Health & Wellness tips

Planning on traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic? Most airlines and hotels have stepped up their cleaning policies in an effort to help fight the virus. However, if you’re traveling, you should still be sure to do your part. Here’s how to disinfect your airplane seat and your hotel room.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has extended for one year the deadline after which TSA will accept only drivers licenses or state ID cards with REAL ID as valid to fly domestically. The former October 2020 deadline is now October 1, 2021.

Editor’s note: Since this story was published, an increasing number of state and national parks have closed to the public. Be sure to check the individual park’s website for the most up-to-date information before you visit.

Nearly a year has passed since the Boeing 737-MAX last flew in early 2019. The fate of the beleaguered aircraft remains very much in doubt, with no true sense of when the airline might return to the skies.

World responses to pandemics—like the U.S.’s to the COVID-19 outbreak—are always a moving target. When it comes to contagious diseases, there are going to be new developments occurring every day. Of late, the 30-day Europe travel ban means that all U.S. citizens returning home from many countries in Europe (plus China and Iran) will be sent to one of 13 U.S. airports designated for screenings and then directed to self quarantine for 14 days.

In addition to your regular passport, will you soon need a vaccine passport proving that you’ve had the COVID-19 vaccine for travel? In an interview with Newsweek, Dr. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), said that the scenario was “quite possible.”

The 2020 coronavirus, or COVID-19 pandemic, has been a moving target when it comes to travel. Nobody knows how long it will continue, whether and which areas it might hit next, when and where it will plateau and start to ease off, or when the travel world might return to something like normal. The time frame for cases to begin diminishing is unknown. And even once a decrease occurs, it’s worth considering that the virus could return.

If you’re out of hand sanitizer, cleaning sprays, and even the household products you can make your own sanitizers with (read: rubbing alcohol), there’s another option to consider: UVC light, a little-known, relatively new way to reduce the number of germs on surfaces in your home. But if you’ve ever seen those travel-sized disinfecting wands and felt skeptical about their efficacy, you’re not alone. There’s only one type of UV light that’s actually effective when it comes to killing germs.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has closed all Trusted Traveler Program enrollment centers nationwide until at least May 1. Closure applies to enrollment centers for all four trusted-traveler programs: Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, and FAST. Mobile enrollment events are also suspended. Obviously, this is yet another casualty of the ongoing coronavirus onslaught against travel.

The current coronavirus outbreak in China highlights a longstanding problem in travel: What to do when a contagious disease breaks out in an area you’d like to visit. A significant amount of travelers are concerned; a January poll by Airfarewatchdog (SmarterTravel’s sister site) found that 50 percent of travelers said the virus becoming more widespread would impact their travel plans, and the virus has spread around globe. But how do you know if you should actually cancel or adjust a trip based on a viral outbreak abroad?

Plane seat manufacturers have released some crazy iterations of new cabin designs in the past, typically aiming at increasing the number of already-cramped seats on board. You might remember the standing Skyrider 2.0 “seats” conceptualized for short flights, or these stacked lie-flat beds from hell for longer flights—both of which saw hypothetical designs that never materialized.

Whenever you travel to a destination where the primary language is not English, it’s a good idea to learn a few phrases and key words in the local language. This can not only help to locate the nearest baño, salle de bain, or badezimmer when nature calls, it can help save your life.

I sometimes get so used to bashing travel suppliers—especially airlines—for the many ways they abuse travelers’ rights, that I often overlook the good they do. Especially during this global pandemic, travel suppliers are doing a lot of good.

Editor’s Note: This snapshot of life in Italy under COVID-19 lockdown comes from Nancy Raff, an American expat who has lived in Italy for nearly a decade, and who shares her experiences of life in a small Tuscan village on her website and weekly newsletter.

The novel coronavirus pandemic may very well be the biggest shock of the decade. Frequent travelers are finding themselves at home due to mandatory lockdowns. Instead of booking your next world trip, you may try donating part of your travel budget to help others in need.

You’ve likely already heard about the bush fires in Australia that are currently devastating the country. All six Australian states have seen damage from fires, but New South Wales (which includes Sydney) has been hit hardest, where 136 separate fires (including 69 that are not contained) continued to burn this week, according to a CNN breakdown. At least 24 people are dead. And in New South Wales alone, estimates a University of Sydney professor, nearly half a billion animals are dead, too.

Here at SmarterTravel, travel is always on our minds. These days, though, it’s impossible to think about travel without thinking about COVID-19.

Want to take a vacation? Cyprus, Romania and the Seychelles will all welcome you—as long as you’re fully vaccinated against COVID-19. These countries are now waiving the quarantine and COVID-19 testing requirements for international travelers, provided that they have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine at least two weeks prior (10 days for Romania).

The Biden administration just announced some big changes to the United States’ COVID-19 travel policy. Starting in early November, the U.S. will open its borders to fully vaccinated international travelers. All foreign nationals who wish to travel to the U.S. will need to show proof of vaccination along with a negative COVID test that was taken within 72 hours of their flight. The announcement did not specify if unvaccinated children would be allowed into the country under the new rules. New Rules for Unvaccinated Americans

Millennials—defined as anyone born between 1981 and 1996—often have a modest travel budget and limited vacation time, and will only use both on adventurous or unique experiences. But it’s possible to see dreamy destinations without breaking the bank or compromising on the itinerary, if you know where to look. Here are 10 millennial travel experiences the under-35 crowd will love. From budget options and services to niche retreats and tours, see which one is right for you.

Good news and bad news from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as the agency has taken six countries off of their “do not travel” list. Gabon, South Korea, Spain, Czech Republic, Faroe Islands, and Uganda were all deemed as doing well enough in the pandemic to be moved down to the CDC’s Level 3 ranking (COVID-19 High).