Travel to Europe in 2022: What Will It Look Like?

So what will travel to Europe in 2022 look like?

Boy, do I wish I had a crystal ball.

But, unfortunately, it’s broken. 😉

If it was working, I think I could make a lot of money!!

In this post I want to offer up some thoughts, based on some reading I’ve been doing, on what I think travel will look like in 2022 for those of us going to Europe.

Of course, we know that in these most unpredictable times, things can change as quickly as you can say COVID.

But let me put my best educated guesses forward AND I’ll offer up some advice at the end.

Okay.

Let’s get this 2022 travel party started.

Vaccine passports

Let’s get this out of the way.

Vaccine passports are not new.

If you go to many countries in Africa or some Southeast Asian countries you will have to show proof of certain vaccinations (i.e., yellow fever, typhoid) to get into that particular country.

No vaccination, no entry!

So the idea of “vaccine passports” is not new.

And it is within a country’s rights to not allow someone in who is not vaccinated against any given disease.

After all, they are simply protecting their citizens.

So I do think we will continue to see many European countries require proof of COVID-19 vaccination in order to enter.

Now, they may allow unvaccinated travelers in with testing and quarantining.

Or they may not.

Switzerland doesn’t seem to be allowing anyone into their country who is not fully vaccinated. 

But unvaccinated travelers will most likely not be allowed into museums or sit indoors at a restaurant.

Of course, this will be country dependent and even region within a country dependent.

So travel to Europe in 2022 will be far easier for those who are vaccinated.

The other part of this is that you will need to have been vaccinated and have it be recent. 

For instance, the EU has just announced that a COVID-19 certificate is valid for travel nine months after the completion of the primary vaccination schedule. (A primary vaccination schedule for COVID-19 is currently composed in the EU of two shots of vaccines produced by Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca and Moderna or a single jab of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.)

If it has been 10 months (and you’ve not had a booster) then you would not be allowed to enter.

The verdict is still out on how long boosters will provide protection so stay tuned for that piece of the puzzle.

For now there isn’t a time limit on booster shots but I am sure that will change as the science comes out on how well the boosters are working.

The other piece of this — as I alluded to a few sentences ago — is that you may also need to show proof of vaccination in order to eat at an indoor restaurant or to enter a museum, theater or a site.

I had to show proof of vaccination to enter museums in Greece and to take a winery tour in Italy.

This will continue to be the norm.

The bottom line.

If you are vaccinated/boosted, then you should be good to go.

If you are not, then you may not be able to travel as easily or freely.

COVID testing and masking up

I also think there will continue to be some testing to enter some countries even if you are fully vaccinated.

Again, this will be country dependent. 

But because vaccinations are not 100% full proof against contracting COVID (although they are well proven to prevent you from getting severely ill), you may need to test before entering any given European country.

Travel to Europe in 2022 will continue to be a bit complicated and complex.

So be prepared to have a COVID test or 2.

And yes, I do think the US will continue to mandate testing prior to entering its borders — even for its citizens who are fully vaccinated/boosted.

If you are not vaccinated you will definitely need to show proof of a negative test to enter a country if that country decides to allow unvaccinated travelers in. 

There could be multiple tests as well as some quarantine time. 

I’ll say this again, vaccinated travelers will have less hoops to jump through. 

The other piece of this is that masks will remain a part of life at least for a while longer.

I know we get tired of wearing these but they do work.

If everyone masks up in grocery stores, on trains, in museums and when you first enter a hotel or restaurant, then we keep each other safe and healthy. 

It’s a simple, easy thing to do that really does go a long way.

I’m sure we will continue to see mask requirements in Europe for 2022.

Prices

Unfortunately I do think most prices will go up.

Hear me out as I think there are bargains out there.

Airfare

As of now, air to many European destinations is down a wee bit in the first quarter of the year — so off season travel.

Of course, we are all dealing with the omicron variant of COVID-19 so travel is exceptionally tricky right now.

However, come March you may want to consider a trip as things may begin to calm down a bit.

I think airfare will most likely rise, as it typically does, during the more popular spring and summer seasons.

I personally think it will be a bit higher than usual because of the loss of revenue the airlines have had over the past couple of years.

Plus I think the demand could be high.

Car rental 

Car hire has been one thing that has been expensive over the past year or so.

I think it will continue to be pricey.

The travel gods have certainly been against me on this current trip when it comes to car hire prices. 

Be prepared to pay if you are renting a car in Europe.

Accommodation 

I think accommodation prices will be a mixed bag.

I do think some hotels and B&B’s will increase prices a bit because of making up for losses and there could be some pent up demand.

On the other hand, there could be some competition so prices could stay affordable.

Bottom line, I personally think it will be easy enough to find accommodation to fit your budget as long as you are willing to do a bit of research — or have your travel planner do it for you.

Air travel 

Air travel will be chaotic.

We’ve seen a lot of cancellations, airlines dropping routes and adding new ones over the past few months.

Be prepared for the craziness to continue.

Also, mask mandates will most likely remain.

It will be interesting to see if any airlines decide to only allow vaccinated travelers to get on a plane or add testing for those who are not.

I always say that travel is a privilege, not a right.

So if an airline decides you can’t board a plane (or if they choose to kick you off a flight), it is within their right to do so if you are not following the rules. 

Again, it’s a privilege, not a right.

Crowds

I do think we’ll see travel to Europe in 2022 pick up so we’ll see more crowds in some of our usual places.

Of course, this will depend on any new variants that may come our way.

I think some folks are still taking a wait and see approach to travel in Europe in 2022.

But I think it will pick up in late spring and into summer and probably into early autumn.

However, I don’t think we will see pre-pandemic crowds just yet. 

My personal opinion is we’ll see that come 2023 or 2024.

So 2022 may be a good year to take that European trip.

Sustainable travel

One thing the pandemic has brought to light as well as all the crazy weather events, is a need for sustainable, eco friendly travel.

I think we will see more people being more conscientious of their choices as they travel to Europe in 2022.

I know for me personally, it is a travel resolution for the new year. 

So travel to Europe in 2022 for me will have me thinking about my carbon footprint more and hopefully, making the appropriate choices. 

One thing that is good about travel in Europe is that it can be easy to find ways to be kinder to Mother Earth. 

Train and bus travel, more eco-friendly cars and more emphasis on buying local are a few aspects that come to mind that can help travel in a more environmentally friendly way.

Bucket list / splurging / unique experiences / transformative experiences

Okay.

This is a few tied into one but it feels like they are all so interconnected so let’s just roll with it.

One trend I see for travel to Europe in 2022 is for travelers to splurge a bit and tick some items off their bucket lists.

Let’s face it, COVID has made us all realize how precious life is and how short it can seem.

So I think many of us are going to willingly spend a bit more, especially for those “once in a lifetime” trips or experiences within a trip.

Think something like staying in a castle for a couple of nights or using a driver guide to take you around Ireland versus driving yourself. 

It might be something like seeing the northern lights in Norway or Iceland (me, me!!) or staying in a villa in Italy with a personal chef. 

Or it might be something that involves learning something new such as learning Spanish in Madrid or learning about Roman history in Rome. 

The pandemic has definitely changed us and our approach to travel.

EES and ETIAS 

I wrote about these in this post. 

But let me put a bit about what these are here because both will affect travel to Europe in 2022.

Let’s start with the EES — the Entry-Exit System.

I started to see this on my trip this year.

The EES basically takes away getting that stamp in your passport and uses electronic passport scanners and biometrics (facial recognition) to ‘stamp’ your passport.

While these have been implemented in recent months, the addition is that this sophisticated new system will also calculate how long you can stay in the EU.

Remember: if you are entering the Schengen zone you can only stay for 90 days within a 180 day period.  

It’s pretty slick and can be much quicker than the border guards stamping your passport. 

And it’s a way for the EU to simply tighten its security because if you have been flagged for immigration offenses, then this system will know. 

The second piece of this tip for traveling to Europe is the ETIAS — the European Travel Information and Authorization System.

And this may be the more important one because it is going to be one more small hoop to jump through as you travel to Europe in 2022.

So what is ETIAS?

This is something non-EU citizens — including Americans, Australians, Brits and other travellers from outside the Schengen zone — will need to have starting sometime in the first half of 2022, although COVID could delay it a bit.

Basically this is an online application you need to fill out and it has a fee of €7. 

In other words, it’s a kind of visa.

The application requires your passport information, travel details and some security questions.

Again, this is just another measure the EU is taking to protect its borders. 

It’s a good idea to fill this out about 72 hours prior to your travels.

So be on the lookout for this in 2022.

My guess is when you book your air, you’ll see a link to this once it is implemented.

Patience

I entitled this section on travel to Europe in 2022 patience because it’s something you will have to pack.

Lines. 

Waiting. 

Things taking longer.

The travel and hospitality industries have been hit hard by the COVID pandemic.

And many workers quit or were let go because there was no work.

Many hotels, restaurants, pubs, tour companies, airports aren’t at full staff yet.

Who knows if they ever will be.

So there will be more lines.

More waiting.

More time.

Pack your patience and your good humor and you’ll be fine.

Just be sure you allow more time for everything.

From getting through a security line at an airport to getting your food at a restaurant to checking into a hotel.

One plus is the EES I mentioned above as it should help to get through customs in any given European country a bit faster.

Flexibility

Because COVID doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon, flexibility will still be important as you travel to Europe in 2022.

It’s still possible you may have to quarantine.

It’s still possible a country you are visiting might lock down — at least to some degree.

And it’s still possible you may test positive for COVID and lose out on some of your trip. 

The other side of this is that airlines, hotels, tour companies, etc, will continue to be somewhat flexible with cancellations.

I want to stress the “somewhat” part because airlines are already backing off of giving full refunds. 

So be sure to read the fine print when it comes to booking anything and everything.

Do what is best for you.

And buy insurance — and read the fine print for that too!

So what does all this mean for travel to Europe in 2022 for you?

I firmly believe that each person has to make that choice as to whether he/she will travel to Europe in 2022.

There are still a lot of hoops to jump through. 

And at the time of this writing, omicron is raging through Europe and the USA.

So it may be difficult to make a decision at this moment. 

However, I remain optimistic about travel to Europe in 2022 — especially come spring.

I think we’ll be able to travel around Europe in spring and summer and — barring any major new COVID variants — on into autumn and winter. 

The first few months are possible but probably will be a bit more complicated. 

My best advice is to find some good websites to follow on the latest COVID Europe travel news. 

CNN Travel has done a good job of keeping up to date.

Just click on a country and find the article on the latest COVID travel info.

It’s a good place to start. 

I certainly plan to return to Europe in 2022 barring any major catastrophe.

While it is more complicated, for me it’s well worth it.

Of course, it is also my job!

It might be worth it for you.

But…

It’s your decision based on your individual situation.

Just get the most and latest information and trust your gut.

And if you are unsure or need help, then hire a travel planner like yours truly.

Here’s to a better year for travel to Europe!

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.

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