How to Choose an International Travel Destination during Covid-19 World

Last year when the Covid-19 pandemic hit globally, I was out in the world traveling full time, as usual. When lock-downs, border closings, tranportation shut-downs and other restrictions began to set in mid-March, 2020, I was in Antalya, Turkey. And there I was inadvertently ‘stuck’ for several months during Turkey’s rather thorough national lock down.

When Turkey eventually opened domestic travel on June 1st, I carefully set out to explore the gorgeous Mediterranean coast between Antalya and Bodrum. Then I settled in beautiful Fetiye for three months while making heaps of day trips to wonderful nearby beaches, historic sites and nature spots.

I took public transportation, stayed in private rooms and otherwise lived more or less like a local, shopping for groceries & essentials, walking the city streets & coastal walkways, cycling into mountains, suntanning & swimming at beaches.

Later that year I explored Croatia for three months then Bosnia for six weeks. In January, 2021 I returned to Antalya, Turkey.

I’ve explained all this to point out that throughout the entire pandemic I’ve been out in the world traveling, though at a much slower pace and with considerably more careful daily habits. To date, I have nearly one full year’s experience traveling internationally in this new Covid world.

In addition, because I’m visiting all these countries on tourist visas, which expire, I’ve also had to repeatedly figure out where to go next. To that end, I’ve done a lot of ongoing research about which countries have borders open to tourists. I’ve researched dozens of countries’ entry policies, Covid regulations within their borders, prices of PCR tests around the globe and other pertinent information for various countries.

I’ve kept a close eye on the ever-changing Covid situations globally and in at least a dozen different countries.

I recently realized that as a result of my full year of researching, watching Covid situations and traveling during the pandemic, I actually have a tremendous amount of information, insights, advice and tips that I can share with other people who are itching to get out and travel as soon as feasible.

Considering that this Covid-19 world will be with us probably through most of 2021, to some extent or other, I think all the knowledge I’ve accumulated will be quite useful as people begin traveling again, at least during the remainder of this year.

So I’m currently writing a series of articles about exactly that. I hope the posts will be useful to all you hopeful travelers out there until the world gets back to normal again.

In this first article I share all my experience, tips and advice on how to decide where exactly in the world to safely travel during this unprecedented time. I recommend a 3-step process for choosing your ideal, safe international travel destination. Here we go…

Step 1: Find a country with borders open to international tourists

As you’re probably well aware, most countries around the world have closed their borders to international visitors for the time being. That includes nearly every European country, most Asian countries, Australia, New Zealand and many countries in Central & South America, Africa and the Middle East.

Deciding to travel overseas right now is not at all like our familiar pre-Covid world, where you could simply choose the destination of your dreams, research, book a flight, pack your bags and hit the road. No!

Now your choices about which countries you can visit are limited to those that are actually accepting internatoinal tourists. So your first big step in taking an overseas vacation or a longer travel jaunt is to discover which countries will let you in.

I’ve discovered a few excellent ways to find out.

First of all, if you have a country (or two or three) in mind that you want to visit, then I recommend going to the website of the US Embassy to ‘country x’. Just Google it. Such as ‘US Embassy to Turkey’ or ‘US Embassy to Japan’.

Once you reach the US Embassy’s official website, go to ‘Citizens Services’ where they give ongoing detailed information about the Covid situation in that country, entry requirements, IF you’re allowed in or not, Covid rules & regulations within the country and lots of other important information. They provide further links to country-specific information.

Of course the information is specifically geared to American citizens, however, most of the quite-detailed Covid information applies to everyone, not just Americans, and including both local citizens and international visitors.

The only information that’s solely directed to Americans is the entry information, ‘Can Amerians enter?’

If you’re not American, most of the other very detailed & useful information will still help you out (see step 2 below). But as for your eligibility to enter the country, I recommend checking the website of your own country’s embassy to that country.

Since I’m American, I haven’t used any other country’s embassy website info, so I don’t know what exactly they will tell you. But I’m sure they will at the very least list a phone number and other embassy contact information in case the entry information is not on their website.

If the country you want to visit is not open to you, then search for a different country (or two or three) via the same route above until you find a country you’re allowed to visit.

However, if you don’t really have any idea which country you’d like to visit, or if all the countries you’ve checked are closed, or if you want to see what all your options are, then I recommend checking the following really nifty site I found last year. It tells you, for any given country you’re a citzen of, all the countries around the globe that you can and cannot visit!

Keep in mind, though, that I also discovered that the information on this site is not always completely accurate. No doubt that’s because each country’s border and Covid information keeps changing. Apparently this site can’t quite keep up with the constant changes.

But this site is a great place to start your search. On it you can get a list of all the countries that you (based on your nationality) can currently – supposedly – travel to during the Covid pandemic. Here’s the site:

Passport Index

To find out which countries you can visit, first click on ‘FIND’. A keyboard will open. Click the first letter of your own country.

A line of passports will appear near the bottom. Click on your passport. A list of all countries in the world, by name from A to Z, will appear on the right side, telling you if you can enter or not. Scroll down the list to discover where you can and cannot visit!

The list of countries that you’re tentatively allowed to visit might surprise you. It really surprised me each time I checked it. I noticed many countries that I hadn’t specifically considered visiting any time soon.

But that was actually really interesting and intriguing. It kind of opened up my mind to other travel possibilities.

Maybe it will do the same for you. Maybe from the list you’ll find a few countries that pique your interest and help you get started traveling.

*Important note*

When you do find a few countries from the list that you’re interested in, I highly recommend that you next check the website of the US Embassy to ‘country x’ to see if it’s correct that that country’s borders are currently open to you.

Step 2: Learn the country’s Covid rules, regulations & extra expenses

After you find a country that you want to visit and will welcome you, the next very important step is to learn about their Covid entry policies, domestic Covid rules & regulations and the expenses that it will entail.

Lucily, most of this information can be found on the website of the US Embassy to ‘country x’, under ‘Citizens Services’ as detailed in Step 1.

It is extremely important to learn all this information before you decide whether or not to visit that country. And certainly before you book any flights or accommodation.

Just because a country is open to your visit, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s easy to enter. Doesn’t necessarily mean it’s affordable to visit. Doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be able to do the activities you’re looking for there. And it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s worth your time, effort or money to visit at this time.

So please learn all this information before you make a decision.

Potential regulations and costs include: PCR test(s) for entry, 10-14-day quarantine upon arrival, mask mandates, lock-downs, curfews, fines for breaking Covid regulations, closures of a whole variety of establishments from restaurants & bars to beaches & parks to museums & sports/entertainment facilities to many other places.

Potential entry requirements:

negative PCR test(s) / Covid vaccines / quarantine on arrival

To start with, almost every country that is accepting international visitors currently requires every arrival to have proof of an officially-taken negative PCR test with them, usually in paper format (not digital on your phone). Most countries require that this PCR test was taken within 48 hours of arrival at their border. Some countries allow within 72 hours of arrival at their border.

The ‘arrival at their border’ is an important point. It doesn’t mean the time you depart your country or the time you start your flight/bus trip. It means within the time that you check in with immigration officers at that country’s border.

Some countries also require a second PCR test to be taken within a few days after your arrival. Clearly that test will be taken in their country, at whatever the price is. You need to consider that cost as well.

Since Covid vaccines are being administered in huge numbers all over the globe now, many countries are starting to accept official evidence of your Covid vaccine instead of a negative PCR test.

As you might have already guessed, this particular entry regulation about proof of negative PCR test or vaccine is constantly being updated.

As for getting a negative PCR test within the required time frame means you have some work to do. You’ll have to find out where – and when – you can get a PCR test before you go, as well as the price for the test.

You’ll have to co-ordinate your test time so that you arrive at their border within the allotted time. But also that you have enough time to receive the test results before you depart and also get the test in paper format (photocopy / scan).

So you’ll have to co-ordinate all these times with the departure time of your bus/ferry/train/flight and your arrival time at the country border.

The cost of PCR tests varies tremendously from country to country! In some countries it’s free, at least for residents. In other countries, I’ve seen (and paid myself) anywhere from about $25 US to $110 US to well over $200 US!

So it’s really a good idea to find out the price of the PCR tests wherever you’ll need to take them.

In addition to the PCR test, some countries further require a quarantine period for all new arrivals. The quarantine time is usually 10-14 days. And that’s usually done at your expense, often at a designated hotel or quarantine location chosen by the country. Sometimes arrivals have the benefit of choosing their own hotel for this quarnatine. And usually officials check on you, with hefty fines levied for anyone who breaks quarantine.

Now obviously if you’re just going on a 1-2 week vacation, you wont’ want to spend it in quarantine! But if you’re traveling to a country for a few months, the quarantine period might be tolerable. But you need to consider the cost as well.

Country’s domestic Covid rules & regulations

Each country is handling the ongoing pandemic differently in terms of rules and regulations for citizens and visitors to follow. These rules and guidelines are constantly changing as the Covid situation changes for better or worse. So it’s important to get updated information about the country you’re planning to visit.

The good news is that probably, if anything, these rules will be getting more lax rather than more strict as 2021 proceeds, especially since vaccines are being administered around the globe.

So it’s possible that by the time you reach your target country the rules might be less strict than when you first planned your trip. Just be sure to check on the country’s rules immediately before you head there so you know what to expect when you arrive.

These rules & regulations could include various curfews, restricted opening times of restaurants, cafes, bars, stores and other businesses as well as beaches, parks, entertainment & leisure facilities, swimming pools, sports activities, museums and other venues. Some may be completely closed.

You should also find out if domestic travel is allowed and, if so, by what means. Is public transportation functioning, and if so, which- buses, trains, ferries, flights? Or is travel permitted only by private vehicles? Are rental cars available?

There could also be special permits for overland travel, riding public buses/trains/ferries and/or flights.

Luckily, much of this information is detailed on the US Embassy to ‘country x’ websites, as explained above. You could also check with travel agents and/or your target country’s tourist information board website and/or their official tourist information offices in your own country (if any).

Step 3: Choose the safest destinations within that country

Let’s say you’ve found a country you like and that will let you visit. You’ve learned that their entry regulations and domestic Covid restrictions are reasonable and affordable.

The next, and final, step to choosing your best travel destination, is to decide where within that country to go. This is all about choosing the safest, least Covid-risky places. It’s about staying away from crowds, gatherings, events and other high-risk places.

I recommend the following:

Avoid big, crowded cities

Avoid famous & popular tourist destinations in the country, except in off-season months

Avoid high-season travel times (aka summer months, holiday seasons)

Instead, choose the following:

Do visit during that country’s off season if possible

Do go to lesser-known destinations

Do go to outdoor & nature destinations (think beaches, mountains, lakes, forests, etc)

Do go to places with low populations

While the pandemic is still raging, this is a good time to take any kind of outdoor adventure, nature vacation.

Go camping, hiking, mountain climbing, long-distance cycling. Take a beach vacation (but not to the famous, popular beach vacation spots).

Leave the big, famous, crowded cities for another year – one or two years down the road. Wait to visit a famous beach destination or party spot.

You can research any country’s domestic destinations online and in travel guidebooks such as Lonely Planet, Frommer’s or Rough Guides.

The most common methods I use to research a country include:

google maps

Perhaps surprisingly, this is one of the best ways to research travel destinations now! You can click on any city, national park, region or whatever to get a basic description of the place, a bunch of photos, lists of hotels and so on.

By zooming in on a city or destination, you’ll find all sorts of attractions, museums, natural sites, historic sites, etc etc. Just click on each to get a description, photos and other info.

I use this method a lot.

Google search ‘best things to do in ‘country x’ or ‘city x’

Up comes a list of websites that describe things to do in that place. Personally, I avoid TripAdvisor for descriptions. I usually end up reading travel blogs and official country/city websites for this information.

I usually read several websites to get information from several different sources.

When I find particular places I especially like, I often research them in more depth via google maps and ‘best things to do in ‘x’.

Summary

So that is my 3-step advice for choosing an international travel destination during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Step 1: Find a country with borders open to you

Step 2: Learn all their Covid entry requirements, domestic Covid rules and the costs

Step 3: Choose the best destination within that country during these Covid times

That’s it for now. I’ll be writing more about traveling safely during the Covid-19 world soon. Stay tuned for more advice!

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You may also like:

Update on Traveling Safely During Covid (in 2020)

Introduction to Croatia

Introduction to Bosnia & Herzegovina

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