How To Plan A Road Trip During COVID-19?

How to plan a road trip during COVID-19 is a question that is on a lot of people’s minds right now. We’ve been stuck at home for many months now and some of us only cope well when we travel, see new places or be near nature.

There are lots of things to consider when traveling right now. I’m glad that I learned to go with the flow and be flexible. And hubby, Nate, did a great job turning this trip from less than we had planned and therefore potentially disappointing to truly awesome!

How To Plan A Road Trip During Pandemic?

1. Check with your state’s current rules and laws in traveling out of state. I’m sure your governor gives updates daily on any state closures, where residents of your state can or cannot travel due to COVID-19.
2. Check with yourself. What is your goal and reason for traveling during this time of year? What is the purpose of your travel? Do you really need to travel? Knowing the whys of your trip will help you in planning step 3.
3. Search for a website that has daily updates for Coronavirus, which state has low numbers of cases of the virus. After checking here, go back to step one and see if there are restrictions on traveling from your state. And check the rules for travelers to the state you intend to visit. A lot of states now require 14 days quarantine upon arrival. So be sure to include it in your plan. Do you have the time to self-quarantine?
4. The weather apps in your phone show daily updates for COVID cases in every particular city. At the bottom of the weather app there is a small square in your left-hand side, click it and it will lead you to their website when you are on their site you can input the city or town you like to check and then click search. When the particular place you are searching comes up continue browsing until you’ll see TRACK COVID-19 they highlight it in blue. This only works with your phone, not on your personal computer.
5. Now that you have checked the four mentioned above,  you are ready to book your hotel stay. In booking a hotel, make sure you have the free cancellation option in case the COVID cases in that area spike. Then you have the option of canceling your trip.

Tips For Booking A Hotel

• If you book a hotel with an outdoor pool, it keeps your kids busy and not bored during your travels. Hotels open outdoor pools but not their indoor pools. My kids enjoyed their time in the pool so it made sense for us to book a hotel with an outdoor pool.
• Choose a hotel that is not in the busy area of the city. The city area is more crowded even with this pandemic. It might not be the same as before but it’s still crowded to me.  A few minutes away from the bustle and hustle of the city can save you and your family from getting caught the virus.
• Having an option of free cancellation is a must during this COVID season in case something changes and the places you are visiting are getting worse. You have the option to get a refund and not feel obligated to continue the trip just because you already paid for it.

Now that everything is booked, there are still a lot of things to do to keep your family safe during this COVID season.

Things to Bring on a COVID-19 Road Trip!

1. Hand Sanitizer
2. Rubbing alcohol liquid or the pellet one.
3. Make sure to bring your Vitamin-C and other vitamins and medicine to avoid running errands all the time.
4. Having your own hand soap is a good thing in case the hotel supply is low. In this way, there is less contact with any hotel workers.
5. Having your own picnic backpack is a must in traveling during COVID. Some restaurants are not allowed to open and dine in yet. You can order food online and pick it up curbside. Instead of eating in your hotel room or car you can go to a nearby park and have a picnic.
6. Don’t forget to include water and Gatorade. it is very important to have, especially in this time of crisis.
7. Bring your family’s favorite snacks to avoid extra trips to the grocery store.
8. If you have space, bring along a small cooking stove. In case of an emergency, you can cook something. Of course, bring cooking utensils, too.
9. Bring one cooking pan that can cook a lot of different dishes — rice, noodle soups, and frying bacon. That way you don’t need to bring a lot of different sizes. It saves space in your car.
10. Pack noodles and canned goods that are easy to cook in case of emergency so you won’t go hungry if something happens.
11. If you’re too afraid to use the hotel towels, bring your own. I know towels are a personal item that we always use on our bodies.
12. Bring a diffuser and essential oils. Essential oils have antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties that can help boosts our immune systems.
13. Last but not least, bring your masks. Bring a couple especially if you have kids as they easily misplaced them. I brought three total in each kid.

What To Include If You Have Smaller Kids In Your Road Trip

• TOYS and a lot of toys if possible so your kids have a lot of options to play in case the parks and slides are closed due to COVID.

1.  Basketball is a good thing to bring. Most parks have basketball hoops. My kids love basketball so I made sure to bring our basketball in case they have the option to do it.
2. I also brought a football in case we needed it.
3. Scooters are good for paved areas. Kids love doing this and it will help them forget how far they have to walk since they’ll enjoy pushing their scooter.
4. Rollerblades if you think there is an appropriate area.
5. Of course, don’t forget to bring helmets if you are bringing scooters, rollerblades, or bikes for your kids to use.
6. Badminton and tennis are sports you can enjoy during your trip. We have them but didn’t bring it with us. The hotel we stayed at in Rhode Island had a net set up for volleyball or badminton. There was a big tennis court in the hotel we stayed at in Maine.
7. If you are heading to the beach, it is also advisable to bring your own umbrella or mini gazebo. We brought one so we wouldn’t have to pay rental fees since we planned to spend a lot of time visiting beaches. Actually, the places we visited did not have rentals available so if you are a person who likes to be in the shade sometimes and can’t stand the heat of the sun all day, better bring your own equipment.
8. Sunscreen. This is your best friend during the summer season, especially if you plan on being in the sun all day.
9. If you have toddlers make sure to bring their favorite toys that they can play with during your travels. Bring a variety that are less bulky to pack. Are beaches included in your itinerary? Make sure to bring some beach toys that they can enjoy digging and putting sand in their buckets. A lot of beaches don’t allow passing ball games due to COVID-19. I can see why they do that as it can easily be transferred to somebody.

Summary

All that I mentioned above is helpful in planning and packing for your road trip during this COVID-19. It is essential to have those materials handy in case of emergency and to keep your family enjoying your vacation despite closures and limited things to do during this pandemic. If you want to read our original planned trip Bucket List! Rochester, NY En Route To Austin, Texas. And our article on how we change our planned itinerary “The Best Way To Change Your Itinerary During COVID-19″.

Here are some more articles of the places we visited during COVID-19.

1. Why Choose To Visit Mystic, Connecticut During the Pandemic?