Preparing to Travel Again As Covid-19 Restrictions Ease

Covid-19 Preparing to Travel

Never in the history of humanity have people desired to travel as we have in the past few months. The current crisis came in like a thief and kept many of us cooped up inside our houses. It took away our freedom and limited us to only walking or driving within our neighbourhoods. At least the disease is now losing its ‘sting’ and slowly giving us back our freedom. We are now seeing some light at the end of the tunnel in some countries.

This explains why many people are now thinking of travelling. Isn’t it the thing we have missed since lockdown and restrictions were set in place?

But what should you do in this whole process of preparing to travel?  Here are some ideas for you.

Buy New Luggage

This is probably the best time to replace your old suitcases with new ones. Prices are at their lowest, and traders are willing to go even lower if you bargain.

A great idea is to buy two types of luggage:

• Carry-on luggage for short trips
• Substantial larger suitcase or larger bag for long trips.

Consider the quality of each bag and choose the best. The last thing you want is for your luggage to get torn while on your trip. So check the zippers, handles, wheels, and the stitches to ensure that everything is perfect. This will help you avoid those experiences where your bag suddenly bursts open in public due to weak zippers or poor stitching.  And wheels need to be strong enough for the type of travel you favour.

Dream, Watch and Read

We all have a ‘Bucket List‘ of the places we’d like to visit and activities we’d like to participate in while we can still breathe. Some of these are dreams that must be achieved for life to be meaningful. So, start dreaming of all these places you would like to visit and write that ‘Bucket List‘. Spend this time to watch videos and read reviews about these places. Find access to travel blogs or guides and check out videos on sites like Youtube to fill your mind with ideas of what you could do in these areas.

Buy a Car, Camper-van, RV, Caravan or SUV

Now is the best time to purchase a travel vehicle. This is because of the high number of car dealers who are currently struggling to stay afloat. The lack of overseas travellers means that most are stuck with their vehicles as few people are hiring or buying them. They are becoming desperate for buyers, which makes it more likely for them to sell you their vans at the lowest possible price.

All that’s left is for you to know the type of vehicle or caravan/trailer/RV that suits your needs and go for it. You will love the experience of going on a trip, as a family in a campervan once the lockdown is over. And if you don’t need a self-drive RV or campervan, consider a 4WD or AWD to suit your family needs.

Go Camping

You now probably understand how boring it is to spend an entire day or even week indoors. It almost feels like you are a prisoner in your own house. Maybe, the last thing you will want to do is to stay in a hotel when you are finally freed from the lockdowns. You will want to, for once, forget about walls and buildings. This explains why camping has become an alternative to many. It will bring you closer to nature and allow you to experience some unadulterated fresh air rise into your nostrils.

So pack the tents and head out alone, as a couple, or with your family.

If your area is still under lockdown, then camp in your back yard or even practice setting up the tent in your living room. Just do anything that will make you feel closer to nature.

Otherwise, if permitted, reserve a glamping experience and get back to nature with some luxury.

Get Ready for that Road Trip

You should definitely go on a road trip when this crisis is over. This will give you a time to escape the four corners of your house and bond with nature. However, it is highly likely that your vehicle has been gathering dust in the garage. It is probably not ready for a long-distance trip.

You will definitely need to get it serviced to avoid any mechanical problems that you might have while on your merry-making road trip. You should also sort out your travel clothes and book a pet-sitter or vehicle pet-carrier in preparation for your trip. Try to carry warm clothes if you are travelling to a cold region.

You will also need whether to take a four-wheel-drive or any other vehicle based on the terrain of the place you are travelling to. The last thing you want to happen is to get stuck in mud or have your bumper torn off due to the size of the vehicle.

Lose Weight

Being indoors could have seen you add too much weight. However, this is the time to lose all that weight in preparation for your journey. Burn all the extra fat to bring your Body Mass Index BMI) back to normal. Do this, and you will avoid all the illnesses and injuries associated with weight gain. The last thing you could want to see happening is to fall sick midway during your trip, forcing you to spend the rest of your trip confined to your hotel or hospital bed.

Get Healthy

The trip will expose you to some of the most challenging activities. Activities like mountain climbing and kayaking. Alternatively, your trip might involve travelling to multiple locations within a short time. Sadly, you might be overwhelmed by any of these activities unless you are healthy and fit. Have a balanced diet that is made up of carbohydrates, vitamins, fibre, minerals, proteins, fats, and water.

A balanced diet should help boost your immunity, strengthen your muscles, and help you function well in ordinary situations. Mix it all up with fitness exercises, and you will have trained your body to overcome any obstacle.

Get a Health Check

Health is going to be one of the greatest concerns in most countries. Like before, you will have to prove that you are free from all notifiable diseases before travelling. These diseases include the likes of Yellow fewer and Whooping cough. You probably know that Covid-19 has long been added into the list of notifiable disease. In other words, you will have to prove that you don’t have the disease before you are permitted to travel to your destination.

Therefore, you must remember to go for a complete health checkup to ensure that you are free from all these diseases. The last thing you want to see happening is to be denied a travel visa when you have already spent a lot on planning for your trip.

Make sure you also book into the dentist for a pre-travel checkup.

Book Ahead with Travel and Save

As already mentioned, businesses are now desperate to make sales. This explains why most hotels and tour and travels agencies are now offering crazy discounts on their facilities. It means that you can save a lot if you book ahead. Do some research, and you will definitely get the best deal for your future trips. Take keen interest on all offers to ensure that there are no hidden charges in them. This will help you fall for legit offers and avoid crooks.

Research Travel and Ask Questions

This is not the best time to gamble or act on assumptions when it comes to travel arrangements. We have come out if a scary situation that has made most of us more aware of our environments and the eminent risks we are constantly exposed to.

Try and ask as many questions as you can about the COVID-safety standards in whichever place you are planning to visit.  Ask such questions whether you are travelling on a cruise ship or checking into a hotel or resort.

Check border restrictions nationally and internationally both entering and returning, and be sure of any self-isolation or quarantine restrictions you may have to adhere to. Many countries still have a 2-week quarantine on the port-of-call you enter at.

Travel within ‘The Bubble’

Countries are now planning to open up their borders for tourists to travel in ‘Bubbles’.

An example of such countries is Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia, which have a plan of opening their internal borders for tourism. Australia and New Zealand are also forming a Travel Bubble that will allow citizens from the two countries to cross each other’s borders for tourism and other engagements.

Do research on ‘The Bubble‘ created between your state or country and its neighbours and plan appropriately. You can also do research on any other country, not necessarily a neighbouring nation that could be allowing tourists from your region. Island nations are some of the countries identified as COVID-safe, and that might be the first to open their borders to visitors. Many have zero reported cases of the disease. Do your research and identify some of these countries.

Travel Intrastate and Support Local Businesses

The current crisis has had adverse effects on businesses around the world. People have lost their jobs, while most businesses are only hanging by a threat. These include hotels, restaurants, bars, tour and travel companies, as well as those in entertainment businesses.

These are all businesses that require your support. This support will be appreciated when you travel within the country and use some of their services. You could travel from your city to another city in the same country. Take this time to discover your own state or area first. You will be able to use most of the services provided by some of these businesses that are currently on their knees. This will be a form of travelling for fun and for humanity.

Stay Positive & Be Wise

Try hard to be optimistic. It is important to fill your mind with facts only and not conspiracy theories. This is the time you will hear of false stories about the current situation we are in. As you might have noticed, many people have been in a panic mode and don’t know what to make of whatever situation we are facing. Just try not to listen to everyone. Instead, stay positive and make wise decisions. Try seeing yourself past Covid-19 since this too shall pass. We will make it out alive and more motivated to appreciate life in whichever way we can.

Book a Staycation

As we learn to manage Covid-19 preparing to travel takes on a new meaning. A ‘Staycation’ is an interesting concept that allows you to tour different places in your area while still having access to your home. It is the best way to support local business as you visit various places. You could visit a theme park or museum with your family. You could also attend fun events like music, drama, sports, and even food festivals. Alternatively, you could visit local pubs and restaurants for some good time with family and friends or just go swimming. There is just so much that can be done in your area. Do it for the sake of your happiness as well as for the many local businesses that wouldn’t survive without your help.

Discover your own Country

Nation-building should be your first priority as a citizen. Try and help your government revamp the country’s economy by being a domestic tourist. Perhaps this is the only option we have after every country closed its border in fear of the Covid-19 disease. Take this time to learn more about your country by touring different tourism attraction destinations in your country. Try to book directly to ensure that all the money goes directly to the business and not to an overseas booking site.

Questions and Comments

• How do you think you will go when you are ready to travel again?
• Are you nervous to travel again?
• What’s the first place on your ‘Bucket List’?

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