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Update: What are the Covid rules on travelling between the UK and Germany?

Germany and the UK are both now in lockdown and have rules restricting travel. Here's what you need to know about travel between the two.

Update: What are the Covid rules on travelling between the UK and Germany?
A person arriving at the Heathrow International Airport in London. Photo: DPA

Travelling from Germany

All of the UK except Scotland is in a new lockdown, with the new restrictions in England having started on Thursday morning. The people of England are now confined to bubbles – like their “childcare bubble” and their “support bubble.”

People in a support bubble are allowed to have a sleepover but otherwise there is not too much fun to be had there these days. People are currently only allowed to leave the house if they have a specific reason for doing so.

Your can read up on all the rules HERE

Additionally, except in circumstances of a family emergency like a funeral, you are not allowed to stay in a hotel or guest house. You're also not allowed to stay at anyone else's house unless they are a member of your support bubble.

Should you want to go there nonetheless – and providing you have found someone to be part of your bubble – note that as of November 7th, there is a requirement for people travelling from Germany to go into quarantine.

The UK Government says that this is “based on the current assessment of COVID-19 risks” in Germany.

The official advice states: “If you are returning to the UK from Germany on or after 4am on November 7th, you will need to self-isolate on your return (unless you are exempt). Check the latest guidance for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.”

Previously the British government had created a “travel corridor” for Germany, meaning that people arriving in the UK did not have to self isolate or even undergo a test for the virus at the border.

SEE ALSO: Brits in EU risk losing UK bank accounts 'within weeks'

The German government warns that UK authorities will expect you to fill out an online form in which you have to divulge quite a lot of information about your travel plans, such as where you are staying and how you are planning on getting there.

This form must be filled out online before you arrive in the UK. Failure to do so may result in you paying a fine.

You can find the form HERE

Traveling from the UK to Germany

It is still possible to travel from the UK to Germany, with airlines running a limited schedule. But you should be aware that Germany considers the whole of the UK except for the Channel Isles, the Isle of Mann and some small overseas territories as risk areas.

That classification, which means that over 50 people per 100,000 have been infected with the virus in the past week, has implications for what you need to do when you arrive in Germany.

Either you go into quarantine for 14 days when you arrive, or you undergo a PCR test at the border and self-isolate for two days until your test results come in.  After that, you are free to leave the house.

But you should also be aware that there is currently a lockdown in place in Germany. This lockdown is not as stringent as the one in the UK, but it does prohibit overnight stays in hotels and guest houses for touristic purposes.

At the same time, there are no specific rules on how many people you can meet inside your own home or theirs. Germany does currently ban more than two households from meeting in public. Angela Merkel also appealed to people to “reduce contacts to the absolute minimum.”

READ MORE: UK, Switzerland and most of Austria placed on 'high risk' quarantine list 

Member comments

  1. This is not quite accurate. From 7th November the UK will remove Germany from its travel corridor. This means Travelers from Germany to the UK will indeed have to go into 14 days of quarantine on arrival. This info is on the gov.uk website.

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TRAVEL

Explore Austria: Mauer, a charming wine-hiking spot on Vienna’s outskirts

Catch the very tail-end of the wine season and autumn foliage in one of the lesser-explored corners of the Austrian capital: Mauer.

Explore Austria: Mauer, a charming wine-hiking spot on Vienna’s outskirts
Beautiful views and cosy taverns await you on the edge of Vienna. Photo: Catherine Edwards

Wine-hiking is an autumn must-do in Austria. There’s the official Wine Hiking Day (Weinwandertag) that usually draws in big crowds, but it’s also possible to follow the routes through beautiful scenery and wine taverns on your own.

Mauer in the southwest of Vienna is one of the routes that is mostly frequented by locals.


The footpath takes you through scenic vineyards. Photo: Catherine Edwards

You can reach this part of the 23rd district using Vienna’s public transport, and you have a few options. From the Hietzing station on the U4 line, you can take the tramline 60 or bus 56A. The former will take you either to Mauer’s central square or you can get off earlier at Franz-Asenbauer-Gasse to start the hike. If it’s too early in the day for wine just yet, you could start your day at the small and charming Designo cafe (Geßlgasse 6).

Otherwise, the residential area itself doesn’t have much to see, but keep an eye out as you wander between the taverns later — there are some beautiful buildings.

To start the hike, head west along Franz-Asenbauer Gasse, which will take you up into the vineyards, growing some red wine and Vienna’s specialty Gemischter Satz or ‘field blend’, which as the name suggests is a mixture of different types of grapes.

Photo: Catherine Edwards

The paved road takes a left turn, but the hiking route follows a smaller path further upwards. Here you’ll have magnificent views over the whole of Vienna.

If you stick to the official hiking route (see a map from Weinwandern here) you can keep the whole route under 5 kilometres. But more adventurous types don’t need to feel limited.

You can also follow the Stadtwanderweg 6 route (see a map here) either in full, which will add on a hefty 13 kilometres, or just in part, and venture further into the Mauerwald. If you do this, one spot to aim for is the Schießstätte, a former hunting lodge offering hearty Austrian meals.

EXPLORE AUSTRIA

In any case, you should definitely take a small detour to see the Wotrubakirche, an example of brutalist architecture from the mid-1970s built on a site that was used as a barracks during the Second World War.

Not far from the church is the Pappelteich, a small pond that is not only an important habitat for local flora and fauna, but a popular picnic spot for hikers. Its only water supply is from the rain, and due to climate change the pond has almost dried out in recent years, prompting the city to take action to boost its water supply by adding a permanent pipe.


The church is made up of over 150 concrete blocks. Photo: Catherine Edwards

What you really come to Mauer for, though, are the Heuriger or Viennese wine taverns. 

The most well-known is Edlmoser (Maurer Lange Gasse 123) which has previously been named as the best in Vienna. Note that it’s not open all year so check the website, but in 2021 it should be open between November 5th and 21st, and is also serving the goose that is a popular feature on Viennese menus this time of year.

Tip for translating Heuriger opening times: look for the word ausg’steckt, which is used by those taverns which aren’t open year round. They will also often show that they’re open by attaching a bunch of green twigs to the sign or front door.


Buschenschank Grausenburger. Photo: Catherine Edwards

Also worth visiting are cosy Buschenschank Grausenburger (Maurer Lange Gasse 101a), Heuriger Wiltschko (Wittgensteinstrasse 143 — located near the start of the hiking route, this is a good place to begin your tour) and Heuriger Fuchs-Steinklammer (Jesuitensteig 28).

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