What you take away from this post-quarantine travel article may depend on your current health status, location, and travel restrictions going to your preferred destination and/or leaving/returning to your home destination. Please follow your national and local rules regarding COVID-19 and don’t make uninformed decisions.
Safety should be your primary concern before considering post-quarantine travel.
Although no trip is ever risk-free, this article is about minimizing COVID-related risks if you and your partner do decide to embark on a trip at this time. Just be warned that there is no way to travel with zero COVID-related risks until there is a vaccine (unless you have a private yacht).
As some countries continue to open their borders to tourism, it can be easy to find yourself dreaming of relaxing on the beach or visiting a famous city.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Again, being aware of the risks should be the first step before embarking on any post-quarantine travel. These 7 tips can help you identify your hesitations and minimize these fears and risks.
Safety first!
If you are also interested in tips for brainstorming and narrowing down your post-quarantine couples trip, check out this article as well.
1. Assess your comfort level with post-quarantine travel
Your trip won’t be any fun if you are stressed out the entire time.
So the first step is identifying where your comfort level is; what risks do you really feel comfortable taking?
Think about what you are going to be comfortable doing:
How are you going to respond to someone coughing at the airport?
Are you going to feel comfortable being around large groups of people?
Are you going to feel comfortable eating at a restaurant?
Are you going to feel comfortable sitting next to random people on an airplane?
Would you feel comfortable staying in a hotel or would you prefer a private AirBnB?
Be honest with yourself when answering these questions. If you really don’t feel comfortable with many of these scenarios, then you probably should postpone your travels for when you do feel more comfortable.
2. Pack a “Covid Bag”
In addition to your usual travel essentials, pack a bag with items specifically for minimizing the risks of contracting Covid.
This bag should include hand sanitizer, extra face masks, napkins, and antiseptic wipes. And maybe even some goggles if you want to be extra safe on public transportation and don’t mind looking like this:
3. Double check travel restrictions and don’t book ahead
This should go without saying, but make sure you can actually get off the plane and into your chosen destination.
Kayak has a map of current travel restrictions. This is a great resource to use when you are starting to plan your post-quarantine travel but don’t yet have preferred destination. I would recommend looking at a government website of your preferred destination for country-specific Covid information.
Additionally, there are some really cheap flights out there, but I would hold off on booking too far in advance, because you never know what could happen with your country’s or your destination’s travel restrictions.
4. Be prepared to find alternatives to your favorite activities
If you usually enjoy beach parties, you may have to stick with more relaxing, quiet, and spacious beaches for now.
If you enjoy history, architecture, and/or art, you may have to limit yourself to ogling at outdoor sculptures, historic buildings, and outdoor information plaques, rather than shuffling around indoors in a museum.
Remember: Your trip won’t be any fun if you are stressed out the entire time. That said, realize your comfort levels may dictate not only *how* you travel, but *what type* of vacation you decide to have and *where* you decide to go in the first place.
5. Think carefully before going on a cruise
Currently, some cruise lines are hoping to start sailing again later this fall, and some operators have already resumed services. Cruise lines are taking steps to improve the safety on their ships, and being pampered and having access to all the comforts that a cruise provides may seem appealing after being stuck in quarantine.
However, I personally don’t feel like it’s a safe way to travel until a vaccine is delivered. At the end of the day, this is a personal choice.
6. Don’t depend on travel insurance
Many travel insurance companies are limiting travel insurance options because of Covid, since it is a known factor. Don’t fully depend on travel insurance to protect you in case of a sudden change in travel restrictions. I would recommend being 100% sure you want to travel before making any bookings.
7. Do Your Research!
I cannot stress this enough. Some countries that have opened up again to domestic or international visitors have regulated travel and created a plan to be as safe as possible for people who want to travel, but others have not. Before you decide to travel internationally, research what your potential destination is doing about Covid safety.
For example, Bali has been advertising its “new normal” plan. I think this is a great example of how some places are taking the covid threat seriously while still reopening to tourism.
Check out the CDC’s website for some more travel advice, as well as great questions to ask yourself before you travel.
I hope these tips help you navigate the safety considerations that come with post-quarantine travel.
If you feel comfortable with the risks and are ready to start planning your trip, check out my article on tips for narrowing down your post-quarantine couples trip dreams!
And if you have any additional comments or tips regarding safe post-quarantine travel, please comment below.
Loving the old; exploring the new,
John
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[…] make uninformed decisions. And if you haven’t already done so, I would recommend looking at my tips for minimizing COVID-related travel risks first. Understanding these risks and taking steps to minimize them are the first step in […]