Pandemic Travel – Things to have with you Before and when you travel:
A great sense of humor.
A positive attitude.
A calm disposition.
A wonderful time!
01. Disinfectant
Bring lots of hand sanitizer for yourself.
Do you want to wipe things in the room?
Use alcohol 70% to wipe down anything. If you can find wipes or toilettes even better because it’s easier to carry around. You will just need to throw things out carefully.
Bleach wipes. If you cannot find any bleach wipes then you can make your own spray.
02. Take your pillow if you are staying at a hotel.
Some people like to take a pillow cover but I think that if you can fit a pillow in your suitcase it will be better.
03. Lots of face masks
I prefer the throw-away masks and I use the ones with the most protection.
Cloth masks are not accepted in airplanes.If you are using cloth masks you will also need to take quite a few of them because you need to wash them daily and you might use more than one a day.
04. Disposable gloves
Some sites and doctors will say that this is not necessary. Putting gloves on is easy but removing a used glove safely is not that easy. I always have gloves with me just in case I feel like I will need them so I suggest that you take a few: Just in case!
05. medicine
Are you taking prescription medication? Bring enough for a long time and bring your prescriptions. You probably do this already and, you don’t want to get stuck somewhere without your essentials during your pandemic travel!
06. Take your own snacks
Always have something so that you don’t have to stop to eat anywhere. Package snacks individually. Bring small bottles of water for your car trip and plane rides.
07. Staying at a hotel
Let the hotel know that you do not want anyone coming to your room while you are staying with them.
About wiping the room: Be aware of what you use to wipe things down so that you down ruin any furniture.
08. Eating out
Call to make a reservation and to ask if the restaurant is following proper procedures to seat people at a safe distance from each other. If the restaurant has outdoor seating take it. If you notice that the restaurant is letting in too many people and you do not feel comfortable: Leave.
Consider getting take out and eating at a park or in your room if you don’t feel comfortable being around people.
Follow your intuition and take care of yourself!
09. Hotels, supermarkets, stores and or any public space
Keep your distance from others. Do not lean on counter tops or any furniture. Do not put your backpack or handbag on anything. Try not to touch anything. We have a habit of picking things up or holding onto things and we cannot do that nowadays.
10. Get a lot of fresh air
Open the windows to your hotel room if that is possible. Open the car windows every hour or so if you are on the road. Go outside, eat outside. Just make sure to keep your distance from others.
11. Stairs and elevators
If you are going on an escalator stay at least 5 or 6 steps away from other people. Avoid the elevator unless you really need to get it and if so wear your mask and don’t touch anything. I read somewhere that you should always have toothpicks to touch buttons. I use my key and then pour hand sanitizer on it.
12. Travel off season
You will deal with less people, you will have better discounts and you can relax a bit more.
There is nothing like having a bit more of space around you- so do things off hours as well. If there is a restaurant that you really want to go to then go off peak hours. You might even get better service!
13. Medical information
Research hospitals, doctors and information about virus procedures in your destination prior to your trip. Pandemic travel can be confusing so get all the information you need – and stay positive because you probably won’t use it (I’ll keep my fingers crossed!).
14. Take your own thermometer
This is something that I had not thought about and read it in a welcome letter by a hotel. Remember that a fever is not always a symptom of the virus.
15. Wash your hands many, many, many times per day.
The hand sanitizer is good but water and soap is fabulous. I also carry hand cream because all this washing and sanitizing is drying out my hands.
One extra important thing:
I always have a few zip lock bags that I use as a garbage bag for masks and a separate one for gloves. This way I can dispose of things safely and seal the bag until I find a proper trash/ bin can.
Traveling during the pandemic is a challenge. Do everything that you can to be prepared for different scenarios and to stay safe.
Don’t over think it and have a lovely time.