While the world starts to see glimmers of hope in the form of a COVID-19 vaccine, many are still having cold feet about booking a vacation. And it makes sense. Who would want to invest in a trip that they may need to cancel?
AAA travel agent Shelby Deutschle knows this first hand. "I’ve had to cancel three vacations in the past ten months. And I’m sure there are other people who have similar stories as well.” She sat down with FOX43 to give us a list of tips on how to ensure your safety before you book your trip.
Pro Tip #1 -
If you do nothing else, Deutschle says the number one thing to do is invest in travel insurance. There are multiple types of travel insurance options you can consider.
- Future Travel Credit – This allows you to get a credit towards another trip in the event that you need to cancelations after you have already booked the trip.
- “Covered reasons” Insurance – This covers you if you must cancel because of an unexpected illness, injury, or a life emergency, like a death in the family or if your house burns down before your trip.
- Supplemental Health Insurance - This is top of mind as the global pandemic continues. These policies can cover unexpected health issues while you are outside of the United States. Many of them now include coverage in the event that you contract the Coronavirus.
Pro Tip #2 -
The next tip is to research your destination to know what is required of you before you head out. As the health crisis continues, safety guidelines around the world will continue to change. “Certain islands... now may be requiring you to have a COVID test within 72 hours before you arrive," Deutschle says. "You need to make sure that you’ve had that requirement met before you step off the plane.”
Pro Tip #3 -
Now that you are insured and all the prerequisite requirements are met, Deutschle says to consider how you would like to handle your money while you are on vacation. “You are probably going to need to change money and have the currency of that country in your pocket when you arrive." She advises having small bills on you throughout your stay.
Master card and Visa credit cards are accepted in most countries around the world. Just make sure you contact the card provider to let them know that you are using it outside of the United States. Otherwise, it is likely the company will freeze the card when a foreign charge is detected.
Deutschle suggests the safest option is a pre-paid money card. She says it works like a debit card but, because it is not attached to your bank, it will protect your financial information if the card is lost or stolen.
Deutschle provided FOX43 with a number of other pro tips, including:
- Preparing proper documentation
- How to handle your prescriptions while abroad
- Packing advice
- and much more!
You can watch the full interview here:
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