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Explained: What do Sweden’s new coronavirus travel guidelines mean for you?

Sweden has extended recommendations against non-essential foreign travel, but slightly eased its guidelines when it comes to travel within the country.

Explained: What do Sweden's new coronavirus travel guidelines mean for you?
Prime Minister Stefan Löfven and Foreign Minister Ann Linde. Photo: Pontus Lundahl/TT

Sweden has previously strongly urged people to think twice before travelling within the country, in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus and to avoid putting too much pressure on healthcare in rural regions. 

But on Wednesday, the Swedish government and Public Health Agency presented new guidelines for domestic travel, which allow for short journeys as long as certain conditions are met, for example:

  • the journey should not be longer than one to two hours by car from your home
  • recommendations such as avoiding direct social contact with elderly people and other groups at risk still apply, so the new guidelines do not mean short journeys to visit elderly relatives are now ok
  • recommendations not to take part in large social gatherings also still apply
  • your means of travel and accommodation should involve as little direct social contact as possible

In practice, the new recommendations mean that someone who commutes for work or who for example owns a summer house less than two hours away from home (which is not uncommon in Sweden) would be able to spend a weekend there without flouting official health advice as long as they are able to travel in a safe way.

However, Swedish ministers stressed that the new recommendations should not be taken as a sign that the coronavirus epidemic is over, and strongly urged people to keep following guidelines about social distancing. 

“Our country chose measures that we would be able to live with for a longer period. We have not closed down everything, but we will not yet be able to return to a normal situation,” said Prime Minister Stefan Löfven.

The new guidelines can be seen less as a radical change and more as a clarification of previous rules, which never outright banned non-essential domestic travel but did urge people to, in the words of the Public Health Agency, “consider whether trips to cities, skiing resorts, and other popular holiday spots are necessary at this time”.

A full lockdown including significant restrictions on freedom of movement such as a curfew, or a legal ban on travel within the country, would not be possible without making major changes to Swedish legislation.

Many countries in Europe, which imposed tougher restrictions on their people than Sweden did, have slowly started coming out of lockdown. But there was no other mention made on Wednesday of easing restrictions in Sweden, with current bans on large public events and social distancing rules for restaurants still in place.

“It's a long way to go to an 'exit',” said Public Health Agency director-general Johan Carlson. He added that most of the advice issued by health authorities would likely be in place over the summer, but that his agency would aim to present clear recommendations for the summer holidays by early June.

Sweden's Foreign Ministry also announced at Wednesday's press conference that it would extend its recommendation to avoid non-essential overseas trips until July 15th. Read more about that here.

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TRAVEL NEWS

What are the cheapest holiday destinations from Austria this summer?

If you are planning on a summer vacation, certain countries are cheaper than others, especially compared to Austria.

What are the cheapest holiday destinations from Austria this summer?

Travellers from Austria will enjoy the most affordable holidays in Eastern Europe and classic Mediterranean holiday destinations, according to calculations by Statistik Austria on the price levels of tourism products and services.

The calculations considered the purchasing power of people in Austria abroad for May 2024. 

“Inflation has reduced the holiday budgets of many people, but the most popular foreign destinations in summer, Italy and Croatia, still have a slightly lower price level than Austria”, Statistik Austria director Tobias Thomas said in a press release.

READ ALSO: Will my Austrian health insurance pay for medical expenses abroad?

He added: “The cheapest holiday destinations are Turkey and Bulgaria, where holidaymakers from Austria get almost twice as much for their money as in their own country.

“In Iceland, on the other hand, they have to dig deepest into their pockets: Tourist products and services, including overnight stays and restaurant visits, cost on average 51 percent more there than in Austria”.

Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean are the cheapest destinations

According to Statistik Austria, the purchasing power of €100 earned in Austria is significantly higher in Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean. In Bulgaria, it’s €187, in Romania, it’s €161, and in Hungary, it’s €149. For Mediterranean destinations, Turkey offers the best value at €198, followed by Portugal (€132), Greece (€126), Croatia (€124), Spain (€124), Cyprus (€115), and Italy (€109). 

Switzerland (€68) and countries in the north of Europe, such as Iceland (€66), Denmark (€76), and Norway (€76), continue to be the most expensive destinations by far. 

Most of the changes compared to the previous year were very small, except for Turkey and Poland. The recent strength of the zloty against the euro led to a 5 percent decline in purchasing power to €130 euros in Poland. 

In Turkey, a significant devaluation of the Turkish lira contrasts with even higher inflation, resulting in a 4 percent decline in the purchasing power of tourists, although it remains at a high level. 

READ ALSO: What are your rights if your trip is delayed or cancelled in Austria?

Overseas destinations

Differing developments in the euro exchange rates are causing changes in both directions for overseas destinations. 

For travellers to the United States, the equivalent value of €96 (May 2023: €95) in goods and services remains constant. Holidaymakers in Mexico are experiencing a loss of purchasing power (−7  percent; euro equivalent now €120 compared to €129 in the previous year) due to a stronger Mexican peso.

In Japan, on the other hand, low inflation coupled with a weak Japanese yen resulted in an increase of 14 percent to €129 (May 2023: €113). 

Holidays in Australia are still expensive, with €100 in Austria buying goods and services worth €82 (previous year: €83). In the UK, prices are close to Austrian ones, with €100 in Austria buying goods and services worth €102 there.

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