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1. Traveling to Other States According to CNBC and several marketing firms, many Americans are opting for road trips and will prefer to stay relatively close to home for the foreseeable future. But just like traveling to other countries, it’s important to learn about any restrictions and rules when traveling to neighboring states. We won’t bore you with the specifics, but we had to alter our original flight to Vermont to travel to our workshop in upstate New York. Vermont, a popular New England travel destination, especially in the summer, issued a warning to those arriving from non-New England states by any form of public transportation to self-quarantine for 14 days. This came as a surprise to us, and obviously we had to alter our flight plans. More on that in a sec. So the state-by-state restrictions are very real, with some states threatening pretty stiff fines for anyone who violates them. This is because some residents in low COVID-19 incidence states really DO NOT want incoming travelers. This brings us to our next COVID travel point… 2. Travel Shame Many feel that travel is downright irresponsible right now, and we won’t argue against that. If you choose to travel, be prepared to justify your trip to those who might ask. We felt very reluctant telling anyone we were from out-of-town, but it seemed like most people didn’t mind as long as we weren’t from a state with a high number of COVID-19 reported cases like Florida or Texas. And even though we made sure to always practice social distancing while wearing face masks and using lots and lots of hand sanitizer, we felt a bit uneasy worrying about whether people might question our reasons for traveling. We also wanted to support some local restaurants during our trip, and we followed all of the standard protocols and dined al fresco most of the time… even on the hottest of days. 3. Travel Insurance. There are various types of insurance you can purchase when traveling, but not all of it covers cancellations due to COVID-19. Since the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared COVID-19 as a pandemic back in March, most travel insurance companies will not cover any claims because it is now considered a known and foreseen event. Do your homework and make sure you won’t be throwing money away in the event that you have to change or cancel your travel plans entirely. 4. Flying. Most airlines have adopted social distance and hygiene-friendly practices due to the pandemic, but the majority of them are still struggling financially and have reduced their regular routes. This means you’ll need to plan early and be flexible with the days you want to fly to get the best deal or even travel at all. If you do get a good deal initially, that’s great. But if there are factors out of your control that cause you to change flights, rebooking an alternate flight will most likely cost you extra dollars. Because even if the change fees are waived, you might face rebooking amid greater demand on less flights across the board. We ended up having to pay about $200 more than we originally budgeted to switch our flights three weeks out if that provides any context. And if you have to cancel, some airlines will also be reluctant to issue a full refund and push for a travel voucher instead. 5. Safety. We felt surprisingly safe flying out of Denver International Airport. It seemed a bit like a ghost town as we were waiting to board, and everyone was practicing social distancing and mask-wearing precautions. Everything within the airport itself appeared super clean, which isn’t always what you expect at an airport. We joked that we actually felt safer at the airport than on some of our recent trips to the grocery store. Traveling during the pandemic is obviously a personal choice, but by taking the proper precautions and following the recommended guidelines, you can still travel safely and explore with confidence.
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