5 Covid-19 safe destinations in Europe

Summer is around the corner. People are getting vaccinated while cases are going down. People have travel on the brain more than ever now. Countries within Europe are opening to each other slowly but surely; some countries have already opened up to third-country nationals.

While things are improving, Covid is still around. Therefore, it is still a good idea to choose places that you would consider Covid safe destinations. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the Slovak Tatras, which I feel are an excellent choice. Today, I’ll give you a quick summary of five more European destinations that I think can be Covid safe choices and why.

Estonia

I will let you in on a secret of mine. I prefer flat-out to ignore the Mediterranean sea in July or August. When my assigned holiday time was in August at my old job in Prague, I went to the Baltic states and Finland for two summers in a row instead of bothering with Croatia or Italy like everyone else. I much prefer going to the Mediterranean countries in Early June or September. I can’t stand it.

Estonia is also a wonderful country. It’s It is my favorite of the baltic states. I find it also a Covid friendly destination. Estonians are slightly aloof like their Finnish counterparts, so they don’t crowd around things. There are beautiful forests, lakes, and the seaside. Tallinn is a gem of a city with no shortage of things to do. There is also a lot to see outside of Tallinn as well.

Places to go: Tallinn, Parnu, Tartu, Rummu underwater prison, Kaali Meteorite Crater Field. If you want exciting advice for Estonia, you can check this guy’s Youtube videos. This guy has a lot of vlogs on Eastern Europe and Central Asia. He is a bit unorthodox, gets down into the nitty-gritty, and a bit obnoxious but rather refreshing and entertaining. His vlogs have been therapy for my lockdown blues.

For information on Covid restrictions in Estonia, please check here.

Slovenia

This is the most biased one on the list, but really Slovenia makes for a good Covid safe destination, in my opinion. Slovenia is 65% forested, in fact, the third most forested country in Europe. It is a country for nature lovers; if you are into hiking, kayaking, rafting, it is your choice. The country has several different wine regions throughout the country; in fact, it is one of the countries where the recently trending Orange wine originates. If you are a wino, it is also an excellent destination.

Slovenia is often overshadowed by its neighboring countries: Croatia, Austria, and Italy. A running joke is that it is ” Austria on food stamps. Their former Yugoslav brethren refer to them as the snobby Slavs as well. But Slovenia has a lot to offer. A Czech friend told me that she chose this place last year because her husband wanted beaches, while she wanted mountains. So if you fancy laying on your ass on the coast for several days, Slovenia has that. If you want to do a death march through the mountains, Slovenia has that. Ljubljana is also a cute city worth visiting.

Places to go: Ljubljana, Lake Bled, Bohinj, Soca Valley, Slovenian Rivera, Goriska Brda

To follow the situation with Slovenia, check this page

Armenia

Well. It is debatable if this destination counts as Europe, but I will go with it for this post. Armenia is a fantastic and under-looked country when it comes to tourism. Covid-19 and the recent escalations and reheated conflict with Azerbaijan have not helped. This, in my opinion, makes it a perfect time to visit. Budget airline Wizz Air just opened several routes to the capital Yerevan. The land border with Georgia should be open on the 1st of June.

Armenia has a lot of promising aspects in regards to tourism. It is a tiny country, but a lot of different regions. The hospitality is top as well. It is a very inexpensive and affordable destination, so if you are looking for great value, this is the place. But please, don’t arrive there and loudly make comments about the prices of things. It is very unappealing and tacky, especially when it from people from privileged countries.

Places to see: Yerevan, Lake Sevan, Syunik Province, Khor Virap, Dilijan national park, Noravank

For some exciting tips about Armenia, please check out this website, Absolute Armenia. It is run by a very talented and well-known travel blogger from Virginia and her Armenian friend. They have both made a great effort in promoting tourism to this beautiful country, so definitely check it out. They can give you much better insight.

Also , check on the current status of visiting Armenia

Greece

This EU/ Schengen state has been one of the most adamant towards opening the country for third-country citizens, which is understandable. Greece is a country that heavily relies on tourism. They receive a big chunk of tourists from North America and the Non-EU Balkan countries such as Serbia and Northern Macedonia. It is already open to vaccinated US citizens and many others. It has one of the lowest Covid-19 rates in Europe as of now. Hopefully, this stays. The government and tourism industry seems to have made some huge strides to make it a Covid-19 safe destination.

I’ll be honest. Of all the countries on this list, this is the one I’m probably the least knowledgeable about. My favorite part of Greece happens to be the mainland. I am not well-versed in the islands, but I really loved Thessaloniki and the Sithonia beaches. There is something for everyone in Greece. I hope to visit in September to see some things on my bucket list, such as Athens, Meteroa, and maybe even Crete. If you want to make things interesting, you can also try Corfu and combine it with an Albanian trip.

Things to do: Athens, Crete, Thesalonikki, Corfu, Mykonos,Sithonia

Check the entry requirement for Greece to be updated on what you need to enter the country.

Albania

I was going to pick a different country for my number 5, but after writing about Greece, I could not help but include its neighbor, Albania. Albania is a fantastic country for tourism. I think it is a good Covid-19 destination, as it is still a lesser-visited country. It’s no secret that I prefer to go later in the summer or early fall. Although if you must travel in July or August, you can avoid the crowds in Albania. You can have just as nice a holiday here as you can in Greece or Croatia.

Albania has been open the whole time. The restrictions are about the same as everywhere else, although I’m not sure how they are enforced. Their case count looks to be pretty low. Although, I am not sure how much of it is reported. You can still be pretty effective at social distancing there. Renting a car and doing a road is a recommended way. It is relatively inexpensive to rent a car. I did this in 2018.

Albania has lots to offer in the mountains and beaches. It also has an interesting and obscure history that I find fascinating. I would probably recommend Southern Albania for a summer holiday, although Tirana is an interesting capital city and Shkodra and the area around it. Northern Albania is good to pair with Kosovo and Montenegro. Southern Albania is good to pair with Greece. You can take the ferry relatively quickly from Corfu to Saranda.

Check the Albanian requirements, although this one of the five has stayed the most constant. But if the last 15 months have taught us anything, don’t be surprised.

Honorable mentions: Switzerland, Slovakia, Finland, Portugal, Georgia

So this is just a rough summary of what I think are good Covid-19 safe destinations; I am sure there are many other good choices. This list is a more generalized list of countries. So feel free to comment on places you think are Covid-19 safe. The cadet would like to hear from you!