Traveling During the Pandemic: 4 Helpful Tips to Reduce Risk
With a new year, many of us are thinking about resolutions, goals, and hopes for 2022. It could be a new job, hobby, relationship, or experience. For those of us with travel intentions set for the near future, it can be pretty difficult planning anything at the moment with the recent Omicron surge of COVID in the US and abroad. For me, travel has given my wife and I something to look forward to–a small reward for enduring another season of the pandemic. I wanted to write this blog post to help others who aren’t sure where to start. Who are overwhelmed by all of the travel restrictions, flight cancellations, and constantly changing landscape. I’m here to tell you that travel is absolutely possible this year, but we have to be more diligent, aware, and prepared than ever before (especially pre-pandemic).
Be hyper-aware of cancellation policies
This is true for flights, rental cars, and lodging. As a result of the pandemic, more and more airlines are easing guidelines for travelers who have plans that change at the last minute due to an infection or otherwise. Check out this updated guide from The Points Guy that catalogs all of the cancellation policies for all U.S. and Canadian airlines. For instance, on Southwest, even if you book a non-refundable fare and decide to cancel your flight, that trip can still be converted into points to be used at a later time. Policies like this give us some peace of mind knowing that we aren’t going to be out hundreds or thousands of dollars just in case COVID has other plans for our trip. Be sure to double check policies for your specific airline prior to booking, and definitely read the fine print!
For lodging, definitely pay attention to the cancellation policies for hotels and vacation rentals booked through platforms such as Booking.com, VRBO, and Airbnb. I’ve mostly had good experiences using Booking.com and I always filter out options that don’t have a free cancellation policy, many of which allow me to cancel within 24 hours of my stay! Now VRBO and Airbnb are a different beast altogether—the cancellation and refund policies are set by the host so they could be a lot stricter than your standard hotel. Many hosts are hurting financially because of the pandemic so, as a result, they are requiring deposits up front to hold stays and may only offer free cancellations within 48 hours of your reservation. If your travel plan allows, I would absolutely try to find lodging that gives you the most flexibility, just in case your plans change.
Factor in community-spread into your destination planning
When I’m researching potential destinations for trips, one of the first things I’m doing post-COVID is avoiding destinations that aren’t COVID hotspots. One strategy would be to find destinations that are less popular either year round or for that particular time of year. I always recommend travelers look to book vacations outside of the ‘peak’ season to avoid crowds and take advantage of discounted rates for lodging, flights, and activities. Have a few destinations in mind? Look them up on the CDC travel map and see what your infection risk might be. Not sure where you can travel to right now? The New York Times has a similar guide that I reference quite frequently. A lot of this also depends on what kind of trip you’d like to take. Are you going to be bar-hopping? Shopping? Going to a music festival? Some of these activities might be ill-advised during peak season, even if you are vaccinated and/or boosted. In addition to the heatmap linked to above, be sure to look up any country-specific policies around vaccinations, testing, or required quarantining, especially for international destinations. At the same time, a country with more restrictive travel policies may present an opportunity for vaccinated travelers (within their risk tolerance) to visit destinations with reduced crowds.
Have a backup plan
This is just a personal policy of mine, but it's nice to build in a contingency plan or two when you’ve got a big trip planned. What happens if someone in your party tests positive before the trip? What happens if you can’t board a plane? Can you drive to your destination? Could you book a ‘Plan B’ vacation rental just in case your plans go (not literally) south? Flexibility is the name of the game here and it will give you some peace of mind knowing that you might still have a good experience going somewhere else instead of cancelling your plan altogether. This may not be realistic for everyone, but for others, it may be an option, especially if you can book your backup risk-free.
Consider itineraries that avoid large groups of people
I mentioned this earlier, but finding ways to avoid people and to reduce the risk you’ll contract COVID on your trip should be a priority. While I love to eat out on vacation, it might not be worth it. Is it possible to find lodging that has a working kitchen and stove? Can you cook your own meals and save some money at the same time? If you are set on eating out, is it possible to find restaurants and bars with outdoor seating? And if it’s cold out, do they have space heaters or firepits to keep warm? I’m a big fan of the outdoors, and domestic trips to state and national parks are great ways to get out of dodge and have something fun, active, and safe to do on your trip–especially if you are open to camping or lucky to travel in your own (or rented) RV or trailer.
Whatever your travel goals are for this year, just know that travel is still very much possible! If you’re unsure where to start, feel free to book some time with me to talk it out. I’d love to talk travel with you and help put together a rock-solid travel plan for your next adventure.