It’s hard to believe, but nearly a year has passed since rumors of a strange new virus emerging in Wuhan, China. The months between have shaken the travel industry, dramatically reduced tourism and upset individual itineraries.
Still, life goes on, and you need to make a trip for business, pleasure or both. Here are four crucial tips for safe travel during the pandemic.
1. Ensure Your Car Is Up to the Task
The experts agree in one regard — there’s no such thing as completely safe travel, especially during a pandemic. However, while you can’t guard against every point of ingress for a microscopic virus, you can make sure your vehicle is ready for the trip.
More people choose to drive to their destinations today because the idea of spending time in an enclosed space with strangers holds little appeal. Given that today’s cars include features like lane keep assist that alert you if you start to doze and drift into passing traffic, travel by vehicle is safer than ever. However, a breakdown can put you in danger if it happens in highly congested areas or, conversely, a remote region.
Ensure that you know basics such as how to change a tire — you’ll feel much more secure if you don’t have to wait on roadside assistance along a dark, desert highway. Carry flares, road triangles, a lug wrench and a jack — it’s always wise to keep these tools in your ride. Please make sure you have plenty of water for drinking and spot-fixing radiator leaks.
Also, please get your car serviced before you hit the road. Believe it or not, some states do not mandate vehicle inspections, which might save you money once a year while costing you big-time when minor problems escalate.
2. Select Less Popular Times
What if you do need to board a plane? Even though many airlines have banned passengers who refuse to wear masks, people can still remove them to eat and drink. As a result, some passengers try to buck the system, making headaches for attendants.
Fortunately, your face covering does offer some protection to you, too, so ensure you mask up. If you don’t have an n95 model, you might want to double up to increase the protection — doing so creates a maze of sorts for viruses to traverse. If space permits, politely asking the flight attendant to move might score you a less occupied row, but please don’t badger them. They’ve taken their share of grief, and it’s not worth a potential flight ban to raise a fuss.
Please bring tons of hand sanitizer and spray disinfectant. Yes, airlines have increased their hygiene procedures, but when it comes to your health, it never hurts to give that tray table another wipe.
3. Bring the Right Supplies
It doesn’t matter if you drive or fly. The right supplies can do much to impact your comfort — and safety. For frequent fliers, keeping a days’ worth of toiletries and change of clothes in your carry-on can protect against baggage loss.
If you plan to drive, you have more prep work to do. Please include the following items:
Also, please make sure you bring an ice scraper, shovel and kitty litter for cold-weather travel. The latter can help you get traction on icy spots if you get stuck.
4. Ease Up on the “When in Rome” Philosophy
It’s true — not all states in the U.S. currently have mask mandates, and if you resent that scrap of cloth, you may feel tempted to throw caution to the wind. However, please keep protecting others and yourself. The overwhelming research shows that they help to slow infection rates, and essential workers in unprotected locations deserve to work in as clean an environment as possible.
Enjoy Safer Travel Through the Pandemic With These Tips
While there’s no such thing as a guarantee, you can decrease your chances of getting sick or hurt on the road. Use these tips to enjoy safer pandemic travel.