5 things you need to consider when traveling during a pandemic

Hi! Unfortunately, we are still in a global pandemic, but thank God there are vaccines now! Of course, that depends on whether you will get vaccinated or not. I definitely recommend getting vaccinated. However, today I wanted to talk about my recent travels! Yes, I FINALLY traveled! I went to France and it was amazing! However, there were some bumps and I would like to share them with you. Let’s get into 5 things you need to consider when traveling during a pandemic.

What have I been up to?

Before getting into traveling, I will talk about what I have been up to other than preparing for this trip! So, I have been reading much more, my goal is 50 books by the end of the year! I am currently at 16. I have decided to read more books written by people of color. Which is the main reason I haven’t shared any book reviews as of late. Yes, I have so many book reviews drafted up, but I am probably not going to publish them. Not yet at least. Other than that, I was busy with reviewing Maîtresse d’un Homme Marié season 3 which you can watch here.

Due to the fact that I only had the first dose of the vaccine in early July and the second one was scheduled after my trip to France, I did need a PCR test for France. Also, due to the fact that the cases were increasing in the Netherlands, in the end I needed a PCR test within 24h before flying. And that is how I ended up doing the test one day before I actually went to France.

5 things to consider when traveling during a pandemic

1. Regularly checking updates about Covid-19

Before traveling anywhere, I definitely recommend consulting the website of your country’s health department. For the Netherlands go here. In addition, I also recommend consulting the website of your destination country’s health department. Mostly because rules and conditions surrounding Covid-19 are constantly changing. Also, it decreases stress and there is nothing better than being well-prepared, especially for a trip!

2. Having all the right forms

Next, these health department websites usually also state what forms you need in order to enter a country. Besides a negative test, I also needed to sign an oath saying I did not have corona nor any symptoms. Also, on the plane I had to sign another form. The best is to fill out these forms at home already. I filled in the oath at home and at the airport in Rennes I was able to skip the queue. The perks of being prepared!

3. Just in case your phone dies..

Yes, it’s cool to have an application with proof of vaccination or that you tested negatively. However, make sure you also have this in offline form. You don’t want to be that person that has an empty phone when you really need it. Therefore, it’s good to have it on your phone, but don’t forget that there may be a time your phone may not work with you when needed. Or better yet: get yourself a powerbank and make sure it is charged and you have your cable within reach! – Also, if you travel with a powerbank in your handluggage, make sure the info about voltage is clearly visible! I really had to leave my powerbank behind in China because that info faded away because I used it so much.

4. Bring enough masks & hand sanitizer

Do you really think I would not mention masks and hand sanitizer? You may be vaccinated or tested negatively, but it is important to still wear your mask in some places. Which includes the airport and on the aircraft. And it is also important to wash your hands regularly or sanitize them at least. It is best if you bring extra masks with you in case you want to change during your flight. Also, in case you are unable to wash your hands with soap and water, you can always use hand sanitizer! Just make sure it is below 100ml so that you don’t have to throw it away!

5. Bring some home tests

Honestly, I didn’t really think about this until I actually got some hometests at Schiphol Airport for my trip. To encourage travelers to do home tests more frequently, they gave them away at Schiphol. We need to remind ourselves that the virus is still out there. Whether we are vaccinated or not, we still have to be careful. People are still dying from the virus, even though we may forget that sometimes. The best thing is to test on location, but also when you come back home.

Vaccine

All in all, I can say that I still got it in me! I made it safe to France and I got myself back safe too. I didn’t miss any flights (almost!), nor did I forget anything major during this trip. In the next blog, I will share a lot more about my actual stay in Rennes! You can watch the vlog from my trip to Rennes below!

Have you already traveled during this pandemic? How was that for you? How about the vaccine, are you vaccinated? Let me know in the comments!