Let me start by acknowledging that when it comes to travel and COVID-19 everyone’s comfort level and acceptable level of risk is unique. And depending on pre-existing conditions, likely the first conversation you should be having is with your healthcare provider.
This link is to the current CDC travel guidance and here you can dive into more specific state and boarder related regulations because you may decide you want to travel somewhere that it simply isn’t possible to do so. This post from the Mayo Clinic talks a little about what to expect as far as changes in air travel.
The first question we asked ourselves is whether or not we really needed to travel. The answer for us is no, we don’t need to but we were looking for relaxation and recreation as a mental health break. So much of life has changed in the last 6 months, and the few weekend jaunts we’ve taken have been so refreshing for us as a family and a couple. At this point we’re not considering flying anywhere so the trips in question are all road trips on the shorter side. Our decision about flying isn’t so much related to the transmission risks while in the air plane, though it is such a gamble as to whether or not it’ll be a full flight or one where distancing from other parties is easier. But our decision currently to stay grounded has more to do with wanting to avoid being in a situation where we become ill and are significantly away from home.
I found this Conde Nast article with experts weighing the pros and cons of each mode of transportation to be super helpful. Within it there is a recent study from MIT demonstrating the relative risk of air travel and honestly it is comforting. Since this situation is evolving, I could see how Curtis and I feel differently (either way) in the next few months. But for now, we’ve decided on car travel. Depending on where you live, there is always the train and RV trips are making a comeback. The above article dives into that as well.
When we get started on planning a trip, we make sure our reservations are refundable. I think flexibility is the name of the game with anything these days and we’ve cancelled more reservations than we’d like to admit, but at this point I’d rather plan for the best and adjust as necessary.
Other questions we ask include:
What does the current COVID-19 spread look like for our destination? This is a great resource for checking local spread by the Harvard Global Health Institute. This is obviously such a personal decision based entirely on where you live and where you’re thinking to go.
How far away are we willing to drive from home? Some are deciding to travel only to a place they can drive without stopping to use the restroom. For us that wasn’t the main consideration, though we do bring a portable potty for the girls so that if we can avoid public restrooms we do. But overall we’re more concerned about thinking through how for we go in the event one of us does become ill or start showing questionable symptoms while we’re away and have a general plan in place of what we would do in that instance. For the most part, the further you are away from home, the trickier this scenario becomes.
Where will we stay? I know home rentals are a great choice and we haven’t done that yet, but we have stayed at some hotels and I’ve have had the pleasure of checking out a few more than we didn’t stay in, but it was nice to get a feel for how they were handling COVID-19 protocols. Those two were the Gasparilla Inn and the Vinoy.
Either by way of the hotel’s website and current reviews, or by directly reaching out to them with a phone call or email, here are some additional points of consideration:
Guests and Common Areas: How often are common spaces being sanitized? What kind of measures are in place to encourage physical distancing for instance is there contact-less check-out offered? While you’re looking into this too, see how they are handling parking – are they offering valet if you need it? Is it self park only? And then see what you feel comfortable with.
What kind of contactless options are offered? Reducing the amount of people you interact with is important and many hotels have adapted to have contactless check-in and check-out options as well as room service delivered to your door. The American Hotel & Lodging Association outlined their top 5 industry requirements for safe travel in this document.
Housekeeping: I got this question a few times in various forms like did we decline it or would we recommend declining it. At the Four Seasons we did not feel the need to decline it, but it was limited to one time a day. It is obvious that the hotel takes safety seriously and I had no doubts that the staff in our room would reflect that. And we were glad to have things wiped down and sanitized as much as possible. That said it is worth looking into the policies of each property as some have changed drastically.
Masks: What are the mask requirements for the hotel and property? For our family this is an essential piece and I realize for some masks are a hot button issue, but for us we see it as a tell tale marker for how seriously a hotel or brand is taking things. After an overnight experience that left us feeling uncomfortable largely due to an abundance of non-compliant guests, we will be asking going forward, “What is your mask policy regarding non-compliant guests?” I realize there are special needs, and special circumstances, but trust me when I say what we witnessed was out of control. I have seen mask compliance handled with ease – a simple, “Hey there, do you need a mask?” is all it takes in most cases. I realize that this is tricky and can place hotel staff in a difficult situation. I’ve also seen it done so well that I know there is an alternative and that will inform where we feel comfortable staying in the future.
Capacity: There are some hotels (and airlines) that have chosen to limit capacity for a variety of reasons. For starters, less people = less risk. But also their staff are taking on so many extra pieces of hospitality these days with so many additional things to think about, that they realize if they’re operating at full capacity without additional staff to support the necessary precautions then it creates the opportunity for mistakes to be made. It is worth asking the question, “Are you limiting guest capacity?” And I am not saying to only stay with places that are, I am however saying that it is a significant safety measure to do so. There are plenty of wonderful hotels that are not intentionally limiting their guest capacity but just aren’t consistently full that are great options as well. Some are comfortable disclosing what their bookings have looked like, others you can get a sense from online reviews.
Dining: Find out what how the dining situation has been modified so you are prepared. Many hotels have reduced offerings and you want to have a plan in place because they are most probably limiting reservations to comply with local ordinances and best practices so do your research ahead of time to get your ducks in a row. So far we’ve primarily chosen to dine outside or with room service. In the spirit of that I’d find out if you can pre-reserve outside seating because we’ve run into a situation where outside was first come, first serve.
Pool: If you’re visiting a property where you intend to use their pool, find out how often they are sanitizing chairs and any other items that may be used by other guests. Not all hotels are handling this the same way. The Four Seasons Orlando for instance was sanitizing chairs after each guest.
Staff Safety: Some hotels are clearly outlining how they are handling their own staff’s safety and monitoring them with things like temperature checks before shifts and mandatory quarantine protocols. If it is not clearly outlined on their website and is something that is of concern to you, it is worth reaching out to the hotel and inquiring.
One of the biggest questions I got was how safe do I feel at a hotel? The answer varies, but for the most part I have felt safe enough to feel relaxed when it is obvious that masks are a non-issue and are a wide-spread practice. I have felt even safer when the capacity has been limited so it is just easier in general physically distance! It really is helpful to stay at a place that is making it easy for guests to keep their hands clean by having sanitizing stations every where. And the more contactless options available the safer I feel. You have to get used to things like scanning menus (or disposable menus) and asking for salt and pepper, but the less things are handled and touched by various patrons, the better. So far the places we’ve visited our time in common space is 95% outdoors and we feel like we can control staying physically distant from parties other than ours.
Worth noting, I always used to travel with medicines and other first aid equipment, but now I’d encourage anyone who used to say “You can always run out and get xyz …” to reconsider their stance and come prepared with:
Once I’m in the room I wipe down high touch areas like the phone, remote, door handles, and night stands. I do this periodically while we’re staying there but am not obsessive about it. Make sure you bring wipes and sanitizer in a way that is it easy to grab and go when you head out and have them ready for the car trip as well.
Like most things right now, the decision to travel is unique and personal. There is a lot to consider but I hope by sharing as much as we can from the limited experience we do have is helpful to others making considerations.
