Traveling Safely During COVID-19
To travel or not to travel. That’s a question many people have had on their mind over the past few months. As the pandemic spread and travel restrictions went into effect, people were forced to cancel their planned vacations and business travel was put on hold. Even though air travel did not come to a complete stop at the height of the pandemic, airlines were operating with a fraction of the passengers they would normally be seeing. Major international airports that are notoriously busy suddenly turned into ghost towns.
Even though many people put their travel plans on hold for the rest of 2020, others took a “wait and see” approach. People who had vacation plans during the spring were left with no other choice but to cancel their plans, but those who had trips planned for late summer, fall, or winter didn’t know what to expect. When shelter-in-place orders started going into effect, nobody knew how things were going to be looking a few weeks, let alone a few months, down the line.
While we’re still facing a great deal of uncertainty, a few months of being locked down has left people feeling a bit of wanderlust. Those with travel plans for the later part of the year may still be debating whether or not they want to make the trip and others have been looking into taking trips that involve staying a little closer to home.
Regardless if you’re thinking about heading across the country or taking a weekend trip in your home state, traveling during the pandemic is never going to be completely risk free. Before you pack your bags, it’s very important to make sure you’re aware of all potential risks involved with each travel option so that you can make informed decisions.
What’s the Safest Way to Travel?
If you want to travel, making it a road trip is one of the safest ways to go. Not only does driving let you avoid spending time in an enclosed space with strangers, you also avoid coming into contact with people in security lines and having other people handle your luggage. But for the sake of reducing contact even further, it’s best to plan your trip to make as few stops as possible.
What if taking a road trip just isn’t a feasible option? If flying would be the best way to reach your destination, according to the CDC, viruses do not spread easily on airplanes because of the way air is filtered and recirculated. However, being on a crowded flight for an extended amount of time can still increase the risk of contracting COVID because of the limited options for social distancing. Going through security can also bring you into close contact with others.
If you’ve already booked a flight, check to see what your airline’s policies are regarding the coronavirus pandemic. Some airlines are limiting flight capacities by closing off middle seats, but not all of them. Also, keep in mind that some travelers have reported that airlines don’t seem to be enforcing their own policies consistently.
More interested in train travel? Amtrak has instituted a series of policies to protect passengers, such as limiting their bookings, cashless service for food purchases, and requiring employees and passengers to wear masks. If you are able to book a private room for your trip, that can help minimize the risk even further since you not only avoid other passengers, but you can also get meals delivered to your room.
Hotels & Vacation Rentals
At many hotels, you’re likely going to see some changes from what you’re used to. The American Hotel & Lodging Association has released a checklist to guide hotels in creating a safer experience for guests, which includes requiring social distancing and masks to be worn in all public areas of the hotel. Contactless options for things like payments and checkouts are also recommended to avoid unnecessary contact. If you’d like to order room service, ask for contactless delivery so that you can further minimize contact with hotel staff.
As for vacation rentals, it’s worth researching the cleaning policies property owners are expected to follow. Airbnb, for example, released enhanced cleaning protocols for hosts and hosts who agree to follow those protocols will have that fact noted in their listing. Hosts also have the option of using a feature that places a 72-hour gap between visitors. However, you have to remember that these programs are optional for hosts, not requirements that apply across the board.
Even though hotel rooms and rental properties should be cleaned routinely between visitors, it’s still widely recommended that travelers bring antibacterial wipes they can use to clean high-touch surfaces, like door handles, phones, and TV remotes. It’s also best to avoid spending time in common areas like lobbies and hallways. Even though this mostly applies if you’re staying in a hotel, it’s also an important thing to do if you’ll be renting an apartment or condo.
If you opt to stay at a hotel, will you still be able to use amenities like pools and fitness rooms? Even if a hotel is allowing guests access to those types of community amenities, it may not be the best idea to actually use them. In the case of pools, even though it’s believed that the coronavirus does not survive well in water, the risk lies with people congregating in the area around the pool. However, if something like a spa is open and both visitors and employees are required to wear masks, that can help make it a safer experience.
Can You Still Have Fun as a Tourist?
Once you’ve reached your destination, you don’t want to spend your entire vacation just sitting in your hotel room or Airbnb. But given that the pandemic is a very rapidly changing situation and restrictions vary from location to location, it’s very important to make sure you check to see what rules apply in the area you’ll be travelling to. For example, if you have your heart set on taking a trip to the beach, the last thing you want is to get there and find out that beaches have been forced to close down because of problems with overcrowding. Or, in some places, popular tourist attractions may be closed.
Even if you normally take a relaxed approach to travel and like to play it by ear in terms of the things that you do, it’s a good idea to think about the places you’d like to visit in advance so that you can find out about what their policies are and if there are any changes you should be aware of. Given how heavily businesses tied to tourism have been hit by the pandemic, many of them are introducing new practices so that they can resume operations in a safe way. Starline Tours, for example, has switched from offering guided group tours to offering private tours that allow customers to tailor their sightseeing experience to suit their needs while minimizing contact with people outside of their traveling party.
The idea of theme parks reopening during the pandemic has been controversial, but if you plan to visit one, expect the experience to be somewhat different from what it normally would be. When Universal Studios reopened their Florida location, not only was capacity limited, there were no indoor theater shows or parades. Meanwhile, at Disney World, visitors are required to make reservations to enter the park, virtual wait lists were introduced for those visiting gift shops, and character meet-and-greets became a more distant experience.
In addition to everything else, don’t forget to think about how cases are in your planned destination. If you’re planning to travel to an area that’s seeing a spike in cases or has been labeled a hot spot, taking a trip there might not be worthwhile even if all other safety measures are followed.
