Travelling has been extremely difficult—and even downright impossible—during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet as vaccinations become more widespread and travel-related restrictions have loosened, vacations that take you beyond your backyard are once again doable. Some countries are still closed to visitors, but there are plenty of far-flung destinations that are safe to visit.
If you know everything that’s expected from the time you leave to the time you get back, there’s no reason you can’t have a very safe and meaningful vacation experience.
Still, the logistics of planning a vacation during a pandemic—from figuring out vaccine and testing rules to working out quarantine requirements—can be daunting. If you have a trip coming up, or you’re planning one, don’t panic. Learn more about how you can make travelling during the pandemic as painless as possible. Here are the travel tips you need to know.
Do Your Research
Taking a big trip has always required quite a bit of planning, but that’s truer than ever during the pandemic, when many airlines and countries require proof of a negative COVID-19 test—often a specific type of test—proof of vaccination, use of specific apps, and more in order to travel. Do your research and start early. Keeping an eye on official government travel websites and using Sherpa, an online travel tool that allows you to enter your itinerary and find relevant travel and health restrictions.
It’s vitally important now that you know what kind of test is required, what type of mask is needed, what type of apps you need to use. You can’t just wing it like you used to—at least for the foreseeable future. You really need to do your research and study up on what’s required—even domestically, and especially internationally.
Check for Updates
Doing your research ahead of a vacation is a significant task, and you might be inclined to kick back and relax once you feel like you’ve figured everything out. I advise against that. The preparations you make might suddenly become insufficient if COVID rules change at your destination, so it’s worth checking up on things frequently—right up to 72 hours ahead of your departure.
Do your research early, make your booking as early as you can, and if you have the facts at that particular moment, great, you’re making the best decision you can at that moment. Fourteen days prior to your trip, you want to go back, and you want to do more research to see if anything’s changed—have testing requirements, quarantining requirements, those things changed? And then seven days before your departure, make sure you check again, and then 72 hours or even 48 hours before you leave on your trip, make sure you check again, because it is so fluid.
Take Precautions
Even the most thoroughly prepared and experienced travellers can be caught unawares. When a positive test result can derail an entire vacation, the risk of upended plans is higher than ever. One of the best ways to prepare for these kinds of shake-ups is to purchase third-party travel insurance—meaning insurance that is sold by an external party rather than your airline, tour operator, or cruise line. I can help you with that. Contact me.
Some countries are now requiring that visitors have third-party insurance policies, including health insurance, evacuation insurance, or trip interruption insurance. Saving up a little extra money to use in case of any unexpected changes to your itinerary is also a good idea. Always make sure you have that rainy day fund.
Consult a Travel Advisor
Travel prep overwhelming you already? Enlist the services of a travel advisor to help you hack through all the red tape and paperwork required for a pandemic getaway.
You always want somebody to have your back. If you’re in a destination and something happens, the last thing you want to worry about is getting the flights changed.
It’s a changing environment. You really need to have somebody that deals with this stuff on a regular basis.
Disclaimer: Current travel rules and restrictions can change without notice. The decision to travel is ultimately your responsibility. Contact your consulate and/or local authorities to confirm your nationality’s entry and/or any changes to travel requirements before travelling. OnantaForbes.com does not endorse travelling against government advisories.
