The UK Foreign Office (FCDO) changed official travel advice which warned against “all travel” or “all but essential travel” to the majority of Israel.

Travel advisories have changed for key tourist destinations including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Eilat, the Dead Sea, Galilee and Haifa. Visitors are now only advised to check advice before they travel to these areas.

The FCDO still advises against all but essential travel to areas within some parts of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories including Gaza and the West Bank. It also advises against travel to areas within 500 metres of the border with Syria and Gaza.

FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the area between the Lebanon border and (but not including) Route 89 excluding Nahriyyah.

Travel advisories have been lifted after they were imposed 15 months ago in October 2023.

The updated advice says the frequency of rocket attacks has decreased significantly but warns that there is “increased risk of political tension” which could cause demonstrations and clashes around anniversaries of significant events.

“The Israeli government declared a state of emergency across the whole country on 7 October [2023] and this remains in place,” the FCDO says. It adds that international air and land borders could close at short notice and visitors should check the latest information before they travel.

Is it safe to travel to Egypt?

Escalating tensions in the region have left many concerned about travelling to neighbouring countries.

Despite lifting travel warnings for Israel, the FCDO still advises against visiting large areas of Egypt. This includes within 20km of the Egypt-Libya border – except for the town of El Salloum, where it advises against all but essential travel – and the North Sinai Governorate.

The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the northern part of the South Sinai Governorate, beyond the St Catherine-Nuweibaa road, except for the coastal areas along the west and east of the peninsula.

Its advice is the same for the Ismailiyah Governorate east of the Suez Canal, the Hala’ib Triangle, the Bir Tawil Trapezoid and the area west of the Nile Valley and Nile Delta regions, except for:

• Luxor, Qina, Aswan, Abu Simbel and the Valley of the Kings
• the Faiyum Governorate
• the coastal areas between the Nile Delta and Marsa Matruh
• the Marsa Matruh-Siwa road
• the oasis town of Siwa
• the Giza Governorate north-east of the Bahariya Oasis
• the road between Giza and Farafra (but FCDO advises against all but essential travel on the road between Bahariya and Siwa)
• Bahariya Oasis, Farafra, the White Desert and Black Desert

Is it safe to travel to Lebanon right now?

Lebanon lies to the north of Israel and shares a border. Despite a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanese Hizballah coming into force on 27 November, the FCDO says the security environment remains unpredictable.

It advises against all travel to Lebanon and urges Britons to leave by commercial means. Foreign offices in other European countries, including Ireland and France, have also advised against all travel to the country.

Is it safe to travel to Syria right now?

The FCDO advises against all travel to Syria due to “ongoing conflict and unpredictable security conditions”. It urges all British nationals to leave the country by any practical means.

The Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad fell in early December, bringing a shocking end to his family’s 50-year reign following an offensive by Islamist rebels.

Is it safe to travel to Jordan right now?

Jordan shares a border with Israel and the West Bank as well as with Syria.

The FCDO advises against all travel to within 3km of the border with Syria but borders remain open and most tourist destinations in Jordan have been unaffected by the instability.

Some flights to Amman and Aqaba airports have been affected so it is worth checking before you travel.

The world’s steepest cable car has just opened in Switzerland’s Bernese Alps.

Connecting the village of Stechelberg on the valley floor with Mürren, the track has a gradient of 159.4 per cent.

The journey takes just four minutes to climb 775 metres over a track nearly 1,194 metres in length.

The two cars hang from an 11-metre-long arm to cope with the steep incline and have space for up to 85 passengers. The route is fully autonomous, with constant monitoring by cameras and sensors allowing it to operate without staff on board.

The first car made its journey up the cableway on the evening of Friday 13 December at an official opening ceremony. It began welcoming regular passengers on Saturday 14 December.

Visit a mountaintop made famous by James Bond

The new cable car is part of the ‘Schilthornbahn 20XX’ project which involves building a new route made up of three sections. It will eventually run from Stechelberg and Mürren via Birg up to the Schilthorn, cutting the current journey time from 32 minutes to around 18 minutes.

The Swiss mountain’s ‘Piz Gloria’ restaurant was made famous by the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

This revolving restaurant is located at the peak of the Schilthorn and has 360-degree views of more than 200 other mountain peaks. If visibility is good, you can even see Montblanc.

Designed by Bernese architect Konrad Wolf, it claims to be the world’s first revolving restaurant.

Its name comes from Ian Fleming’s 1963 novel of the same name in which it is the mountain-top hideout of the villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld. The production team for the movie found the restaurant partially complete and contributed to finishing its construction in return for exclusive use for filming the 1969 movie.

A new cableway between Mürren and Birg also opened at the same time as the world’s steepest cable car. The final stretch from Birg to the Schilthorn is expected to open in March 2025 with the finalisation of the entire project in spring/summer 2026. This top section has been closed since mid-October because of the project.

As of 1 January 2025, Romania and Bulgaria will officially become full-time members of the Schengen Area, which allows free movement between member states for 450 million citizens.

The two countries have been members of the European Union (EU) since 2007, but as they were not part of the border-free area, travellers were still required to show passports upon entry.

Now, border controls for the two countries will be simplified.

Here’s what travellers to Romania and Bulgaria need to know about the changes.

Schengen membership: A milestone years in the making for Romania and Bulgaria

Back in 2011, the European Commission (EC) determined both eastern European countries were ready to become Shengen members.

Despite the pronouncement, neither were immediately granted entry into the group.

Fellow EU members, including Germany and France, denied their joint candidacy over governance and immigration issues, delaying their Schengen accession year after year. But the opposition gradually eased.

Last year, the Netherlands – one of the last two holdouts – lifted its veto, leaving Austria as the only country still in opposition. They lifted their veto in November, leaving the path free for Romania and Bulgaria to enter.

Despite Austria’s resistance to Romania and Bulgaria’s Schengen membership, the EC lifted air and sea checks earlier this year, signalling bigger changes to come.

Do you need a passport to enter Romania and Bulgaria?

When Romania and Bulgaria join the Schengen zone in the new year, it will be easier for travellers to visit the two countries. At least in principle.

Citizens of Schengen countries do not need to show their passports when flying between countries in the Schengen zone, although not always when travelling by road.

But while Romania and Bulgaria will be fully-fledged members, the EC isn’t ready to pull all border checks yet.

The EC anticipates maintaining checks at land borders between Hungary and Romania and between Romania and Bulgaria for “at least” six months to “prevent any serious threat to public policy and internal security” – a decision likely made to appease Austria.

This means if you are driving or arriving by train or bus into Romania and Bulgaria, you will still need to carry your passport.

Travellers arriving by air or sea from other Schengen countries will no longer have to show passports upon arrival, however.

Meaning, passengers on flights, cruises and ferries will not be subject to passport checks.

Which European countries can you enter without a passport?

Travellers without EU citizenship should remember that stays in Bulgaria and Romania count towards time spent in the Schengen zone, which cannot be longer than 90 total days within 180 days.

If a traveller spends 30 days in Bulgaria or Romania and enters another Schengen country such as Greece, for example, those 30 days will count toward the 90-day maximum stay in the Schengen Area.

Exceeding this limit can result in penalties, including fines or bans on re-entry.

How many countries are in the Schengen Zone?

The latest country to join the Schengen zone was Croatia in 2022.

Every year, 1.25 billion trips take place within this area and 3.5 million people cross the borders of its member countries every day.

Now, including Romania and Bulgaria, the Schengen zone comprises 29 states. 25 belong to the EU and four are associated states of the European Free Trade Association: Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

The Schengen Area was created in 1995 following the signing of the Schengen Agreement 10 years earlier between five member states of the European Economic Community: Germany, Belgium, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

Several other agreements followed until the 2007 enlargement, integrating nine additional countries into the free movement area.