Hello, I'm Simon Calder, welcoming you to my independent travel podcast, bringing you the latest

news on travelling, whether you're just dreaming of a great escape, looking forward to one,

or actually, I hope, away and having the time of your life. Today, the 1st of August, is a monumental day for those

of us who love France, because as from today, the country has done away with all COVID restrictions.

Yes, regardless of your vaccination status, regardless of whether you've had a test, regardless

of where else you might have been, France says, we don't care, you're very welcome, come on in.

And of course, it's timed perfectly for the main holiday month in France.

I would strongly suggest that you consider a trip to Paris,

simply because when the Parisians are out of town, the tourists come out to play, and that is

extraordinarily good fun, I find. Now, the French government is warning of a possible emergency break.

That's a reintroduction of measures sometime in the next six months if a new variant

appears that, quote, is likely to constitute a serious health threat.

And you will also find that you're expected in some

circumstances to wear a mask. For example, Eurostar, which of course runs trains from London,

St. Pancras to Leal and to Paris, says for everyone's comfort, we recommend wearing a mask on board our trains and air

France tells passengers surgical masks without a valve are strongly recommended on board our aircraft

from the age of six well um the foreign office hasn't yet updated its travel advice to France to reflect the exchange,

but that doesn't matter because these are the rules very clearly set out by the Interior Ministry

and closely read by me and other people.

And it really is a significant move, particularly since there are still a number of countries which are dragging their heels and some of them actually going into reverse.

I'm slightly regretting my travel choices in August because in a couple of days' time I'm looking forward to going to Canada. I was there last

November actually on my way to the US and it's always a joy to be in Canada. But I think it is

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