I’m trying to figure out what the earliest “safe” month to book a trip may be. We have 1 trip planned in May, but we are driving and can easily socially distance ourselves from others. We have another planned for October, and we are driving on that one too. (Although if it was safe we could consider plane). I’d like to take advantage before too many people start traveling again, but want to stay safe (just like everyone else, I know).
Getting there seems less of an issue to me than being there. In the last year we’ve twice driven 10 hours in a shot to a family beach house. We were the only ones there. But we really couldn’t do much that we felt was safe. Restaurants, all indoor activities like museums, some outdoor activities without distancing…all that was no go. So we basically just stayed home, cooked for ourselves, and walked the beach. I can’t say it was all that fun. My kids missed their “stuff” and we didn’t feel like we got much of a break (almost harder in a lot of ways). The second time we went, the mask mandate there was lifted and we didn’t even feel comfortable going to the grocery store. So that sucked.
All but our youngest kid are now vaccinated. I’d feel comfortable flying masked or driving somewhere, but what realistically and safely can we do when we arrive? For me, any destination will need to have outdoor dining and outdoor activities like hiking or canoeing.
1 Like
To me, a lot of the fun of travel is dining out and exploring. I won’t feel safe to do so until it’s safe to travel and find out wherever I’m going. It is easier to have an idea of safe local places to eat when you are local. When you travel, harder to know where restaurants are observing safety protocols and less crowded—more spacing, better mask wearing. M
The long flights to get anywhere from Hi make travel more problematic as well. The idea of wearing a mask for many many hours of travel—airport and arirplane does not sound pleasant.
4 Likes
Lately, it seems that most of my friends (who have been vaccinated) are planning or have taken trips. Some are domestic but a few are going to Mexico. I think travel will increase a lot this summer and with Canada and Europe still closed to Americans, U. S. destinations could crowded with resorts and other accommodations filling up fast.
2 Likes
We’re thinking about going to Florida in October since we should both be vaccinated by May at the latest. I won’t book travel for awhile, to see how things are looking.
In January, I booked a couple of RT flights to HI for later in the year. Looking at the airfare now, that was possibly a smart move. The prices doubled, even with discounts.
5 Likes
My D bought a ticket HNL to LAX with cash on UAL in mid-Feb. it was $99, one way. She bought it just a day or two before flying, so there are still lots of low prices out there. She ended up with an entire row to herself!
I’d only fly if it were a direct flight and I could comfortably mask and shield the entire time. I have a very hard time wearing a mask for longer than an hour at a time — makes it tough to breathe since I have lung conditions.
A current list of countries welcoming US travelers:
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/us-international-travel-covid-19/index.html
2 Likes
I felt anxious reading that list. By the time I got to the M’s I was actively thinking “they’re nuts!” - Ok, I guess I’M not ready for international travel yet!
1 Like
As of recent, I look at the ability to get decent medical care, should I need it. That delayed my trip to AZ by 2 months.
I have a client with a fiance who lives in Bosnia. She, a U.S. citizen, cannot visit him unless she is vaccinated.
Thanks for that list. It’s timely for my son and his Syrian fiancee, who are literally trying to figure out where in the world they can go. The Seychelles will accept Syrians and Americans in normal times, so that’s one place they were considering. But the list states that you have to be fully vaccinated to enter the country, and there’s no way that’s going to happen any time soon in Lebanon. 
They are in a really tough spot. The situation is deteriorating in Beirut. The government is ending subsidies so that food prices are increasing and people are rioting as a result. My son is fine since he has US dollars, but the Lebanese people are in dire straits.
My Wisconsin niece texted me this morning that she will be in San Diego for a bachelorette party in July and was checking if we’d be around. I don’t think her friend is local so destination bachelorette parties seem to be back. She will be fully vaccinated; hopefully her friends will too. We may or may not be here depending on son in Seattle- we might be driving up there the week before. So much depends on how conditions evolve - improving or backsliding.
It would be wonderful to see her; haven’t done so in almost five years.
Sitting here preparing to board a small regional jet for a two hour flight. Been working in-person this whole time. Have travelled several times by air. I got my first moderna dose a week ago. Work requirements mean travel. It’s not a big deal.
2 Likes
We had a Canadian Rockies trip cancelled for Sept. of 2020. It was rescheduled for Sept. 2021–at the time I figured by then things would be under control and the Canadian border would be open to Americans by then. Right now, I am not quite so sure this will happen, given that Canada is behind the US in terms of vaccination rate.
My husband and I were fortunate enough to visit Hawaii two years ago and want to go back but realize it will have to be at least 5 years in the future as your point about a flight that long while wearing a mask is very true. Even California is a 3-4 hour flight and I am not sure I want to take that on either.
1 Like
47 passengers on a flight from New Delhi to Hong Kong were found to be infected. All passengers were tested negative pre-flight. Incredibly, 22 of them were only tested positive on day 12 of their quarantine after initially tested negative upon their arrival.
We got to CA on Friday and hugged my parents for the first time in 14 months. My mom was crying so hard she could barely stand up. This has been so hard for older folks. My sister and brother in law arrive tomorrow - haven’t seen them in person since Nov ‘19.
I’m so very grateful for vaccines and that we don’t have any anti-vaxers in the family.
16 Likes
Be careful if you’re thinking of flying.