Posted: 3/29/21 | March 29th, 2021
If you’re like me, you’ve been waiting over a year for this moment. That light at the end of the tunnel — where we are mostly vaccinated and can hug strangers, go to concerts and crowded bars, and travel the world again.
Sure, in the past year, numerous parts of the world have been open to visitors and some people have been traveling. nor has the pandemic stopped people from pretending it’s not happening and crowding into packed bars.
But what I’m talking about is that tipping point for the rest of us. That time when infections, hospitalizations, and deaths dwindle to the point where a majority of the world reopens, conferences and events are held again, attractions open, and the rest of us cram into bars again to make out with strangers on a drunken night.
We’re not there yet — it will take at least another year or two before we’re fully “back to normal” — but every day we inch closer to a post-COVID world where things open up and we have options again.
It looks at least the United States, the middle East, parts of Europe, central and South America, and numerous Caribbean countries will be “open for business” by mid-summer (if not sooner).
In fact, numerous countries are already allowing visitors to skip mandated quarantine / PCR testing if they are vaccinated (Iceland, Greece, Israel, and Ecuador, for example, and Thailand is already considering doing the same).
And, with all this palpable excitement, as Vice recently reported, people are starting to book trips again — so much so that numerous destinations are already filling up.
Before the pandemic, many people would book their trip one to two months before they left. during the pandemic, it was down to one to two weeks, as people were concerned about ever-changing guidelines and restrictions.
Now, travelers are starting to do that four months or much more out, in anticipation of destinations reopening.
Airplane ticket prices are rising, and trips are filling up, as are campgrounds. Accommodations, especially Airbnbs, are selling out fast — and those prices are rising too, as demand for them increases due to people wanting to be self-contained rather than in a hotel. (But if you want a hotel, that implies you’ll find amazing rates and lots of options).
And the awesome travel deals we are seeing now won’t last forever.
In short, you ought to start booking your travels now (but purchase refundable tickets).
And it’s not just in the United States.
Greece, France, Spain, Italy — all these summer hotspots are getting booked on the assumption that they will be open again by then. I’ve spoken to a number of travel agents that are having a hard time finding hotels and resorts for their clients.
That doesn’t imply the situation can’t or won’t change. A new strain might appear, the world might shut down again, countries might delay opening if their own population’s vaccination program takes longer than expected. ποιός ξέρει? The summer may be close, but in COVID years, it’s a long time away.
That’s why you want to make sure you get refundable bookings.
But, as they say, you don’t want to be caught with your pants down, paying higher prices for your summer or fall vacation.
Right now, everyone in the travel industry needs money. They want to fill seats on planes, spots on tours, and rooms in hotels. There are a ton of deals at the moment — even to countries that are closed best now, because people are anticipating they will reopen by the summer.
But the current deals won’t last long.
Because people will start to get much more comfortable taking trips and the outlook begins to brighten, prices will rise with demand. There’s a lot of people waiting to travel: people who postponed 2020 trips, people who had trips already booked, and people who, after COVID, have chose not to wait any longer.
That, coupled with decreased capacity and options, implies that prices will creep up (a lot).
So, regardless of whether you’re staying within your own country or flying to some exotic locale, I’d start booking your trips best now.
Don’t wait.
Better to catch these deals now, even if your plans are fuzzy, rather than paying much more later.
Smart travelers book when the deals happen.
Be a smart traveler.
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Κλείστε το ταξίδι σας: Προτάσεις και κόλπα υλικοτεχνικής υποστήριξης
Κλείστε την πτήση σας
Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner. Είναι η αγαπημένη μου μηχανή αναζήτησης, επειδή αναζητά ιστότοπους και αεροπορικές εταιρείες σε όλο τον κόσμο, ώστε να γνωρίζετε πάντα ότι καμία πέτρα δεν αφήνεται.
Book Your Accommodation
Μπορείτε να κλείσετε το ξενώνα σας με το Hostelworld. Εάν θέλετε να μείνετε κάπου εκτός από έναν ξενώνα, χρησιμοποιήστε το Booking.com καθώς επιστρέφουν με συνέπεια τις πιο προσιτές τιμές για τους ξενώνες και τα ξενοδοχεία.
Μην ξεχνάτε την ασφάλιση ταξιδιού
Η ταξιδιωτική ασφάλιση θα σας προστατεύσει από την ασθένεια, τον τραυματισμό, την κλοπή και τις ακυρώσεις. Είναι εκτεταμένη προστασία σε περίπτωση που κάτι πάει στραβά. Ποτέ δεν πηγαίνω σε ένα ταξίδι χωρίς αυτό, όπως έπρεπε να το χρησιμοποιήσω πολλές φορές στο παρελθόν. Οι αγαπημένες μου εταιρείες που προσφέρουν την καλύτερη υπηρεσία και αξία είναι:
SafetyWing (καλύτερο για όλους)
Ασφαλίστε το ταξίδι μου (για όσους άνω των 70)
Medjet (για πρόσθετη κάλυψη εκκένωσης)
Είστε έτοιμοι να κλείσετε το ταξίδι σας;
Ελέγξτε τη σελίδα πόρων μου για τις καλύτερες εταιρείες που θα χρησιμοποιήσετε όταν ταξιδεύετε. Παραθέτω όλα αυτά που χρησιμοποιώ όταν ταξιδεύω. Είναι το καλύτερο στην τάξη και δεν μπορείτε να πάτε στραβά χρησιμοποιώντας τα στο ταξίδι σας.