Whether you’re doing it for business or pleasure, travel is much more complicated post-pandemic, so your travel checklist to avoid headaches and be prepared for emergencies has become longer. Taking some time to plan your travel can lead to fewer headaches during your trip. 

In this article, we will give you tips for travel after COVID-19. We’ll share the updates you should make to your list to be a savvy traveler, from what travel insurance coverages to look into to what medical records to bring with you. 

#1 – Consider Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is an excellent idea to protect your trip investment. You pay a fee to cover the cost of your trip if something happens to cancel or delay your trip. The fee is usually much less than the actual price of the trip especially if it’s international or a long journey. 

Allianz travel insurance offers a variety of plans with reasonable prices to cover short and long trips. They offer plans per trip or annual plans for those that travel often. The rates range from $100 to $300 depending on the type of plan and coverage needed. 

#2 – Plan Your Trip

Planning is one of the keys to a successful trip.If you’re considering going on a solo trip, you should decide on a destination, hotel or housing accommodations, possible activities, your budget, and how you will get there. Check local public health recommendations for travel to make sure the destination is open for tourists, especially for international destinations. A travel mobile app can help you plan and organize your travel. 

While electronic documents and mobile apps are great for travel, you should also keep paper copies of flight itineraries, hotel confirmations, rental car confirmations, and other travel documents. A paper copy can serve as a backup if you have technical issues or are unable to connect to wifi to access documents. 

Don’t forget to make arrangements for your home, mail or packages, or pets while you will be gone. You should secure your home before you travel. You may want to have a neighbor or loved one check on your home while you are gone. 

#3 – Make a Packing List

If you are traveling by air, decide which items belong in your carry-on or personal item and your checked bag. If you are traveling by bus, train, or car, you should decide which items you want easy access to and others can be stored during travel. 

Check the recent weather forecast to prepare your packing list for clothing and other essential items. Don’t forget items like umbrellas, rain jackets, coats, sunglasses, hats, and sunscreen depending on your destination.

Good items to keep in your carry-on or personal item include masks, hand sanitizer, wipes, a reusable water bottle, prescription medications, car and house keys, ibuprofen or Tylenol, snacks, and important documents.

#4 – Bring Medical Information

Make sure you have your health insurance and pharmacy or prescription insurance information. If you are traveling internationally, you may need to self-pay or purchase international health insurance. Check with your health insurance company to find out the details for your specific destination. 

If you have been vaccinated for COVID-19, make sure you have your vaccine card. It’s helpful to have a paper copy and an electronic copy that could be printed. You may also have to provide proof of other vaccinations prior to travel. 

#5 – Practice Sanitary Habits

One of the best things we can do to spread illness is to wash our hands often. Use soap and warm or hot water to wash for at least 20 seconds. Wash your hands after using the bathroom, before preparing food, before eating, or anytime you touch surfaces that may be contaminated by others. 

You can also wipe down surfaces that many people touch before you touch them. Hotel TV remotes, door handles, gas pumps, ATMs, and railings are surfaces that many people touch. 

While masks are not required everywhere, they still offer a layer of protection. Masks may be useful in crowded public areas, on public transportation, or on airplanes where people are in close proximity and may be coughing or sneezing. 

#6 – Follow Local Public Health Recommendations

You should research and follow local public health recommendations for social distancing, COVID-19 testing, and self-isolation if you are sick or have been exposed to someone who is sick. You can either look these up online or get more information about the local regulations from the hotel or accommodations where you are staying. 

If you are traveling internationally and an at-home COVID test is required, make sure you follow the policies for travel out of and back into the U.S. and use an approved at-home test. Also, an at-home test may be acceptable for you to travel out of the U.S., but it may not be enough to get you back into the U.S. 

#7 – Practice Kindness

After the pandemic, many companies have been experiencing labor and supply shortages. This affects everyone from the employees to the customers. Airlines, hotels, restaurants, and other retail employees may be short-staffed, leading to overworked or overwhelmed employees. 

Be patient and practice kindness to others. Smile at others, say thank you, and be thoughtful in your interactions with others. You never know what personal struggles others may be going through.

#8 – Make a Travel Budget

Before you begin planning your trip, make sure you set a travel budget. This will help keep you from excessive spending or running up debt for a vacation. It’s a good idea to save money for a trip in advance because no one wants to come home from vacation with a huge credit card bill. 

Your travel budget should include hotel or housing costs, food, activities, entertainment, and any other expenses you might incur during travel. You will also want to plan for airfare, public transportation, fuel or maintenance costs, or rental car costs, depending on how you plan to get to your destination. 

#9 – Protect Others from COVID-19

While we want to avoid getting sick while traveling, we also don’t want to make others sick. First, stay home and do not travel if you are sick. If you get ill during travel, you may need to delay your return until you are no longer ill. 

If you have been exposed to someone else with COVID-19, get tested after five days. Do not travel until you have a negative test result. Wear a mask if you’ve had recent contact with someone with COVID-19. 

#10 – Stay Informed

Some hotels, airlines, or entertainment venues may have specific policies about post-pandemic travel. Cruises may have specific travel requirements, protocols, and policies. Make sure you follow the recommendations from the cruise ship and cruise line. 

Traveling may look different in the post-pandemic era, but it doesn’t have to prevent you from making memories and enjoying new destinations and having positive travel experiences. These ten travel tips will help you be prepared and stay safe for trips anywhere. 

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