What Is It Like To Travel Internationally Right Now?
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What is it like to travel internationally right now?
We certainly had this same question months ago, after not even so much as having been on a plane for a solid year and a half. Was travel safe? Where could we travel? Would other countries even let us in? We had this and several questions before we boarded our flight to Belize in July.
Now, we’ve been to Belize and I just returned from a trip to France, and we have more insight into how international travel is happening now. So in this episode, we talk about why we’ve felt good about traveling and our comfort levels, requirements for both France and Belize travel right now, and muse about whether things like a health pass could get travel back up and running.
Have you traveled internationally yet? What are your questions? Let us know in the comments below or you can reach us on Twitter @wwhoneymoon , Instagram @worldwidehoneymoon , or email [email protected]
Note: This is coming from our perspectives as American citizens traveling abroad which includes our access to testing, vaccines, etc. Things will certainly look different if you are coming from another country.
Table of Contents
Time Stamps What Is It Like To Travel Internationally Right Now:
- 0:29- Intro
- 0:45- Updates/chat
- 8:36- Highlight of the week
- 13:04- Topic intro: What is it like to travel internationally right now?
- 14:50- Starting out- these are our comfort levels for traveling now
- 19:13- France’s travel restrictions and requirements
- 25:19- Belize’s travel restrictions and requirements
- 29:26- Are health passes the way to kickstart travel again?
- 32:08- How safe did we feel traveling internationally?
- 36:40- Wrap up
Helpful Links and Further Reading:
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Posted on Published: October 6, 2021 – Last updated: December 14, 2021
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Meet Kat and Chris
Hello and welcome! We’re Kat and Chris, newlyweds navigating the world of couples travel while exploring adventurously throughout the globe as often as we can, because why does the honeymoon have to end? We are traveling more for less using money-saving skills, miles and points, and splurging when it feels right! Learn more about our story here !
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What Is It Like To Travel Internationally Right Now?
Some posts on this site contain affiliate links, meaning if you book or buy something through one of these links, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you!). Read the full disclosure policy here.
What is it like to travel internationally right now?
We certainly had this same question months ago, after not even so much as having been on a plane for a solid year and a half. Was travel safe? Where could we travel? Would other countries even let us in? We had this and several questions before we boarded our flight to Belize in July.
Now, we’ve been to Belize and I just returned from a trip to France, and we have more insight into how international travel is happening now. So in this episode, we talk about why we’ve felt good about traveling and our comfort levels, requirements for both France and Belize travel right now, and muse about whether things like a health pass could get travel back up and running.
Have you traveled internationally yet? What are your questions? Let us know in the comments below or you can reach us on Twitter @wwhoneymoon , Instagram @worldwidehoneymoon , or email [email protected]
Note: This is coming from our perspectives as American citizens traveling abroad which includes our access to testing, vaccines, etc. Things will certainly look different if you are coming from another country.
Table of Contents
Time Stamps What Is It Like To Travel Internationally Right Now:
- 0:29- Intro
- 0:45- Updates/chat
- 8:36- Highlight of the week
- 13:04- Topic intro: What is it like to travel internationally right now?
- 14:50- Starting out- these are our comfort levels for traveling now
- 19:13- France’s travel restrictions and requirements
- 25:19- Belize’s travel restrictions and requirements
- 29:26- Are health passes the way to kickstart travel again?
- 32:08- How safe did we feel traveling internationally?
- 36:40- Wrap up
Helpful Links and Further Reading:
How You Can Help:
- Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get podcasts!
- Follow us on Apple Podcast s, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, I Heart Radio, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts!
- Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest!
- Subscribe for updates!
- Check out our resource page for booking on the affiliate links we love like TripAdvisor, World Nomads, etc. We earn a small commission at no cost to you!
Pin it here!
Posted on Published: October 6, 2021 – Last updated: December 14, 2021
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
World Wide Honeymoon is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Meet Kat and Chris
Hello and welcome! We’re Kat and Chris, newlyweds navigating the world of couples travel while exploring adventurously throughout the globe as often as we can, because why does the honeymoon have to end? We are traveling more for less using money-saving skills, miles and points, and splurging when it feels right! Learn more about our story here !
Follow World Wide Honeymoon
Join Our Email List
Subscribe for exclusive content not on the blog plus our 15-page ultimate trip planning guide to plan the perfect getaway every time!
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Thanks for subscribing! Be sure to check your inbox to confirm your subscription.
5 reasons I’m traveling internationally right now
Stella Shon is a former TPG writer. Based in New York City, Stella is always on the road (or in the air).
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A year ago, there were only a handful of countries that had reopened borders to tourists. While many parts of the world still remain closed, the list of reopened countries has grown tenfold thanks to the presence of vaccines.
Still, the big question remains: Should you travel internationally for vacation?
Due to threats of COVID-19 variants and ever-changing entry requirements, you may not feel comfortable traveling or even want to go through the headache of planning a vacation during these times.
While TPG’s Summer Hull wrote a piece on why, depending on your situation, you may want to reconsider international travel right now, for me the situation is different. With some fresh stamps from Iceland, Costa Rica, Italy, Greece and more in my own passport book, I’m here to bring you the contrary perspective — with five reasons why it may actually be an ideal time to travel internationally.
I feel safer abroad
All travel comes with risks, so I don’t think it’s fair to generalize and avoid all international travel. I’d argue that some destinations within the U.S. are much riskier when it comes to potential COVID-19 exposure, but a visit to a national park could certainly be a wonderful vacation if you’re only looking to travel within the U.S. borders.
As an example, take a look at Hawaii.
Since it reopened almost a year ago, it’s been tourist-ridden, resulting in crowded highways and rental car and hotel shortages. Additionally, many other states have reopened completely, loosening all coronavirus-related restrictions with no testing requirements in place.
On the flip side, I have felt safer on my international trips. Since I received my second dose of the Pfizer vaccine in March, I’ve visited a handful of countries and have been impressed with coronavirus protocols every time, from mask-wearing to social distancing measures in place.
Not only that, fewer tourists are traveling abroad than there used to be pre-pandemic. Meanwhile, domestic flight loads have exceeded 2019 numbers. With fewer crowds and regimented entry restrictions abroad, I feel well-informed when traveling abroad.
It’s much easier to find a COVID-19 test
You’ll need a rapid or PCR test to enter the U.S. from an international trip. (Photo by JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)
One of the biggest roadblocks of international travel isn’t just about entry requirements. You’ll also have to be mindful of finding a COVID-19 test within three days of your flight departure back home, as you’ll need to present a negative test to re-enter the U.S.
While it’s not too much of a challenge to present your vaccination documents, fill out electronic forms and get a coronavirus test within your hometown (depending on where you live), it can be a bit more work to find a COVID-19 test in a destination where English isn’t the first language.
Although tests were much harder to find a year ago, they are often abundantly available now. On a recent solo trip to Costa Rica, I found multiple testing sites nearby that took walk-in appointments — with guaranteed results in less than 24 hours. I crowdsourced information about testing from my hotel front desk, other tourists at cafés and restaurants, and by calling the local hospital.
Meanwhile, on my flight home from Greece, I knew that there was a rapid testing center within the Athens International Airport (ATH) that guaranteed results within an hour, costing only $20. Bottom line? It takes a bit of preparation (and you shouldn’t leave it to the last minute), but finding a test to return home is surprisingly simple.
Even though I’m fully vaccinated, I don’t mind getting a test to come back from my travels as it’s the responsible thing to do and comes with the territory of traveling internationally. I don’t anticipate the testing requirement to re-enter the U.S. going away anytime soon, so it’s another adjustment that I’m willing to accept if I want to continue traveling internationally.
Your bucket list destinations are less crowded
We all have our long list of bucket list destinations we wanted to visit before the pandemic. Perhaps you had already booked a trip (or two) as I did, but you quickly had to cancel those plans — with no idea when it would be possible to revisit them.
If you wanted to make up for lost time, I’d argue that this is as good of a time to cross that country off your bucket list (given that it’s currently open to travelers). For example, Italy had been top of mind for me. Even as Italy was hit hard with the coronavirus early in the pandemic, the country reopened to tourists this past summer. I had the opportunity to visit at the end of June and had a marvelous time.
Travel is never as fun when a destination is overcrowded, but I was a little worried that traveling internationally right now would feel like a “ghost town.” Thankfully, that couldn’t be further from the truth. It was a win, win: many other tourists were just as eager to visit, but lines to museums and other popular sites were short and social distancing was achievable.
Fares have never been cheaper
TAP Air Portugal has been offering low fares to Europe into 2022. (Photo courtesy of TAP Air Portugal).
Well, this isn’t necessarily true for this past summer, but flight prices have indeed dropped dramatically as we head toward the off-peak fall and winter seasons. We’ve seen all sorts of deals pass us by. For example, it’s common to find a round-trip flight to Europe right now in the low $200s or $300s, even going into holiday travel.
The same goes for award travel. You can find last-minute availability with exceptionally low rates, and the best part is, your points and miles are likely refundable if you go this route.
If you can, I’d advise you to take advantage of these fares while they’re still low. It also shouldn’t cost you too much more to book a refundable cash fare or purchase cancel-for-any-reason coverage in case you need to scrap your trip last minute. Personally, I’m eyeing winter break travel and thinking of escaping New York for somewhere much warmer.
Tourists are welcome
This last reason may not be true across the board, but tourists were welcomed with open arms in every international destination I’ve visited.
That’s likely because many of these countries rely heavily on tourism and are still struggling from the lack of normal levels of tourist-driven revenue over the past year and a half. For example, my tour guide in Aruba was so grateful for my business and thanked me repeatedly for partaking in his snorkeling tour.
Bottom line
All of that said, international travel won’t be right for everyone right now. Even though it is worth it for me, it wasn’t always smooth sailing. In Italy, there was an instance where I couldn’t board my flight due to misunderstandings about a travel form I needed to enter Greece. I then missed the one and only flight that week that was headed to the small island I had planned to visit.
It was important to stay cool, calm, and collected, as I had to quickly make another decision. I immediately booked myself onto another flight that departed Vienna (VIE) right after, then to Greece the next morning — resulting in an unexpected sleep on the airport floor that evening (and a very quick trip to Austria that I had never planned for).
Things happen, but traveling internationally during the pandemic requires that you have the utmost flexibility and patience to deal with stressful matters.
For families with young children and those who are immunocompromised, international travel presents challenges that may not be worth the risks — and potential hassle — just yet. Any and all trips right now will require a lot of careful planning and require a “worst-case scenario” back-up plan if you do end up testing positive. As a young solo traveler, I have the privilege to be spontaneous and change my plans on a whim.
And right now, my focus is on which international destination I’d like to visit next.
Source https://worldwidehoneymoon.com/travel-internationally-right-now/
Source https://worldwidehoneymoon.com/travel-internationally-right-now/
Source https://thepointsguy.com/guide/why-international-travel-is-worth-it/