What a time to be alive, right? 2020 is almost over. This year, the monsoon travel plans were replaced by #throwback2019 travel pictures and Diwali holiday plans were replaced by #stayathome stickers on Instagram due to the ongoing pandemic.

While scientists all around the world are working their hardest to come up with a viable vaccine against the virus, hotels, hostels, and holiday locations have slowly and carefully started their operations. 

Our social media feed is also filled with people finally taking their long-due break and holidaying at beautiful spots. So it is natural to crave for a break and get the getaway you deserve.

But how do you go about it? How to ensure you can breathe a sigh of relief near a beach laying on a hammock without throwing the caution out of the window regarding your health. Here’s how you do it, with a list of travel tips you can use to ensure a safe holiday. 

Travel Tips Before The Actual Travel

1.Do research on the COVID rate for the place you want to visit

A tip that may seem simple, one can easily forget to take this essential step before booking their tickets and share the news with their friends. Make sure you do thorough research about the rate at which covid has decreased at the vacation spot you have your eyes at. If you see a steady decline and no exponential increase in the past 45 days, you can move to the next step of the travel.

2.Take an objective look at your health condition

Are you or anyone you are planning your holiday with at high risk for COVID-19 infection? Do you or your travel partner have underlying health conditions like diabetes, a heart condition, obesity, etc? If so, flying or traveling on a train can make you highly susceptible to the infection. 

3.Take COVID Test from Reliable Place

Traveling to most hotels for a holiday during COVID-19, one has to submit a negative test report. But there are places where one can do away with such submissions and just get away with it. We recommend you to take a test so that you can assess your situation and not put yourself and your fellow vacationers in harm’s way.

Now that we’ve gotten the pre-travel tips out of the way, let’s talk about simple travel tips you can use when you’d be traveling to your favorite holiday destination:

4.Flights Are The Safest Mode for Travel

Experts say that airplane is the safest mode of travel during this pandemic. With precautions taken by the airline crew and the nature of the flight itself, one can feel relatively at ease when they are sitting on the plane. If your financial situation allows you, book a flight ticket to your favourite spot. 

But that’s not it. 

  • Be sure to web check-in before you board your plane as it avoids unnecessary physical touch.
  • As obvious as it may sound, do not remove your masks and safety shield while you’re boarding, in the flight and deboarding.
  • Sanitize your seat before and after you are seated.
  • Be patient and kind to the crew, and most importantly, continue practicing social distancing.

5.Sharing Is Not Caring

Gone are the days when we could freely eat Maggi in a bowl with our friends or pass along the bottle of beverage to our partner during a holiday. With COVID-19, you have to be mindful of not sharing your cutlery or toiletries with your travel companions. It will result in an increase in physical touch and can put you at a vulnerable position.

6.Be Mindful of Hygiene Protocols 

The simple rule of preventing any infection, be it life-threatening or not, is following hygiene protocols. In the past 8 months, we have had no shortage of information regarding what rules to follow when it comes to staying hygienic. From social distancing, wearing masks, to consistent sanitisation, we all know the rules of the game. Might as well, learn these rules to win this game! Adhere to these protocols and make sure whoever you’re traveling with also follows them.

7.Be Mindful Of What You Touch

While on a vacation, it’s easy to feel like the limitations of the “new normal” doesn’t apply. But remember, there are no magical charms that will keep the virus at bay just because you’re laying on the beach in Goa, watching the sunset in Kerala or making a snowball in Himachal. 

Be mindful and conscious of the surfaces you’re touching. Holiday destinations across the nation have minimized the need for their patrons to have to touch unnecessary surfaces, but make sure you yourself remind mindful of that. Carry a sanitizer at all places and if you have to touch a door handle or a knob on the refrigerator, make sure you wipe the surface off with a tissue.

8.The Most Important Tip: Cooperate with the people around you & Enjoy!

Keeping in mind the sanitization and hygiene staff across holiday destinations have been trying their hardest to give you a great experience while keeping a conscious grip on the situation. You will be made to give temperature checks, may be asked to sanitize first before you walk in or be reminded to adjust your mask. Remember to take things easy and cooperate with the people around you.