Planning your next vacation? Keep in mind these USA travel restrictions

As coronavirus rates continue to decrease in the United States while more and more folks are receiving their vaccinations, our lives are finally starting to look a bit more hopeful. Public spaces such as bars, restaurants, movie theaters, and more, are beginning to open up with the necessary COVID-19 restrictions, while concerts & other fun events are finally coming back. 

Because some parts of the world are finally transitioning to a new normal after a long and bleak year thanks to coronavirus, you may already be planning your next vacation to celebrate your vaccinations – and we can’t blame you. It has truly been a horrid year stuck indoors for all of us. However, don’t book your ticket just yet, at least not before you keep in mind what the travel restrictions are currently like in the USA right now. 

Going international? 

Looking to go international? If you’re trying to leave the USA, this will be where travel restrictions will be the strictest. Don’t worry though, we completely understand if you’re on the search for a luxurious getaway somewhere far, far away after the nightmare of a year we’ve had, but travelling out of the country may get a bit complicated. In fact, there’s a chance you might not even be able to get into your desired travel destination.

Let’s take a look at the travel restrictions placed on the USA for Europe first. Luckily, if you’re vaccinated, you’ll have the chance to enter the European Union on your summer vacation. Over a year after shutting down non-essential travel from most countries, the head of the bloc’s executive body said in an interview with The New York Times on Sunday that American citizens can soon have the chance to be able to travel to Europe.

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission said: “All 27 member states will accept, unconditionally, all those who are vaccinated with vaccines that are approved by E.M.A.” which includes Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. No exact timeline for when tourist travel will open up has been confirmed, but it’s likely you may be at The Louvre or relaxing on the Barcelona beaches by the summer. 

Aside from Europe, there are plenty of other countries you can visit during this time, but most will require a negative COVID-19 test from the past seventy-two hours prior to your flight departure from those over two years old. Also, the CDC has also rated most of the available countries at Level Four, which is the highest risk for the pandemic, so travel at your own risk. 

It is also crucial to remember that even if you are vaccinated, you still have the ability to pass on the sickness to those who aren’t vaccinated, and traveling to other countries which have far lower levels of vaccination rates can put other folks in danger. So while we understand you may want to enjoy a getaway out of the country, we also recommend you at least to stick to domestic travel for now. 

Domestic travel

If you’re just planning on traveling around the USA, then travel restrictions are far laxer as opposed to other countries depending on what state you’re going to. The CDC states that “State, local, and territorial governments may have travel restrictions in place, including testing requirements, stay-at-home orders, and quarantine requirements upon arrival”, so make sure to check before buying that plane ticket.

The CDC also strongly recommends that you get fully vaccinated before traveling anywhere at all, but if you do happen to get on a plane before that time comes, then the CDC highly encourages folks to get tested for COVID-19 both before and after your trip. For all folks though, vaccinated or not, you should still be wearing your mask and enforcing social distancing rules. 

So now, are you ready to book that plane ticket? Let us know your next travel destination in the comments.