3 Quick Tips for Planning Your Trip to Europe: The Dreaded Paperwork
I’m going to start a new monthly series of blog posts which I’m calling 3 quick tips for planning your trip to Europe.
In these short posts I want to offer up a few tips to help you plan your trip to Europe.
Each month I’ll cover a different piece of the planning process.
It might be around figuring out where to travel, choosing accommodation or handling money/credit cards as you travel.
For the first post in this series, let’s talk about the documents you need to travel to Europe — aka the dreaded paperwork.
I know it’s not a fun, exciting post, but it is a necessary one.
Especially in this time of COVID.
Let’s get started!
Your passport
One of the first things you need to do in planning your trip to Europe is to check the expiration date of your passport if you have one.
If you don’t have one, then the first thing you need to do is to apply for your passport.
After all, you can’t travel to Europe without a passport!
If you have under 6 months left on your current passport (from the time you will be returning to the States), then you need to renew it.
Many countries want you to have over at least 6 months remaining on your passport.
You can be denied entry if you don’t have that 6+ months left.
So get your passport if you don’t have one.
And if you do have one, check on that expiration date and get it renewed if need be.
COVID / vaccination requirements and restrictions
Planning your trip to Europe in these times of COVID means you need to check on the vaccination and testing requirements for the country or countries you are visiting.
Currently the EU (European Union) is looking to put a 9 month limit on the original vaccination shots.
If you are past the 9 month mark of being fully vaccinated (2nd shot for Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and the 1 shot for Johnson and Johnson), then you will need to have a booster shot.
So, for example, if you are planning a trip for April 2022 and your 2nd dose was given to you in April 2021 (like me) then you will need that booster shot.
And you will have to receive that booster 1 week or more before your travels.
There may still be testing requirements even if you are fully vaccinated.
Each country in Europe may be a little different so you’ll need to do some homework to ensure you are actually allowed into the country and so you know everything you need in the way of documentation.
Often a passenger locator form is also required.
This is for contact tracing purposes.
Typically the airline you book with will have some links to take you to the documents you need to have.
Trusted traveler programs
If you are not enrolled in Global Entry or TSA PreCheck then you might want to consider this.
TSA PreCheck allows you to skip the long lines at TSA screening and go through the “special” line.
You don’t have to take your shoes off or take your electronics (laptop, tablet) or liquids out of your bag!
TSA PreCheck is just good for US airports though, but it’s wonderful to have.
Global Entry expedites your entry back to the US when you have been to Europe (or any other international destination).
And, let me tell you, it’s a breeze!
You get to basically bypass passport control by simply going to a touchscreen and identifying yourself.
You take the little receipt that comes out to the customs and border patrol agent and off you go!
If you apply for Global Entry, you get TSA PreCheck with it.
Both of these programs are good for 5 years.
If you don’t want to do these, you may want to at least use the free Mobile Passport app which will get you through customs quicker at the major US airports.
Download the app before leaving on your trip and enter all the pertinent information which will include your return flight info.
When you return Stateside, simply scan your phone at the Mobile Passport express lane.
It’s not as fast as Global Entry but should be quicker than being in the regular line.
So planning your trip to Europe ahead of time will save you time when you return home.
Bonus tip
One aspect to planning your trip to Europe that will change probably later this year (2022) is that you will need a sort of visa called the ETIAS.
This stands for the European Travel Information and Authorization System.
This is something non-EU citizens — including Americans, Australians, Brits and other travelers from outside the Schengen zone — will need to have.
Basically this is an online application you need to fill out and it does has a fee of €7 or approximately $8.
The application requires your passport information, travel details and some security questions.
So be on the lookout for this in the coming months.
So there you have some tips for planning your trip to Europe
The documents are important even if it’s the “not so fun” side of travel.
It’s a necessary evil as the saying goes.
And now, in the time of COVID, it’s especially important as there is more paperwork to fill out.
If it all feels like too much, then simply hire a travel planner, like yours truly, to help plan your trip and take some of the worry and anxiety out of your planning.
Please note that Wander Your Way is only recommending international travel to those who are vaccinated and feel comfortable doing so. This is because travel to Europe is complicated.
If you do decide to travel internationally, please do your research or use a travel planning service such as Wander Your Way. Please stay up to date using official sources like the WHO and CDC.
I am continuing to write about incredible destinations and to offer tips on travel to Europe, so that you will find some solace in these posts — so you dream about travel and learn about places. And hopefully make that bucket list! This way when we can all fully travel again, you’ll be ready to go.
And if you are ready to go soon, please contact Lynne for any assistance you may need.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. This means I will earn a commission – at no extra cost to you — if you click on the link and purchase anything from these trusted companies. It helps Wander Your Way, a small business, stay in business. Thanks for your support!
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