Our vacation and business travel plans for 2020 have changed dramatically since March, when we hit "Pause" because the coronavirus arrived in our neighborhoods for a long visit. Vacations have been canceled or postponed, stay-cations are the norm. Traveling by plane is a different experience now, and some hearty souls are experiencing long distance travel by car.
The world is beginning to open up for business again and we can start to plan our next great adventures. What do we need to consider?
How flexible can you be? Are you tied to a particular week or weeks because of time off for work or school? How far in advance are you looking to schedule?
Are reservations cancelable and/or refundable? Know the rules governing your choices and make them with your eyes wide open.
How open for business is your destination? What are the local rules for restaurants, retail, hotels and visiting places of interest? Europe, Canada and Mexico, for example, aren’t letting US residents visit yet.
Last, but not least, consider budgeting for and buying travel insurance for a vacation or other trip. While travel insurance may not have been in your radar before, post COVID-19 it may protect the cost of the trip and give you peace of mind. The most flexible (and pricy) travel insurance Is "Cancel For Any Reason" (CFAR) insurance. Nerd Wallet recently posted an article on CFAR travel insurance: www.nerdwallet.com.
If you are not ready or able to venture forth on vacation, take advantage of visiting one of the US National Parks virtually: parkit.npca.org. You might find your next great vacation location online.