Travel Smart, Travel Safe

Laura Tracy 1/20/2021
#Travelshaming is really a thing these days, and to an extent, I get it. When people engage in discretionary travel they are taking a risk, and however mitigated that risk may be, it's certainly a risk with a possible ripple effect that can hurt friends and family, and their friends and family, and so on.
That said, is there a way continue to support the travel industry and take "some" risks in the days of COVID? Even with the progression of vaccines and improved treatments, I do think we will be staring down this barrel for at least a couple of years. And, while I am not a proponent of flagrant disregard, I do want to provide some tips for keeping yourself and your network safe while still enjoying fabulous destinations...
Be forewarned, this is not a "quick read", but you don't have to read it all at once. Bookmark the page or reach out to us and ask us about our free planning services!
Prior to Travel

​Getting ready for a trip has changed and that's okay! As with most things in life, a little preparation goes a long way. 
  • GET THE CANCEL FOR ANY REASON TRAVEL INSURANCE! I remember the days when I didn't really push travel insurance, those days are over.
  • Can I drive there? There are so many domestic destinations in the good ole US of A. Ask us about them and lets see if we can plan something a little closer to home, maybe even a drivable destination.
  • Pick hotels that have quarantine requirement contingencies for their guests. Most competitive hotels now have insurance that covers your stay if you have to quarantine there. Many even offer free CDC required testing for your return.
  • Book a swim out or beach front room! That splurge could make all the difference in keeping you from common areas.
  • Have a backup plan. Being prepared for an alternative destination or a change of dates can go a long way to giving you piece of mind. Remember, moving a trip is not the end of the world, getting sick could be. Using a travel agent could make changing the trip even easier!
  • In the week leading up to travel, start limiting your interaction with anyone you are not traveling with. You paid for this trip, don't risk it to have a few drinks with friends who may have been exposed and don't know it.
  • Test 3 days prior to travel, even if it's not required: the recommendation varies here a bit based on how quickly you can get the results. You would probably want the results at least a day or two prior to travel in case you have to move or cancel your trip. The anitgen test is not as accurate, but gets you quick results, if you do the PCR test, you may want to do 5 days, so that when you get the results you still have a day or two to change plans. As always, check your destination for its incoming testing requirements.
  • After you test, limit your exposure so you don't risk getting to your destination and testing positive!
Time to Depart
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  • ​Packing isn't the same anymore, so remember to pack extra masks and PPE. Also, make sure to consider the length of your trip and destination climate in selecting masks. Every packing list these days should also include sanitizing wipes and hand sanitizer for your carry-on personal item.
  • When you check-in for your flight, check your seating as well as the other available seating/upgrades. If you would prefer to be in a different area of the plane, in a different seat, or closer to the front, you can make the change before you depart. 
  • Wash your hands and sanitize after touching surfaces in public areas and transportation terminals like hand rails and elevator buttons.
  • If you can avoid it, don't "carry" your phone. Put it away and sanitize your hands before and after you check it. Phones naturally carry so many germs, so you could make it worse by not sanitizing your hands and/or the phone before use or after you may have unknowingly picked up some germs from a public surface. 
  • When you arrive at your destination, change your clothes and clean yourself up right away. I know, it sounds like a pain, but you could have picked up germs during travel, why not at least try to mitigate that? One extra outfit isn't going to be that much of an inconvenience.
Contact Us today to plan your next getaway!
While You're There

A lot of the best strategies are ones that you've already employed in your daily life to limit your risk, so most of this is common sense.
  • Continue to distance on property, even when outside. Most destinations are intentionally not booking to capacity. Take advantage of the opportunity to keep to your own "dance space" without being considered rude or standoff-ish. This is an introverts dream!
  • Staying socially distant from folks not in your immediate travel party may be easier for adults than for children, so more family time while at destination may be key to helping mitigate child to child transfer.
  • Bring your own straws and beverage cups. This seems weird, but a straw holder with a thousand straws is just not appealing to me anymore. Having your own supplies means that you can sanitize them regularly. 
  • Order all food a la carte and try to completely avoid buffets. We even bring our own snacks from home to limit our food/dining exposure.
  • If you booked a swim out or beach front room, make good use of your room area/balcony rather than common areas for enjoying the property. In this case, that extra for the nicer resort or the better room category may very well be worth it. 
Time to Come Home

  • Always check with your travel agent on the current testing return requirements before you leave (i.e. traveling home to the US from an international destination). There may be testing requirements that you have to set up at your resort, or off-property testing needs that we can guide you in securing.
  • See the listing I wrote for Time to Depart above because there are definitely some airport/public transportation hub tips that also apply to your return trip. ​
  • Check with your travel agent on your home state's return to home requirements. Not only are the requirements complicated and vary by state, but they are constantly changing. We can tell you the latest so that you are prepared. At this time, most requirements are not moderated, but that could change at any time. And, yes, even if you vaccinate, you still have to follow all of these rules. To date, the science indicates that vaccinated individuals (even those who don't get sick) can spread COVID. 
  • Even if your state doesn't require it, limit your movement and exposure to others for about 10 days (current CDC recommendation). Also follow CDC recommendations for additional testing when you return, which at this moment is 3-5 days after you return. 

​Here are two helpful links to the current CDC travel recommendations:
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/travel-during-covid19.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Ftravelers%2Ftravel-in-the-us.html
Okay then, thank you for checking out some of my COVID travel tips! I feel that travel is a personal decision, and deciding to take that risk is certainly yours to make, but when you return you can take precautions to keep your community safe. This way, the risk truly is yours. This may sound harsh, but don't be disrespectful of the people you care about by coming back and disregarding their safety because you don't want to quarantine. It's those situations that lead to spread, and losing someone you care about is hard enough, feeling responsible for it would be heartbreaking. Quarantining in 2021 is NOT HARD. Just do it! And if you can't, I get that. But, if you can't, I would ask that you consider more local based day trips until travel without quarantining is something that truly can be done safely.
Contact Us today to plan your next getaway!