When you’re planning a trip, you, of course, want safety to be a top priority. This is true if you’re traveling domestically or internationally.
Safety has taken on a different meaning when it comes to travel in the past couple of years.
You have to consider COVID transmission in your safety plans, in addition to the more typical factors.
The following are some of the things to keep in mind, in general, to choose somewhere safe to travel.
COVID-19 Safety
For months, many people worldwide thought the worst of COVID was behind us. With mass vaccination campaigns the world over, a lot of people felt ready to put the pandemic behind them. That’s not necessarily what’s happening with variants like delta and omicron, however.
COVID-19 still has to be a safety concern when traveling, even if you’re fully vaccinated.
Many venues around the country and world have their own safety protocols in place. For example, a lot of theme parks require reservations to allow for more distancing.
You can also check your destination’s community transmission level.
While community transmission level doesn’t guarantee anything, it can give you a broader idea of whether or not you’d like to travel somewhere. Remember, though, things can change quickly.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) measures community transmission in the U.S. at the county level. Total cases are a county’s rate of new COVID-19 infections, reported over seven days per every 100,000 residents. Percent positivity is the percentage of positive COVID-19 tests over the previous seven days. A higher number of total new cases and percent positivity mean a higher level of community transmission.
You can also find travel warnings from the federal government online. If you want to go to another country, you should check these carefully and any requirements to get into the country. The information changes fast.
The CDC will separate transmission levels into low, moderate, substantial, and high.
You can check the COVID-19 FAQ page on the U.S. Embassy website if you’re planning to go to another country.
If COVID is a primary concern for you regarding safety, it’s best to choose a standalone unit such as a house or cabin, especially if it has self-check-in and checkout and good air filtration.
Join a Related Facebook Group
One way to get a real feel for what a destination is like, not just in terms of COVID but overall, is to join a Facebook group for expats or travelers in that destination, or maybe follow a Reddit thread. You can find a lot of details that are unbiased and will let you know what to expect.
Some of these social media groups may be private, so you’ll have to ask to join.
You can also check out TripAdvisor, which has some of the best unbiased reviews and threads from real travelers. The areas where people ask questions and other travelers answer them can give you some great gems; just make sure you’re looking at fairly recent questions to ensure the information is up-to-date.
Check Blogs
Another good source to learn more about a destination beyond what the official travel site might say is to look at people’s blogs. You can find in-depth information about destinations from people who have been there and pick up some good tips.
Research Medical Care
You never know what might happen when you’re traveling. If you were to get injured or sick, what would the medical care be like at your destination? This isn’t just a concern in a foreign country. If you’re traveling somewhere more rural, the nearest hospital or emergency room can be far away.
If you have pre-existing conditions, this may be especially concerning, and it’s something that you should weigh as you decide where to go.
Crime
Finally, what’s the crime like? You can search for statistics before making a destination decision. Many popular tourist spots might not necessarily have so much violent crime, but they do have high rates of petty crime. Petty crime can include pick-pocketing or snatching bags.
If you’re going to a foreign country, does it have a reputation for criminals targeted visitors in particular?
Learn about the local scams too. Every destination will have its own scams that are most frequently used, so give yourself a heads up.
While it can take time to do the research, if you get ahead of it during the planning of your trip you’ll have more peace of mind while you’re there.
