Everyone is probably itching to travel abroad at the moment, but sadly we can’t. With countries continuing to announce travel related restrictions(most recently Canada and the Netherlands) at times it can feel like we’re never going to be able to just jump on a plane to sunnier pastures again. However, when restrictions do start to ease as a result of mass vaccination and strict adherence to guidelines, travelling in a post-pandemic world will still most likely look different to what we were used to pre-pandemic and so we continue to dream of travel.
This is all part of (excuse the cliche) “the new normal” as it has been dubbed since the start of the pandemic. Extra precautions will still need to be taken and the way in which we travel will also be altered. Here are some expert opinions on when we might be able to travel again under some form of normal.
Spending habits in general have changed from pre-pandemic to now (at least in the US). What we spend on foreign holidays, could also change given how the changes to international travel in general with restrictions, possible price increases etc. will fully impact budget travel. This is often the way students, young adults and those on lower incomes get to see the world. It should also be noted that the amount of travel we do (for business and pleasure – budget or not) could be reduced because of the impacts of international flying on climate change. The pandemic has reduced international travel and in turn the emissions of fossil fuel from various forms of transportation has also decreased. International travel, which uses large amounts of fossil fuels, continues to greatly impact the planet.
Budget travel can mean anything from using a low cost airline or budget hotel to cutting down on overall expenses including on excess frills such as guided tours or wine tasting. There are different extremes as to what exactly defines “budget.” I have travelled to 7 different countries, across 3 different continents and all while limiting my spending. For me, this has typically meant having less funds than an average holiday maker for fancy restaurants and grand experiences or tours.
But less funds doesn’t have to mean less fun! By using services such as Ryanair for air transportation and Flixbus for ground transportation (or other forms of public transport), I have been able to reduce spending on actually getting to destinations and was able to enjoy the experience of the destination all the more. My best example of this was in Paris; I went to the Montmartre area that overlooks the city and the view was spectacular. It only cost the roughly €1.90 price for the Metro to get there.
Below are top 5 tips that I have learned from my travels (Covid-19 could potentially impact the ability to fulfill some of them).
Here’s hoping we can all travel again at some point in the future!
