With states across the U.S. entering some phase of reopening, Kim and Tamara tackle the topic of summer travel. What will be open, what should you expect if you travel, and what are the best trips to think about right now? Tune in.
ON THE PODCAST
00:30 - Talking with Kim and Tamara
01:15 - Finding travel information
02:00 - Florida
11:08 - Flying
16:00 - States that are doing well
20:08 - Rentals
24:02 - International travel
29:20 - Reopening plans
31:50 - What to do locally
TIPS FOR NAVIGATING REOPENING TRAVEL
- The information coming to you today is current as of May 27th. Location changes and regulations for travel are changing daily.
- Keep in mind that some locations have 14-day quarantine requirements for visitors coming from other states. Some states are state specific for these quarantines. For instance Florida is checking license plates specifically for New York and New Jersey.
- If you are planning to take a trip outside of your state for the summer, you may need to do a lot more research to make the trip happen. With information changing almost daily you may want to think about keeping to your own state in regards to summer plans for this year.
- As states are opening up, restaurants, hotels, beaches, etc. are limiting capacity. Some hotels and restaurants will only be opening at 50% capacity.
- Keep in mind that if you plan on flying somewhere some airlines are blocking the middle seat and having to change their schedules around a lot more than usual. You will need to be a bit more flexible than you normally would.
- You can also expect new procedures and long lines at the airport as more people start traveling.
- Flexibility with airline cancellations is coming to a close. Some airlines that were previously offering free cancellation or changes have stopped as of May 31st. So you need to keep this in mind when you are planning to take a flight somewhere. You may not be able to get your money back if you decide against the trip or find out new information regarding the place you are going that you don't want to risk.
- Listen to more information about National Parks on our previous episode 164. In this episode you will get some useful information regarding what is happening with different parks and where to find the most updated information as places are being reopened.
- If you plan on renting a house somewhere, make sure you bring a good amount of supplies with you. You don't know what you will be able to find when you get there. The grocery stores might not be as replenished as you would think. You will also be buying up supplies that the locals need as well.
- International travel will be more difficult. Some areas may be opening for tourists but only allowing certain countries to come in. You will need to make sure to do a lot of research on where you could be allowed and what their regulations for quarantine are. A lot of things are still up in the air and are changing almost daily.
- If you have a specific state that you would like to go to you can try googling what that state's reopening plans are. Some states have sites dedicated to what they are doing about reopening and maybe even dates for when things are happening. Keep in mind that though some states may be reopening for their citizens that does not mean that they are allowing travelers from out of state.
- Take this opportunity to explore the area around your house or town. You may not have known that there was a great hiking trail a mile from your house. Or maybe even a drive in theater in the next town over. You can use this time to explore around your own area, maybe even find some new regular places to visit.
- Tamara also wrote a post about where to go this summer and some safe travel tips.
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