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Sweden scraps travel warning for four European countries

Sweden has lifted its advice against non-essential travel to four more countries as of July 30th, including Nordic neighbours Denmark and Norway.

Published: 29 July 2020 15:54 CEST

Sweden scraps travel warning for four European countries

Neighbouring Denmark is one of the countries where travel from Sweden gets a bit simpler from Thursday. Photo: Fredrik Hagen/NTB scanpix/TT

The other two countries were Switzerland and the Czech Republic.

The advice against non-essential travel was earlier this summer lifted for Belgium, France, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Croatia, Monaco, Luxembourg, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Switzerland, Hungary and the Vatican.

In mid-July Andorra, Germany and Poland were added to the list but the warning was reinstated for Switzerland.

The ministry's recommendations against non-essential travel to other countries in the EU, EEA and Schengen area, as well as the UK, were on Wednesday extended until August 12th.

For countries outside the EU, recommendations against non-essential trips remain in place until August 31st.

The foreign ministry's advice against non-essential travel is not a legally binding ban, but has other implications, for example that your travel insurance may not be valid if you disregard the advice.

The guidance has been in place since an early stage in the pandemic, due to global uncertainty and travel bans, so it relates to restrictions in place for travellers rather than being based on the spread of infection in the countries.

It's important to remember that individual countries may also have their own rules about entry from Sweden, and that these may change quickly.

Denmark and Norway for example both only allow entry for tourism purposes from certain Swedish regions based on the local infection rate.

Why is Norway tougher than Denmark on travel to Sweden?

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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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