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Planning Holiday Travels During a Pandemic

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There’s no doubt that 2021 has been a year for the ages. For a short period of time after the vaccine was released, it looked like we might be able to get back to normal. Unfortunately, the delta variant and mass vaccine refusal have allowed the virus to rebound. This winter is likely to be a rough one.

If you’re trying to make holiday travel plans during the chaos, here are a few tips and considerations to help you do so safely and successfully.

Photo by picjumbo.com

 

Be Prepared

Before you even consider travelling, you should make sure you’re up to date on your vaccines. This means a flu vaccine, travel-specific vaccines, and yes, the COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccines are safe and effective, and getting them is an important part of being a responsible member of society.

Furthermore, both you and your loved ones should be prepared to wear masks in public spaces — especially crowded areas such as the airport. Again, this is the least you can do to take care of yourself, your family, and others.

Unfortunately, vaccinated people can still catch the delta variant. Though they are less likely to be seriously affected or hospitalized, they can still spread it to people who are unvaccinated because they are too young (infants to age 11), or because they can’t safely be vaccinated due to medical reasons. You have to make an informed decision whether you’re willing to risk your family’s health and safety for travel.

 

Do Your Homework Beforehand

First and foremost, make sure to do informed research before you leave. This year, more than ever, it’s essential that you understand what will be expected of you as you move from one location to another.

In some cases, travel may be fairly simple, such as getting in your car and driving to a relative’s house a state or two away. In other cases, like getting on an airplane, you’re going to want to conduct extra research to ensure you’re aware of the sanitation and health best practices as you fly.

Travel aside, you’re also going to want to be aware of national, state, and local regulations in the areas that you’ll be travelling to. For instance, a state like Idaho that has been hard hit by the pandemic has enacted crisis standards of care, meaning that if you’re in an accident, you’re unlikely to get timely, effective care in the hospital.

 

Re-evaluate Traditions

With so much stress and strain involved with travel this year, it’s a good idea to re-evaluate some of your holiday traditions. On the one hand, certain traditions, like putting up a Christmas tree, will likely be fairly normal, with the possible exception of wearing masks and using hand sanitizer when you go out to get the tree itself.

On the other hand, things like Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner may want to be approached with a new mindset. If a parent or sibling typically took on the brunt of the cooking in the past, you may want to consider splitting up responsibilities by making it a potluck event. You can make the theme simple, such as comfort food or casseroles to enable everyone to participate and spread out the added stress of hosting. And of course, you want to determine if all your family members have been vaccinated before you gather together.

 

Set Expectations

With so many rules, regulations, and other travel factors constantly changing due to the virus, it’s also a good idea to set expectations for both you and your loved ones. If valued traditional travel plans are ultimately axed due to a last-minute surge in virus-related hospitalizations, brainstorm ways to turn those cancelled travel plans into a new, treasured holiday memory.

Request a refund of your travel funds and then redirect the cash into an alternative celebration. This can be as simple as an indoor holiday picnic or as elaborate as finding a distant-but-remote alternative travel option, such as camping somewhere warmer or simply packing the car and taking a family road trip.

 

Plan in Down Time

Holiday travelling is exhausting in any year. This year, in particular, you can plan on feeling beat by the time you unload your luggage and step back inside your front door.

With that in mind, make sure not to overstuff your holiday travel plans. Don’t work right up until the moment you leave and start up again the day after you get back. Don’t plan trips back to back, either.

Instead, give yourself plenty of time to pack and plan beforehand as well as a legitimate chance to unpack and recuperate once you return. You may feel disappointed that it shortens your overall trip, but once you’re actually travelling, you’ll be glad for the extra breathing room in your schedule.

 

Have Fun Planning Ahead

Finally, if your typical holiday plans have been mangled by the pandemic, don’t let that ruin your fun. Instead, steer into the skid by actively planning what kind of trip you’ll take on the first post-pandemic holiday that rolls around.

From the Bahamas or Iceland to a cross-country trip to San Francisco or New York City, there are plenty of exciting places that will be eagerly looking for tourists as soon as it’s safe to travel again. Plot out where your journey will take you now so that you’re ready to hit the ground running as soon as the quarantines lift, the pandemic ends, and life returns to a sense of normalcy.

 

Planning Travels During a Pandemic

Living through a pandemic can be exhausting. Attending holidays during a pandemic can be a logistical challenge. Travelling anywhere during a pandemic can be a straight-up nightmare — especially if you go into your travels ill-prepared.

 

However, if you take the time to do your homework, set expectations, plan ahead, create contingency plans, and stay flexible on traditions, you can beat the stress and have a genuinely fun holiday season.

 

Jori Hamilton

Jori Hamilton

Jori Hamilton

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