As many other Americans can report, it felt like I received my second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in March, like a huge load was lifted off my shoulders.

I have a number of pre-existing conditions that put me at higher risk of complications from COVID, so I made extreme efforts to stay safe during the pandemic. Now I could finally visit a grocery store without worrying if someone coughs down an aisle. I could get on the subway to visit friends on the other side of town whom I had seldom seen in the past year.

And I could travel. Before the pandemic, my husband and I planned a trip to Spain to fill out the necessary paperwork for applying for dual citizenship.

The pandemic had put this trip on hold indefinitely. But with the Pfizer
PFE, + 2.69%
and modernity
MRNA, -1.98%
With vaccines flowing through our respective veins – and concerns about a possible deadline for my citizenship papers in sight – we decided last month to take the plunge and travel to Barcelona.

And while it ended up being one of the best trips any of us had in our lives, it wasn’t without more stressful, nerve-wracking moments. It can be safely said that none of us fully foresaw how challenging an international trip could be in the midst of the latest wave of the pandemic.

For anyone planning their overseas COVID revenge getaway, in my experience, here are five things to consider before packing your bags:

Plan what to do when you get sick

The pandemic is fast moving and changing all the time. When my husband and I booked our flights to Barcelona, ​​the number of new COVID cases went down. It stayed that way until a few weeks before we left.

Nightclubs reopened in Spain in late June and shortly afterwards the country saw an explosion in COVID cases. At that point, few people under the age of 30 had received the vaccine. In combination with the increased transmission of the Delta variant of the virus, this led to a massive increase in the number of cases in a short period of time.


Travel insurance would have paid for new flights home and covered the cost of a hotel room up to a certain limit.

I would be lying if I didn’t say we were about to cancel our trip entirely. While we felt protected by the vaccine, we also knew that the protection it provided wasn’t foolproof – like that recent outbreak in Provincetown, Massachusetts., there is a chance that you could contract COVID even if you are fully vaccinated. and Studies suggest that the vaccines offer a little less protection against infection with the Delta variant of the virus, although the risk of a serious case or death remains extremely small.

In the end we made the trip, but we had an iron plan of what we would do if we got sick. Because remember that you must test negative for COVID within three days of your return flight to the US

Travel insurance is crucial here. We bought a plan that includes protection in case we are quarantined in Spain and unable to return home. The policy would have paid for new flights home and covered the cost of a hotel room up to a certain limit.

There were other things to watch out for. I work remotely so I brought my laptop in case I couldn’t return home as originally planned. But my husband works as an independent entrepreneur in the wedding industry and had to make sure that he had colleagues who could cover him in the event of illness.

Get tested for COVID before you leave

Speaking of COVID tests, find out about your testing options before you leave. And this is not just a formality – before we could check in our luggage at the airport, the counter worker carefully analyzed our test results. She checked that the birth dates listed matched our passports, the day the test was performed and the results. So you need to make sure that your test meets the requirements of the airline you are flying with.

Depending on where you are going, it might not be that difficult to get tested. A friend recently vacationed at an all-inclusive resort in the Dominican Republic. In the age of COVID, an all-inclusive experience includes COVID testing.


In the United States, all travelers arriving from abroad must be tested for COVID-19 before their flight, even if they are vaccinated.

However, if you are traveling alone, you may need to navigate a foreign health system to get a test. In Spain, foreigners have to have their tests done by private providers – and that’s not cheap. I was used to having my health insurance cover the cost of COVID tests that I received in the US, so the $ 100 price for my PCR test was a bit of a flash.

Since Spain saw an increase in COVID infections during my visit, I learned that the lines for tests could be long. Finding a provider that I could book in advance took some research. Pro Tip: The U.S. Embassy in Spain keeps a list of COVID test sites across the country, and I could imagine other embassies with similar resources.

If you want to save yourself the hassle of taking a test in the country, you can bring a test with you. Some airlines, including Delta
FROM, -1.13%
and united
UAL, -1.39%,
have partnered with home testing services like eMed that will allow you to pre-purchase a test kit that will meet the requirements for a return trip to the United States

You take the test from anywhere while you have a video call with a doctor who certifies the result and provides the necessary documents for the flight home via email. You can have the kits sent to you before your departure or you can collect them from a participating pharmacy.

Be aware of changing rules and regulations

Just days before we left for Barcelona, ​​the Catalonia region made a number of changes to its COVID-related measures to help curb the rising number of cases at the time. Night clubs have been closed, a night curfew has been imposed, and social gatherings with more than 10 people have been banned.

That didn’t affect my husband and I too much as our plan was to go to more museums than clubs. But it was a reminder of how changeable the COVID situation is.

For this reason, too, it is important to have travel insurance as further policy changes would have made our trip much less enjoyable or even impossible. Some European countries have reintroduced travel restrictions in the face of rising cases.

If you book your travel insurance early enough, you can pay an extra charge to be able to cancel the trip for any reason. That way, if the country you’re visiting changes the rules so much that the trip is more of a chore than a relaxing retreat, you can get a refund.

Also, be mindful of airline and hotel rebooking policies – many travel companies are still waiving rebooking fees in light of the pandemic.

Get ready to wear your face mask – a lot

I already wear masks on a regular basis in everyday life, but I wasn’t prepared for how often I would wear a mask abroad. First of all, federal aviation regulations require passengers to wear masks for the duration of a flight, except when they are actively eating and drinking. On my flights to and from Spain, flight attendants often reminded passengers to put their masks back on.

And while much of the U.S. mask mandates are no longer in effect, much of the world is not. For example, in parts of Spain, wearing masks was only made mandatory outside last week due to the rising number of COVID cases across the country. And even where it wasn’t needed outdoors, it was certainly indoors.


In parts of Spain, it was even mandatory to wear masks outdoors last week due to the increasing number of COVID cases.

From museums to grocery stores, we’ve often seen employees and security guards reminding visitors or customers to properly wear their masks.

If you are not used to wearing a mask that often, I would suggest doing a practice run with those you plan on packing for your trip to make sure they are comfortable. With some of the masks that I brought with me, I quickly discovered that they were painful and even blistered in one place when they were worn for long periods of time.

I padded my ears with cotton wool, which helped, but it would have been much better if I had packed some ear protectors – devices that can reduce the pressure the masks put on the ears while ensuring a proper fit on the face.

Don’t expect a pre-COVID experience

Traveling internationally at the moment can be a bit mixed up as we’ve seen. Spain’s tourism sector has been hit extremely hard by COVID-19, and places that rely on a steady flow of travelers, like Barcelona, ​​have taken the brunt of it.

Reports of a pandemic (July 2021): The second most popular travel destination in the world wants its tourists back

This meant we came across our fair share of shops and restaurants that were either no longer open or were about to close. It was a bit depressing at times – and the evening curfews were a reminder that the pandemic is far from over.

At the same time, we encountered fewer crowds than typical at this time of the year. We paid for a guided tour at one attraction. Usually these tours are for groups up to 25 people, but my husband and I were the only two shown. So we essentially got a private tour at a discounted price. Our tour guide was phenomenal and repeated many times how excited she was to get back to work after the country’s lengthy shutdown.

So if you are traveling abroad, make the most of these moments. Because I am sure that after the end of the pandemic, people will be ready to jet the world and make up for lost time.