The pandemic grounded everyone as countries worldwide closed their borders to prevent the spread of the virus. Many countries only allowed returning citizens and permanent residents to enter their borders. But they also required them to stay in quarantine following their arrival.
A year after the pandemic started, countries started opening up to tourists and other travelers to boost tourism and their economies. If you want to visit these countries, you should get fully vaccinated since you’ll have better protection against the virus. You should also avoid the following mistakes when planning to use your passport after a year of staying home due to the pandemic.
Visiting Too Many Countries
The list of countries that welcome American tourists may be long, but you should avoid visiting all of them on one international trip. You should focus on one or two countries until the pandemic is over. While the lure of exotic destinations is strong, you should avoid visiting too many countries.
You may even be tempted to visit different places to check them out as possible venues for a wedding. But you should avoid visiting more than two countries in one trip. You can visit two countries on your first international trip and visit another two on your next trip. Another option is to simply check these places online.
Aside from staying safe, you also will not need to go through multiple quarantines and testing since many countries may require these before allowing people to enter their borders.
Not Researching About the Destination
Another mistake that you should avoid is not reading ahead about your destination. While you may want to get pleasantly surprised about your destination, the situation requires you to know about your destination before leaving your home.
You should visit official government websites as well as the website of the US State Department. These websites provide you information about travel advisories and travel bans. They also give you a heads up on safety concerns in some destinations.
On the other hand, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides you with the things you need to know about the pandemic. These days, it’s important for you to research your destination before booking your plane ticket.
Overlooking Cancellation or Rebooking Policies
Before you book a ticket to your destination, you should check the cancellation and rebooking policies of the airlines. When the pandemic started last year, airlines worldwide canceled their flights after many countries closed their borders to non-nationals.
While some airlines offered outright refunds, others offer flight vouchers that people can use in the future. If you do not mind getting a voucher, you will not have any issues with airlines that offer this if it cancels a flight. But if you prefer receiving cash, you should make sure to check the policies of the airline.
These policies vary from one airline to another. So you should not overlook reading the fine print, especially their rebooking or cancellation policies.
Neglecting Pandemic Precautions
The current situation in India shows that the pandemic is not yet over. Therefore, you should always check the CDC’s website for the precautions you need to take when you go on a trip abroad. While the Indian variant of the Covid-19 virus hasn’t spread to different parts of the world, it’s still important to take the necessary precautions when traveling.
You should also look for accommodations that allow you to isolate yourself from other guests. A self-catering apartment is a good option for you if you want to avoid staying in a hotel. But you need to make sure the apartment is safe for you to use and its owner is reputable.
These apartments also allow you to cook food since they have a full kitchen. Besides saving on food expenses, you also get to cook the food you love while on vacation. Some may even have a private pool that you can use.
Not Getting Tested Before Flying
You may also want to get a Covid-19 test before you fly. Many destinations require a negative result on the test. If you don’t bring a test result with you, you might end up spending time in quarantine while waiting for the result of the test you took at your destination. This isn’t a good way for you to start your vacation. To avoid this, you should get a test before your fly, preferably within 72 hours of your flight.
Traveling abroad is a welcome change for people who stayed home for much of the year. But before you book a ticket to your dream destination, you should know the mistakes to avoid when you travel to a different country.
