Research conducted by the Royal Dutch Touring Club (ANWB) shows that the Netherlands is the number one summer destination for people in the Netherlands this year, beating out other popular countries such as Spain, Italy, and Greece.

Staycation plans for summer 2020

Areas that are proving particularly popular this summer include the Wadden islands, coastal regions, and the Veluwe national park. ACSI, Europe’s leading campsite specialist, says many people are opting for holidays at home because they feel they have to wear face masks if they travel, and don’t want to spend their whole holiday wearing a mask. 

However, ACSI does state that this is not necessarily true, as there are many countries in Europe where the coronavirus measures aren’t as strict as they are here. A spokesperson said: ”shopping at a Dutch supermarket is more dangerous than going on holiday in Europe."

RTLnieuws suggests Austria’s rise in popularity this year may be because there, there are fewer coronavirus measures in place. Terraces, museums, and shops are all open as usual. The few who did decide to book holidays to countries such as Italy and Spain have found many hotels and beaches empty, and in a change to a normal peak-time summer holiday, aren’t forced to fight to find a sunbed next to the hotel pool.

Campsites in Northern Europe are full

Anyone who was hoping to book a last-minute slot at a campsite here in the Netherlands, or in Germany or Northern France, might find their plans unsuccessful. ACSI says almost all campsites are very full, right through until the end of the summer, and instead advises looking to campsites in southern Europe where most are only 30 percent full. 

Pierre Martens, who owns the campsite de Paal in Gelderland, confirms his site is much busier than last year, where it on average ran at about 80 percent full. This summer, it is completely full for the whole season. Eric van Damme, from beach-campsite Groede in Zeeland, says he thinks many people are happy to have the opportunity to discover new places right here in the Netherlands this year, and are making the most of their summer staycations. 

Government advise on travelling

So perhaps plans for a holiday here in the Netherlands, or in Germany or France, aren’t going to go ahead as hoped. What about a trip to Southern Europe? ACSI suggests turning to Spain or Italy for a guaranteed spot on a campsite, but where can you actually go?

In Spain, travel to the Segrià region in Catalonia and the coastal strip of La Mariña-Lugo in Galicia is still not recommended, as both regions are classified as orange which means only necessary trips are favoured. As for Portugal, the area around the city of Lisbon is still said to contain a local outbreak of the virus, and so travel to that region is also discouraged.

Countries where travel continues to not be recommended are Sweden and Romania, and trips to anywhere outside of Europe are also advised against. Upon return from any of these regions or countries, the government urgently advises you to quarantine for 14 days. 

Even though many people may not be travelling very far this summer, the ANWB still warns against being on the roads Friday, July 17, as they're expecting traffic jams across the country as people get away after all schools across the country officially break for summer holidays.