Important information regarding Covid-19, Vaccinations, and Group Tours
The following information is current as of:
November 16, 2021
2022 Northwest Europe Spring & Fall Tours
(April 23 - May 7, and October 2-13)
All passengers participating in a 2022 group tour must be fully vaccinated. Masking is mandatory at all times while on the coach. Documentation requirements upon arrival in Europe will depend on your point of departure and point of entry, and may include proof of vaccination, a negative test, a health declaration, a vaccination declaration, a Passenger Locator Form, or other. Approved vaccines which are common to all three countries on these tours are:
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. The Netherlands recognizes mixed vaccinations. Belgium and France are yet to be confirmed.
For your return to Canada, travelers must provide proof of a negative molecular test (ie. PCR test) taken within 72 hours of the scheduled departure time of your final flight to Canada. Liberation Tours will endeavor to assist with scheduling the necessary pre-return tests and uploading the required documentation, and this will be done with as little impact as possible to your experience. Keep in mind that guests are returning home on various dates, no necessarily all on the same date, and thus the date and time that is most suitable for your test may require that you organize it on your own. We will, of course, assist as best we can.
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.
Any testing that is required pre-tour will be the responsibility of the guest to organise, as these requirements will be in accordance with airline policies and/or the entry requirements of the destination you are travelling to. Any testing required post-tour will again be the responsibility of the guest to organise. Any Covid 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.
_____________________
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. 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. Again, you will want to have proper, adequate travel insurance to cover as many of these unforeseen circumstances as possible.
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 the appropriate level of coverage, including but not limited to Trip Delay, Trip Interruption, Emergency Evacuation/Repatriation, Emergency Out-of-Country Medical, etc. (Some insurance policies also offer 'Cancel For Any Reason' coverage.) Be sure your coverages include claims arising due to the pandemic/Covid. Ideally, you should have insurance coverage in place no later than the final payment date of your tour package.
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 or Netherlands will vary depending on which country or countries you are departing from, or visiting, immediately prior to your arrival in Europe. 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. Check the health requirements and additional entry documentation on the government websites for each of the countries you are travelling to and from, and transferring through. Be sure to check regularly, including just before you travel.
We strongly recommend bringing both paper and digital copies of your proof of vaccination. (If you wish, Liberation Tours can assist you with carrying a digital copy of your vaccination, in a highly secure, encrypted format.)
Here are online resources to help you determine your eligibility:
You may also find these additional resources helpful:
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!
- Pfizer/BioNTech (Comirnaty)
- Moderna
- Johnson & Johnson (Janssen)
- AstraZeneca/Oxford (Vaxzevria)
- AstraZeneca/Serum Institute of India (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. The Netherlands recognizes mixed vaccinations. Belgium and France are yet to be confirmed.
For your return to Canada, travelers must provide proof of a negative molecular test (ie. PCR test) taken within 72 hours of the scheduled departure time of your final flight to Canada. Liberation Tours will endeavor to assist with scheduling the necessary pre-return tests and uploading the required documentation, and this will be done with as little impact as possible to your experience. Keep in mind that guests are returning home on various dates, no necessarily all on the same date, and thus the date and time that is most suitable for your test may require that you organize it on your own. We will, of course, assist as best we can.
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.
Any testing that is required pre-tour will be the responsibility of the guest to organise, as these requirements will be in accordance with airline policies and/or the entry requirements of the destination you are travelling to. Any testing required post-tour will again be the responsibility of the guest to organise. Any Covid 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.
_____________________
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. 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. Again, you will want to have proper, adequate travel insurance to cover as many of these unforeseen circumstances as possible.
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 the appropriate level of coverage, including but not limited to Trip Delay, Trip Interruption, Emergency Evacuation/Repatriation, Emergency Out-of-Country Medical, etc. (Some insurance policies also offer 'Cancel For Any Reason' coverage.) Be sure your coverages include claims arising due to the pandemic/Covid. Ideally, you should have insurance coverage in place no later than the final payment date of your tour package.
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 or Netherlands will vary depending on which country or countries you are departing from, or visiting, immediately prior to your arrival in Europe. 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. Check the health requirements and additional entry documentation on the government websites for each of the countries you are travelling to and from, and transferring through. Be sure to check regularly, including just before you travel.
We strongly recommend bringing both paper and digital copies of your proof of vaccination. (If you wish, Liberation Tours can assist you with carrying a digital copy of your vaccination, in a highly secure, encrypted format.)
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:
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!
