When Can You Travel Again? Here is My Recent Experience.
In this post: Have you been thinking about when you can travel again? Is it safe to fly? Read on for my recent experience and how I felt traveling out of the country.⇒
Are you feeling like you can use a vacation right about now?
Like that year indoors was restful, yes, but if you don’t go somewhere soon you’re going to lose your mind?
I hear you. I felt it too. And let me tell you, I’ve been one of the super careful people. I was feeling like I could sit on that couch forever, working from home and taking care to stay safe and healthy.
I organized my house, I decorated some too, I did projects that kept me busy. I started a diet and lost weight, then gained some of it back, then laughed about the fact that I was in the house long enough to go through several sizes up and down!
So what gave me the courage to get on an international flight and how safe did I feel doing it?
It started when we got vaccinated.
In fact, it started when we got the first appointment. All of a sudden, I started to think about what might be possible. I REALLY wanted to relax on a beach. If ever I needed a vacation this was the time. But we were still 6 weeks away from being free and clear after the second shot.
I did some travel research, got excited, did some more research and started to get nervous about the idea. I was particularly worried about being on a plane, and I didn’t love the complexities of all the testing and paperwork that was required.
I decided not to book anything and put it out of my head. Four weeks went by and we got our second vaccine. By that point I was simply looking forward to eating in a restaurant. We still had 2 weeks to go before we were fully protected.
I made a reservation at a local restaurant for when the two weeks were up. We hadn’t been inside a restaurant in over a year.
I picked a place that was well spread out and still worried about going, even though I knew we’d been vaccinated and the tables were socially distant.
But when the night came, I couldn’t wait to go. We went with another couple who were also vaccinated and had a great time. It felt REALLY great to be out.
The next day I started thinking about traveling again. Then I sat down at the computer and discovered it was incredibly easy to book anything we wanted.
The ‘where’ was easy. In recent years we’d spent most of our travel time visiting Europe and the Mediterranean, so we hadn’t been to the Caribbean in quite some time.
I wanted easy.
I wanted relaxed.
I wanted safe. Or at least as safe as possible.
I wanted the best chance of good weather and I wanted to limit the travel time. For us that pointed to one simple answer…
Aruba.
We’d never been there but heard only good things. Familiar, convenient and nearly guaranteed weather. But when would we go? We had holidays on the horizon and things coming up in April that we wanted to be back for.
Remarkably, we decided to go the following week!
The beauty of booking a vacation when very few people are traveling is the ability to book anything you want on short notice, and spend almost half of what you would’ve spent at any time in the past.
We picked an ocean view room at the Hyatt Regency and booked a flight that would be leaving exactly one week from the day booked.
The next step was figuring out the logistics of meeting the requirements needed for international travel. This was the thing that discouraged me the first time I’d looked into it, but in fact it turned out to be quite easy.
All we needed for Aruba was a PCR COVID test taken within 72 hours of our departure (but with results that would be returned quickly, in time for our flight) and to fill out an ED-Card for entry into Aruba. I found a local testing site through a recommendation in an Aruba Facebook group and the entry paperwork was done simply online. We were tested on a Thursday for a Sunday flight and got our results back on Friday, the very next day.
As the days ticked by, it began to sink in that we were really going. I packed super casually and scheduled my blog posts for the following week so I wouldn’t have to work while vacationing. I made dinner reservations for the whole week, choosing places with outdoor seating. Even though we’re vaccinated, I didn’t want to take any chances.
Considering I’d booked this trip a mere 7 days in advance, when Sunday rolled around, I was pumped and ready to go!
We took an Uber to the airport and getting out of the car at the terminal felt so strange. This thing I had been doing my whole life, and generally looked forward to, suddenly seemed like a new experience.
But this is when I started to relax. As soon as I realized how well things were set up to accommodate the new reality, I understood this was no different than going anywhere in public with a mask on.
For one thing, we had made the commitment to make the process easier and safer by traveling first class. Given how much cheaper the airfare and hotels were than they’ve been in the past, as well as how much money we’ve saved by staying indoors for a year, we chose to pay the extra fee for the upgrade in cabin.
This afforded us several benefits. In addition to the easy check-in, we could wait for the flight in the lounge. Seating was well spaced out and all the food was individually wrapped. Indeed every single apple, cookie or egg came in its own plastic pouch. It made me marvel at the adaptability I’ve seen in people this past year.
It also meant we could sit as a couple on the plane without worry of a third person being cramped between us. Fewer people in the cabin and more space between them were the primary reasons I suggested flying this way in the first place (and I was kind of shocked to not get push back from the hubby when I did so).
We were handed a plastic wrapped sandwich during the flight, ate it quickly slipped underneath the mask, and enjoyed an uneventful journey the rest of the way there.
If I had any concerns that the restrictions in Aruba would be more lax and that we would feel unsafe, boy were those concerns quickly abated.
Quite the contrary, from the minute we landed and felt that delicious first blast of Caribbean air, I could see this tiny country that is so dependent on tourism was perfectly set up to welcome visitors.
From the paperwork and testing that was required for entry, to the adherence to mask wearing and the hand sanitizer that was provided everywhere, I knew this was a place we would be well protected.
We got our bags and a cab and were on our way, one more step closer to the beach.
By the time we arrived at the hotel, I was starting to feel like life was normal again. It was easy to see how one could all but forget about the pandemic and the past year spent almost entirely at home.
I was brought back to reality for a brief moment when we arrived and were told only one person could approach the desk for check in. But as I was escorted to a nearby seating area overlooking the tropical grounds and was handed a glass of champagne, pandemic-amnesia set right back in.
We were soon shown to our room, quickly unpacked and walked outside to the view below!
Like most hotels in Aruba, and I suspect in most places, our hotel was at less than 50% capacity. This was due both to restrictions and reduced demand. I have to admit, it was a pleasure! No waiting in line for anything. No pressure to get a lounge chair or palapa early in the morning. Paradise was there for the asking.
We settled into the rhythm of vacation quickly. We were there to relax and those early moments of digging our toes into the sand were almost too glorious to express. I found myself staring at the clear blue sky and thinking, ‘this was a REALLY good idea’.
As far as safety, I can’t say enough about how well the hotel was set up. Lounge chairs were sprayed with sanitizer before they laid out your towels. Everyone wore a mask anywhere they went other than sitting on a socially distant lounge chair or eatery table. Elevators were limited to a maximum of three people and guests graciously let one go to wait for the next. There were 6′ distance markings on the floor anywhere where people might cluster. In the spa, which I happily used for a long-awaited massage, accommodations were made for safety at every turn, from outdoor check in to full mask policy and more.
Restaurants were equally as compliant. We ate every single meal outdoors, including breakfast and lunch. Tables were well spaced, masks worn by all workers, as well as guests walking to tables.
There was a general spirit of consent and amenability with respect to following the rules. Everyone appeared grateful to be afforded this privilege of vacationing much like they have in the past and if obeying a few rules made everyone safer, that was just fine.
The entire time we were away, I did not see one person display arrogance or disrespect when it came to accepting restrictions. Instead there was a communal attitude that seemed to say, ‘we’re in this together and we are a lucky lot. Let’s not mess it up.’
Toward the end of our trip, we got the tests required for our return flight. A testing site was set up conveniently in our hotel, where we waited in our bathing suits and returned to the beach after the brief interruption.
The return trip was equally uneventful but I found myself to be very much changed. Gone was the stress, yes, but also the timidity and fear that I’d been carrying for the past year.
I could now look forward to living my life again, making plans and seeing friends outside our bubble.
Would I have done this without the vaccine? No, definitely not. But with it and with precautions, the world is once again my oyster.
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So nice you were able to get away! We are still waiting for our Covid vaccines. Things are certainly a lot slower here in Canada!
We really missed getting away for the winter. Hopefully, things will improve and we can get away this coming winter. Our province is slowly relaxing the lockdown restrictions.
Enjoy your week!
Thanks Mary-Ann! We did feel lucky indeed. The vaccine is worth waiting for… 🙂
Oh there IS hope! I’m crazy to have a sunny relaxing vacation! It’ll be a while till I can be vaccinated though, so maybe I’ll just start the research now! 🙂 Thanks for this great article – I’m so glad you got to go and felt safe. Thank goodness for vaccines and the people who made them!
I so agree, Barb, and I hope you get vaccinated soon!
Now the flights are outrageous. We are vaccinated and would love to travel but I think we will wait till this wave of new virus cases subsides after the spring break and Easter holiday’s. I’m prepping my flower beds and getting our front porch ready for some spring flowers. It’s still a bit early here even though we’ve had 70 degree weather. Our risk of frost goes into May around Mother’s Day. Glad you got some much needed time out and about. I so hope this virus isn’t going to cause another lock down with the new variants rising and many not getting vaccinated. I don’t wish to be a host to any virus bug…eeek! Cheers to great trips on the horizon! :0)
How lovely to be working on the flower beds! 🙂
This was only 2 weeks ago and I met a friend today who said she just booked flights that were comparatively cheap, too. I guess it depends on where you are coming from and going to?
I also heard that the latest studies on variants are showing the vaccines to be effective against the variants thus far, but I must underscore I am in no way an expert on anything medical and I’m just repeating what I read.
I know you were in paradise with your husband, beach, fabulous food, wine, and ocean breezes! I’m scheduled to fly to Scandinavia in October and this was good information and very promising. Good idea about the first class seating. Maybe you can get away again soon!
I would certainly love to! Enjoy your trip!!
It sounds like you had a really nice vacation. I’m happy you could get away and enjoy yourselves in such a special way and after a long hard year that we’ve all struggled through. I believe that most people care about the needs of others and Americans have always been generous in spirit. I couldn’t help but feel a little bit that this post was a pitch for everyone to go get their vaccine though. And while vaccines work for many, I wanted to clarify that there is a significant portion of the population who are clearly ignored by the vaccination talk/push/drive, and that’s those who are allergic to vaccines. (I personally know 3 people who fall into this category.) I sure would love for there to be some healthy conversation taking place on this side of the issue, to bring balance to the discussion as well as understanding and compassion and respect for their needs and concerns, so that certain portions of our citizenry are not isolated and ostracized for their needed decision to not be vaccinated. And I do not expect you to take this on as it’s not your forum or platform…I just wanted to make a general informational statement. No matter what certain “experts” or politicians with no medical background may advise, everyone cannot be vaccinated. And a disservice is being made by not educating the public on that fact, because what is being shared by the media is less than half-truths and fosters discord which is truly unfair and completely avoidable if fairly reported on. Anyway, just wanted to share my experience. And hopefully I didn’t come across accusatory in any way. If so, please accept my apologies.
Thank you for you comment. This post was about my experience and was meant to address the fear that some people feel (including me) in slowly and carefully getting back toward a somewhat normal way of life. That’s all it was about.
That said, I do believe that the best way to keep those allergic to vaccines safe is to vaccinate as many other people as possible, to reach heard immunity. It is my understanding, although I am admittedly no expert, that that is the best way to control the spread of the disease.
I hate to rain on your parade, but as a European resident I can’t imagine Americans will be able to travel within Europe for at least a year. All 27 member countries must agree on a vaccine passport and what will and will not be allowed at the borders. So far, it’s a patchwork: In Portugal, until yesterday you could not travel around inside the country (requirement since lifted). In Spain, you must wear a mask absolutely everywhere, even if you are alone on a beach.
France has been the most chaotic. In December when we drove across the border from Spain to France, despite having all the up-to-date proof that we are business-owning European/Americans who are allowed to travel throughout Europe (and several copies of everything from marriage certificates and business documents, to proof of residence, to required attestations in French), officious border guards detained us for ½ hour, questioning us through the open window as freezing rain poured into the car, then announced (wrongly) that we were lacking a required PCR test. No such test was mentioned on the French gov’t websites, even in French. We were let go with a lecture and threatened with a 300 Euro invoice-by-mail, and we never heard from them again. (BTW, never rely on the English versions of regulations; some of them look like they were translated using Google Translate—total gobbledegook and missing certain vital info!) Two weeks ago, driving from Austria through southern Germany into France, Spain, and Portugal, we had varying degrees of the third-degree treatment, ranging from no one at the French border (but always in danger of being stopped once inside the country) to a welcoming Basque hotelier who definitely could not check us in without our PCR results, to a charming guard who asked a few questions and smilingly waved us into Portugal. But it can go badly wrong at any point—these guys have a lot of authority and no good guidelines from the federal governments, as we saw in Dec. Even if the airlines let you on the plane, that doesn’t mean you can go anywhere but your destination country, and you may need to isolate and be tested several times once there. Even within your destination country, regulation of movement differs from area to area and changes all the time.
In addition, it has not been proven that vaccinated people can’t transmit the virus, so I envision the PCR patchwork mess to continue until there are sufficient data to assure the officials that those folks are “safe.” Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the US is resisting the passport idea. Even if they come up with one, it will be incredibly easy to counterfeit, so the EU will probably not accept it. We chose to register for shots in Austria, where we were immediately entered into a database that will track everything vaccine-related and eventually become part of the Europe-wide electronic passport system. Our state has over 400,000 population and ONE person in ICU. But the moment you step outside a “safe” area, you are subject to top-level requirements if your trip has taken you through “red” zones, even if you haven’t stepped out of the car.
A further point: PCR test results are only valid 72 hours from the time of the test, not from the time you get the results. As many labs take up to 24 hours to report results (via email and SMS), you’ve immediately lost that time and can only travel for 48 hours. And woe to you if you test positive at one location—you are stuck, are detained immediately, and sent to hotel isolation at your own cost. I’ve read this has happened to many Americans in Mexico and other Caribbean countries. What an expensive risk! And if you get really sick? It’s a foreign hospital for you, possibly already overwhelmed by its own patients and unable to speak much English. Good luck explaining that to your health- insurance carrier!
So in summary, it’s a total mess. When you add to this all the folks that CAN’T be vaccinated, I see PCR required for a long time.
I’m sorry it’s such a mess where you are. While there’s nowhere I enjoy traveling more than Europe, this post was not about that.
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It was about my personal experience traveling to Aruba. I did address the 72 hour PCR test issue in the post. You can pay to get your results in 24 hours. I didn’t need more than 48 hours since we were only taking a 4 hour flight. We were also required to get insurance which is what pays for your quarantine in the event of a positive test result and your medical treatment if any is needed. The infection rates in Aruba were quite low and the hospitals well below capacity. We took the same precautions we take at home including masking, distancing, eating outdoors and using sanitizer, And, of course, we are vaccinated.
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It does sound from your comment like you are managing to travel quite a bit. I hope it gets easier soon!
Lory, Good on you for taking the precautions, esp. insurance, that are the only sensible way to go if you want to relax and not worry. Many people have gotten themselves into an expensive and uncomfortable pickle because they didn’t. I posted for two reasons: First, many US people I know who live to travel are thinking they can get back to Europe—this is just a caution that it won’t be that easy, or maybe even possible. If they cannot, it will channel all the US demand for travel to other locations that have safe numbers and are less hassle. That may make travel more expensive (along with all the add-ons like tests and insurance) and select locations more crowded. It also explains why the cruise industry is in a quandary. How can they test 3,000+ people often enough, and “bubble” them so that they can see some sights and not just random ports? There will have to be a lab onboard. (BTW, you can shop around and find a lab that guarantees 12-hour results–we got ours in 6 because the work is done on-site.) Next year, with careful arrangements the well-off American may be able to arrange to rent a villa in Provence, go directly there, and quarantine for the proper time. I’m sure that companies are springing up all over to deliver food, laundry, etc. to this market. It will be interesting to see what the US private companies (airlines, sports centers, cruise lines, etc.) have to say about the passport. My bet is they will require it, and those without it will be left out. The situation is complex and fluid, and there are no right answers. You are correct that the way to protect the allergic is to get as many vaccinated as possible. There is also hope that common allergy-provoking components can be replaced. We do ping pong between the Alps and the coast but only stop at safe places: Basque castles, Black Forest watermills, and French farms. It’s a risk analysis…
Thanks for sharing your experience. I’m still stuck at home and I really hope I can go on a vacation/honeymoon with my husband soon. I September, lol. I feel restless!