As we entered 2020, coronavirus begins and travel changed all over the world. People have become scared of one another and a simple sneeze or cough has become a weapon. You need this coronavirus travel survival guide for 2021.

But 2020 is long gone and we are slowly returning to a new normal. The question now is how do we survive in this new coronavirus world? We will dive into our coronavirus travel survival guide and give you all the resources you need to start traveling again safely.

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Quick tips to stay safe

There are a few basic tips that you need to know when you begin traveling again. These tips will help you rather you go far from home or end up doing a staycation in your own town.

• Always have a comfortable mask that you wear when going near other people. Especially if you will be flying. In fact, the lastest advice is to actually double mask to protect yourself even father.
• Keep your distance from other people as much as possible.
• Don’t go anywhere without your hand sanitizer. I love these travel-sized ones with a clip so you can clip them on the outside of your bag and easily wash your hands.
• Make sure to keep your phone and other high-touch areas clean while you are traveling with disinfecting wipes on the go.

For more tips on to not catch the coronavirus while you are traveling check out this post that is loaded with travel tips to keep you safe and healthy.

What are the safest ways to travel?

The first question on our minds is what is the safest way to travel post-coronavirus? How can we get to the places we want to go with the lowest risk of catching covid-19? Is it safe to fly? Is international travel safe and allowed? Let’s dive into the safest ways to travel post-coronavirus.

Is it safe to fly?

All medical experts agree, the more passengers on a plane, the higher the risk for everyone. But you may still be wondering is it safe to fly? Many people are asking airlines to put a limit on how many passengers they put on their planes. The most common request is to leave the middle seats open. However, airlines do not like the idea of limiting their number of passengers saying this will put many airlines completely out of business.

So until the airlines make up their minds and decide what to do to lower out risk is it safe for you to fly? We can not tell you that it is perfectly safe to fly amid covid-19. However, you can still fly and lower your risk.

Still with all of that said, airplanes HEPA filters are better at filtering particles in the air than any filter inside a building. So the air you breath in a plane will still be cleaner than the air inside Target.

I have flown internationally amid coronavirus with my husband and three children and none of us contracted coronavirus. It is possible to lower your risk and fly amid coronavirus.

How to lower your risk when flying during Coronavirus

One of the best ways to lower your risk while flying during this coronavirus time is to be picky about your seat on the plane. If you can afford to upgrade your seat, now is the time. The more space you can give between you and others the better.

If you cannot afford to upgrade, choose a seat that is not near others. Check the seat map before your trip and make sure you are as far apart from other passengers as possible. You can even ask when you are checking in to be moved as far away as possible.

Make sure you wear a mask for your entire flight. The most comfortable masks will be easier to wear for a long time. (The mask pictured to the left is an N95 and was purchased before the coronavirus pandemic. I do not recommend buying N95 masks for casual use).

If you do not have an N95 mask, I recommend double masking. This means wear a surgical mask under a fabric mask. This helps close gaps and open spaces where germs can get in and out.

Amazon has a few great options for masks for men, women, and children. Do not skip on the masks, it’s your best defense from the recycled air that you will be breathing.

Also, the WHO announced that your mask needs to be 3 layers to give you the best protection, so make sure to purchase the filters that go inside your mask to wear on the plane.

The recycled air in planes is extremely dry! This makes your body more susceptible to catching coronavirus. We suggest taking some nasal spray with you on the plane. Use it regularly to keep your eyes and nose moisturized. This will help keep your immune system at working more efficiently.

In general, the airlines have done everything possible to make flying safe. They are only flying the newest planes that have high-tech filters to filter the recycled air. Flight attendants are also wearing masks and gloves to keep you safe.

Road Trips are safer

If you are looking for a safer option to flying, road trips in your home country will be much safer this year. When you are in your own car, you can control the cleanliness. Plus you are not breathing in recycled air.

Experts call this eliminating hazards. The more you can eliminate potential exposure to others, the safer you are from the coronavirus. If you are in your own car, you’ve eliminating exposure to all the people on a plane and in the airports that you would come in contact with during your travels.

Where should you go on your road trip? A road trip can be even more fun than a big international trip. Check out the best road trip in the USA here. Road trips have always been one of my favorite ways to travel. One of my favorite road trips is to Yellowstone, you can find all the info about that trip here.

That being said, make sure you still take hand sanitizer, wipes, and masks. Make sure to keep your hands ridiculously clean. Don’t bring germs into your car, clean your hands before you get into your car. Wipe down drinks and snacks that you bring into your car. It is best to keep your car as your safe zone.

And make sure to wear your mask anytime you are going to be around other people.

Are cruises safe now?

Cruising has always been a favorite across the world. It is a great way to see multiple places without ever having to switch hotels. I have been on a few cruises and I have loved each one. My most recent cruise was out of Shanghai China to Japan and it was an absolute blast. I loved every minute of it.

At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the whole world heard about travelers trapped on cruise ships for weeks and weeks. It sounded like a total nightmare. So now what, what is going to happen to cruises?

Currently, most cruise lines are still shut down and there are rumors that they will never completely recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

I can’t say that I think you’d be safe from the coronavirus if there was an outbreak on a cruise ship. Until the coronavirus pandemic slows it’s not the safest way to travel. Cruise lines are doing everything they can to increase standards to make cruising safe again. But for now, we will wait and see.

Safest Places To Travel

So you’re ready to hit the road or get back on to a plane. But you still want to be safe. We know how to travel safely now so next up on our coronavirus travel survival guide is where to travel safely.

There are many locations all over the world that have been able to handle the coronavirus well and kept it to a minimal level. This means these places will be some of the safest destinations for you to travel to amid coronavirus.

There are places in the US that are safe to travel to right now. There are also international places that will be safe to travel to later this year. But it’s not too early to start planning and dreaming. Check out the full list of the safest places in the world to travel here. Some of these places have already opened their borders up for tourists this summer.

Other top destinations 2021

If those destinations weren’t your dream vacation, check out more top destinations to visit in 2021. Take advantage of some great deals that won’t come around again.

What is the safest lodging

Are hotels safe?

Once you have picked your destination and made your transportation arrangements, the next question on our coronavirus travel survival guide is where to stay?

Hotels are doing everything they can to up their cleaning standards. In fact, cleanliness is on everyone’s minds. It is one of the ways that coronavirus has changed travel and what the future of travel will look like.

Large hotel chains like Marriott and Hilton have announced new cleaning standards since covid-19 began. Smaller hotel chains have also announced that they will be enhancing their cleaning.

So with the new cleaning standards, are hotels safe to stay in now? I would cautiously say yes. According to the new standards, the rooms will be clean of covid-19 when you arrive. However, hotels still have many common spaces that are difficult to keep clean.

Remember as you walk from your car to your room, everyone else in the hotel is also walking the same direction. So every door handle, elevator button, handrail, and walls could be containment. Unfortunately, we know that some people have coronavirus without any symptoms so they are unknowingly passing the virus on to others.

This is why I cautiously say yes to hotels. The room that you are staying in is your safe zone but outside the room remember to be diligent about washing your hands and social distancing from others.

Are vacation rentals safe?

Another alternative to staying in a hotel is staying in a vacation rental. But again the question remains is this a safe way to travel now? This coronavirus travel survival guide would not be complete without mentioning vacation rentals.

There are a few good things about staying in a vacation rental on your vacation. First of all, you can cook your meals at home. This saves you from going in and out of restaurants and having contact with other people. This is also a great way to save money on your trip.

Another benefit is that if you are staying in a house or townhome, you will not have common areas with potential conornavirus exposure. Since you will walk directly into the home, you avoid pushing dirty elevator buttons and passing people in the hallways of a hotel.

That being said, these are privately owned and managed homes. You will need to ensure with your host that their cleaning standards have been enhanced since covid-19. The larger vacation rental companies such as Air Bnb, VRBO, and Homeaway have announced enhanced cleaning standards for their properties. I would suggest renting from one of these to ensure that the home you will be staying in has top cleaning standards.

Another tip for staying in a vacation rental is that you can ask your host when the guest left. Remember the virus can live for a long time on plastic and stainless steel surfaces, so it’s good to have some time between the last guest and your arrival. Air bnb is asking for at least 24 hours between guests until the coronavirus slows down.

Is camping safe right now?

Out of all the options for lodging, I think camping is probably the safest way to stay right now. This is the easiest way to ensure that your bedding is clean. Since you will be the only people in your tent, there should be no exposure to potential covid-19.

It’s best if you pack your own tent and other camping gear. This way no one else has touched your belongings. You don’t have to worry about wiping down a hotel room when you arrive, instead just set up your campsite and you are good to go.

This being said, make sure that your campsite is at least 6 to 10 feet from another person’s campsite and tent. If there are shared bathrooms at your campground, make sure to wash your hands whenever you enter and or exit the bathroom.

If you are planning to rent a small cabin, bring your own bedding and disinfecting wipes. Wipe down any high touch areas like door handles and light switches with Clorox wipes. Be careful in public areas, wear your masks, and keep your distance.

How to stay safe seeing the sights

Now you’ve arrived at your destination and settled into your hotel or vacation rental, it’s time to get out and explore. But you need to make sure you stay safe while you are out seeing the sights.

The best way to stay safe is to social distance. Stay at least six feet away from other people. If you are going to be touring inside a museum or other indoor site, wear a mask. Do not get close to other people and wash your hands often.

Outdoor activities are safer, however you still need to keep your distance from other people. If someone sneezes close to you outside, you can still catch coronavirus. So stay away from other people and avoid large crowds even outside.

Is swimming safe?

Is swimming safe with covid-19 still around? This is a complicated question and answer. But as summer approaches we are all ready to go to the pools and water parks.

So let’s take a look at how safe swimming is now. First of all, the virus is not transmitted through water. Water is not the problem, it’s the crowds and the high touch surfaces that are a problem.

A crowded pool or water park makes it almost impossible for social distance. And swimming makes wearing a mask impossible. So I would highly suggest not going to a crowded pool, beach, or water park. Your risk is not zero on the side of the pool.

A lot of pools and water parks have switched to an appointment system. If this is the case and you can guarantee that you will be able to keep a distance from other people, then I’d say go ahead and enjoy your day in the water. Make sure you are still washing your hands frequently and definitely before you eat.

Are amusement parks safe?

I don’t know about you, but I am ready for a trip to Disney World after all the stress we’ve had in 2020. But the question remains is it safe?

In my opinion, here are the problems with amusement parks. The biggest problem is the crowds. Amusement parks are known for drawing large crowds. Crowds are the number one thing to avoid during the coronavirus pandemic.

Some amusements parks are opening back up by appointment only, this will help keep the crowds lower and will help you social distance while inside the parks and on the rides.

The next problem with amusement parks are all the high touch areas. Every ride you will go on will involve touching something. So if you are ready to sanitize or wash your hands after every ride then you’re ready for an amusement park.

One last thought on amusement parks, if you eat in the amusement park, make sure to sanitize the table before you eat. In general, I would wait a little longer before going to an amusement park.

Not ready to travel yet, take a virtual trip

Maybe you’re not ready to travel yet, I get it! That doesn’t mean you can’t have a getaway from home. Many sites all over the world have opened their doors virtually so you can enjoy them from home. Visit Paris from home with this virtual vacation guide.

Wrap up on coronavirus travel survival guide

Going on a family vacation is one of the happiest times in everyone’s lives. There are many safe options for you and your family this summer. Do not let the coronavirus stop you from having an adventure and making memories.

Instead, be smart and stay safe while enjoying your summer! Happy travels everyone!