American tourists? Germany says "Nein!"
After months of closed borders due to coronavirus, some countries around the world are starting to open up for tourism. Unfortunately for Americans, that doesn't include U.S. citizens in most places.
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Many European countries are still off-limits to Americans — and that includes Germany. Reuters is reporting Germany has extended a travel warning for 160 non-European countries until at least the end of August advising citizens not to travel.
Beginning mid-June, Germany will welcome travelers restriction-free from other European Union countries. Travel restrictions will be lifted for Britain, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland as well.
Related: Complete guide to Europe reopening
Much of Germany has begun to lift internal restrictions. Hotels reopened with new safety measures. Tourist attractions such as museums, galleries, parks, bus and boat tours have resumed. Concerts and movie screenings up to 200 people are also permitted with movie theaters slated to fully reopen June 30. Many attractions are now offering visitors selected time slots and the ability purchase tickets online. The latest business sector allowed to reopen was restaurants, bars and pubs, but only from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
However, Germany has taken other precautions to prevent a surge of people gathering and spreading the virus. Oktoberfest, a staple event in late September, has already been canceled.
Related: When will international travel return? A country-by-country guide to coronavirus recovery
Germany has had more than 187,000 cases of coronavirus and 8,851 deaths as of June 12.
The EU is also set to permit foreign travel again on July 1, but again that doesn't apply to Americans. In an unprecedented move, the EU shut its borders to all foreign travelers in March in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been hesitant to follow behind other European countries like hard-hit Italy that recently lifted restrictions and is allowing more tourists.
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas in a statement said, "We cannot and will not risk Germans being stranded all over the world again this summer or holiday-makers returning to Germany with the virus undetected.”
Related: Greece opens to some tourists
EU countries are required to have a system in place to monitor the spread of coronavirus from travelers, large testing capacity, a health care system that can meet any surge in population and contact tracing. Countries with high rates of infection (like the U.S.) won’t be in the first wave of visitors as the E.U. is developing a criteria to determine who is allowed to enter.
As more countries look to reopen, the idea of so-called 'travel bubbles' are being embraced in countries around the world. These are zones between countries believed to have controlled the spread of COVID-19. They go by different names, including air bridges, sky bridges, green lanes and green zones. They allow travel — essential or otherwise — without long quarantines between citizens of countries who have flattened the curve of coronavirus infection and appear to have the outbreak under control.
In-depth: What are travel bubbles?
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have already formed the “Baltic bubble” that permits their citizens to move freely between the countries.
Austria is reopening its borders with Germany, the Czech Republic and Switzerland. But it's still not allowing free movement of citizens from hard-hit Italy.
The opening of international borders will be a slow process as boxes are checked off the pandemic recovery list. In the meantime, you might want to check out our state-by-state guide to where you can travel domestically.
Related: A country-by-country guide to Caribbean reopening
The United States has had more than 2 million confirmed cases of coronavirus out of the 7 million worldwide.
Additional reporting by Clint Henderson.
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Rewards Rate
10X | Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
5X | 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. |
2X | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day |
Intro Offer
Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel75,000 bonus milesAnnual Fee
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Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X card is one of the best all-round travel credit cards ever launched. Not only is it offering a tremendous welcome bonus, but cardholders can earn tons of miles on everyday spending and receive a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus to boot. Its annual fee is $395, but cardholders can count on up to $300 in statement credits toward travel booked through Capital One Travel each year and other valuable benefits like access to Priority Pass lounges and Capital One’s own growing family of airport lounges.Pros
- Excellent welcome offer worth 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.
- Up to $300 in annual travel statement credits toward bookings make through Capital One Travel.
- 10,000 bonus miles (worth $100 toward travel) each account anniversary.
Cons
- The $395 annual fee might be expensive for some, but this card’s benefits provide much more value than that.
- If you don’t travel frequently, this might not be the best card for you.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive up to $300 back annually as statement credits for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Named editors' choice for "Best New Credit Card of 2021" by The Points Guy
- Earn 10 miles per dollar when you book on Turo, the world's largest car sharing marketplace, through May 16, 2023