It's happening folks! Soon all of Europe will be completely open just like it was a few years ago. As the more wealthy countries jump on board this train that should have started years ago, other countries are following suit. It seems as though leaders are realizing the uselessness of the restrictions and are eliminating them in order to get life back to normal.
I have never been to Croatia but I applaud that they are joining in with their neighbors and other nations around the world in admitting that there is no point in having PCR tests and quarantine. I also applaud that they don't even check to see if people are vaccinated either. I have a sneaking suspicion that people are getting rid of the proof of vaccination because of the fact that this document is easily faked considering that there never was any universal standard for this document, nor was there any sort of centralized database for them.
I personally know a few people that simply photoshopped a certificate off the internet and took a chance at it being accepted when they traveled to various countries and was informed by most of them that the officials barely did more than a passing glance at the document. In a couple of instances these same people said the officials didn't even ask to see it even though at that time the country required that the officials do exactly that.
If you want to travel to Croatia, you do not need to be vaccinated, you will not be tested, and you will not be put into any sort of quarantine. There are still stories about how in crowded places that masks are recommended but there are no sentinels standing by to get you in trouble if you do not do so. This doesn't mean that I am advising people to not wear masks. I have a simple rule in my travels: If I am in an area and most of the locals have their masks on, I put mine on - When in Rome!
Like a lot of the surrounding countries, Croatia is one of the places that kind of gets overlooked as far as it being a vacation destination is concerned - including by me. Perhaps this was a mistake because from what I have read it has the same idyllic beaches and countryside that other nearby and more popular countries have, but at a fraction of the price.
I haven't been to Europe in many years but as the dominos continue to fall as far as travel requirements are concerned it might be about time that I change that. We are living in a unique time as far as travel is concerned and basically the entire world is less expensive to travel to than it was a few years ago. You can bet your bottom dollar that once we truly achieve normalcy again that these prices are going to go right back up.
So if you are in a position financially to travel right now, you should probably take a look at doing so as soon as possible. I don't think that there is any scenario that will exist in the rest of my life - barring another over-reaction to a disease - that will make the cost of travel as low as it is right now.
I applaud Croatia in this decision and am hopeful that the rest of Europe, and the world, that hasn't already done so will finally admit that there is no point in these restrictions and remove them as well.