Festive season travel tips with Standard Bank
As the world begins to slowly return to a sense of normalcy from the pandemic, many countries have opened their borders to allow international travellers. After a long year of managing the impact of COVID-19 in your personal life, what better time to unwind by taking a trip this festive season.
Whether you are travelling locally or overseas, here are a few travel tips for 2021 and beyond:
- Set a budget: while this may seem obvious, when travelling this year, you will need to factor in additional costs in your travel budget, such as the costs of rapid tests, additional face masks and sanitiser. It’s very easy to get carried away with spending on your holiday, but setting a budget is a good way to keep yourself grounded.
- Go to the doctor: by now many people have been vaccinated, but we are still living in a pandemic, and it is better to be safe than sorry. If you are travelling internationally, you will need to take a COVID-19 test before you are allowed to leave the country.
- Familiarise yourself with the entry requirements and COVID-19 protocols: for those travelling internationally, remember that different countries have different requirements for tourists, so it is important to know what type of documentation you need as well as when you would need to take a COVID-19 test. Some countries require travellers to produce a negative RT-PCR test performed within 72 hours of departure while other countries, such as Namibia, require a negative PCR test 7 days prior to arrival. You also need to find out whether you will be required to quarantine upon arrival in that country and whether there is a curfew because these factors will affect your itinerary.
- Make sure you have travel insurance: it is always wise to have insurance when you travel, and nowadays, some insurers will partially insure you against some or all of the costs associated with COVID-19 and travel, such as trip cancellations, hospital treatment abroad or an extended quarantine in a foreign hotel. Most of our Credit Cards also have basic automatic travel insurance as an added benefit.
- Find ways to save money while you travel: if you are a member of rewards programmes such as UCount Rewards, make sure you are familiar with the types of discounts and deals that they offer to make your trip more affordable and earn points while you enjoy yourself.
Many of us have stayed at home for over a year now and are long overdue for a holiday, and by following these tips, your journey can be a little easier.