So for the first time in months, I got on a plane. To be clear - I am not recommending it. Always make careful decisions about anything which could affect your health. In my case the trip south was necessary - I have a home up north for half the year, and one down south for the other half.

What is it like travelling during the pandemic? For starters just the planning is different. If you need (or want) travel medical insurance, and you would like Covid 19 complications to be covered, be prepared to pay extra. Our insurance this winter was about 40% more expensive than it was last year. Relatively few providers are insuring for Covid 19, although I see some airlines are. Read the fine print, and make sure you are covered for what you think you are, or you could get a nasty surprise.

How do you plan for travel in these times? My grandmother used to say, before taking a trip, that if we forgot something we would just buy it when we got there. Today, that might not be the best advice. Grocery stores in Canada and the United States have had shortages; other countries too. Wherever you are going, at least recognize the possibility that some things will be harder to acquire. It may be wise to spend a little extra time packing. Although usually I try to travel light, this time I wound up paying for an extra bag on the plane.

It also helps to clearly think about why you are travelling, and if that purpose will be achieved. If your goal is relaxation, but you are very anxious about catching the novel coronavirus, how relaxed do you think you will be? If your goal is sight-seeing, are you sure all the sights are open?

Carefully consider if the trip is worth it. Think of the last time you broke something expensive or with sentimental value. If you are anything like me you replayed the event over and over, thinking that if you had been just a little more careful the accident wouldn’t have happened. Is anything more important than your health and the health of your loved ones?

I’m not saying don’t travel - that’s not my place. I also started off this post admitting that I have just travelled. I weighed the factors, and decided to go. This process took a while, but I am confident it was the right call. For others the right call would be to stay home. Only you can decide that.

In the past travel has been something that could easily be done on the spur of the moment. A deal landed in your email, and a few mouse clicks later you had a trip booked. You can still book travel easily, but you might want to slow down before making that call.

If you do still decide to travel - stay tuned. In the next few days I will be posting about what to expect at the airport, and what things are like in one of the most popular vacation destinations, Cancun.