Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Malta, Germany, the Czech Republic—so many countries in Europe have just opened or are about to. If you’re vaccinated, right now is a uniquely enjoyable and fun moment for experiencing these places without the usual tourist crowds and with a warm welcome from virtually everyone you meet. In this live Q&A, we talked about how to make your Europe trip easy and special.
You can watch the full Q&A above.
These were the over-arching takeaways:
- Covid-related logistics—such as testing requirements, flight schedule changes, hotel availability, car rental—are much easier to handle than you might imagine. Based on what Wendy’s hearing from travelers, logistics and service levels are much better in Europe than in the U.S. this summer so far. Of course, such logistics are hugely diminished, or eliminated entirely, if you use the right local fixer who has the knowledge and resources on the ground. Just ask your fellow travelers.
- Countries that are usually packed are experiencing a unique crowd-free moment.
- There is value to be had if you travel now. In Portugal, for example, prices have dropped for 2021, but not for 2022.
You can read about Billie’s experiences in Greece, France, and Spain this month here:
- What Athens Is Like Right Now
- Naxos is the Greek Island You’ve Been Looking For
- The Time to Go to the Greek Island of Paros is Now
- Paris Is Having a Moment. Don’t Miss It.
- The Wonderful Thing the Pandemic Revealed About Madrid
- 6 Things I Learned About Taking an International Flight to a Recently Reopened Country
As journalists, it’s our job to review and road-test trip designers—that’s how we curate The WOW List, and it’s how we make recommendations to you. You can reach out to the right local fixer for your needs by using Wendy’s WOW List of road-tested trip planners around the world. If you contact them this way, they’ll know you’re a VIP sent by Wendy, you’ll get all the benefits that come with that, and you can start your way to earning a WOW Moment from Wendy (a complimentary, exclusive, insider travel experience).
The travel specialists featured in our talk were:
•Portugal – Gonçalo Correia
Read reviews of Goncalo, and contact him through The WOW List to be marked as a VIP
•Switzerland – Nina Müller
Read reviews of Nina, and contact her through The WOW List to be marked as a VIP
•Malta – Damon Camilleri Allan
Read reviews of Damon, and contact him through The WOW List to be marked as a VIP
•Italy – Jennifer Virgilio
Read reviews of Jennifer, and contact her through The WOW List to be marked as a VIP
Covid-era travel intel and articles:
Many of you also had questions about other topics, and you can find answers in the following videos and articles, as well as in our special Covid-19 section of WendyPerrin.com where all this intel is collected.
- Where you Can Travel If You’re Vaccinated, No Pre-trip Testing Required
- How to Get a Quick Covid Test for Travel
- The Countries That Are Open to U.S. Travelers and What You’ll Find There
- Pandemic-Era Travel: Recent trip reviews from real travelers who have been overseas
- What Vaccinated Travelers Do and Do Not Need to Worry About
- Understanding Travel Insurance in the Covid Era
- Italy’s Reopening: What Travelers Can Expect
- Where to Travel in 2021: What’s open, what’s worth it
- Smarter Airline Travel in 2021: Best flights, seats, and fares
- All of our previous Q&A Zoom talks
Thanks again to all who joined us and to all of you who are watching now. Sign up for our newsletter for info on our next talk, and please share our videos and articles with a friend who loves travel. Together we can figure out how to do it as smartly, safely, and meaningfully as possible. —Wendy, Brook, Billie, and Kristine
Be a safer, smarter traveler: Sign up for Wendy’s weekly newsletter to stay in the know. And read real travelers’ reviews of Wendy’s WOW List and use it to plan your next trip.
