We’ve been living with the COVID-19 pandemic for a year now, and it’s clear that we’re all experiencing it differently. Some people have already had the vaccine and are ready to get back out into the world sooner rather than later. Others are still maintaining a stricter, tighter “pandemic pod” and waiting for numbers to decrease before they can even contemplate loosening those boundaries.
Wherever you are on that spectrum, you are probably starting to wonder when you might be able to travel again, where you might be able to go, and what’s going to happen when those floodgates open and everyone rushes to make up for lost time. The answer to that last question is pretty easy, actually. When we reach the tipping point where the general public feels travel is safe again, there’s going to be a tidal wave. A little bit of advance planning now will help you stay ahead of that curve!
To help with that, we’ve put together our suggestions for where you can travel now, where you can most likely travel later this year, and why you should do some advance planning now for bucket list trips for 2022.
I am already packed.
If you’re ready to get out of here right now (or within the next couple of months), your best bets are Hawaii, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Costa Rica. Some testing requirements are in place (both in the various destinations and here in the US for your return), but the rules are easily complied with.
(Road to Hana, Hawaii – Photo Credit: Annie via Shared Adventures Travel)
Resorts are maintaining strict safety protocols. Occupancy is at reduced capacity. And there are warm breezes and sandy beaches ready to make you forget your pandemic problems.
(El Dorado Maroma, Riviera Maya, Mexico – Photo Credit: Annie via Shared Adventures Travel)
I’ll be ready by the fall.
If you need a few more months to get vaccinated and feel comfortable about making travel plans, that’s okay. There are some destinations that are still working out their plans too, and they should be ready for you by the Fall. I would expect much of Europe to open back up to Americans by Sept/Oct. French Polynesia, which has already been welcoming tourists but is on a brief pause right now, should also be back up to speed before the fall. And you might even see cruises begin again by then.
If you want to snag an overwater bungalow in Bora Bora, or a villa in Tuscany, you can start planning now to stay ahead of the curve.
(Top:Passau, Germany – Photo Credit: Annie via Shared Adventures Travel)
(Bottom: Moorea French Polynesia – Photo Credit: Meagan via Shared Adventures Travel)
I need to plan something BIG for next year!
If you’ve had to postpone big celebrations in 2020 and 2021, you’re not alone. There’s going to be a LOT of people looking to celebrate milestone birthdays and anniversaries in 2022, and the big “bucket list” trips are going to be popular. Things like African safaris, European river cruises, Machu Picchu, the Galapagos, and Australia/New Zealand always require some advance planning, but that will be even more true now.
(Kapama Private Game Reserve, South Africa – Photo Credit: Annie via Shared Adventures Travel)
It’s never too early to start thinking about your timing, wish list, and budget so that you’re ready to take advantage of any special pricing offered THIS year for big trips in 2022.
(Sydney, Australia – Photo Credit: Liz Picurro via @following_liz)
Please be sure to share even your tentative plans with us now so that we can keep an eye out for sales and promotions that you might be interested in. The world is slowly opening back up to us, and when you’re ready to take advantage of that, we’re ready to help!
