Covid 19 and Travel: What You Need To Know

Covid 19 and Travel: What You Need To Know

Since March of 2020, Coronavirus has devastated the world. Millions have gotten sick, hundreds of thousands have lost their lives, and entire economies have been shut down. In just a matter of weeks, entire countries completely locked themselves down and closed their borders to visitors.

As the months have rolled on, we’ve seen some countries re-open……and then return to lockdown, while other destinations are doing well and have reopened to (some) tourists. And that process creates a lot of questions. There are a lot of variables and rules are constantly changing.

If you are flying or otherwise traveling alongside other people, here’s some important hygiene advise:

  • Wash your hands frequently (or consider wearing latex gloves).
  • Wear a mask.
  • Refrain from touching your face.
  • Wipe down your seat or seating area with disinfectant wipes (because people are gross and so are planes).

What are Hotels, Hostels, and Airbnb Doing?

Accommodations in many cities have been closed or forced to operate at reduced capacity. Most of the major chains that are open (or reopening) have committed to enhanced cleaning routines. Some of the key changes hotels are embracing are:

  • Temperature/health checks of guests on arrival.
  • Enhanced disinfection and cleaning of the check-in counter and common areas (pools, fitness centers, etc.).
  • Adjustments to common areas to maintain social distancing.
  • Extra disinfection for the most-used items in hotel rooms (door handles, remotes, light switches, etc.).

How Soon Should I Book My Trip?

The situation is still in flux. Countries have opened and closed, often leaving travelers stranded on short notice. If you want to travel, I would book everything within one to two weeks before departure. Keep an eye on case counts and, if cases are still low where you want to go, you should be fine. If cases are rising, you run the risk of new restrictions happening at a moment’s notice.

There’s plenty of deals out there since there are so few people traveling right now. Usually, prices rise and booking last minute means you’re paying more but that old adage isn’t true at the moment.

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