Hey there, fellow travelers! This summer, we’re setting off on a family road trip to explore the Southeast United States. Given how much summer 2020 travel has changed, we wanted to share with you what it’s like to take a family road trip in 2020, and share with you some long-distance driving tips for these changing times.
Expect Less Traffic
One unexpected benefit of summer 2020 travel is the reduction in passenger car traffic. We see a lot of trucks on the road, but far fewer passenger cars. Even in some of the larger cities, traffic is much better than in previous years because more people are working from home.
Road Trip Potty Breaks
One thing to consider is that many restaurants and fast-food places are only open for drive-through customers. So, if you’re used to stopping at McDonald’s to use the restroom, that might not be a viable option. Make sure you are using the bathrooms at rest stops and gas stations, and don’t count on being able to go into any restaurants.
Five Things You Will Love & Hate About Family Road Trips
Mask Usage…or Lack Thereof
Don’t expect everyone to be wearing masks. We had ours at all times to wear in public places, but not everyone is going to be wearing a mask. Rules and regulations vary from state to state and county to county. You will have to decide ahead of time what you are comfortable with. If you aren’t quite ready for eating in restaurants, then make sure you pack enough snacks to get by or plan on eating fast food in the car.
Toll Booths
You may want to do a bit of research ahead of time on the toll roads you’ll be driving on. Many states closed their toll booths to eliminate personal contact, so you need to figure out how you’ll pay tolls. In Georgia, you can’t drive in the Express Lane without their Peach Pass. Other states like Illinois and Indiana use EZ-Pass that is not specific to just one state. If you plan to pay online after the fact, you may want a small notepad to keep track of the tolls you passed through as you’ll be asked to enter the date/time online.
Overnight Stops at Hotels
On our latest road trip, we broke the drive up into two days so we could stop at some sights along the way. Staying in hotels during a pandemic can be frightening to some people, but we did a lot of research and did our due diligence to ensure we felt safe. We had one parent enter the hotel room first and wipe down all high-touch areas before the rest of the family came in. Hotels have enhanced cleaning procedures now, but we did this for our own peace of mind. It can’t hurt, especially when you are traveling with kids who touch everything.
Here’s what we noticed has changed about staying in hotels during the pandemic:
- Reduced contact at check-in. Hotels are encouraging you to book online, check-in online using their app, and even use the app as your mobile key. If you do have to visit the front desk, you’ll see plastic shields in front of the attendant, as well as social distancing markers on the floor. Please respect these as the hotel staff is being exposed to travelers day in and day out just to keep the business running.
- Valet parking may be eliminated to reduce contact
- Expect reduced amenities, including coffee and water bottles in rooms. You probably won’t see pens and paper pads in the rooms anymore. Many hotels have removed anything that’s not part of the furnishings, in order to eliminate the number of items requiring sanitization between guests.
- If you are staying several nights in the same hotel, you will see that housekeeping services have been reduced. Some hotels are only cleaning rooms by request and will require that you vacate the room for the housekeeping staff.
- Continental breakfast has been eliminated or reduced to a to-go sack in most hotels. Buffets may be a thing of the past now, so at the most, you can expect a hotel to give you a bag with some yogurt, fruit, and a granola bar.
- Room service or on-site dining may be closed or have reduced hours as well.
- Hotel gyms and swimming pools may also be closed or have new restrictions.
Essentially, the changes are going to vary from hotel to hotel, even within the same brand. If a particular amenity is important to you, call the hotel ahead of time to find out what’s available!
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Of course, you may decide not to travel at all in 2020. For our family, we weighed the risks vs. rewards and are taking extra precautions to ensure our own safety. The most important thing about travel in 2020 is to be flexible and be willing to invest a bit of time in advance research and planning. COVID-19 may have taken away spontaneous travel, but that doesn’t mean we can’t travel at all!
Looking for more travel advice? Check out these other blog posts: