Editor's Note: The COVID-19 policies and procedures listed below are up-to-date as of press time. However, we encourage all readers to head to each individual country’s governmental tourism website prior to travel to confirm the information regarding entry protocols.
Fully vaccinated U.S. travelers can now vacation in France without taking a COVID-19 pretest.
The enormously popular European destination added the U.S. to its list of green countries last month, allowing restriction-free access to Americans who can show proof they received both their Pfizer or Moderna shots at least two weeks prior to their departure.
U.S. travelers who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will need to wait at least four weeks after their dose, according the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs.
Anne-Laure Tuncer, the U.S. director for the French tourism development agency Atout France, said U.S. bookings surged earlier this spring as news spread about the destination’s June reopening.
“Air France was telling us in May they saw an increase in bookings for June, July and August, which was great news,” Tuncer said. “We're quite surprised by how quick American travelers want to return to France. That's why the June, July [and] August [bookings] were a very pleasant surprise.”
The U.S. is France’s largest long-haul source market, and a record-setting 4.7 million Americans visited the destination in 2019. Although the numbers won’t be anywhere near that high in 2021, the destination is “definitely expecting a comeback.”
Like other European destinations, Tuncer noted, France is seeing substantial demand for vacations during what has traditionally been the fall shoulder season.
“November has always been a slow month, and it will still be this year,” she said. “But we are expecting an increase in September, in October, and during the [winter] holiday season, too.”
France is also welcoming back non-vaccinated U.S. travelers, but those visitors — who are older than age 11 — will need to provide proof of a negative PCR or antigen test taken less than 72 hours before their flight, according to the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs.
The destination has also dropped its curfew, while both indoor and outdoor dining is once again available at restaurants and cafes, according to Tuncer. She also noted that cultural attractions and museums reopened in May with some capacity restrictions.
French tourism officials are encouraging reservations at popular attractions like the Louvre but say now is a good time to visit without the typical crowds.
Credit: 2021 Sarah Sergent/ Paris Tourist Office“If American travelers want to go to a very specific place — I'm talking about cultural sites, for instance — they should make sure they book in advance, just in case,” Tuncer suggested. “I would say, though, that this is the best time to go to the Louvre. It's not that crowded … It’s really a good time to visit France — not only for the cultural sites, but also [the] natural sites.”
Tuncer also praised two new and recently opened Paris attractions: the Bourse de Commerce contemporary art museum, and L’Hotel de la Marine, which housed France’s Navy ministry for more than 200 years. Vacationers set on climbing the Eiffel Tower will, however, need to wait for the iconic attraction’s July 16 reopening.
It’s really a good time to visit France — not only for the cultural sites, but also [the] natural sites.
Meanwhile, airlift connecting the U.S. to France has also rebounded nicely in recent weeks, with a new nonstop route to Paris debuting this month.
“Beginning in July and until October, American travelers from the Rockies will be able to travel on a direct Air France flight from Denver,” Tuncer said.
And U.S. travelers needing to complete COVID-19 testing before flying home shouldn’t have any trouble, according to Tuncer, who said vacationers can have the exams done at pharmacies throughout France and at the Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport.
“It will be easy,” she said. “The hotel can help recommend a place … But I would suggest that when they arrive, they locate a place where they’re able to do these tests.”
The Details
Atout France
French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs
