How to Travel During the Pandemic: A Guide For The Disorganised

Other than the miserable feeling of not being able to consider booking a holiday, traveling might have been the last thing on your mind until fairly recently. Now that restrictions are being lifted in many countries around the world, the option to fly to some far-flung destinations is once again on the table. But just because you can travel again, doesn’t mean that your safety should be disregarded. Read on for guidance and tips for how to travel during the pandemic to reduce the risks.

Plan ahead

Firstly, spend some time researching and contemplating your location choices for your holiday. Not necessarily just the country, but the town/city and surrounding areas that you’d like to visit. How have they handled the pandemic? What are their medical services like? Could there be a risk of quarantining when you arrive/return home? Once you’re certain that the risks aren’t higher than you’re comfortable with, then it’s time to start planning.

Rules of destination country

Now that you’ve chosen somewhere to visit, you’ll want to take into account the laws of the land so that you can both keep yourself and your loved ones safe, and also give some peace of mind to the local citizens and business owners. There is lots of information online about each individual country’s rules, such as their use of personal protective equipment, social distancing rules, and potentially their own methods of reporting cases of Covid-19. Make sure that you’re following their rules, but also follow your own common sense methods of keeping safe. Perhaps a country doesn’t have social distancing rules. This will be good knowledge to have before you get there so that you can remain extra vigilant.

Travel Insurance

No trip comes with a complete sense of security, no matter where you go. Chances are you’ve already considered keeping your belongings safe with insurance, especially if you’re taking valuable items such as camera and travel laptop. But today, it would be wise not to ignore getting some quality travel insurance that includes Covid-19 cover. In case you get sick whilst abroad, you’ll know that you can receive the right support and medical assistance. Or even if you catch coronavirus before traveling, your cancellation will be covered.

PPE

Just because a country doesn’t have any rules when it comes to masks and other PPE items, doesn’t mean that you necessarily shouldn’t bother taking any. Of course, there aren’t many countries that have no advice on the use of PPE, but some are stricter than others. Make sure you pack some reusable or disposable face masks, hand sanitizer (some small enough for your hand luggage and some bigger bottles for refills in your suitcase), and even disposable gloves.

Think outside the box

When it comes to what you’ll be doing on your holiday, think about some fun and interesting alternatives to the commonplace activities amongst the hustle and bustle of other tourists and locals. You might find that a lot of the usual services are no longer open as the tourism industry has been hit hard over the past year and a half. Restaurants and bars that survived almost entirely on the custom of tourists may have closed down, as well as many attractions too. Maybe you’ll find some excitement further afield doing some different activities. Scuba diving, jet-skiing, surfing, visiting historic sites, and rock-climbing, are just a few of the huge range of options you can find in tourist areas. Wherever it is you choose to go, make sure you check beforehand that there are plenty of options for you, to make your holiday worth it!