Covid Travel Tips and Advice to minimise hassle
Covid.19 has had a dramatic effect on the world and the travel industry has suffered greatly. However, travel is different. There are a lot of things you can and can’t do and no two countries are the same. Whether it is testing requirements, changes to departure or arrival documentation or what you can / can’t do when you arrive, travel will ve different. I travelled extensively throughout the pandemic and have experienced many different approaches. Despite country differences, there are also a lot of consistencies. So, if you’re looking for Covid travel tips and advice, then read on for hassle-free travel.
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Pre-booking – Covid Travel Tips and Advice
Quick reference guide
Rules and restrictions are changing all of the time. It’s difficult to know where you can travel, which countries will even accept you and whether you’ll have to isolate upon your return. Travelling has become a game of roulette, so make sure you place your bets well so your holiday isn’t impacted.
Only book a holiday with flexible options
Read the small print to see what is covered. I booked flights through Lastminute.com with Ethiopian Airlines – they appeared to be flexible but when I tried to change them, they restricted travel to within a year of being purchased which was still in the pandemic! Thankfully the airline changed them for me, but otherwise this would have been a costly mistake. Expedia and Kiwi on the other hand, have good flexibility and provide excellent customer services if things go wrong. This is particularly good if you want to book different things such as flights, hotels or rentals but not necessarily a package deal.
The same thing goes for ensuring you find the right place to stay. Most places have flexible cancellation close to the start of your holiday. However, this varies significantly by country. It is also worth looking into the cleanliness standards to ensure that you feel safe and secure. Expedia has a fantastic policy on this and you can see some of these properties below.
Explore properties that are doing more to make guests feel secure—from extra sanitisation to spacing out time between stays.Sleep with better peace of mind.If you have annual travel insurance plans, check if they still cover you.
There are a lot of loop holes when you’re travelling in a pandemic. Check your insurance thoroughly to ensure you still have cover. Make sure you have appropriate insurance when you travel to prevent any unexpected issues and costs.
Check your local governments official advice regularly –
Don’t rely on news articles etc. for official advice, or if you do, always cross-check directly with your local government source, as well as information from the destination country. Government pages will advise where is safe to travel, as well as the entry and testing requirements of the destination.
Check the Covid rates of the country you’re intending to visit.
Entry restrictions can change suddenly so look at destinations with low covid rates or that don’t have the new strains. This will increase the chances that your holiday will go ahead, or that there will be less restrictions in place. This worked for me for the Maldives, Germany and Italy.
If you can afford to be flexible, you might get a luxury holiday for a lot less.
I have booked several trips with Tui and every time they cancel it (which they have plenty of times). Each time, Tui has given me an incentive of between 20-40% to re-book. The trips are ATOL protected so it can pay-off to book, even if the holiday might be cancelled.
Pay on a credit card if you can
Paying on a credit card gives you extra security that you can claim your money back. If the travel provider goes bust or doesn’t deliver the service you have paid for you can claim relatively easily. Just aim to pay your credit card off as soon as you can to avoid any additional costs.
Before you travel | Covid Travel Tips and Advice
So you’ve taken the leap and booked somewhere. Good on you! Now you’re sat with your fingers crossed hoping it will go ahead. Here’s some tips to reduce that anxiety.
- Pre-travel documentation is intense – expect to jump through many hoops so plan it all through. Make sure you’ve got access to a printer and that you research what is needed, when.
- PCR tests usually need to be done and received back within 78 hours of departure. I used Randox – I ordered the kit way in advance, did it at home and then dropped it off at a secure point. You can send the PCR test through normal mail but there are complexities with this that might create additional issues. I personally chose to drive to the drop off point to make sure it got there on time. I had the results back in less than 48 hours.
- Pack disposable masks. Some countries have restrictions about the type of mask to wear. So, just to be safe, make sure you have the surgical ones, at least when travelling to/from the airport. Also pack hand sanitiser to keep your hands clean as you travel. Just remember that it will need to fit in one of those clear bags if it is in your hand luggage.
- Be prepared to wear the mask for the duration of your flight. The only exceptions to this are when you’re eating/drinking. The airlines are also much stricter on changing seats due to the Passenger location forms and covid track and trace requirements.
- Have a back-up plan – if it doesn’t happen, what are your options? I changed a holiday 3 times and each time I had a cash incentive to rebook, eventually leading to a successful trip to the Maldives at a fraction of the price!
While you’re away | Covid Travel Tips and Advice
- Understand how the restrictions apply in your destination and follow them. You don’t want to get caught out with a heavy fine or catch the virus when you’re away.
- If you have any buffet meals included, you can expect that you might need to sit down/queue to order instead. I actually prefer this, although it can be more inconvenient if its busy and it may limit your portion size!
- Pool and beach areas tend to be mask free. You just need to keep to social distancing and put a mask back on if you then head to a bar/restaurant
- Expect to have your temperature checked several times – this usually happens at hotels, restaurants and airports. No matter how hot and sweaty you are, you won’t have a high temperature unless you genuinely have a fever.
- If you think you have caught covid whilst away, isolate yourself in your room and speak to your insurance provider for advice.
Heading Home | Covid Travel Tips and Advice
Its the worst part of the trip, but its time to go home. The majority of the pre-travel tips here, so I won’t repeat them.
Make sure you get a new PCR test from a reputable source when returning, we saw several people on our trips that were refused flights because they didn’t have the right documentation. Don’t stress yourself out over it but make sure you’ve got everything you need and have a safe trip home.
I’d love to hear how you’ve you’ve found my covid travel tips and advice. How have you found travelling?
If you’re looking for places to go, I went to several places in Italy in August 2020 and they were still lively, but safe. Read more about them below:
Sorrento – such a fantastic base to explore southern Italy
Amalfi Coast – three beautiful coastline destinations all in one – why not make a road trip out of it?
Capri – whether you stay for a few nights or visit the island for the day, you won’t be disappointed.
Naples – this is a great city based on the coast and is home to the famous Neapolitan Pizza!
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Ooh wow thanks for these some awesome tips????
Those are some good tips. As travel rules change from one day to another, one must be as flexible as possible and make sure there are good alternatives if things don’t work out. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Travel is certainly so much different with Covid rates still high. But there are ways to help manage a bit of the uncertainty. We are only looking at very last minute bookings since we know how quickly the rules change these days. Having a backup plan and an escape plan is something that we would not travel without these days. We travelled last summer locally when things opened up a bit. We will see what this year brings.
Since travelling during the pandemic is so much more complicated and bears so many risks, I actually prefer to wait till we got this mess under control. This way, I don’t add to the problem and I’m sure travelling after the pandemic will be far more relaxed and enjoyable. As a matter of fact, we hardly can travel and even within the country, rules are getting stricter by the day. Also, I’m not travelling for parties and beaches but mainly for culture – and most of the venues I’m interested in are currently closed.
I absolutely respect that. It certainly is a mess at the moment and I can appreciate travel isn’t for everyone during these times. You also don’t want to jeopardise visiting the attractions that made you want to travel there in the first place! I hope for all our sakes that things will start to return to normal and we can continue doing what we all enjoy.
I’m staying put this year and saving money to visit Asia as soon as soon as restrictions lift…or until I go mad. One or the other; I’m not fussy.
That’s the one good thing about the covid restrictions on travel… you can save for a much more extravagant trip than you might otherwise have planned! Asia is my favourite continent of all so you will have a fantastic time. Where are you heading?
Travel has certainly changed since the onset of Covid-19 and requirements change from from one country to another. It is great to have a concise list of what to expect and what is required. Much to look forward to as travel slowly returns.
I was in Italy the same time as you, but I was mostly in Sardinia and Milan. I agree that there are ways to travel safely and mindfully, without jepordizing persoal or public health. I did get travel shamed by a lot of peers though for promoting travel during the pandemic. Did you get a similar reaction from people back home? Anyway, great post I agree with all these tips on how to travel safely
Hi Jacqueline, thank you for your comment. Yes, it has been a bit hit and miss about whether people support it or think it is to soon to travel. All local governments have put travel guidelines in place and the countries themselves have applied them, so as long as you’re travelling within those parameters, then all power to you I say 🙂 Pleased that you managed to get away and did so safely and mindfully.
Some really useful information here. You’re so lucky, I had 9 trips cancelled from different countries. I’m dying to get moving again.
Such a great guide for people who want to travel during the Covid pandemic. A lot of useful tips. Safety is the most important.