Now that I have taken a few domestic and international trips, I can share some of my most valuable tips for traveling during a pandemic.
For most of 2020, I went nowhere. Like most people, I stayed home and got to know my family’s quirky ways.
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But by the fall of 2020, I had enough and was ready to get back to traveling safely. It was scary at first, but after a few trips and several COVID-19 tests later, I have a solid list of dos and don’ts for traveling during a pandemic.
Let me know what you think, and feel free to add a few of your tips in the comments.
Tip 1: Quarantine Before Departure
For Christmas, my family and I spent eight days in Puerto Rico. After locking in a non-refundable Airbnb through my Travel Advisor, Janelle Howard, I was not about to lose my money or the vacation I waited months to experience.
That’s why I made sure my family went nowhere before we departed for Puerto Rico. At the time, I was going to work once a week. I stopped going to work because I didn’t want to interact with anyone.
I also ordered groceries via Instacart. Seriously, I was not playing.
I wanted to ensure we were good for our COVID-19 tests, one of the new requirements for entering Puerto Rico.
Tip 2: Check the Entry Requirements Before You Travel
My family and I visited Belize about a month after Puerto Rico. Both places recommended travelers take a Rapid COVID-19 test or PCR test before arrival to avoid mandatory quarantine.
It was necessary to take a test no earlier than 72 hours before arrival. Before you travel, check out your destination’s travel website to learn the entry requirements under COVID.
Then schedule your test based on how long it takes your testing center to provide the test results. Our testing center took two days to email our test results.
Just to be safe, I printed each of the results and hand-carried them on the plane. Upon arrival, we showed the test results to the health services professionals before going to baggage claim.
Remember to Download Travel Tracking Apps
By taking our COVID-19 tests before we traveled, we avoided quarantine after arrival. However, Puerto Rico and Belize offered testing in the airport or at a nearby facility, with results provided in a few hours or the next day.
However, until you receive your results, you must remain in quarantine. In other words, you’re not allowed to be a tourist. You must stay in your residence, hotel, or Airbnb until you have proof of a negative COVID test.
Since we took our tests beforehand, I am not entirely sure how Belize or Puerto Rico track your whereabouts while you are in quarantine. My guess is both countries have an honor system.
Also note, more and more destinations are creating apps to track people to people contact. We had to upload our test results to an app for Puerto Rico and download an app for Belize.
Every day in Puerto Rico, I received a text message asking me to confirm that we did not have symptoms of COVID-19. Belize used an app to track contact between visitors and residents, so health departments can quickly contact anyone exposed to the virus.
A few additional reasons to take your test at home is to be able to ensure the quality of the test and testing facility. Also, you get to avoid starting your vacation with discomfort and take advantage of saving your spending money for yourselves rather than costly COVID tests.
Tip 3: Get Masks and Face Covers for Everybody
By now, everyone is well aware of the face masks requirements to enter most establishments. However, I spent weeks finding the best mask for my special needs son. He doesn’t fully understand what’s going on and hates stuff on his face.
Hell, who does? I think everyone is tired of wearing a mask.
After a few trial and error orders from Amazon, I found these two options worked the best for my special needs son. Option one was a children’s cloth mask combined with ear grip straps. Option two was a gaiter mask.
I had to alternate between the two because my son is smart and quick. Eventually, he found a way to remove both face coverings. Then he would toss them around the airport if we weren’t quick to stop him in action.
Everyone else in the family wore two masks. We wore one cloth mask over a disposable mask. They say the chances of getting COVID-19 on the plane is as rare as getting struck by lightning, but we still wanted to be safe.
If you want to put on the full armor, you can wear a face shield too.
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Tip 4: Bring Your Own Essentials Kit
Although there are hand sanitizer machines just about everywhere, I still recommend you travel with your own travel-sized essentials kit. My travel bag includes hand sanitizer and Lysol wipes.
Carry around a ziplock bag for your dirty wipes. Therefore, if you cannot find a trash can, you have a place to hold your used wipes.
When we got to our destination, we purchased Lysol spray since aerosol cans are not allowed on planes or checked luggage. We sprayed down major touchpoints in our accommodations before settling in.
Tip 5: Get There, Relax, and Chill
If you go through all of these steps to travel during a pandemic, you must relax when you get to your destination. The point of a vacation is to relax and spend time with your family. Or at least for me. I used to visit all the tourist attractions or take a billion photos, but not anymore. For one, most of the attractions are closed or accessible by reservation only. Secondly, I just want to relax.
In Puerto Rico, we ate good food, swam in the pool, and watched a ton of Netflix. The objective of that vacation was to chill and spend time with one another.
To ensure neither me nor my husband had to cook, we hired a chef who took a COVID test before we arrived. Hiring someone else to do the cooking was the best decision ever. It was way cheaper than eating out each night and so much more enjoyable for us.
If you’re ever heading to Puerto Rico, look up Chef Melvo before you go and book all your meals with him.
In Belize, our hotel, Belizean Dreams Resort, was all-inclusive. We had the place to ourselves. So it was almost the same. We had one vegan person, and the hotel prepared special meals for her three times a day.
Tip 6: Invest In Travel Insurance
Airlines have done us all a favor by eliminating change fees. Nevertheless, things happen and something could suddenly come up and affect your trip. For those instances that might happen, it’s nice to have travel insurance.
Most policies will reimburse you for your costs if you are unable to travel, and some policies also include coverage for medical emergencies and lost luggage too. The key is to get travel insurance before you travel.
Tip 7: Register For Emergency Updates and Alerts
American citizens traveling abroad are strongly encouraged to register in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). When you travel overseas and enroll in STEP, your nearby U.S. Consulate or Embassy can send you updates if something happens during your stay.
Registering in STEP is even more important when traveling during a pandemic because anything could happen while you travel. For example, when I was living in Haiti we had an earthquake in 2010 just after the Christmas and New Year holidays. Most people visiting at that time never expected an earthquake would happen.
In Haiti, there hadn’t been an earthquake in 200 years. But after the earthquake, there were plenty of people who needed real-time information about departure options and help. Communication with American citizens is made easier when you are enrolled in the STEP.
Check out the State Department’s website for more travel tips.
Travel During a Pandemic, You Can Do It!
My family’s trips to Puerto Rico and Belize were ones for the memory books. They might be some of our best vacations yet. Although it may be hard to relax during a pandemic, we all need ways to refresh and regroup.
If you are not ready to get on a plane, try a staycation or destination accessible by car. We have done a few of those types of weekend trips too. In those cases, you can take your sheets and all your essentials.
Danielle Desir wrote a great book, Planning Local Trips During a Pandemic. This book is all about how to plan your next local adventure. Check it out for more travel tips for your next getaway.
Honestly, we have no idea how long COVID is going to last. So, you have to decide what’s best for you and your family when it comes to traveling in a pandemic. Of course, if you have medical conditions that could worsen if you contracted COVID-19, don’t travel without consulting your doctor first.
But if you go, use these tips to make your trip unique, fun, and memorable for everyone.