Most travel plans for the year have been cancelled because of the global health crisis. All types of trips were either cancelled or postponed. It doesn’t matter if the trip involves visiting family, attending a wedding, taking a business trip to a plastic compactor machine factory, or a writing assignment for travel writers. All trips were put on hold indefinitely when the coronavirus broke out globally.
However, now that lockdown restrictions are easing up and countries are now opening their borders for international travellers, a lot of people have started to make travel plans once again.
If you’re planning on taking a trip soon, you might want to take a look at some of the tips we have listed below to help give you peace of mind as you travel.
Pro-Tips When Planning to Take a Trip During the Pandemic
Tip #1: Look for hotels that allow you to observe COVID-19 protocols and have flexible cancellation policies.
When booking a hotel, pick the ones that aren’t fully booked so that you keep the number of people you interact with to a minimum. Make sure to check their cancellation policies in case you feel the need to postpone your trip.
Tip #2: Go on a few short-distance trips first to see how comfortable you are travelling in a pandemic.
Instead of going to farther places, consider taking trips to nearby towns and locations. This way, you can gauge how comfortable you are in resuming travel. Vacation and car rentals are becoming an increasingly popular choice for travellers looking to get away for a weekend to get rid of cabin fever.
Tip #3: Consider spots that you might typically overlook.
If you’re not yet comfortable going to the typical tourist spots or staying in a hotel, you can try making reservations with Airbnb in a location that you normally wouldn’t consider visiting, such as a ranch that’s within driving distance. It gives you an entirely different travel experience that you wouldn’t have if you choose to go with the usual touristy things.
Tip #4: Get in touch with the hotel ahead of time to ask questions and discuss your concerns.
This is very important, so never skip this. Before you head off to your destination, make sure to give the hotel or rental you’re staying in and talk to them about the safety of the place. List down all of your concerns and talk about them with the hotel staff. If you are not completely satisfied with their answers, at least you have enough time to make reservations at another place. This is why you should always check the cancellation policies.
Tip #5: For international trips, it is recommended that you work with travel agents.
Since not all countries are on the same page when it comes to lockdown restrictions, working with a travel agent gets you up to speed with the different restrictions and requirements needed in the country that you plan to visit. Travel agents have been trained well to respond to any COVID-19-related concerns and queries.
Wherever you choose to go, always keep safety as your number one priority. Never compromise your health and that of your loved ones by being reckless. Stay safe as you travel.
