Three Options for Travel Planning in the Age of COVID

Like so many people around the world, the COVID pandemic has messed up my travel plans for the year. But in some ways, while having to cancel concrete plans sucks, having to figure out what to do about future travel plans is more difficult. The world is changing so rapidly that it’s impossible to predict what will happen next, especially for something as hard hit and changing as travel. That said, we all need things to look forward to in our lives, and for me and plenty of others, travel is that thing. So how can we keep the joy and optimism of travel in our lives when everything is so crazy? That will be personal for every traveler, but here are the three main choices travel boils down to these days. All are equally valid, and it just end up being what feels best for you.

Book and Hope for the Best
One option is to simply book a trip that you want or were planning to take and hope it works out. Airlines have generous cancellation policies at the moment (although always read the fine print on those), and hotels and other attractions may have heavy discounts at the moment, making it more affordable to go. That said, if you want to travel internationally, you also have to hope that you will even be allowed in the country when your trip happens. Those rules change frequently as well, and as an American, I’m well aware we are on the prohibited list for much of the world.

This could work in your favor and allow you to take advantage of deals you wouldn’t otherwise have, or it could bite you in the ass. Or a little of both. One of the main factors at play here is how far out you’re planning. Hoping for the best for a trip to Europe in two months is different than booking a trip a full year out. Like so many things, this choice is a personal one, based on how optimistic you are and how risk adverse you are.

Take a Different Trip or even Kind of Trip
This is the option I see the most in the travel magazines I vaguely follow, and I know people who are doing this. Can’t go to the beach in Florida with your kids? Go North Carolina’s seashore instead. Travel domestically instead of abroad or check out national parks instead of cities. There are so many cool places to see in the world, if you can’t take Trip A right now, it might be the perfect time to take Trip B. And if you are more of a camping-type, this is the perfect time to get in touch with nature – beauty and social distancing.

This is perfect for anyone who just need to scratch that travel itch, if only to be some place other than their apartment or house for a few days. We all need breaks, especially with the world on fire right now. As I wrote about in my piece on day trips, sometimes doing the same thing you would do at home, but in a different setting, can be relaxing and rejuvenating.

Wait
This is the least fun option, but it’s also the one I’ve largely decided to take, unless things change for the better in the next couple months. There are many reasons to wait, from safety to potentially not being allowed to travel, especially internationally. For me though, the main factor is, if I went on a trip now, would it be the trip I really want to take. This is a question we all have to weigh for any trip planning really – do I want to go on a trip or do I want to go on this, specific trip. For example, do I really want to fly all the way to Paris, just to have most restaurants and the Louvre closed? So many things are closed due to social distancing or might shut down at any moment due to the pandemic. And for many people travel is about meeting and interacting with other people, something that is much more difficult during social distancing.

The downside of this choice, besides the obvious one of not traveling, is that we don’t know when this will end, and what “normal” will look like on the other side (although I think there will be less overcrowding and overtourism at least in the short term, so there is a silver lining). The upside though, is that this gives you more time to plan and save for your next trip, either money or vacation days or both, which could make your next trip even more amazing than you had hoped.

Three Ways, One Goal

This is such a frustrating time to be a traveler. Like everyone else, I’m frustrated about this. But the while things have changed, the world is still there, with incredible sights to see and things to do. I might not explore anywhere further than the neighborhoods near mine, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be able to in the future. And we can still explore and travel, through reading, watching travel shows, doing interactive tours online, taking a driving trip, or even just choosing a random street you’ve never been on in your neighborhood and walking. It might be different, it might take some creativity, but I think we can all still travel in one way or another, even now.