Travel to Europe could get a lot easier very soon. The European Council has recommended that EU members ease travel restrictions on passengers arriving from “third” countries, such as Canada and the U.S., starting March 1. Business Travel News Europe said the council recommends that member states allow non-essential travel for people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 or who have recovered from the virus.   To qualify as vaccinated, travellers must have had their last dose of their primary vaccination “at least 14 days and no more than 270 days before arrival or they have received a booster dose,” Read more

Porter Airlines’ service to Muskoka, Ontario, returns just in time for your summer plans. Flights begin June 24, 2022, and conclude September 6, 2022. Service between Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport and Muskoka Airport will operate twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays. Connecting flights are also available via Toronto from various Porter destinations. I had the pleasure of flying from Muskoka to Toronto a couple years ago and found it to be a great service; not only easy and convenient (beats the heck out of Highway 400) but beautiful. “We look forward to bringing our passengers back to Muskoka after Read more

Jim Byers Member, Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) Air Canada today announced an expansion of its North American network for summer 2022 as the carrier’s recovery from COVID accelerates. With the launch of new service on four transborder and three domestic routes, as well as the restoration of 41 North American routes, Air Canada will operate to 51 Canadian and 46 U.S airports this summer and offer customers the largest network and most travel options of any Canadian carrier. New services will be launching to the U.S. from Montreal to Atlanta and Detroit, Toronto to Salt Lake City, and Read more

By Jim Byers Member, Society of American Travel Writers (SATW)   There’s further evidence of a travel rebound in Canada and around the world. Air Canada today announced an expanded Summer 2022 international schedule with 34 routes relaunching across the Atlantic and Pacific. Starting next month, non-stop services will begin resuming from Toronto to Tel Aviv, Paris, Amsterdam, Vienna and Edinburgh, signs that recovery is well underway. Service from Montreal to Casablanca, Nice, Rome, Tel Aviv and Tokyo will also be resuming. From Vancouver, Air Canada will be offering service to Frankfurt, Dublin, and Zurich.   Air Canada is also relaunching Read more

By Jim Byers Member, Society of American Travel Writers Masks will no longer be required on Carnival Cruise Line ships starting March 1, putting Carnival in line with other major cruise lines. A news release issued by the company says masks will be recommended for guests but not required on board for sailings departing on and after March 1. “We have had a very successful restart of guest operations thanks to the support of our guests, the commitment of our shipboard team, and the effective protocols we have put in place,” Carnival president, Christine Duffy said in the release. “There Read more

Israel will begin allowing entry to all tourists, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated against COVID-19, starting March 1. Quoting a statement from the prime minister’s office said on Sunday, Global News and Reuters said entry into Israel will still require two PCR tests, one before flying in and one upon landing in Israel, the statement said. Right now, only COVID-19 vaccinated foreigners are allowed into the country. “We are seeing a constant decline in morbidity data, so it is time to gradually open up,” said Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.  “In order to maintain to public’s trust and ensure Read more