On Friday (or Saturday?) I posted to my Instagram stories that the European Union has officially banned all American travelers, and I got a lot of messages from all of you freaking out about it and asking tons of questions.
While heartbreaking, I can’t say that it is really a surprise given how poorly we’ve done with all things COVID-19 and the fact that we basically pretended it didn’t exist and was “fake news” for the first few months. Sometimes I think the United States is really just 50 individual countries because I personally think Massachusetts has done a pretty good job at getting control of the virus, but then I look at states like Florida and it’s just Face Palm City. I just don’t understand why people think it’s okay to party in large groups of strangers and not wear a mask…
But I digress.
So…the question my fellow American wanderlusters are asking themselves right now:
Where can Americans travel to right now?
There are actually quite a few, but a lot of them require proof of a negative covid test taken anywhere from ten days up to 72 hours prior to departure and some will even re-test you upon arrival.
I don’t know about you, but I’m not desperate enough to travel to have a blood test and/or a swab shoved up my nose into my brain both before and after going on my trip. That just seems like a horrible way to start a trip.
That being said, I am going to narrow the question down a bit and answer specifically:
Where can Americans travel to right now without needing a COVID-19 test?
Out of the seven listed here, I have only visited two…and it’s been awhile since those trips happened so pardon the few low quality pictures I was able to dig up. Someone should have told 18-21 year old Jenn that she would be a travel blogger someday and to up her photography game!
If you plan on visiting any of these countries, there are a few things you need to consider first:
- Are they only allowing tourists in via airplanes or can you get there by some other method? If wherever you’re going is only allowing tourists to arrive by plane, then make sure you can either get a direct flight or that wherever your layover is does not have restrictions.
- Look into their mask and social distancing policies that are currently in place. While you want to keep yourself and others safe, you also don’t want to risk getting a fine for something like not wearing a mask while out for a walk just because you didn’t do your homework.
- Depending on the time of vacation you are planning, make sure the things you want to do or see are actually open. Borders may be opening up, but a lot of tourist attractions are still closed.
Dominican Republic
As of July 1 Americans can visit the Dominican Republic with no testing requirement.
Maldives
Americans can begin visiting the Maldives on July 15, but you will need to fill out a health declaration form and have your temperature taken upon arrival.
Mexico
Mexico never really closed their borders to us, but hotels and resorts in popular tourist cities like Cancun and Cabo have finally started to open up.
Serbia
Serbia is as close to Europe as any of us will get for the time being (also shoutout to Glo from The Blog Abroad for letting me know about this one!). It is not part of the EU, but it borders Romania, Hungary, Bosnia, and Bulgaria. A quick Google search tells me that Serbia is known for a lot of things I’ve never heard of, including their plum brandy, a unique holiday called “Slava”, and Nikola Tesla (I have heard of him, I promise).
St. Maarten
Americans can begin visiting St. Maarten on July 1 with no testing requirement.
Tanzania
Americans can visit Tanzania, but you will have your temperature taken upon arrival and be asked to fill out a health questionnaire.
Turks & Caicos
Americans should be able to visit Turks & Caicos at the end of July. At this time, they have not announced that tourists will be tested upon arrival or that they will need to have a test prior to getting there. It should also be noted that the only way you can visit Turks & Caicos right now is if you arrive by plane as they have closed cruise ports through at least the fall.