Tips for Social Distancing When You Travel

As lockdowns start to ease and we are slowly allowed to start travelling again, it might concern you on how you can still travel, yet stay safe and maintain social distancing. Although this isn’t something we will always have to worry about, it will certainly be of concern for the near future. In this article, we’ll give you some ideas on how you can plan your trips to keep your distance from others, and lessen the chances that you’ll pick something up along the way.

Research into your transportation

If you’re thinking of travelling abroad then you may have to fly to get there. This means that you’ll likely be in close proximity to others. Various airlines and airports are now introducing ways to try and improve sanitation and hygiene by requiring you to wear a face mask, social distancing and other measures. Although this won’t be bulletproof and you could still potentially catch something it should definitely help and also improve your confidence in the safety of your journey.

If you have other means to travel without flying then this might also be a better option, such as driving, or getting a bus or train instead. This might make it easier to keep your distance from other people. With trains and buses, you should also check what methods they have put in place to make travelling safer before you book. You should also try and avoid peak time as there will likely be more people travelling to and from work.

Self-drive somewhere if you can

If it’s an option then consider going on a self-drive trip instead of flying. Such as going somewhere in your own country or across the border (if it’s allowed) to a neighbouring country. Some holiday companies, such as Skiworld also offer self-drive ski holidays (for the winter) meaning you can drive from the UK to the ski resort and the Eurostar and accommodation is covered in the price.

By driving somewhere instead of flying it allows you to avoid being in an airport and on a plane, where although there should be social distancing it will certainly be harder.

Go on a cottage holiday

Another holiday option which can help with social distancing would be to go on a cottage or villa holiday. These might be great for family and friends allowing you to spend quality time together without having to get close to anyone outside of your bubble. Of course, make sure you only mix with people as per the guidelines, ie a group of 5 households might be ill-advised whilst two households might be fine. This is changing all the time so check the official government guidelines before booking. For cottage holidays consider looking on websites such as HomeAway, Nature.house as well as booking.com.

Stay in a self-catered apartment

As well as cottages another option would be to stay in a self-catered apartment. These allow you to have the place to yourself and therefore helps with social distancing and avoiding other people. Self-catered properties should also come with cooking facilities allowing you to make your own food rather than going to restaurants.

Hotels, resorts and other properties should of course have some measures in place to keep you safe, but by staying in a self-catered property, such as an apartment, you should find it easier.

Head to a more outdoor destination

Instead of heading to a city, a more outdoor destination might also be a good option for your next trip. These will help with social distancing as you should be spending the majority of your time away from people, possibly driving, hiking and exploring. Destinations such as the Dolomites in Italy, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, as well as national parks would be good options.

Visit alternative and less popular destinations

Destinations such as London, Amsterdam, Prague and Paris get a huge amount of travellers each year and are generally extremely popular destinations. This can be partly due to the international connections they have, as well as being places that are inundated with attractions and other experiences. But why not instead of going to the more popular cities and destinations go somewhere else, such as:

• Instead of London go to Brighton or Bath
• Instead of Amsterdam go to Rotterdam
• Instead of Prague go to Brno or Český Krumlov
• Instead of Paris go to Nice, Lyon or Marseille

We’re of course not saying those other destinations won’t also be busy, but they should generally be less busy than the more popular capitals.

Go on small group tours

Whilst at your destination you should try and avoid being in big groups. Instead, try and go on smaller or private group tours instead. Our recommended tour provider (and partner) is GetYourGuide, who provide thousands of tours for destinations all over the world. When searching on their site for tours and excursions keep an eye out for the size of the group. Often it will say in the name of the activity too.

Avoid tourist hot spots if there are no social distancing measures in place

Finally, it’s worth checking your destination to see what social distancing measures are in place. This might be easier said than done, but you might be able to find out on the official tourism websites what’s happening in their destination. See the advice on VisitLondon as an example.

Summary

Although social distancing and the other measures in place due to Coronavirus might seem like a pain, they are there for a reason, and that is to try and keep us all safe. By following the rules it should help us to more quickly get out of the pandemic into happier and safer times where we can go back to a life of not worrying so much about social distancing and being able to travel again more confidently.