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ANDORRA
The ski resorts of Andorra are now open for locals, and it is hoped that international visitors will be welcomed from 1st February, however this will be subject to continued monitoring of the epidemiological situation. As we have more updates and a confirmed opening date for Grandvalira and Vallnord we'll be posting updates online and on our Facebook page. This page will be updated regularly with new information, however we also want to set out our policy when it comes to bookings and cancellations.
entry/testing:
Access to Andorra
Andorra requires a negative PCR or TMA test on arrival at your accommodation for those people staying for three nights or more.
The test must have been within 72 hours prior to arrival.
The test is required for everyone from age six years upwards.
Arriving Via Spain
Depending on your country of origin, you may need a negative PCR, LAMP, or TMR test to arrive via Spain, within 72 hours prior to arrival, which is the same requirement as Andorra.
Your negative test certificate must have your passport number on it.
You must complete a health declaration form online here within 48 hours before your flight. Once submitted you will receive a QR code to print or on their app, which you must have with you on arrival at the airport.
You cannot stay in Catalunya (Barcelona/Lleida/Reus/Girona) but you can arrive and transit through to Andorra.
Spain has some restrictions on who can enter until 19th January.
Arriving Via France
Depending on your country of origin, you may need a negative test to arrive via France, within 72 hours prior to arrival, which is the same requirement as Andorra.
Your negative test certificate must have your passport number on it.
France has some restrictions on who can enter until 6th January.
Open ski areas in Ötztal:
Sölden winter ski area
Hochoetz mountain lifts
Gries ski region
Niederthai ski area
Gurgl mountain lifts from 21.01.2021
Vent ski area from 25.01.2021
Planned opening of accommodations & gastronomy businesses: 25.01.2021
ski passes sold online to all skiers
entry/testing:
Austria is currently in lockdown and hotels and restaurants are closed, making touristic/leisure travel virtually impossible. Essential travel (e.g. for business that cannot be delayed) is still possible.
Quarantine rules are in effect, requiring travellers from most countries to self-quarantine upon arrival.
9 January: Flights from the UK and South Africa are not allowed to land in Austria until 24 January.
8 December: From 19 December 2020, if you are travelling from a risk area, you will have to quarantine for 10 days upon arrival in Austria.
Current Rules (in effect from 19 December 2020)
Austria is currently in lockdown and hotels and restaurants are closed.
For Austrian citizens and residents of Austria, EU, UK, Switzerland, and safe countries, the following rules apply:
Quarantine Mandatory
A 10-day self-quarantine is mandatory when arriving from a risk area.
Exceptions I: Safe Countries
The only countries considered safe are Australia, Finland, Ireland, Iceland, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Uruguay, and the Vatican. When arriving from these countries (and if you have not been in any other countries in the last 10 days), you do not need to quarantine or show a negative COVID test.
updated: 04-01-2021
FRANCE
The French government will only permit ski resorts to reopen lifts if the COVID-19 situation by Jan. 20 allows for this, a minister said on Friday JAN 8.
“The government’s decision on Jan. 20 must by guided only by the situation of the epidemic,” French junior tourism minister Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne said on BFM television.
Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Thursday that restaurants in France would remain shuttered until at least mid-February and ski resorts might not open before the February holiday because the coronavirus was still spreading too fast and hospitals remained under severe pressure.
The chairman and chief executive of French ski resorts operator Companie des Alpes told BFM Business radio earlier on Friday that reopening ski resorts in February was a “life and death issue for some (sector) players”.
entry/testing:
no news
updated: 08-01-2021
ITALY
Italy postponed the reopening of its ski resorts on Saturday until later this month, after regional authorities asked for more time to meet coronavirus regulations. The ordinance signed on Saturday by Health Minister Roberto Speranza delays the reopening the country’s ski lifts and facilities until January 18.
The Italian government’s scientific technical committee, which advises on Covid-19 rules, had signaled “medium-high” risk of crowds, inside gondolas, as well as at lift lines and during après-ski.
Italian ski areas may be able to open from 18th January according to the country’s government. The country will be divided in to tiers according to virus infection rates. The ordinance signed on Saturday by Health Minister Roberto Speranza delays the reopening the country's ski lifts and facilities until January 18.
entry/testing:
no news
updated: 03-01-2021
SWITZERLAND
Solothurn has become the last Swiss canton to open its ski resorts, despite what it says is a worrying coronavirus situation.
Resorts in this north-western canton can operate as of Saturday, after its authorities granted the necessary permits. The canton had on December 21 rejected permit applications, but said on Friday that since all other cantons had opened their ski areas in the meantime, Solothurn ski lift operators would now also be able to operate.
These measures included the closing of all bars and restaurants, as well as sports and culture venues, until at least January 22nd.
But the least-affected cantons, where the R-rate remained below 1 for more than a week, could decide to ease the restrictions and keep their restaurants and other venues open.
At the time, the R-rate — a measure of the speed at which the disease is spreading — was just below 1 in the French- speaking part of Switzerland, so these cantons were exempt from following national rules.
However, the rate in Vaud, Neuchâtel and Valais has now exceeded 1, forcing the cantons to comply with the federal measures.
Ski areas remain open but restaurants in resorts and on slopes must close. Most sell food/drinks products though a window/counter.
entry/testing:
Normal entry requirements apply to persons entering Switzerland from Schengen states, EU member states, certain small European states and certain states outside Europe.
List of non high-risk countries
The normal entry requirements apply to any persons entering Switzerland directly from the following countries:
Schengen States:
Austria
Belgium
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Italy
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands [as of 15.01.2021 00:00, Switzerland will reintroduce the 10-day quarantine obligation for travellers from the Netherlands.]
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Sweden
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Around 1/3 to 1/2 of ski resorts are open, including all catalan ski resorts and Astun in the Pyrenees, plus Sierra Nevada.
Catalonia has a locals only policy between 10 and 17th of January, then back to Catalonia only conditions permitting. In general ski resorts allow only skiers from within the province.
Some ski areas in Norway have been selling out of limited availability tickets in advance at weekends and holidays with Voss saying the only way to get a lift pass after they sold out for a day was to book resort accommodation which comes with a lift ticket included (14 Jan).
Ski areas in Poland have said they will operate in defiance of a government order that they close (14 Jan).
Ski areas in Iceland have been allowed to open to adult skiers for the season (14 Jan).
There are (very) early signs that some of the ski areas in the Alps currently closed by their governments may try to stay open later in to spring if snow and pandemic conditions are good enough then. (11 January).
French resorts probably won’t open until at least mid-February, government announces. (8 Jan)