Can we travel Europe by train in 2021?
By Edward | Coronavirus , Uncategorized
Remember 2020? Back when we were all "well in 2021 I will be travelling Europe by train again"?
How are those plans looking?
In this post we are going to examine the outlook for European train travel in 2021.
We can't look into the future, but we can look at signs and describe tendencies.
- Half-arsed lockdowns across Europe have not dented the second wave of Covid, though they have probably prevented it from being even worse
- Mutated variants of the virus have emerged, making travel restrictions fashionable again.
On 21st January the leaders of the European Union met to discuss borders and travel. They agreed to the following recommendations to member states:
- The internal borders in the Schengen zone are to remain open
- Leisure travel is to be discouraged
- Only essential cross-border travel is to be allowed.
- No exemptions for those inoculated against Covid.
What has happened since then?
- Most EU countries have closed their borders
- Leisure travel is restricted to day trips at home
- Each country has its own definition of "essential"
- Some countries have opened their borders for those with Covid jabs.
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Here are 5 factors likely to affect 2021 European train travel:
Quarantines
Each European country has its own take on Covid risk areas, and its own set of rules on who has to do what entering from where. Furthermore, these rules change every few weeks. It is impossible to keep up with it.
This is a strong incentive to stay either in your own country, or to visit one particular country and stay put for longer.
Mutations
European politicians are scrambling to contain mutations of coronavirus, such as the British and the South African variants. As I write, the Tirol is under strict lockdown and nobody is allowed to leave unless they have a negative test. Meanwhile, in Britain most infections are now with the British variant.
This suggests that massive travel restrictions are still going to be with us in 2021.
Somewhere in winter Czechia (© Martin Pavlík)
Covid jabs
Covid vaccinations are being rolled out across the world. As more and more people have had their jab, they are going to start demanding back their unrestricted travel.
As the ranks of the vaccinated increase, we will almost certainly be looking at some form of...
Covid passports
You know they are going to happen because of all the politicians loudly rejecting them.
Countries that tend not to overthink ethical dilemmas, such as Poland and Georgia, have gone ahead. Anyone with proven Covid immunity can come to Poland or Georgia without going into quarantine. Come spring, the likes of France and Italy will follow.
Unless it turns out that the vaccines don't protect against the new variants of Covid, or that the vaccinated can still infect the un-vaccinated. Then we are back to square one.
Serious Facekit
If we do set off, we are still going to need our face-masks.
The rules about face-masks are likely to get stricter. Bavaria recently raised the bar and insists on FFP-2 masks on all public transport, while in the rest of Germany it has to be at least a medical mask. France, too, demands proper medical masks and not just a scarf or handkerchief.
Expect other countries to follow suit. Even Sweden now "recommends" face masks "during rush hour".
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4 ways to get your fix (now)
Embrace your own country
What's not to love?
If you seriously want to go on some train journeys, you may have to make do with your own country as restrictions ease.
Why not get out a map of your country and look at it with a fresh pair of eyes? Think: If I had to stay in England (or Belgium, or wherever) what would I like to see by train?
Explore local trains
Just get on the wrong train on purpose
Local trains are going to be key. I discussed this with Nicky Gardner at our webinar last year, and 2021, even more than 2020, is a year to discover local trains.
What is exciting about local trains is how much closer they are to the country they are passing through and the people they serve. I once went from Munich to Venice on local trains and the memory of it is vivid because of how quickly everything changed - the people, their language and their faces.
So how about going right now and finding yourself a local branch line to use, as soon as restrictions ease? Even a different line on the London Overground or the Berlin S-Bahn can be exciting.
Just get on the wrong train on purpose
Rural travel
Ferrovie del Sud Est railbus at Otranto
Avoiding crowds and big centres is still a thing. If you do manage to go abroad, consider one of the less hyped destinations, or somewhere completely unheard-of.
In their take on travel in 2021, the Economist pointed to fewer, but longer stays. Once in a particular country, there is much incentive to stay there because of quarantine rules.
So if you get to plan something, and want to do train stuff, find somewhere with a good station and a decent timetable.
Read Europe by Rail
This is the easiest and safest way to get your fix.
Though it covers 50 routes throughout Europe, Europe by Rail is very strong on local and rural travel. Nicky Gardner and Susanne Kries have found the most interesting and gratifying train journeys for almost every European country.
Why not wander over to my review of Europe by Rail and have a look?
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