It’s no secret that COVID-19 has created chaos in our daily lives. There have been quarantines, stay at home, shortages of toilet paper, Lysol, and it will be a year not soon forgotten. How have you been coping? Our dogs have certainly enjoyed our being at home more, we have spent more time with my mom, and taken advantage of a bit of a slower pace. We did get to enjoy a ranch weekend with our granddaughter; it was the perfect place to safely social distance yet spend time together.
In the world of travel, COVID-19 brought it to a standstill for months. Never has the world seen the likes of the travel disruption we have seen since March. There is finally some good news out there, and some light at the end of the tunnel for travelers.
You can still take a vacation or honeymoon! Depending on the time frame, the vacation or honeymoon of your dreams is still out there waiting to be planned. Planning travel with confidence is easy by following a few important tips in the planning process.
First and foremost, work with a professional travel advisor. Professional travel advisors have worked tirelessly throughout this global health crisis to assist their clients with rescheduling or canceling and did not turn their back on their clients in the same way many of the internet booking sites did.
Professional travel advisors also keep up with all the latest protocols and requirements for both international and domestic travel. Each week we see more destinations opening to tourism. Every international destination has protocols for re-opening when they feel the time is right for them as determined by their governing bodies. Domestically, some states are restricting visitors from other states as well as restricting public activities, restaurants, tourist attractions, and more. The protocols are changing weekly and sometimes daily. Protocols can range from restricting guests based on where they live to requiring health related testing prior to arrival. It’s important to remember that the protocols are not recommendations, but requirements for visiting their countries or states.
Sound complicated? It’s not when working with a professional travel advisor. While the situation is fluid and ever changing, travel advisors have access to the current most up to date information and will gladly guide their clients through the process.
Travel Protection (aka Travel Insurance) has never been more important in travel. However, it’s important to have the right kind of travel protection. It’s not all created equal. Not all plans will allow for cancellations due to an epidemic or pandemic. Not all plans will protect 100% of the money invested in the honeymoon. Working with a professional travel advisor will ensure the proper travel protection is selected.
Still want to travel but feeling a little nervous? There are some ways to still travel yet keep social distancing in check without compromising on experience. Upon arrival to the destination, consider upgrading to private transfers. Not only do they start the in-destination experience off first class, it will avoid sharing a van with a larger number of people. Consider resorts that offer rooms with private plunge pools or even swim up rooms. Enjoy a pool yet have privacy and avoid the crowds. Individual casitas or overwater bungalows will offer privacy, crowd control and add another layer of romance to the honeymoon. Club level rooms or suites often offer access to smaller more private pools, beach areas, lounges, or even restaurants at resorts again reducing the crowd exposure.
Being flexible when it comes to the flights will offer the most options. All airlines have experienced cutbacks on destinations or the frequency per day or week they fly to any given destination. Being willing to drive a little further to another airport or start the vacation on a different day of the week may make all the difference in the vacation or honeymoon experience. It’s also important to remember each airline will have their own set of health and safety protocols in place. Again, these are not recommendations, but requirements to fly on their airlines.
Lastly, the most important part of an international trip is the passport. If planning to travel in 2021 and still don’t have a passport, start the process now. There is a backlog of approximately 1 million passports and several of the passport processing centers are still not even open. The normal processing time of 6-8 weeks is now expected to take 4-5 months in some cases. It’s important to remember for many international destinations a passport must be valid for 6 months beyond the dates of travel. Keep these time frames in consideration if a passport renewal is required.
Don’t be hesitant to plan now, plan smartly by working with a professional travel advisor, and create those future memories.
Happy Travels,
