Travelling the last 12 months or so has been tough. Covid has made getting abroad – for business or pleasure – incredibly difficult. However, testing kits have at least made it possible to jet off to another country. Providing that travellers from the UK are allowed into a destination, testing kits allow individuals to see if they are Covid negative shortly before they go away.

But there are other things that need to be done before going abroad. Here is a Covid travel checklist to follow, which will ensure any travel plans you have are as smooth sailing as possible.

Know your destination

Sadly, impromptu trips abroad are still a little way off. Instead, while travelling during the Covid pandemic, it is essential that you know what your end destination requires of you – as well as any stopovers.

So many countries will have certain requirements you must meet to enter their borders. Predominantly, this will be a negative Covid test taken in the last few days.  These requirements are subject to constant changes, so ensure that you keep abreast of what your final destination wants from all entrants to the country to reduce the risk of being turned away.

Research quarantine rules

Another key element to selecting your chosen destination is both the rules for when you are there, but also when you get back. In the UK, returning from the majority of countries requires a 10-day self-isolation period. These can be minimised if a private Covid test is taken 5 days after returning. Individuals must wait for a negative result before coming out of isolation.

Additionally, it could be that the country you are visiting may require you to self isolate upon arrival. For example, Singapore currently insists that anyone entering the country isolates at a quarantine hotel and does not leave their room for two weeks. That individual has to stump up for the bill of that hotel and also answer any checks to verify they are still isolating.

Such rules need to be factored into any travel plans to ensure that travelling to your chosen destination is a possibility.

Get tested

The majority of the time – as previously mentioned – having a negative Covid test is required before entry to any country. Take into account this extra time therefore when selecting your chosen destination. However, also budget for the extra cost. These tests are vital to keep the virus as under control as possible, but they’re not available on the NHS either. They need to be booked privately.

It is possible to have a lateral flow test instead of a PCR. However, not all countries will accept this due to the concern surrounding lateral flow tests and their efficacy. It has been found that they produce a large number of false negatives which is consequently very damaging to virus control measures.

Finally, know how you will get tested when abroad and need to return to the UK. Currently, even those travelling from a travel corridor country will be required to provide a negative Covid test result before reentry to Britain.

Be flexible

Probably the best thing you can do on your Covid travel checklist is to plan with flexibility in everything you do. The rules surrounding quarantine and what other countries may require of you before entry are subject to quick and dramatic changes.

Almost overnight, during Britain’s struggle with the UK variant of the Coronavirus, countries closed their borders to any travellers from Great Britain. It is best, therefore, to plan for the worst to happen and hope for the best. Doing so will take a great deal of the stress that comes from uncertainty when booking travel abroad at the moment.

Being flexible with travel plans is not as hard or expensive as it once was. While travellers may have expense incurred from hotel quarantines or private tests, airlines are mainly allowing customers to book fully flexible tickets. As a result, the cost of changing a flight is no where near what it has been previously. Additionally, many airlines will provide customers with a voucher for the cost of their flight, should they not be able to go away as planned, but are unsure as to when they may fly again.

Get insurance

Finally, it is imperative to purchase robust travel insurance before you travel. Doing so will protect travellers in a couple of important ways.

Firstly, any financial losses will be minimised if a trip has to be cancelled at the last minute. Travel insurance was always a good idea to take out before you Covid reared its ugly head, but it is crucial now. Covid materially ups the chances of something stopping travel plans going ahead. Buying travel insurance allows travellers to book a holiday without fear that they may be at risk of losing money.

Secondly, a good travel insurance policy should provide financial support for any medical care required when abroad. Those costs can be high – particularly if Covid is involved given how long a stay in hospital can be when battling the disease. Buying travel insurance means those costs and the cost of repatriating a Covid sufferer to Britain, are not a worry or risk.

Travelling during Covid times

Travelling during Covid is trickier, but it’s not impossible either. It just takes a little more planning and flexibility built into any trips abroad. As we move into a world that lives the with the disease for longer, it should become easier still as governments learn more effective ways to curb the rise of the virus through effective testing and other policies.

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