How to Travel Safely During the COVID-19 Pandemic

If you’re planning to travel during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, be sure to read our list of ways to reduce your risk and potential exposure to COVID-19. We know not everyone is ready to jump back into traveling yet, and that’s okay! We completely understand that everyone has different comfort levels, and we don’t want this post to encourage you to do something you aren’t comfortable with. However, we know that many people ARE eager to get back out into exploring, and want to do so in a safe way. If you’re planning on traveling, here are our top tips on how to travel safely during the COVID-19 pandemic!

Please note that this list is compiled of suggestions based on our own experiences and research. The most significant way to reduce your risk of COVID-19 is to avoid unnecessary travel altogether. Consult your medical professional, follow all CDC guidelines and comply with all local ordinances if you choose to travel.

Tips for Following CDC Guidelines

As everyone should know by now, these are the biggest ways to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. While traveling, it is extra important to be following these protocols as strictly as possible.

Masks:

Everyone (age 2+) should wear a mask to keep your nose and mouth covered at all times when in public.
We recommend practicing wearing your mask for long periods of time so you can be sure it’s comfortable for you. If it’s not comfortable, try a different style.
Always bring 1-2 extra masks per person, just in case. If your masks gets wet or uncomfortable you’ll be so glad you have a spare!
To get kids excited about wearing masks, let them pick out a special fabric with a color, character or pattern they like. Be sure to also explain to them the importance of WHY they are wearing a mask, and how it helps others.

Handwashing:

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
At times when you cannot wash with soap, use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
Be sure to wash or sanitize your hands immediately after touching any shared or frequently touched surfaces.
Keep a few small, travel-sized bottles of hand sanitizer in easily accessible places like your purse, backpack, car or pocket. That way, you always have some handy when you need it!

Social Distancing:

Avoid close contact by staying at least 6 feet apart from anyone who is not from your household.
Many places will have signage and floor markings to help guests remember to social distance. Be sure to follow all posted rules!
Avoid crowded places as much as possible. More people = more difficult to maintain distance.

Other Things to Remember

Avoid contact with anyone who is sick.
Avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes.

Choosing Your Destination

How you decide where to travel can look a lot different than usual. Some destinations you might normally consider may not be available, like taking a cruise. Some destinations may not be open to travelers from certain countries, especially the USA. Be sure to check the travel restrictions for your destination before you start planning. Even if a destination is open to Americans, they may have requirements such as providing a negative COVID-19 test, mandatory quarantine or taking a test upon arrival. These restrictions on international travel have encouraged a lot of people to focus on domestic travel during this time.

You can also check your destination to see if they are experiencing high levels of COVID-19. The CDC Travel Health Notices page has recommendations for travel to foreign countries and U.S. territories. The CDC also has COVID-19 data available for states, counties, and cities within the United States. Knowing this information can help you make an informed decision about where you feel comfortable traveling!

Types of Travel (Flying vs. Driving)

If possible, we recommend you choose to drive to your destination rather than fly. Many airlines have been good about blocking middle seats to space out passengers, requiring masks, and implementing thorough cleaning efforts. However, even with these measures in place it is generally impossible to maintain 6 ft of distance between all guests and completely enforce mask wearing at all times (people need to be able to take them off to take a drink, for example). Not to mention, going through airport security makes it difficult to avoid close contact with anyone and avoid frequently touched surfaces. Overall, driving can be safer than flying since it makes it easier to avoid interacting with large amounts of people in airports and on planes.

If you will be flying to your destination, be sure to research airline policies and pick the airline you feel most comfortable with. Follow all policies and crew instructions to ensure you are doing everything you can to protect yourself and others. If it’s an option though, we recommend avoiding air travel and choosing another transportation method such as car or RV.

Deciding Where to Stay (Hotels & Accommodations)

Many things go into picking the right accommodations for your trip. Everyone has different preferences and things they look for in a hotel. When looking to travel safely during the COVID-19 pandemic, one big thing we look for is what COVID-19 prevention practices the hotel has put into place! If you can’t find information online, don’t be afraid to call the hotel and ask what they are doing to keep guests safe. Many have implemented options for online check-in, mobile room keys and contactless payment. Additionally, employees and guests should be wearing masks in public spaces. Depending on the hotel, some may have implemented stricter cleaning of rooms while others may have suspended housekeeping services throughout your stay to avoid having staff enter your room. Find out what the hotel is doing in advance to ensure you are comfortable with their practices.

Another alternative many people are considering now more than ever is vacation rentals. Renting a private space through something like AirBNB or VRBO can be a great way to help you social distance on your trip. Many of these options can be contactless and you can relax having your own space throughout your stay. Another bonus is that many will have a kitchen, allowing you to cook your own meals or do drive-thru/pick-up options that reduce contact, rather than dining in a restaurant.

Consider RV Travel or Camping

Traveling in your own vehicle can allow you to maintain more control over your own surroundings compared with other transportation methods like air travel, train or bus. However, you will still need to make stops along the way for things like gas, food and restroom breaks. If you are traveling in this way, be sure to take precautions and follow the aforementioned CDC guidelines to minimize risk during these stops.

One way to help reduce your amount of close contact with others and avoid frequently touched surfaces is to travel by RV. This is a travel alternative that has rapidly grown in popularity, and it’s easy to understand why! When people are looking for how to travel safely during the COVID-19 pandemic, this is a way we definitely recommend. Traveling in your own self-contained unit with your own beds, bathrooms and kitchen makes it easy to social distance and avoid contact with others. Not to mention, this is a really fun way to travel and it’s great for both families and couples.

Tip: Bring disinfecting wipes to use when getting gas. Wipe the handles and buttons before use, then remember to use hand sanitizer afterwards!

With their rising popularity, many travel agencies have expanded their services to help clients plan an RV adventure. For example, Josh’s agency, Wish Upon a Star with Us travel now offers RV Travel.

After You Travel

Tips for how to travel safely during the COVID-19 pandemic don’t stop once you return home. Regardless of where you travel or how many precautions you take, there is always a chance you have been exposed to COVID-19. Remember, even if you don’t have any symptoms you could be contagious and spread the virus to others. Be sure to monitor yourself for symptoms and continue safety practices like social distancing, wearing a mask and washing your hands after you return home.

If you want to be on the safe side and it’s feasible for you, quarantining for up to 2 weeks after travel can ensure that if you did contract the virus, you wouldn’t spread it to anyone else after returning home. If this is not an option for you, we still recommend limiting the number of people you come into contact with as much as possible during the days immediately following your trip. Remember, doing a little is always better than doing nothing at all! Every little bit counts in minimizing risks and helping keep everyone safe.

Traveling Safely During the COVID-19 Pandemic

We aren’t sharing these tips to discourage you from travel, or to tell you that it is safe to travel. If you’ve made it to this point, we’re sure your mind is already made up one way or the other. We just want to share tips to help encourage safety and minimizing risk for those who are already planning to travel.

We hope this post was helpful for those that are planning to travel soon! Using as many of these tips as possible can help you and your family have fun and explore while staying as safe as possible. Doing everything we can to minimize the risk to ourselves and others is key in stopping the spread of the virus. Do you have any more ideas for how to travel safely during the COVID-19 pandemic? Share your favorite travel safety tip in the comments below!

Latest Posts:

If this post was helpful, please pin it for later and share it with your friends!

Fairytale Wonders