Have you been wondering how to stay healthy while traveling during a pandemic? Does an upcoming vacation have you worried? You aren’t alone. Travel right now can be nerve wracking or even downright scary for some people. But if done right, post-COVID travel can be fun and freeing. After being on lockdown for so many months most of us are going a little stir crazy.
Should you travel during a pandemic?
You are the only person who can decide if you should travel during a pandemic. Should you decide to travel, is also up to you to determine how to stay healthy while traveling. One thing is for sure, travel as we knew it prior to March of 2020, will never be the same. Whether it is new TSA regulations, sanitizer stations on planes or wearing masks, it will all be new territory for us frequent travelers. We all knew already that planes and airports were cesspools for invisible germs. But, when faced with a new and deadly virus it is important to not let your guard down.
Right now you may find some fantastic deals and some of the best places will be quieter than their normal. But, you do need to weigh the good with the bad.
Just some of the questions you should be asking yourself before deciding to travel are:
- Are you and anyone traveling with you healthy?
- Do you need to travel?
- What will you do at your destination if there are restrictions?
- What precautions are you ready to take?
Once you make the choice whether or not to travel, you will want to come up with your own list of how to stay healthy. Below, I have shared my list of how to stay healthy while traveling during a pandemic. Feel free to use this list as a base for your own or use it in its entirety as your own list.
How to Stay Healthy While Traveling During a Pandemic.
Stay at vacation rentals or hotels/resorts with individual units/entrances.
As a veteran of the hotel industry, it pains me to steer you away from staying at a hotel. However, if you are traveling amidst a pandemic, it is safer to stay in a individual unit or home. But, before you completely write off hotels, do a search for hotels and resorts that have private entrances to each unit. If you don’t have to go into shared public spaces like lobbies and hallways, then a hotel is not nearly as scary.
If you are traveling within driving distance, consider an RV as an option. This is especially good for family travel. Not only does this solve the problem of where to stay, but also of having to stop at public restrooms.
Bring your own cleaning supplies.
Bring your own bedding/towels
Whether you decide to rent an RV, stay in a hotel or stay in a vacation rental, the recommendation during a pandemic is to come prepared. If you are driving or if you can find travel sized cleaning supplies go ahead and bring them with.
I always second guess the cleanliness of a hotel or vacation rental in normal times. So, when the concern is a potentially deadly virus I would rather take the time to do my own cleaning. This way you can be certain your room or rental is clean.
This may seem extreme but can you really be too careful right now? If you are driving you especially have not excuse not to do this. If you are flying it can be a little tougher. One solution would be to just bring clean pillow covers, pillow cases and a clean bath towel.
Be sure to ask your hotel or host what size beds there are and how many pillows are on each bed. This way you can be sure to pack enough.
One more alternative here if you are renting a private vacation rental would be to ask your host to leave the clean linens in the dryer so you can take them out and make the beds yourself. While not completely foolproof, it will still save you from having someone elses hands and breathing all over your clean bedding.
Wash dishes before use.
I can actually feel some of you laughing right now and thinking how ridiculous I am. But, if your hotel room or vacation rental has dishes this is a precaution that may save a life. For instance, imagine that that spoon you are about to eat your meal off of was used by someone who was positive for COVID. Now imagine they checked out just a few hours before you arrived. They were running late for checkout so they just gave the dishes in the sink a quick rinse and put them away. Now, imagine you, or even worse, your elderly parent or young child is hungry when you arrive and you grab that spoon for them to eat the yogurt you packed.
Now does this seem so ridiculous? Silverware and cups will be the highest risk since they have direct contact with your mouth.
Continue healthy habits while traveling.
Stay healthy by making sure you continue habits such as taking your vitamins, exercise, eating healthy and meditation. Each of these plays an important role in your overall well being and also contribute to the strength of your immune system. Be sure to pack healthy snacks, grocery shop at your destination instead of eating out and when you do eat out, have a list of restaurants with healthy options ready so you don’t break down and just pick up a cheeseburger in the drive through of McDonald’s.
Last but not least, consider staying home.
Consider staying home and using some of these tips to give yourself a sense of the travel high you are missing. You likely don’t want to hear this if you are actively planning travel. But, it is important to assess the situation, at home, at the airports you will be using and at your final destination. Also consider what restrictions may be in place that could hinder your ability to enjoy your vacation as planned.
Many airlines are still allowing cancelations or rescheduling so if you have the option and things look questionable, go ahead and change your trip.
If you do plan to travel, be sure to take out a travel insurance policy like this one. Read the fine print and determine which policies and companies make the most sense.
I can tell you from personal experience that the service at World Nomads is impeccable. I had to use mine in the US Virgin Islands, and they made it so easy.
For more tips on travel during the coronavirus, visit World Nomads now, you won’t regret it.
