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From the cobbled streets to the vintage cafes where you can enjoy all the home-baked bread and pastries you want without feeling bloated or gaining weight, to the medieval castles perched on hills that look as if they were sketched by Walt Disney himself – or rather, inspired the legend itself…
Europe is calling this summer, and if you’re like us, a helpless culture vulture with a penchant for the Old World, then shall answer.
However, before you go ahead and book these flights, if you haven’t already, there are a few things you should know. Good, five of them.
Whether this is your first time jumping across the pond, or you’re a repeat visitor, this is the case no more the Europe you may have become familiar with, whether in terms of safety or border rules. Just to be clear, a lot has changed, and we’re not saying this to deter you from visiting, but either you’ll be quick to catch up on the new rules or you could end up with a real travel headache upon arrival.
Don’t worry. If you don’t know me, hello, I’m Vini, Travel off the path‘s official Euro correspondent, and your favorite story weaver from Paris, and I’m here to guide you through it.
Beware of the new entry/exit system
We have to start with the big elephant in the room: the EES, or Entry/Exit System.
In case you haven’t been kept up to date Travel off the path You may not be aware that Europe has undergone a lot in recent months a major overhaul of border rules. In short: if you travel with a US passport, you do not have to undergo mandatory fingerprints and a facial scan upon arrival on the Old Continent.
This applies to every point of entry into the Schengen Zone, the (as of now) 29-nation customs union where internal passport controls do not apply… or they shouldn’t. But I’m getting ahead of myself here. 👀
If you have reservations about allowing foreign governments to access your biometric data, you may want to give (most of) Europe a miss from now on and try these 5 European countries where EES does not apply.
The ones that do not If you want to get digitally calculated, you’ll want to stick around to read issue two.
Prepare for massive delays at the border
Like any new border system, the EES is causing some truly massive, seriously disruptive delays. That’s because travelers must first register with the system, usually by submitting their biometric data at a ‘check-in kiosk’ upon arrival. for proceed to the actual passport control.
Each EES registration takes on average between 60 and 90 seconds depending on the European airport, and while this doesn’t sound like much, picture you land together with 1,000 other passengersat the same time, and through the same arrival hall.
It quickly turns into a living nightmare, especially if you have a very short connection, or if you have booked a train to your final destination that leaves shortly after landing.
From Lisbon to Paris and Milan, thousands of passengers have missed flights even after arriving at the airport three to four hours in advance, and EES is to blame.
Even if you are to leave in the EU, you have to ‘pay’ at an EES kiosk so they can actually keep track of how long you’ve been in Europe.
For those unfamiliar with the rules, Americans generally get 90 days out of a 180-day period, but rules be able to vary drastically between European countries. Before you fly, use our Entry Requirement Checker to stay informed of the current entry and residence rules at your destination.
You cannot enter Great Britain without this permit
Speaking of different regulations, if you’re planning to add Britain to your itinerary this summer, you should know that simply having a valid US passport is no longer enough.
They now require Americans to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) starting this year. The UK ETA is an online form that you complete, including your passport details and a security questionnaire.
The whole process might take just under 15 minutes, but you must pay a fee of £20 to obtain it (about $27, based on the current exchange rate).
Unless you get a UK ETA, you will no longer be able to travel to Britain, whether you enter by plane, come by train from France or take a ferry from mainland Europe.
UK ETAs are valid for 2 years, or until your current passport expires, whichever comes first, and you can visit Britain for 180 consecutive days on each entry.
Seamless travel may no longer be a thing
Back to mainland Europe, we’re sure you’ve heard the word ‘Schengen’ before.
We’ve already briefly referenced it, but assuming some people might really not know what this means, here’s the quick summary:
Schengen is a passport-free zone that currently includes 29 European countries (although it could officially be 30 countries next year). In practice, you only go through a passport control if you enter the zone from a non-Schengen country.
For example, on a flight from the United States to France. Once in France you can then travel to 26 other countries without undergo the same border control again. Whether you’re flying or just driving from one country to another, it feels as smooth as crossing American borders.
Or it should be.
Thanks to the latest waves of migration that have hit Europe and the rest of the world increasing security threatsmany European countries have now reintroduced border controls in the midst of himself.
I was genuinely surprised when I flew home from Austria last week, only to be directed to a newly installed border stand in Paris.
It’s not like this is a major inconvenience, especially for those of us who aren’t actually on the flight or dodging passport controls. Be that as it may, I still missed my shuttle as one of those long, winding lines quickly formed in Beauvais Airport’s tiny Schengen arrivals hall.
Last year we were also stopped by the police driving from Italy to France, while normally you can just cross the border. In shortmake sure you prepare for spot checks, And some Hold off if you’re traveling in Europe this summer, as they could be introduced with little to no warning.
Europe is no longer the security bubble it once was
Last but not least, there is the issue of safety.
You have probably been bombarded in recent years with horror stories from certain European countries, particularly France, the UK and Spain, about religious extremism, the rise of knife crime in urban centers and higher crime rates in general.
While cities like London, Paris and Barcelona continue to exist relatively safe, we wouldn’t be the first to let our guard down this summer, when tourist spots like Montmartre (in the French capital) or La Rambla (in the Spanish center) become much busier than usual.
Barcelona in particular currently scores a decent 75 out of 100 on the Traveler Safety Index, which indicates an average to high level of safety:
The general safety advice applies: stay alert in public spaces, never leave items unattended on the beach or on tabletops, no matter how peaceful it may feel, and avoid untouristy, crime-ridden neighborhoods far from the main off-limits areas.
If you are flying to another European country this summer, make sure you check the Travel Advice page in advance.
