It’s the big question on everyone’s mind (and in every family group text) right now: Is it safe—or responsible—to travel during the holiday season this year?
We usually wouldn’t think twice about hopping on a plane or driving home to celebrate with loved ones. But during a pandemic—one that still has no clear end in sight—it’s a much trickier decision, especially as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to rise in nearly every U.S. state. And while experts agree that, in general, people should cancel their travel plans for the upcoming holidays and stay home, if you do decide to travel, there are several steps you can take to lower the risk of transmission. Here’s what to consider as you plan your trip, and what you can do to help keep yourself and others safe.
Ask yourself: Do you really need to travel?
Spend some time really considering whether traveling this holiday season is worth the risk. Yes, it’s been a long year and, yes, it’s probably been months since you last saw your family in person. But no matter how you try to justify it, traveling to visit them could spread coronavirus to the people you love and their communities.
“Unfortunately, we have seen the numbers increasing nationwide, so it becomes even more important to assess the risks for your family,” says Andrés Henao, an internal medicine physician, infectious disease specialist, and assistant professor for the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “It comes down to: Where do you live, where are you going, what transportation are you taking? How many members are in your family, and how many people are you going to visit? Are there members of the family who have an increased risk of developing bad outcomes if they contract the infection?”
If your parents live somewhere with high or rising case numbers, or if you’re traveling from an area with high case numbers to a more isolated or vulnerable region, it's worth considering taking this year off and staying home
Maybe this is the year to start new (virtual) traditions with your family or rethink the typical holiday travel calendar. Barring the religious significance of specific dates, the holidays are really about spending time together, which your family can do without the sky-high flight prices, crowded airports, and indoor activities necessitated by colder temperatures.
Have the talk
If you still decide to go through with your plans, make sure everyone is on the same page when it comes to COVID-19 safety precautions and protocols.
Have “the talk” with the people you will be celebrating or staying with. Discuss candidly everyone’s comfort level and lay down some ground rules. The worst thing you can do is shrug your shoulders and leave it up to chance—make a plan, then commit to sticking to it.
Agree to self-isolate for two weeks ahead of time, limit interactions while traveling, wear masks except for when eating or drinking, and get a COVID-19 test prior to the trip. Any naysayers can accept the alternative: sitting out the holidays this year.
Consider the location—and how you’re getting there
Driving is your safest mode of transportation. But even then, says Diego Hijano, a physician and infectious disease expert with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, plan your route in advance: “Pack all of your food ahead of time so you don’t have to stop as often and interact with people.”
If you absolutely must fly, take every precaution possible during your journey. Research airlines ahead of time and, if you can afford it, try to book your flight with a carrier that’s implementing the strictest COVID-19 policies and procedures. Wear your mask, wash your hands, pack hand sanitizer (and use it often), wipe down your onboard seating area, and consider eating at home, instead of at the airport or on your flight. The same goes for a train journey.
If you’re using a rideshare service like Lyft or Uber for any part of your journey (to and from the airport or train station, for instance), wear your mask and try to open the car’s window for ventilation to help lower the risk.
Look into separate accommodation
The longer you spend in close proximity with someone, the greater the risk of spreading the virus. Staying somewhere outside the family home can help. “We know that the first two or three hours of a family gathering, people respect all the precautions,” says Hijano. “But after that, people start getting complacent. If you stay over, by the end of the first day, everyone will be without masks, just talking as if it is normal life. You want to see somebody, you want to hug them and touch them.”
Book a hotel or a vacation rental (or even rent an RV) to help limit the amount of time you spend together. Another option? Have the entire holiday get-together at an off-site hotel or resort. “The industry has put in place an enormous amount of protection and you’re much safer if you’re doing it [outside] of your home, in a resort or hotel setting, where everyone can be in separate rooms, the rooms are being cleaned properly, there’s distancing in the restaurants, and everything is organized,” says John Niser, director of the International School of Hospitality and Tourism at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey.
Get tested
You might be wondering if everyone in your family should get tested for COVID-19 right before you get together. The short answer is yes: If you test positive, you can immediately cancel your plans and self-isolate, preventing further spread in your own community, among your family members, and in your destination's community (it also helps with contact tracing). If your family has been self-isolating and they all test negative, it can give you more peace of mind while you visit them.
A negative test result, however, is not a free pass for your family to skip the other COVID-19 precautions, nor a guarantee that you won’t spread the virus. In fact, getting negative test results might actually make your family more lenient and complacent when it comes to social distancing, masks, and hand-washing. “If I get a test today, the only thing I learn is that today, I don’t have the virus,” says Hijano. “It’s not proof that I’m not infected, because I could have contracted the virus yesterday and it’s too early to tell, no matter how good of a test you are using. It does not mean that tomorrow you won’t have it. It’s just a window in time.”
Timing your pre-trip COVID-19 test can also be tricky—you want to get tested as close to your departure date as possible, but there’s also a risk that you won’t be able to get the results back in time or get a test at all (some testing sites are prioritizing people who have symptoms or are high-risk). Even if you do get tested, keep self-isolating and build some flexibility into your travels so that you can make last-minute changes based on the timing of the results.
If you can, get tested once you arrive at your destination too, as it may help catch any exposure you experienced during your travels (though, again, not a guarantee).
Factor in time to self-isolate
The CDC recommends self-isolating for two weeks before attending a gathering. This practice can considerably lower the risk of spreading the virus but as with testing, it’s not a guarantee and not an excuse to set aside other COVID-19 precautions.
Even if you stringently self-isolate, you can still be exposed during your travels and you may not show symptoms for up to a week—after you’ve already spent time with your family. (Some people do not show symptoms at all.)
Once you return home, make sure to self-isolate again for 14 days to prevent further transmission in your community. All told, you’re looking at bookending your trip with 14 days on either side—28 total days of isolation—which may cause you to reconsider traveling altogether.
If you start to show symptoms or get a positive test result at any point during those 14 days after your travels, it’s essential to call everyone you interacted with on the trip immediately. Encourage everyone else in your family to do the same. The sooner you can pass along information, the better for everyone involved and their communities.
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