Traveling with children has always had its unique set of challenges – will the kids find the activities interesting? Will they like the food? Will they get along with each other when they have nobody else to play with for a week, or will there be war? The new normal that we are seeing as the world starts to open adds another layer of worries – how do I keep my children safe and healthy? What happens if they get sick while we are far away from home? These are very valid concerns. If you do decide to travel with your family, however, there are actions you can take to ensure everyone’s safety as much as possible.
Double-up on Hygiene and Wellness
We all teach our kids to wash their hands before they eat and how important it is to stay healthy. While traveling, you’ll want to take personal hygiene to the next level. Not only will they need to wash their hands well and often, as well as keep their masks on correctly, but you’ll want to take other precautions as well. You’ll want to wipe down airline seats with disinfectant wipes or spray, as well as put down a blanket that you can wash if you can to put another barrier between your children and any germs that may be hiding out on the seat. You’ll also want to make sure they stay well hydrated and eat good, healthy food. Hydrated, well-nourished bodies fight off infection much more easily. And you’ll want to do all of these things in a stress-free manner. While worrying about catching something can be stressful, that stress itself can diminish your immune system, as well as that of your child. So your best bet is to put these things into practice, but as preventative measures to keep you safe rather than something you need to worry too much about.
Use a Travel Advisor
The internet is full of great information, and friends who have traveled to the places you are looking to go and provide invaluable advice; however, this may not be enough when looking to travel in this time that the world is waking back up. Local travel advisors have always had unique insights into the destinations they specialize in, often giving on-the-ground knowledge of interesting places to visit, the best restaurants to eat in, which museums are worth the time to walk through. This knowledge is especially valuable now, as travel advisors have local information regarding the current Covid-19 situation, any government regulations, which hotels and restaurants are following sanitation protocols, up-to-date rules with regards to archaeological sites, as well as where the best medical facilities are, just in case it’s needed. So even if your personal risk tolerance is relatively high, the best way to watch out for your family is to work with a travel advisor when planning your trip and during your travels.
Get Travel Insurance!
While you can take all the precautions in the world, life is still unpredictable. In the best of times, you could still lose a suitcase, have a flight canceled, or trip and fall, requiring a trip to the clinic. Travel insurance has always been a prudent purchase, as you never know what could happen. It’s even more critical now, with the threat of Covid-19 present, which could require quarantine measures, medical services, or possibly the loss of the trip should you or one of your children come down with the illness soon before your trip is scheduled to start. Because of this, you will want to budget good (cancel for any reason) insurance when planning your trip, so you can be prepared, no matter what happens.
When traveling with children, you want to make sure they have the best experience possible. While this means keeping them entertained, it also means keeping them as healthy and safe as possible. By upping your hygiene game and working with a local travel advisor, you can be sure that you are doing everything possible to keep them as safe as you can, and adding the right insurance will make sure that you and your family are taken care of in case something does happen. In this way, rather than worry about what might happen, you and your family can fully enjoy your trip once you are ready to travel!
