Looking to Take a Holiday Vacation this Year? Consider These Family-Friendly Options!

Things are looking up when it comes to family travel this year, so your options are not going to be as limited when it comes to planning a holiday vacation. As a travel advisor, I have been keeping up to date with the ever-changing guidelines for travel. While there is nothing set in stone yet, and the guidelines will continue to change, I have some amazing news if you want to escape to new destinations this year! There are so many options available for family travel and your family will fall in love with most of the holiday vacation choices you can make.

Looking to Take a Holiday Vacation this Year? Consider These Family-Friendly Options!

Beaches All Over the United States

Beaches are an excellent option for your family-friendly holiday vacation this year! There is normally lots of space on most beaches, which is excellent for social distancing. During the winter holidays, you may prefer beaches in warmer climates like Florida or the Caribbean. However, during the warmer months of the year, holidays might be better spent on the beaches in the northeastern parts of the US.

Hit the Ski Slopes

During the winter holidays, there is nothing better than hitting the ski slopes. There are so many ski resorts to choose from in the United States, as well as over in Europe. If you are looking to stay closer to home this holiday season, I recommend considering Vail or Aspen in Colorado and Park City in Utah. Over in the northeast, Stowe in Vermont is an excellent option, as is Whiteface Mountain in New York state.

Last year, ski resorts were required to operate at reduced capacity. There are no guidelines in place yet for this coming year, but it is recommended you book your holiday travel plans early. This will ensure you have everything in place for an amazing holiday vacation this year.

The European Union

There are twenty-seven countries within the European Union, and you can visit them all this summer if you have been completely vaccinated. Some of these countries, like Greece, are opening sooner than others, while a few countries will be waiting until later in the summer to reopen to tourists.

If you have been completely vaccinated, you will only need to provide proof when you arrive in one of these countries. If you have not been vaccinated, or you received your last dose less than fourteen days prior to your arrival, you must still provide a negative PCR test. Children who are not yet eligible for the vaccine, and are aged five and older, must provide a negative PCR test result when they arrive with a fully vaccinated adult in any country within the European Union.

These countries are finalizing their Digital Green Certificate, which is a digital app that has a QR code. This certificate shows that a person has been fully vaccinated. While the Green Certificate will make proving a person has been fully vaccinated much easier, it is unknown if people from the US will have access to the app when traveling to the EU.

The Caribbean

Not all the Caribbean Islands have opened to travelers just yet, but there are quite a few for you to choose from for your next holiday vacation. Currently, many of those islands require you to have a negative PCR test within 72 hours of your arrival. However, a few Caribbean destinations have updated their guidelines to state that fully vaccinated travelers do not need to provide test results. And others are stating that even with the vaccine, travelers will need to provide a negative test result, have another test completed at the airport, and quarantine for one to two days while waiting for test results.

Cruises

Cruise ships have been docked since last year, but there is hope that these ships can set sail once again. As long as everyone onboard the ship is vaccinated, cruise ships may be out on the water this summer. This means you can easily book a cruise for your holiday vacation. The downside is, for now, you must leave from a foreign port. The CDC has not released a date yet for departures from the US.

There are no current guidelines for cruise ships since they have not been given the green light to leave from the US. Each cruise line is making its own guidelines, which for most, includes people being fully vaccinated before boarding. However, you may want to expect to provide negative PCR test results in addition to your proof of vaccine when you are boarding a cruise ship because some cruise lines are including that in their new guidelines.

Are you still confused with all these travel guidelines and potential scenarios? No worries! As a travel advisor, I stay up to date on it all, so I can make sure your holiday vacation goes off as planned. Click here to schedule a planning session with me today. We can get the planning started and I can make changes if necessary, as the guidelines change. Don’t go without a holiday vacation with your family again this year. Embrace the fact you can travel once again and know you are in good hands with a skilled travel advisor who has your best interests in mind.