Most people associate traveling with excitement, unforgettable experiences and mind-opening encounters. However, traveling with a group can become a risky endeavor when it comes to health and safety, especially in times of a global pandemic like Covid-19.
Covid-19 has certainly changed the way we think about travel. Not only is being in contact with people from a new destination a highly risky activity but traveling with others also means that you’ll spend hours in a space with a limited area. All of these factors raise questions as to how safe group travel is during the pandemic.
Tips on how to stay safe during Covid-19 group travels
If you’re planning to travel in a group anytime soon, it’s best to follow safety best practices that will allow you and the group to enjoy your time without compromising your health. In this article, we’ll share with you a few useful safe group travel tips during Covid-19.
Don’t embark on the journey if you’re feeling ill
For starters, if you’re feeling any symptoms of illness, it’s best to rest and recover before traveling. Even if you’ve done a Covid-19 test that has turned out negative, there are chances that the stage of the virus is still too early to be detected via a standard test. In this case, traveling with a group exposes other passengers to a certain level of risk.
Covid-19 is accompanied by a wide range of symptoms. However, some of the common symptoms that affect the majority of infected people include fever, headaches, muscle pain, sore throat, and other discomforts.
Travel with people you know
Organize your trip with people that you know and can trust. This will help you minimize the risk of virus infection and will help you protect yourself, your friends and your family from Covid-19. Have an accurate headcount for your group trip. If possible, speak to every group member and ask them to isolate themselves for a certain time before embarking on the trip.
Asking all group participants to get a Covid-19 test before the journey is also a safety measure that you can take.
Consider using a charter bus
Next, think about your means of travel. Sometimes, catching a flight is much more convenient than relying on a charter bus. However, hiring a bus for your travel group gives you more control over the experience.
By choosing a charter bus you can take advantage of isolating your group from strangers who may have skipped health and safety measures before getting on their flight. At the same time, you can provide enough space for every passenger by hiring a larger bus that will comfortably transport the group with enough distance between group members.
Wash your hands regularly
For a lot of people, hand washing is an ordinary habit, regardless of whether there is a global pandemic or not. Washing your hands regularly is one of the most essential hygiene-related habits that can protect us against a multitude of bacteria, parasites, microbes, and viruses around us. Even if they’re invisible to the eye, the reality is that we’re all surrounded by them. For example, touching a door knob, a light switch or shaking someone’s hand undoubtedly increases the chances of bacteria and virus spread, no matter if we’re talking about Covid-19 or the standard flu.
To protect yourself and your gravel buddies from Covid-19 and other diseases, make sure to regularly wash your hands. Use reliable handwashing products and sanitizers not only after using the toilet, but after coming in contact with different surfaces like cups, cutlery, door knobs, money, and others.
Prepare your own food and drinks
The example from above brings us to the next essential tip – food preparation. If the group is traveling a long distance, food and drinks are a must. The only way to guarantee everyone’s comfort and at the same time avoid making regular stops is to make sure everyone has packed their meals in advance.
This way, the only stops made will be for restrooms and emergency situations.
Pack cleaning supplies and sanitisers
Traveling during Covid-19 also requires paying special attention to the cleaning supplies that you pack. Wet wipes and sanitizers are some of the essentials that must be with you at all times.
Although every group member can be in charge of bringing their own masks, one person could be responsible for providing sanitizer for everyone. Ideally, palace the cleaning supplies near entrances, where people can easily access them when entering the bus.
Be aware of local regulations
If your trip is associated with taking part in traditional tourist activities and visiting attractions, make sure to check the local regulations. Every city has their own rules and policies regarding Covid-19. Being informed about them can help you avoid unexpected situations, like an obligatory self-quarantine for individuals who are just entering the city.
Avoid contact with people who have Covid-19 symptoms
Earlier, we mentioned that it’s best to travel in a group of people that you know. However, you’ll probably agree that your travels will be no fun at all if you limit yourself to communicating with group members only. And the truth is that there’s no need to do so. As long as you’ve taken measures and achieved a high level of safety, you can confidently exchange thoughts and ideas with others, meet new people, and enjoy your journey.
However, you may want to minimize and where possible avoid contact with people who show vivid signs of Covid-19. For example, these could be coughing, irregular breathing, and others. Of course, these could be a result of another condition but if you don’t have enough information and are not sure about the situation, it’s best to take extra caution.
Safe group travels with BusConnection
At BusConnection, we’re committed to providing the safest and most reliable bus charter services for every group. We’re here to offer a personalized travel experience and to help you reach your destination and enjoy your trip with minimum risks. We can also support you with a shuttle service for a number of occasions. Get in touch with us and let’s talk about how we can make your travels a dream come true.