Traveling during the pandemic can be overwhelming and stressful if you haven’t prepared in advance. However, if you follow all the safety procedures, you will be less likely to feel worried during your trip. Depending on the reasons you’re traveling, you might face some different problems. For example, if you are traveling for leisure you might have more time to relax, but if you’re traveling for business you will probably have a tight schedule. Here are some of our top tips on how to travel safely during a pandemic, whether you’re traveling alone or as part of a group…
Use a company to help you organise and book your trip and Travel Safely
For those who are traveling for business, if you already have a busy schedule and no time to plan flights, hotels and your trip in general, you can use a business travel management company to help. These companies will arrange your trip for you and therefore completely limit your stress levels. Businesses with many employees will benefit most from discounts and group deals travel management companies can organise.
Check you have all the right documentation and Travel Safely
It’s crucial to make sure you check the government guidelines for the country you’re flying to and for when you are returning back to your country. They are updated regularly so keep checking before traveling. If you haven’t been vaccinated you will most likely need to show a negative PCR or lateral flow test when passing through border control or check-in at the airport, book this in advance as it will usually need to be taken 72 hours before your arrival time.
Find out the quarantine rules
When arriving back home you will probably need to quarantine, some countries such as the UK expect you to do a day 2 and day 8 test. This will ensure you don’t have Covid-19 and if you do, you will need to quarantine for longer. Most airlines won’t let you check-in without proof of your day 2 and 8 test booking so book this in advance to avoid having to do this while abroad. These tests will be sent to your home when you get back so you don’t have to travel to take them.
Make sure you pack the essentials
To travel smart during the pandemic, you will need to remember some safety essentials like hand sanitiser and a face mask. It’s useful to take more than one mask, just in case you get uncomfortable and want to change or the string might break. It’s recommended to wear a strong mask in the airport, not a reusable thin one as they don’t offer as much protection. If you have a long journey ahead, you should remember the usual travel essentials like an eye mask, headphones, a book and any other entertainment. Writing yourself a list before packing your hand luggage will ensure you don’t forget anything.
Stick to the rules when you get to the airport
Luckily, most airports are spacious so it won’t be difficult to stick to the 2 metre rule, however, some are ignorant and chose to ignore the rules. Make sure you aren’t one of these people as we all know how quickly Covid-19 and the new variant can spread. Sticking to the guidelines when you’re inside the airport will help to keep you and others safe.
Managing to follow all these tips for traveling during the pandemic will help you feel relaxed and you will probably be fine with traveling again in the future. If you are traveling for business and the company has a large enough budget to use business travel management, this will be useful to take the pressure off someone else’s hands. Those traveling in a group should have a WhatsApp chat to keep everyone in the loop with updates, photos from the trip and general information like changes to the government guidelines for travel. Good luck for your trip, whether you’re driving, flying, taking a ferry or a train.
