can travel to right now | Euronews

France: Coronavirus - Advice for Foreign Nationals in France - Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs

This FAQ contains information for foreign nationals wishing to enter France or already in France, who are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

General information on restrictions and recommendations in France and action taken has been centralized on a platform at the following address: https://www.gouvernement.fr/en/coronavirus-covid-19.

During your stay in France, download and activate the #TousAntiCovid application.

Read more at: Coronavirus - Advice for Foreign Nationals in France - Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs

EU's Travel Pass: Everything you need to know about the EU's COVID travel pass - by Michael Kennedy

The European Union has moved another step closer to reviving free movement after reaching a provisional consensus on an EU COVID travel pass.

Agreeing in a political sense on Thursday, the European Parliament and Council will now look to formalise the proposed legislation. This is expected to mark a watershed moment in the pandemic.

The EU Digital COVID Certificate (EUDCC), previously called the Digital Green Certificate, will allow for travel restrictions to lift across all 27 member states - and will be available for specific non-EU countries, too.

Read more at: Everything you need to know about the EU's COVID travel pass | Euronews

Will You Need a Vaccine Passport to Travel?

With more states and countries easing lockdown, the number of people traveling around the world has been increasing. But what could governments and travel providers do to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading further worldwide? One idea is to use so-called vaccine passports, documentation that certifies that you've been vaccinated from the coronavirus. It might sound great, but what are the implications for privacy and how does it treat everybody equally?

Read more at: Will You Need a Vaccine Passport to Travel? - Flipboard

EU: Yankee stay home: Why would Europe want American visitors right now? - by Andreas Kluth

So the European Union, which has largely controlled the spread of COVID-19 and understandably wants to keep it that way, is deciding whom to let into its borders come July 1. And the list of approved countries, to be released next week, will apparently not include the U.S.

Many Americans will be outraged. President Donald Trump is sure to have a hissy fit.

A glance down the list, which is still being drawn up and will be reviewed every 14 days based on new epidemiological data, will only make Americans madder.

Read more at:
Why would Europe want American visitors right now? - StarTribune.com

Saving summer: EU proposes three-stage plan to boost tourism amid Covid-19

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 EU on Wednesday set out plans for a phased restart of travel this summer, hoping to save millions of tourism jobs threatened by the coronavirus pandemic across Europe, the world's top holiday destination.


Read more at:
Saving summer: EU proposes three-stage plan to boost tourism amid Covid-19

Resumption of Travel : When and how: Post-coronavirus travel in the EU is up in the air

Once the coronavirus pandemic tapers off, people are likely to take vacations closer to home. EU tourism ministers have no timetable for revitalizing travel. Bernd Riegert reports from Brussels.

Read more at:
https://www.dw.com/en/when-and-how-post-coronavirus-travel-in-the-eu-is-up-in-the-air/a-53273416

Travel: 8 Essential Apps for Traveling Abroad - by Sarah Pike

Travelers used to carry along guidebooks about each place they were visiting when exploring the world, but now you can find all the information you need in the palm of your hand. There's an app for virtually everything these days and many of them are designed to make traveling easier.

Click on the lin k below for eight of our favorite apps for traveling abroad. 

Read more: 8 Essential Apps for Traveling Abroad | Sarah Pike

US-Cuba Relations: Obama hails 'new chapter' in US-Cuba ties

US President Barack Obama has hailed a "new chapter" in US relations with Cuba, announcing moves to normalise diplomatic and economic ties.

Mr Obama said the plans represented the "most significant changes in US policy towards Cuba in 50 years".

The US is looking to open an embassy in Havana in the coming months, he said. The moves are part of a deal that saw the release of American Alan Gross by Cuba and includes the release of three Cubans jailed in
Florida for spying.

Mr Gross arrived at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington  from Cuba on Wednesday. Footage showed him disembarking from a US government plane onto the tarmac where he was met by a crowd.

The US president announced measures that he said would end an "outdated approach that for decades has failed to advance our interests".

The plans set out in a White House statement also includes:

Reviewing the designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism

• Easing a travel ban for US citizens
• Easing financial restrictions
• Increasing telecommunications links
• Efforts to lift the 54-year-old trade embargo

Note EU-Digest:  Bravo President Obama - this was long overdue and will be fantastic for business and eventually lead to democratization in Cuba. This normalization is not any different from the relationship the US has with China, Russia or any other communist or dictatorial regime .

Read more: BBC News - Obama hails 'new chapter' in US-Cuba ties

Tourism: The 10 top boat trips to take around the world

Some of the world’s most scenic boat rides are simple water taxi or ferry rides.

Whether it’s an extravagant cruise holiday or a quick island hopping experience you’re after, this list of the world’s top scenic boat rides is bound to provide a little inspiration.

Here are 10 ways to take in breathtaking views and popular destinations from the water:

1. Golden Gate Ferry — San Francisco to Sausalito, California, US
2. Star Ferry — Hong Kong, Hong Kong
3. Venice Vaporetto — Venice, Italy 
4. Cruising Milford Sound — South Island, New Zealand  
5. Washington State Ferries to the San Juan Islands — US
6. Cruising Halong Bay — Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam
7. Block Island Ferry — Newport, Rhode Island, US
8. Rhine River Cruises — Throughout European Union
9. Ferry from St Thomas to St John — Virgin Islands
10. Circular Quay to Manly — Sydney

Read more: The 10 top boat trips to take around the world | Travel | Travel News and Holiday Deals | | Herald S

Transportation: Europe by train: Relive the past, discover the future

European trains are fast and convenient (Rail Europe)

Many Americans think of renting a car when considering their transportation needs in Europe, but in recent decades, trains have become a strong alternative.

The master Danish storyteller Hans Christian Andersen wrote that “to travel is to live” and the famed novelist Somerset Maugham stated that “the good traveler has the gift of surprise.”

They could not have been more accurate, for no



matter how often you travel, every journey  is unique — an opportunity that unwraps an array of adventures.

Trains recall a golden age when a pair of rails were a pathway to discovery; parallel lines converging in the distance, momentarily unified in a time and place that is a carousel of sights and sounds.

Rails speak to us. They echo glimpses of the past as they whisper visions of the future. The nostalgic bygone era when giant steam locomotives chugged through the countryside with the clickety-clack of steel against steel, and the haunting sounds of lonesome whistles in the night, has given way to modern, streamlined machines that streak across the landscape. And yet trains somehow remain suspended in time, evoking feelings of romance and adventure.

Not only are the trains of today fast and efficient, they bring depth to the travel experience and their destinations that is difficult to find in other forms of travel.
Planes fly over countries. Trains pass through them.

Read more: Europe by train: Relive the past, discover the future | Communities Digital News

Airline Industry: Here’s why you shouldn’t buy a US-to-Europe flight more than two months in advance – by David Yanofsky

The average fare for a flight from the US to Europe will vary by $256 from when a ticket is first offered to the day the plane takes off. A flight from the US to South America will fluctuate in a $262 range over the same period. This is according to Kayak, a travel website, which analyzed millions of searches made by US travelers over the past year.

Kayak found that the cheapest fares from the US to Africa were just 33 days before departure, while the cheapest to Europe were 53 days before departure, and the cheapest to South America were 162 days out. The cheapest flights to Asia were booked 270 days—a full nine months—in advance.

Challenging the conventional wisdom, the most expensive fares typically appear when purchased far in advance of a flight. For example, the average ticket to South America was more than 20% higher than the subsequent cheapest fare when booked more than 300 days before departure.

Only flights to Europe were more expensive when bought on the day of departure instead of 350 days in advance.

In general, the price of flights to all regions jump significantly during the week of departure. Fares from the US to Europe rise by 15% in the seven days before departure. However, even with this big price increase, a ticket to Europe is almost always cheaper than one to Asia or Africa, no matter when you book.

Read more: Here’s why you shouldn’t buy a US-to-Europe flight more than two months in advance – Quartz

Europe's Most (And Least) Affordable Cities according to the European Backpacker Index For 2014

Almere City Lake - the Netherlands

The European Backpacker Index for 2014 ,published last week, rates 51 major European cities by price and was designed to assist budget-minded consumers plan and compare destinations “at a glance.”

“Parts of Europe are still amazing bargains from a global standpoint,” Roger Wade, founder of Price of Travel, a website that helps travelers compare expenses in major cities around the world, said in an email.

“The 10 or so cheapest cities on the list are still far cheaper than any place in the United States, and this includes such popular destinations as Budapest, Krakow, Istanbul, and Prague,” bargain cities that are still far less expensive than their counterparts a bit to the west.

“There are huge sections of Europe where backpackers can live it up on US$50 or less per day, and most of these places are less crowded and touristy than the expensive cities as well,” said Wade, who researched and compiled the list of cities from cheapest to most expensive.

Bucharest (Romania), Kiev (Ukraine) and Sofia (Bulgaria) are the cheapest tourist cities on the new European Backpacker Index; Zurich (Switzerland), Stockholm (Sweden) and Oslo (Norway) ranked as the most expensive.

The Daily Backpacker Index daily rate for Bucharest is currently $24.69 a day; for Zurich, it’s $123.60 a day.

The index is based on the price of a hostel bed (one night in the cheapest bunk at the least expensive hostel in a good location with good reviews),two public transportation rides, three budget meals, the average cost of one cultural attraction and three inexpensive beers (or wine) for each day in each city. (Non-drinkers might have dessert and coffee or attend a local music performance instead, the listing notes.)

“The most significant changes this year had to do with currency fluctuations rather than changing prices. Most notably, the Turkish Lira is down about 20% since the beginning of 2013, so Istanbul and the rest of Turkey are quite cheap and really great value at the moment,” said Wade.

“The Pound and Euro have strengthened a bit so the most popular cities are all a little more expensive for the rest of us, but that could be reversed by summer because they are always bouncing around. Most museums and attractions kept their prices steady this past year, although a few of the most famous ones do seem to push them up a little every year.”

Valletta (Malta), Vilnius (Lithuania), Interlaken (Switzerland) and Santorini (Greece) are new this year, Wade said, mostly because of readers’ requests. Santorini was added in part “because many people are skipping Athens lately,” he said.

Links after each city provide general background and weather information, and more detail about prices.

Now in its fourth year, the index has been updated for 2014. During the past four years, Wade said, most changes to the lists have been refinements to the research process by him and currency fluctuations. Overall, he said, “most places have been pretty steady.”

It was “mildly surprising” but interesting that so many museums and public transportation systems have continued to keep prices stable, Wade said. “I think many people cynically assume that prices go up every year, but Europe is still mostly struggling economically and it’s nice that most cities are resisting the temptation to raise money just by raising prices.”

For travelers with slightly higher budgets than typical backpackers, and who prefer hotels, the Europe 3-Star Traveler Index for 2013 is a similar ranking, but uses a centrally located and well-rated 3-star hotel room, taxi rides and a higher allowance for food prices.

EU-Digest

Experience: Things I Learned Wandering Around Europe for 7 Months - by Matthew Trinetti

I realize that everyone is in different life and financial situations, and those can be reasons for postponing travel.

But I do believe we each have a duty to humanity to move our ass out into the world and experience some perspective. Television and the Internet are nothing like the real thing. We need firsthand experience.

The world would be a much better place for it.

Read more: Things I Learned Wandering Around Europe for 7 Months | Matthew Trinetti

Tourism: European Austerity Measures - Europeans cutting back on clothes, technology but not on traveling

The crisis has not stopped wanderlust European tourists. This is apparent from the results of online travel agency eDreams' latest study, "Travelling in times of crisis: Travel trends in Europe in the current economic situation".

The study was launched to find out how travel habits have changed over the past four years. Results show buying in advance, taking advantage of offers and discounts, and saving on restaurants and shopping at the destination are the most common ways tourists cut back to avoid giving up their holidays.

The study carried out by eDreams reinforces the data in reports representative of the tourism industry: Europeans like to travel. During 2012 alone, eDreams clients travelled in total more than 17,000 hours in which they came to go around the Earth’s circumference more than 400,000 times and more than 40,000 times the distance between the Earth and the Moon. Co-founder and Marketing Director of eDreams,

Mauricio Prieto, states that "the online channel has democratized the travel industry, and is responsible for the phenomena we see in this study: it offers more freedom when searching for destinations and allows more transparent buying without intermediaries, advantages that have caused 50% of trips to be booked online."

The World Tourism Organization also highlights the online tourism boom, a trend that, according to Travel Weekly, has caused the sale of airline tickets and dynamic packages (flight + hotel packages) to increase significantly over the last five years.

The eDreams study included more than 2,500 participants from Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, the UK, and Germany that have acknowledged that their spending habits have changed since the start of the crisis. These changes are noticed even before the holidays: most said they prefer to spend less on clothes (25%) and technological devices (21%) throughout the year to be able to travel.

EU-Digest

US Economy - Sequestration effects: U.S. budget cuts ripple to travel, tech

The rustic, 316-room Cheyenne Mountain Resort hotel in Colorado Springs is usually booked solid this time of year, just days before a major national space conference rolls into town.

But business is off by about a third this season as NASA has withdrawn from the conference, one of many government agencies cutting spending to meet $85 billion in budget cuts that must be made by Sept. 30 known as "sequestration." "We're still taking reservations," said the Cheyenne Mountain Resort's general manager, Todd Felsen, who has 100 vacant rooms. "Last year at this time, we were over booked."

As the U.S. travel industry nears its summer upswing, airlines and hotels are joining other companies in warning about lost revenue due to federal budget cuts that started in March -- and fear they'll lose much more.

The travel industry offers a window into the domino effect of government cutbacks. Federal, state and local governments spent about $30 billion a year on travel in 2011, according to the U.S. Travel Association, and the effect of reduced travel on the movement of goods and people, business meetings, leisure industries and tax revenue is significant. The Federal Aviation Administration estimates that commercial aviation helps generate $1.3 trillion in annual economic activity in the United States.

U.S. budget officials could not say how much federal travel was being cut in the current fiscal year, but historical tallies provide a clue. In fiscal 2012, federal agencies cut travel spending by about $2 billion from fiscal 2010, a budget official told lawmakers in late February.

This week, Delta Air Lines and US Airways Group said reduced last-minute bookings by government workers cut their unit revenue in March, sparking a selloff in airline stocks.

Shares of F5 Networks Inc plunged 18 percent on Friday, after the network equipment maker partly blamed lower government sales for its profit warning - news that also pressured shares of rivals Juniper Networks Inc and Cisco Systems Inc..

Last month, Britain's Smiths Group Plc, an engineering concern whose products range from explosive detectors to surgical needles, warned of lower revenue due to U.S. government spending cuts.

Read more: Sequestration effects: U.S. budget cuts ripple to travel, tech

Hurricane Sandy grounds thousands of flights to US from Europe

Hurricane Sandy grounded thousands of flights in the U.S. northeast Monday and upended travel plans across the globe, stranding passengers from Hong Kong to Europe. The massive storm threatens to bring a near halt to air travel for at least two days in a key region for both domestic and international flights.

Major carriers such as American Airlines, United and Delta cancelled all flights into and out of three area airports in New York, the nation's busiest airspace. According to the flight-tracking service FlightAware, nearly 10,000 flights had been canceled for Monday and Tuesday, almost all related to the storm.

Delays rippled across the U.S., affecting travelers in cities such as San Francisco to Chicago. Disruptions spread to Europe and Asia, where airlines canceled or delayed flights to New York and Washington from cities that are major travel hubs including Amsterdam, London, Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

Read more: Hurricane Sandy grounds thousands of flights | Deseret News

The Associated Press: Travelers to US without visas or visa waivers required to register via the internet - by Eileen Sullivan

For the complete report from the AP click on this link

Travelers to US without visas or visa waivers required to register via the Internet

Travelers who don't need visas to enter the United States will be required to register on line with the U.S. government at least three days before they visit, a security regulation set to begin next year.Those needing to register will be travelers from the 27 countries whose citizens are not required to obtain visas for U.S. entry. The counties include those in most of western Europe as well as Andorra, Australia, Brunei, Japan, New Zealand and Singapore. Eight other countries — the Czech Republic, Hungary and South Korea among them — are expected to be admitted to the visa waiver program.

When the Homeland Security Department began discussing the online registration rule last year, European businesses worried that business travel could be impeded. NOTE EU-Digest: This will not only be the kiss of death for business travel to the US, but also work negatively on European tourist travel to US.