It’s Time to Travel Again, But Where?

While COVID-19 is far from being in the rear view mirror, vaccinations are making it a good time to travel again; but where can we go?

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It’s been awhile since COVID-19 forced us all to rethink our travel plans, and to start talking about “the new normal” — a cloying phrase if there ever was one. But as Americans get vaccinated at a rapid pace, it feels positively liberating to go out and do anything once again. The “new normal” may prove to be a lot like the old normal, except with masks in some places. I’ve been fully vaccinated since April 15th. So even while COVID-19 cases once again climb in my community, I feel comfortable going out to eat, taking a road trip, whatever.

Travel-Ready, Limited Choices

Like so many Americans, I’m ready to travel again. But the choices remain limited. The land borders between Canada and Mexico remain closed to non-essential travel, at least through May 21st. Europe is still mostly off limits to travelers, but it may open to vaccinated Americans in time for summer travel. Greece and Iceland are two notable exceptions, as both countries already allow fully vaccinated tourists.

My wife and I had planned a trip to Ireland during 2020, but ultimately kicked it to May 2021. And now once again, we’ve had to cancel. Ireland has some of the world’s strictest lockdown rules in place — rules that have a huge impact on locals and international travelers alike. Frankly, it’s a chaotic mess; and it’s been that way since Ireland “jumped the shark” on COVID-19 restrictions months ago. Even if the European Union opens for vaccinated tourists, I would not be surprised if Ireland keeps doing its own thing.

Global Vaccination Issues

The issue gets even more complicated when we look at global vaccination rates. Americans are actually far ahead of other countries in getting shots into arms. According to the New York Times, only five countries have vaccinated their residents at a higher rate (as of April 27th) — Israel, The Seychelles, Chile, Bahrain, and Monaco. At this point, the only thing holding back the United States is resistance in some quarters to actually taking the vaccine.

But in most of the world, even in Canada, demand for the vaccine outstrips its supply. The non-profit Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine was expected to be the workhorse vaccine for the developing world. But it has been plagued by what Bloomberg Businessweek calls “unforced errors.” I believe Oxford-AstraZeneca has developed an overall good vaccine, and I would gladly have taken it if offered. But every little issue further erodes public trust amid the vaccine roll-out, and I understand the skepticism.

This vaccine inequality means some nations will be safer to travel to than others. Where the vaccine roll-out is slow, more variants will be given time to flourish, and some are resistant to our current vaccines. That will slow the timeline further. It could be a long while before we establish a global herd immunity from COVID-19. Experts don’t see International travel fully recovering until 2023 or later.

Domestic Travel is Calling

The good news is that we have a big country, and it’s mostly open again. Most states either never had restrictions on travel, or have lifted them. If you are fully vaccinated, you can visit most states without issue. But there are a few exceptions:

• Hawaii — Even fully vaccinated travelers must either quarantine for 10 days upon arrival or provide results from a negative Covid-19 PCR test administered within 72 hours of their flight’s departure.
• Puerto Rico — Quarantine for 14 days upon arrival or provide results from a negative Covid-19 PCR test administered within 72 hours of their arrival.
• Virgin Islands — Upload results from an acceptable COVID-19 test taken within 5 days of travel to usvitravelportal.com. This can be an PCR or antigen (rapid) test, and they will even accept a test showing that you have the COVID-19 antibodies.
• The Pacific territories of American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands still have quarantine measures in place. Regular passenger flights to American Samoa remain suspended.

That leaves us with 49 states from which to choose for a great road trip, or a masked-up flight across the country. You could take a trip to the beach, where social distancing is always in style. Or you could visit some moving Black heritage sites within our borders. We’ve got a big nation of cosmopolitan cities where hotel occupancy and prices have dropped due to the pandemic. We’ve got an amazing gift from nature in our National Parks, with plenty of opportunity for hiking and camping. It is time to travel again, and our own country is a great place to start.

International Options

In addition to a lively domestic travel scene, some countries are open to American tourists. Belize is one of my favorite places, an alluring mix of friendly people, lush jungle and pristine beaches. Bring your vaccination card if you’re going, and the government will let you skip any testing or quarantine requirements.

A few other countries that allow fully vaccinated Americans without additional testing at this time include: Greece, Iceland, Croatia, and Georgia. But the big news is in Europe. Should the European Union follow through on its plans to allow fully vaccinated travelers, it will open up a wealth of travel possibilities. My advice is to investigate the top places you’d like to visit, but plan for an alternative.

Get Tested Before Returning Home

Even if you find an international destination that allows you to visit, you will still need to submit proof of a negative COVID-19 test to return to the United States. This rule, which took effect on January 26th, applies to everyone 2 years of age and up, citizens and non-citizens alike. You must take that test within three days of the flight into the United States. The good news is that it can either be a COVID-19 PCR test or a rapid antigen test, the latter of which offers results within minutes. So it’s a hassle, but not necessarily a deal breaker on international travel. At this point, the CDC does not allow an exemption for fully vaccinated people.

Final Thoughts

After a year in lockdown, effective COVID-19 vaccines are making it the right time to travel again. While the list of places we can visit remains small, they contain a wealth of rewarding and relaxing experiences. It will be another summer to remember, but at least we can finally experience real travel once again.