Travel Briefs

France’s government announced a ban on outdoor heaters at restaurants, cafés and bars on July 27, citing their environmental impact. The order also includes a ban on restaurants keeping their doors open while using air-conditioning, another waste of energy.

A government official stated that the ban would not begin until after the winter of 2020-21 so that restaurants hurting during the COVID-19 pandemic can seat people outside with heat, to help those businesses recover.

On June 2, for a second time, the European Commission delayed the date for the implementation of the European Travel Information & Authorization System, or ETIAS (June ’20, pg. 4).

North Americans will need to apply for ETIAS authorization (and provide certain biographic information) before traveling to Europe. The starting date, originally delayed to mid-2021, has now been pushed back to “late 2022” due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A new high-speed rail route in Italy, from Turin (Torino) in the north to Reggio Calabria, located on the “toe” in the south, began operation on June 4. Previously, Reggio Calabria was serviced only by non-high-speed trains, and anyone traveling between the two points by rail had to switch trains in Rome.

The UK’s National Trust, an organization that works to preserve historical places and which owns many sites of interest in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, began opening some gardens and parklands to visitors in June. At press time, 135 parks and gardens had reopened to limited numbers of visitors. At each site, every visitor must book a visit in advance.

For a list of open sites and instructions on purchasing tickets, visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/how-to-book-your-visit-and-what-to-expect.

In Ferrara, northern Italy, more than 200 Jewish artifacts and documents from the Roman, Renaissance and modern periods are displayed at Museo Nazionale dell’Ebraismo Italiano e della Shoah (Via Piangipane 81; phone +39 0532 769137, www.meisweb.it/en).

Commemorating over 2,000 years of Jewish history and practice in Italy, up to the Shoah (Holocaust), the museum is housed in a former prison, near the Medieval Jewish ghetto, that housed Jews and political dissidents during WWII. Multimedia installations are included.

France’s original Lascaux cave, discovered in 1940 and famous for its prehistoric art, can be toured online. The virtual tour consists of detailed video of each of the cave’s nine sections. During the tour, the video can be paused, and each illustration on the wall can be viewed close up, with descriptions of what is depicted plus archaeological interpretations. Visit archeologie.culture.fr/lascaux/en/visit-cave.

An interactive world map showing COVID-19-related border restrictions for almost every country and territory has been created by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Visit www.iatatravelcentre.com/international-travel-document-news/1580226297.htm.

Clicking on a country will reveal the most up-to-date information on its travel restrictions, which can include COVID-19 testing, quarantining and entry bans on travelers from specific countries. This map does not include any information on future border openings, even if one has been scheduled.

Cruise lines around the world are updating their health and safety practices in preparation for a return to cruising during the COVID-19 pandemic. Common updates include new hand sanitizer and mask policies, changes in how food is served and increases in onboard medical staff.

A list of the new health protocols of many ocean and river cruise companies, with links to each cruise line’s health practices webpage, can be found at www.cruisecritic.com/news/5369.

The nation of Uzbekistan, which opened its borders to leisure travelers on July 1, announced that travelers who become infected with COVID-19 while visiting the country will be awarded $3,000 each. That amount is equivalent to the cost of COVID-19 medical care in Uzbekistan. In order to qualify, the visitor must be booked on a group tour operated by an Uzbek company.

Uzbekistan has reported one of the lowest rates of COVID-19 fatalities in the world, with only 19 deaths reported from a population of more than 33 million as of press time.

The Maldives, an archipelago country in the Indian Ocean, announced on May 28 that it would be opening its borders to leisure travelers on July 1, with a host of requirements for all incoming visitors, including purchasing a $100 visa on arrival and having proof of at least 14 days of lodging within the country (July ’20, pg. 5).