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Travel post COVID
The world is still in the middle of a viral pandemic, yet, lock-downs are being lifted, businesses are re-opening and travel is gearing up to be booming. Some of us will be a little less ready to leave the house. Still, others are figuring out where to go and already have one foot out the door. Wherever you are in your future travel plans, there are some things you need to know for post COVID travel.
Getting started – A MUST first step!
First, the destination needs to be decided. In the United States of America, it is recommended to look at the CDC COVID-19 travel recommendations and the World health Organization (WHO). As of this writing, it is highly encouraged that Americans NOT travel internationally. Citizens in other countries may not be allowed to enter the United States either, depending on the country. If permitted to travel here, you will be expected to self-isolate for 14 days after arrival. Each country has their own governmental establishment regarding travel guidelines. Eventually, these restrictions will be lifted and international travel will freely resume. However, this may not happen for another year or so.
If you need some help with narrowing down where you want to go, feel free to use this FREE post COVID Destination planner! Enjoy!
Decide mode of transportation
Since many of us will most likely be vacationing closer to home this summer, road trips will probably make a huge come back. Make sure to have all the best snacks for your travels, being well nourished takes the stress out of driving. Check out my post entitled the Top 20 Road Trip Snacks for some great snack ideas! Yet, if travelling includes an airplane, this will definitely look different than it did just several months ago.
Travel by air changes
The first step, should you travel by air, is to read all the airline COVID-19 precautions. For most airlines, this includes mandated facial coverings, some will take temperatures before boarding (this is not a violation of personal rights, it is a community precaution during a global pandemic). It is important to continue understanding that facial coverings and physical distancing especially are to protect the community from any germs YOU may carry. #weareinthistogether – post COVID style.
Next, it would behoove you to refer to the TSA.gov website for the most current COVID-19 rules prior to your flight. As of this writing, here are the current TSA changes that were not present prior to COVID-19.
- travelers do not hand the TSA officer your boarding pass, follow their instructions to place on the boarding pass reader and hold it up for the agent to see
- separate the carry-on food and store in a plastic bag, then place in the bin for scanning (if the airport continues to use a bin)
- each passenger can bring a 12oz bottle of hand sanitizer in carry-on bags
- empty pockets including keys, wallet, cell phones, etc and place into carry-on bags as opposed to the plastic bins
Additional changes travelers will see during the screening process:
- physical distancing while standing in lines and between passengers and employees
- facial protection is mandated OR highly encouraged in airports (facial protection is not a violation of personal rights, it is a community precaution during a global pandemic – if you don’t believe me, please read this article written by scientists. This is bigger than us).
- all TSA officers are wearing gloves, masks and on occasions – plastic face shields
- TSA officers will change gloves after each pat down
- plastic shields will be present at all areas where face to face interactions occur at podiums and desk tops
- routine cleaning and disinfection is occurring
After it’s all said and done, yes, things will look different moving forward, but, this shouldn’t stop you from booking that flight and taking that much needed vacation!
Lodging
When booking lodging, take extra time to review the cancellation policy. As much as we hope no one falls ill, the reality is we are all at risk. Should you need to cancel your lodging, the things to know are:
- cancellation fees – how many days prior to arrival can you cancel and still get a full refund
- consider travel insurance – will it cover cancellations should someone in your party be positive for COVID-19
- should there be a surge and lodgings are ordered to cancel per governor orders, what is the refund policy?
- read the lodging COVID-19 mandates for their establishment – facial coverings, physical distancing, taking temperatures
Excursions
As of this writing, the United States of America is re-opening most business and entertainment establishments, but that doesn’t mean it is truly business as usual. When you book your excursion and buy your tickets, you will quickly learn the COVID-19 precautions for those specific places and events. Be sure to again read the fine print about refunds should cancellations be required. Travel insurance may be worth looking into since no one can predict falling ill.
Explore travel sites
Part of the travel planning process is exploring different travel sites to find best prices. Yet, we also use them to find the most interesting things to do. My post entitled Travel planning sites – The Top 5 will lead you to the common sites to help you decide on the when, where and additional COVID-19 precautions. I also love to use TripAdvisor as this is what lead me to many off-the beaten path restaurants and shops during my travels.
That’s a Wrap
The “new normal” of post COVID travel most likely includes spending more time on research of cancellation policies and being flexible and tolerant of specific companies’ COVID safety precautions.
Please leave me a comment and let me know what else you have run into with your recent travel experiences. Don’t forget to subscribe, as our next post will teach you how to become a travel blogger!
Looking for extra funds to spend on travel fun? Check out my post on Making Money with a Side Hustle – the Top 15.
