The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically curtailed our wanderlust, but there are several ways to still travel safely. Strategies include mask-wearing, staying away from large crowds, practicing good hygiene, such as hand-washing and hand sanitizer use, and making sure where you’re staying during your travels has a safety protocol in place for guests.
Here’s more information on some of the best ways to travel in the safest way possible during the ongoing pandemic.
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Wear a Mask
Though mask restrictions have loosened across the United States, wearing a mask while traveling is still the most effective way to stay safe during the pandemic.
Even if you have been vaccinated, mask-wearing, wherever you go, is still highly recommended, especially if you’re in small, enclosed places, such as restaurants, bars, and stores.
Masks are still required for most modes of transportation commonly used while traveling, including planes, trains, ships, and buses.
Mask-wearing is also ideal when you’re interacting with people you do not live with or do not know, which is particularly common while traveling or on vacation.
Fabric masks used by the general public should be washed in soap or detergent and in hot water at least once a day. Hands should be cleaned before and after removing your mask.
Avoiding Large Crowds
Even with decreased mask-wearing restrictions, traveling is always made safer if you avoid crowds commonly encountered in such situations as large-scale festivals or events, concerts, and amusement parks.
Travel rest areas often accommodate large crowds, especially during holidays. Be particularly careful in public bathrooms, as well. Wear a mask when using them, and wash your hands thoroughly after use.
Staying 6 feet apart from others is still recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If you’re traveling and have the option of being away from large crowds of people, choose wisely.
If you must be in a large crowd, including at sporting events, be sure to wear a mask, practice social distancing when you are able, and look for events that are held outdoors or in well-ventilated indoor spaces.
Choosing a Shorter Trip
Traveling by car — especially with those whom you live with or know well — is generally regarded as the safest mode of travel during the pandemic.
On top of that, shorter trips in cars mean safer trips. Less time on the road means fewer stops, which means fewer chances you or your travel-mates could contract COVID-19.
Minimizing Shared Spaces
The CDC says that the safer approach is staying in a house with people you know or those from your household, as well as visiting a vaccinated friend or relative.
Less safe: hotels with common areas, visiting unvaccinated friends and family, and staying in a house with unvaccinated people. The best thing to avoid when it comes to accommodations: places where you have to share a bathroom with large groups, such as a hostel or a campground.
Practicing Good Hygiene
Yes, even when wearing a mask and being vaccinated.
Handwashing is considered one of the best ways to prevent you and your family from getting sick — and contracting COVID-19. If you don’t wash your hands, germs may spread by touching your eyes, nose, mouth, coughing, sneezing, and touching others.
While traveling, refrain from preparing food and drinks if your hands are unwashed. The CDC recommends washing your hands with soap and warm water before, during, and after food preparation, after using the bathroom, and after blowing your nose, sneezing, and coughing.
In the absence of hot water and soap, bring along an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with you on your travels — and use it frequently.
Ask About Safety Protocols and Safe Guest Programs
Hotels, restaurants, resorts — even restaurants — are following strict rules, some following state guidelines, some self-imposed.
If you have a travel club membership, check-in with the membership office to see if it is following a protocol at all of its locations. Get a full rundown of what is in place and what is not during the times you are visiting.
Many vacation clubs, in particular, are leading the way in ensuring their valued guests feel safe while traveling. The Royal Holiday Vacation Club, for example, has integrated a Safe Guest Program at all of its locations, covering key areas.
Rooms are cleaned using disinfection products that meet strict international standards. The club regularly cleans and disinfects everything from chairs to tables and encourages 5 feet social distancing in places such as pools and beaches.
Common areas, such as entertainment venues and restaurants, are disinfected with the same standards. In dining, there are digital menus and table social distancing. Guest temperatures, including those of children, are taken.
The bottom line: It pays to check in with every place involved with your travels to ask about their safety protocols.