Important information regarding Covid-19, Vaccinations, and Group Tours

The following information is current as of July 7, 2022.

All passengers participating in a 2022 group tour must be fully vaccinated as defined here and as per additional information provided below. For greater clarity, this means that proof of recovery from Covid is not deemed adequate - you must have received the full vaccine regimen. You will need to carry proof of vaccination with you at all times during the tour. 

Documentation requirements upon arrival in Europe will depend on your point of departure and point of entry and may include proof of vaccination, vaccination declaration, health declaration, negative test, Passenger Locator Form, or other. These requirements are continually changing - you should check the government websites of the destination countries 1-2 days prior to departure to confirm the requirements for your specific journey. Be sure to also check the same information for any other countries you will be visiting and/or transiting through in connection with your journey with us.

Protocols while on tour are also changing from time to time. Masking may be mandatory on the coach and/or at certain venues, or masking may be optional ... you will need to be prepared to travel in either circumstance. Other protocols may include temperature checks in the morning before boarding the coach (currently this practice has been discontinued), sanitizing of hands, and so forth. The coach staff will be employing regular cleaning inside the coach, and hand sanitizer and masks will be freely available for all passengers. These protocols may be altered at any time, without notice. 

Rules and protocols continue to change. This information will be updated as frequently as possible.​

We strongly encourage all passengers to remain up to date with provincial health recommendations, including receiving a booster shot as soon as you qualify for it, in order to meet the requirements in Europe as outlined below.

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2022 Dieppe 80th Anniversary Tour
August 13-21  |  France & Belgium

Approved vaccines for travel in Italy are:​

• Pfizer/BioNTech (Comirnaty)
• Moderna
• Johnson & Johnson
• AstraZeneca/Vaxzevria/Covishield

Prior to arrival in Europe guests must be fully vaccinated at least 14 days if vaccinated with one or more of two-dose vaccines listed above, or at least 28 days if vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson. All three countries recognize mixed vaccinations. In addition, France and Belgium require that you must have received a booster dose of an mRNA vaccine no later than nine months after receiving the last mandatory dose.

2022 Italian Campaign Tours
September 12-25  &  October 17-30  |  Italy

Approved vaccines for travel in Italy are:​

• Pfizer/BioNTech (Comirnaty)
• Moderna
• Johnson & Johnson
• AstraZeneca/Vaxzevria/Covishield

Prior to arrival in Europe guests must be fully vaccinated at least 14 days if vaccinated with one or more of two-dose vaccines listed above, or at least 28 days if vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson. Italy recognizes mixed vaccinations.

2022 Northwest Europe Fall Tour
October 2-13  |  France, Belgium, Netherlands

Approved vaccines which are common to all three countries on these tours are:​

• Pfizer/BioNTech (Comirnaty)
• Moderna
• Johnson & Johnson
• AstraZeneca/Vaxzevria/Covishield

Prior to arrival in Europe guests must be fully vaccinated at least 14 days if vaccinated with one or more of two-dose vaccines listed above, or at least 28 days if vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson. All three countries recognize mixed vaccinations. In addition, France and Belgium require that you must have received a booster dose of an mRNA vaccine no later than nine months after receiving the last mandatory dose.

2022 Armistice Tour
November 6-17  |  France, Belgium, United Kingdom

Approved vaccines which are common to all three countries on these tours are:​

• Pfizer/BioNTech (Comirnaty)
• Moderna
• Johnson & Johnson
• AstraZeneca/Vaxzevria/Covishield

Prior to arrival in Europe guests must be fully vaccinated at least 14 days if vaccinated with one or more of two-dose vaccines listed above, or at least 28 days if vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson. All three countries recognize mixed vaccinations. In addition, France and Belgium require that you must have received a booster dose of an mRNA vaccine no later than nine months after receiving the last mandatory dose.

TO BOARD A FLIGHT IN CANADA

1. Be ready at any point in your journey to show your official proof of vaccination
2. Make certain you received your final vaccine dose at least 14 calendar days prior to date of departure
3. Have no signs or symptoms of COVID-19
4. Follow public health advice, such as wearing a mask at all times during the flight

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RETURNING TO CANADA
You are required to use the ArriveCAN system. If using the mobile app, you should download the app onto your mobile phone / tablet prior to leaving Canada to avoid any downloading restrictions that might prevent installation when outside Canada (such difficulties have been reported).

Proof of vaccination, and proof of negative test, must be uploaded to the ArriveCAN system through either the mobile app (Apple|Android) or through the online portal. You must show your ArriveCAN receipt at airport check-in for flights bound for Canada, to border officials upon entry to Canada, and possibly at other points during your journey.

Currently, no testing is required prior to departure for our destination countries or for return to Canada from these countries.
If any testing requirements are reintroduced, they would be the responsibility of the guest to organise. Such tests which may be required as part of your journey may come at an additional cost, and such fees are not included in the price of your tour package. Note that if you are traveling to other countries before/after a Liberation Tours trip, your testing requirements may be different. Be sure to check the government websites of the countries involved in your overall journey to confirm the requirements.
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IMPORTANT

Liberation Tours strongly recommends you obtain adequate travel insurance. 

Unexpected events can happen when you travel, like an accident or illness during your trip (such as Covid-19), which can bring additional personal risks and costs. If you test positive for Covid-19 while in destination, and you are required to pay for a quarantine hotel room, food, a change of airline ticket, etc, you will want to have appropriate insurance to cover these additional expenses, where possible. As well, last-minute changes to a tour can occur if Covid-19 related events force a change to the status of borders, air travel and more. Furthermore, if testing is required immediately prior to departure for Europe, and you happen to test positive, you will want to have whatever cancellation insurance might be available in order to protect your investment. 

We offer insurance through Manulife Global Travel Insurance, or you can choose to buy travel insurance from another provider. Be sure you are covered for the complete dates of your travel and ensure you have correct and adequate coverage, especially for Covid-related circumstances which may include but are not limited to:

• testing positive before your trip and having to cancel your trip because now you cannot fly
• extra costs for accommodations / meals / etc because you test positive in-destination and are required to leave the trip for a period of days, and possibly go into quarantine (these costs are not part of your tour package)
• possible fees associated with changing travel bookings (train, airline) to get home on a different date and/or route
• travel costs to catch up with and resume the tour

Ideally, you should have insurance coverage in place no later than the final payment date of your tour package. 
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Each traveller is personally responsible for ensuring they ultimately meet all Visa and Covid requirements for countries to which they are travelling or transiting through. 

Liberation Tours, in conjunction with our travel partners, provides the foregoing information on a guidance basis only, to assist you in understanding what requirements you may need to meet. These guidelines are not exhaustive. For example, entry requirements to France, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands or the United Kingdom may vary depending on which country or countries you are departing from, visiting, or transiting through, as part of your overall trip in Europe. Be sure to check regularly, including just before you travel begins. As always, we are available to help, but the final responsibility for meeting requirements lies with the traveller and you acknowledge that entry to a destination country could be denied even if you meet all requirements. 

We strongly recommend bringing both paper and digital copies of your proof of vaccination.

Here are online resources to help you determine your eligibility:

• France: https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/coming-to-france/coronavirus-advice-for-foreign-nationals-in-france/
• Belgium: https://www.info-coronavirus.be/en/travels/
• Netherlands: https://www.government.nl/topics/coronavirus-covid-19/visiting-the-netherlands-from-abroad/requirements-for-proof-of-vaccination

You may also find these additional resources helpful:

• https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/world.php 
• https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/ 

The Government of Canada continues to publish regular travel advisories for the destination countries on this tour. Please read the latest information at https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories as well as the specific pages for France, Belgium and Netherlands.

As we navigate our way out of the Covid pandemic we continue to be faced with a fluid and ever-changing travel scene. Please keep yourself informed, and we look forward to traveling with you very soon!