As our team operates out of multiple countries within Europe, we’ve been keeping an eye on each country’s individual situation. Here are the latest news and updates on how each country and its ski resorts have been re-opening for summer 2020. For more up to date information, please refer to our latest article Ski Resorts Update: Winter 2020
Last update 07/09/20
Ski Resorts Update: Summer 2020
France
France has now reopened its borders and life is back to normal, the ‘new normal’ anyway. The UK government has imposed the 2-week quarantine again starting from the 15th August for anyone returning to the UK from France. France may also bring back in the 2-week quarantine to people arriving from the UK, but we have not heard any official government guidelines yet. We recommend watching the news regularly to stay up to date. Schools, cafes, restaurants, shops and leisure activities are all open and social distancing and increased sanitation are still advised, when out in public.
July 20th 2020 – Face masks are now obligatory for everyone over the age of 11 to wear in any indoor public space. The government states to use your initiative on this, but these spaces do include shops, banks, libraries, sports facilities, temporary structures such as marquees, and covered seating areas. This is a strict new government guideline, and you will be fined 135 euros for not wearing a mask.
Ski resorts are mostly open for summer skiing, biking and hiking as usual. Wearing a mask is compulsory from the queues and throughout the ski lift journey for people over 11 years old. There is no limit on the number of skiers on the glacier at the moment and hydro alcoholic gel is available at the start and finish of the lifts.
If you fancy some summer skiing on a glacier or working on your tan from the Panoramic sundeck, then keep an eye on the Tignes website for lift schedules more in resort news. Or alternatively, check out the glacier webcam in Val d’Isère to keep a closer eye on the snow conditions.
Are you keen to ski but don’t fancy travelling as far? Indoor and dry ski slopes have been allowed to open across the UK from July 15th.
Switzerland
From 28 September 2020, travellers who have visited the UK in the past 10 days will be required to quarantine for 10 days on entry to Switzerland, regardless of nationality. For the latest information please see the government website as this situation is ever-changing.
Schools, restaurants, shops, and leisure facilities are now all open in Switzerland. Due to their early lockdown, cases are falling rapidly with just over 300 active cases for the whole country.
Many of the ski resorts are open for summer, and business is returning to usual. Check out Verbier’s website for the latest in resort information. We absolutely love the Alps during the summer as there’s plenty of adventures to be had.
If you want an insight into the life of our Verbier Resort Manager, Tom Waddington, then check out his latest chat on ‘The Ski Instructor Podcast’ which they recorded right before lockdown. The rest of our Swiss team have been out climbing, swimming, hiking, biking and learning new skills via online classes. Many of our instructors stick around in Verbier all summer, so don’t hesitate to say hi if you’re in the area.
Austria
Austria was one of the first European countries to re-open after a very early and strict lockdown. Entry to Austria without the need for a COVID-19 test or quarantine is now possible from the UK. But please be prepared with relevant paperwork and potentially to have a COVID test on arrival if they deem it appropriate.
Austrian restaurants, cafes, bars, churches and some museums are also open, with similar rules on wearing face masks and social distancing. With just over 400 active cases across the country, travel and tourism are slowly starting to wake up and St Anton will be open for the summer season beginning on July 3rd 2020. St Anton plans to open for winter 20/21 on the 4th December.
If you’d like to find out more about which countries have opened their borders, to help you pick your next holiday destination, here’s a full list.
We’re On Hand to Help
Here at New Generation, we’ve been busy preparing for the future by ensuring our services are more flexible than ever. We want you to feel confident in booking your ski lessons with us and have some future travel to look forward to. If you’re thinking about booking, find out more about our new, flexible COVID terms.
Alternatively, if you’d like to chat, our typical support systems are still in place as always. If you have any questions or queries, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our experienced team. You can reach us via email at info@skinewgen.com or via phone at 01462 674 000. We are by the phone between 8:00-12:00 UK on Mon, Tue, Thu & Fri.
We’re looking forward to seeing you all again soon – bring on winter 20/21!
