I know what you may be thinking, traveling during a pandemic? That’s crazy! Unfortunately, some people have to travel right now. I recently lost a loved one who lived in a different state and it made me do a lot of research into travel guidelines and safety measures. I wanted to share some things I’ve learned to keep yourself as safe as possible if you find that you also have to travel during this time.
Flying During A Pandemic
Arguably one of the scariest forms of travel right now, flying during a pandemic may be essentially your only option for long-distance travel. While some are saying flights are cheap, I urge you to do your research. Had I flown to my destination, it would have cost me over $600 and that would be for just an hour and a half flight!
Upcharging
Some airlines are taking advantage and up charging close to departure date so be sure you try to check every airline possible and as soon as you can. Also if you weren’t aware please check flights in an incognito browser to lower chances of price increases due to popular searches.
Policy Research
When you’ve chosen your airline look into what their policies are. Not all airlines are utilizing the same guidelines and it’s important that you know what is expected of you when you fly. My personal standard is to just wear your mask at all times because it’s better to not take any chances!
Road Tripping During A Pandemic
Since I couldn’t drop $600 on a flight, my option was to road trip! One nice thing about this was that I’m used to road-tripping to save money and I was able to limit my contact with other people. The experience was definitely not like my usual trips though.
Research State Guidelines
My biggest tip for road tripping is researching what the state guidelines are for the areas you are passing in during the pandemic. For instance, I went from Philadelphia to Detroit which meant I had to drive through three states. During this trip, there were about 5 different phased reopenings I passed through. PA has its red through green phases (I ironically passed through all) and then there were Ohio and Michigan’s guidelines as well. These differences in reopenings can make a big impact on your travel.
Know Before You Stop
Some areas only have a portion of their rest stops open such as restrooms and a convenience store while others are either almost completely open or closed! Researching this can help you choose rest stops you are more comfortable stopping at that meet your needs like if you just need gas or are looking to grab food and take a break. It’s also important to note not all areas enforce the use of masks or distancing. I personally stuck to the guidelines of my area which included wearing masks, social distancing, and washing my hands frequently because I felt it was safest.
Things You Should Pack
I’ve made some posts on packing for trips in the past here but I just wanted to add in that on the top of your list should be a face mask or facial covering of some kind and hand sanitizer! It’s important to have them on hand because not everyone will follow safety guidelines it’s up to you to be as safe as you possibly can during this pandemic!
Remember
As things start to open in some places it’s important to still be cautious! The US is still rising in Covid cases and it’s not smart to travel unless you absolutely must during the pandemic. I urge you all to be as cautious as possible and I’m wishing you all safe travels.