September 2020 and, despite the on-going Corona hiatus, the EU has just announced there will be no travel restrictions between member states during the 2020/21 season. Good news for skiers and snowboarders everywhere – so long as you’re from a nation still part of Europe. Riding thru Covid may be tricky this year.
Of course, this will likely result in very different conditions for riders from the UK what with the incoming shitparade that is Brexit and the end of the transition stage on 31st December 2020. No matter your views on our leaving the EU, things are about to become considerably more complex for UK travellers. Throw in the Corona debacle and supposed ‘travel corridors’ and it’s only going to get worse.
Regardless, on Friday Sept 25th the EU ruled that no member state will have the right bar or impose travel restrictions on any person from any other member state. So yes, this means an end to the PCR tests or risk of quarantine (either on visiting or return) for EU members.
The map above shows the proposed permitted travel movements between member states. Clearly, the UK is notable by its absence. There is a new colour grading system which means:
Countries and regions in the green zone:
Travel is authorized; these are areas where the circulation of the virus is currently low.
Countries and regions in the orange zone:
Travel is authorized but vigilance is recommended. Back from a country in the orange zone, quarantine and screening are recommended but not mandatory.
Countries and regions in the red zone:
Travel is not prohibited but it is strongly advised not to go there. Upon returning from a red zone, it will be strongly advised to quarantine for 14 days, and to do a PCR screening test.
Quite what happens with the UK remains to be seen – however at time of writing (early October 2020), things look very unlikely to change. It’s looking being a very long winter ahead. To see how things panned-out at the end of last season and closure through Coronavirus, watch the video below.
