Watch CBS News

What to know about the Biden administration's new travel rules

September 21, 2021 / 6:44 PM EDT / AP

The Biden administration is rolling out new international travel policies affecting Americans and foreigners alike who want to fly to the U.S. The goal is to restore more normal air travel  after 18 months of disruption caused by  COVID-19 .

The sweeping rules, which take effect in November, will replace a hodgepodge of confusing restrictions. Some details of the plan announced Monday are being worked out, but here are some questions and answers about what to expect.

What is the new policy in a nutshell?

All adult foreign nationals traveling to the U.S. will be required to be fully vaccinated before boarding their flight. This is in addition to the current requirement that travelers show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of departure to the U.S.

Once the vaccination requirement is put in place, the White House will ease all the country-specific restrictions on international travel that have prevented noncitizens who have been in the United Kingdom, European Union, China, India, Iran, Republic of Ireland, Brazil or South Africa in the prior 14 days from entering the U.S.

How does this affect U.S. travelers?

Fully vaccinated Americans will only need to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of departure to the U.S.

What about unvaccinated Americans?

U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are not fully vaccinated will still be able to fly to the U.S., but they will see tougher testing and contact-tracing protocols. They will need to be tested within 24 hours of boarding a flight to the U.S., as well as undergo testing upon return to the country. It remains to be seen, though, how the federal government will enforce the testing requirement upon return.

How does this affect children?

The new U.S. policy only requires adult foreign nationals to be fully vaccinated in order to enter the U.S. The White House did not immediately say whether unvaccinated children will face different testing protocols when flying into the country.

Which vaccines are acceptable?

The CDC says the U.S. will accept full vaccination of travelers with any COVID-19 vaccine approved for emergency use by the World Health Organization, including those from Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson used in the U.S. Other vaccines are also approved by the WHO and used widely around the world, including from AstraZeneca and China's Sinovac, with varying degrees of effectiveness against COVID-19 and its more transmissible Delta variant. The WHO is reviewing Russia's Sputnik V vaccine but hasn't approved it.

How will this affect airfares?

Adit Damodaran, economist for the trave research firm Hopper, predicted that growing demand is likely to cause higher airfares on flights from Europe, although the rush to book flights could be slowed by the Delta variant and high COVID-19 rates in the U.S. If fares rise, it would mark a turnaround in prices since the start of the pandemic.

Will airlines collect data on passengers?

The CDC will require airlines to collect information about passengers and provide it to the health agency if it needs to conduct contact tracing. The airlines had resisted a similar change last year, when it was proposed by the CDC and eventually blocked by the Trump administration.

What about travel over land borders?

The administration's restrictions on crossing land borders from Mexico and Canada into the U.S. are to remain unchanged for now. That means that in some cases fully vaccinated people from the two American neighbors will soon be able fly to the U.S., but may not be able to make the same journey by car.

How will this affect the travel industry?

Analysts and industry officials think it will help. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce said lifting the current restrictions on international travelers will contribute to a durable recovery for the U.S. economy. Before Monday, the U.S. was on pace to lose $175 billion in export income from international visitors this year, according to the U.S. Travel Association.

How have the current restrictions affected global travel?

They have made it easier for Americans to visit Europe than the other way around. U.S. international travel in August was down 54% compared with two years ago, and arrivals by non-U.S. citizens were off 74%, according to Airlines for America.

How will the changes affect business travel?

There is pent-up demand among business travelers from Europe. Foreign executives who have been vaccinated will no longer have to prove that their travel to the United States serves the U.S. "national interest″ — a time-consuming process.

More from CBS News

Death of Jon Stewart's dog spurs flood of donations to animal shelter

White House, DOJ unveil new plan to protect personal data from China and Russia

Can you use your home equity to buy a second home?

What is a CD rollover?

  • Skip to main content
  • Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

The novel coronavirus, first detected at the end of 2019, has caused a global pandemic.

Coronavirus Updates

The u.s. lifts the pandemic travel ban and opens the doors to international visitors.

The Associated Press

prevent new travel without end

Passengers walk through Salt Lake City International Airport, Oct. 27, 2020. More than a year and a half after COVID-19 concerns prompted the U.S. to close its borders to international travelers from countries including Brazil, China, India, South Africa, the U.K. and much of Europe, restrictions are shifting to focus on vaccine status. Rick Bowmer/AP hide caption

Passengers walk through Salt Lake City International Airport, Oct. 27, 2020. More than a year and a half after COVID-19 concerns prompted the U.S. to close its borders to international travelers from countries including Brazil, China, India, South Africa, the U.K. and much of Europe, restrictions are shifting to focus on vaccine status.

The U.S. lifted restrictions Monday on travel from a long list of countries including Mexico, Canada and most of Europe, allowing tourists to make long-delayed trips and family members to reconnect with loved ones after more than a year and a half apart because of the pandemic.

Starting Monday, the U.S. is accepting fully vaccinated travelers at airports and land borders, doing away with a COVID-19 restriction that dates back to the Trump administration. The new rules allow air travel from previously restricted countries as long as the traveler has proof of vaccination and a negative COVID-19 test. Land travel from Mexico and Canada will require proof of vaccination but no test.

Airlines are expecting more travelers from Europe and elsewhere. Data from travel and analytics firm Cirium showed airlines are increasing flights between the United Kingdom and the U.S. by 21% this month over last month.

The change will have a profound effect on the borders with Mexico and Canada, where traveling back and forth was a way of life until the pandemic hit and the U.S. shut down nonessential travel.

Malls, restaurants and Main Street shops in U.S. border towns have been devastated by the lack of visitors from Mexico. On the boundary with Canada, cross-border hockey rivalries were community traditions until being upended by the pandemic. Churches that had members on both sides of the border are hoping to welcome parishioners they haven't seen during COVID-19 shutdown.

Loved ones have missed holidays, birthdays and funerals while nonessential air travel was barred, and they are now eager to reconnect.

River Robinson's American partner wasn't able to be in Canada for the birth of their baby boy 17 months ago because of pandemic-related border closures. She was thrilled to hear the U.S. is reopening its land crossings to vaccinated travelers.

"I'm planning to take my baby down for the American Thanksgiving," said Robinson, who lives in St. Thomas, Ontario. "If all goes smoothly at the border I'll plan on taking him down as much as I can. Is crazy to think he has a whole other side of the family he hasn't even met yet."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. will accept travelers who have been fully vaccinated with any of the vaccines approved for emergency use by the World Health Organization, not just those in use in the U.S. That means that the AstraZeneca vaccine, widely used in Canada, will be accepted.

For air travelers, the airlines are required to verify vaccine records and match them against ID, and if they don't, they could face fines of up to nearly $35,000 per violation. Airlines will also collect information about passengers for contact tracing efforts. There will be CDC workers spot-checking travelers for compliance in the U.S. At land borders, Customs and Border Protection agents will check vaccine proof.

The moves come as the U.S. has seen its COVID-19 outlook improve dramatically in recent weeks since the summer delta surge that pushed hospitals to the brink in many locations.

(Stephanie Hays / The Seattle Times)

Defining ‘essential’ travel in the COVID era — and what to do when the trip in question could be your last chance to say goodbye

Valerie Hirschberg had her plane ticket booked. Her mother was dying in Arizona and she needed to be there to say goodbye to her best friend. 

But this was late March, and coronavirus rates in Washington were skyrocketing. At age 68 and with an autoimmune illness, flying presented a huge risk for Hirschberg, a Sequim resident. 

Her siblings begged her not to come: They told her it was too dangerous, too risky; that it was better to wait than risk her life. So Hirschberg did what she always does in times of uncertainty: She called her mom.

“And she said, ‘Wait.’ And I told her I would,” said Hirschberg. “She died on April 2 and I wasn’t there with her.”

Months later, Hirschberg has found it nearly impossible to grieve. She hadn’t seen her mother in months, though they talked regularly over the phone. Sure she has that piece of paper, the death certificate that states the time and place of her mother’s death, but she still “can’t fully accept it.”

  • What constitutes ‘essential’ travel in the COVID-19 era? For me, it was a 1,500-mile drive from Seattle to North Dakota
  • Need to get somewhere amid the COVID-19 pandemic but don’t want to fly commercially? Here are some alternate means of travel
  • If you travel this summer, here are some COVID-19 safety tips from public health experts

“It’s like I know it mentally in my head, but in my heart, I don’t,” Hirschberg said “Until I get in [my mom’s] house, it’s gonna be hard for me to accept that yes, she really is gone.”

The sense of isolation that comes with months of coronavirus lockdowns has taken a toll on many people, but it’s been a particularly difficult time for many elderly or immunocompromised Washingtonians who are at higher risk of contracting the coronavirus. Their world is changing in dramatic and permanent ways and they can’t be there to witness it. And especially in cases like Hirschberg’s, these people have had to make impossibly tough choices about what constitutes “essential” travel, weighing complex pros and cons to decide whether to attend funerals , see their parents or children or grandchildren. There is no end date in sight, and unless they want to risk getting themselves or their loved ones seriously sick, there is no good solution. 

Rituals like funerals are important because they “give meaning to being a social entity as human,” said Dr. Cheryl Kaiser, a psychologist at the University of Washington. Missing them can really take a toll on a person’s psyche.

“Rituals or ceremonies provide a unique sense of understanding reality, especially when the world is uncertain. Often, we’re grasping to figure out what’s going on in the world: What does it mean, who am I?” Kaiser said. “Questions about identity come to the surface. For [immunocompromised or elderly people], they’re missing access to these important events that provide meaning in a pretty uncertain time.”

Being forced to miss the traditional processes of grieving can cause one to grieve harder, to miss more, said Toni Williams, a Seattle-based grief counselor. 

“I have clients who may have lost loved one, either to COVID-19 or other elements, and they are having to be stifled in how they’re celebrating that loved one,” Williams said. “It changes how you feel inside. Because you might have felt that you shortchanged that person that you love or you feel guilty because you weren’t able to do as much as you would have done if they had been normal circumstances.”

But for many people over the last few months, access to these types of grounding, self-actualizing events has been ripped away by coronavirus. 

To travel or not to travel?

Back in March, with her mother ailing, Hirschberg struggled with the idea of flying for two reasons; her mother’s insistence that she wait and confusing government messaging. When Gov. Jay Inslee first imposed the Washington state stay-home order in mid-March, only “essential travel” was allowed. But did Hirschberg seeing her dying mother qualify as “essential travel?”

“They kept saying ‘only emergency travel’. I tried to find that out — I actually called the mayor’s office and didn’t get an answer,” said Hirschberg. “I didn’t want to go against the regulations they put in place, but it was all a bit nebulous.”

Mike Faulk, a spokesperson for Inslee’s office, said there is no formal definition of essential travel, adding that to his knowledge “the ban on nonessential travel has never been enforced.”    

“[The travel ban] is a reminder that we can’t act like life has gone back to the way it was before COVID-19,” Faulk said.

For Lisa Norris, another Washingtonian, flying to Virginia to help care for her mother who has terminal cancer felt like an essential trip. For Norris, 62, the decision on whether to travel was a no-brainer, even though she would have to quarantine for two weeks after her flights.  

Norris, along with her siblings, act as caregivers for their parents. She admires her parents: Her mother hasn’t allowed herself any self-pity during this time, always “worrying about other people’s comfort” said Norris. Working from home allows Norris to return the favor. 

She quickly decided that seeing her parents, age 87 and 92, was worth the six-hour flight and the two weeks of isolation. Then she began researching best practices to take as many safety precautions against the coronavirus as she could.

Most Read Life Stories

  • In-N-Out to open its first WA location in Clark County
  • Popular Seattle smash burger chain closes all its locations
  • New shuttle service whisks Seattle skiers to their favorite mountain
  • A South Seattle coffee shop’s unique approach to supporting local youth
  • Wenatchee festival features skiing, snowboarding, music and beer

“It is a privilege to get to spend more time with her and my dad both,” Norris said. 

When she first flew across the country in early April, Norris’ plane was practically empty and she was happily surprised. The way back was a different story.

“My plane was 75% full, and there were plenty of folks with and without masks in the Seattle airport,” said Norris. “I took a nonstop flight and didn’t move my mask or use the bathroom for about five to six hours.”

After returning to Washington for a week, she flew to Virginia again and is now quarantining for two weeks before resuming her duties as a caregiver for her elderly parents. 

How to decide?

Williams, the grief counselor, says there is no clear-cut right or wrong answer in these situations because they involve such a tough conundrum: weighing physical health concerns against emotional health and familial ties. Either way, there’s always a risk involved.

“I’ve had many clients who have preexisting ailments or diagnoses and have traveled to see loved ones that may have been in the hospital, or loved ones that they wanted to put to rest,” said Williams. “It’s important to weigh the pros and cons and make sure that they’re looking at all the determining factors to travel. We’re still in the midst of a pandemic, no matter how you flip it. But it’s a matter of, are we making the most of this pandemic or are we gonna live in fear?”

But while the choice of whether to travel is entirely up to the individual, sometimes, like in Hirschberg’s case, the decision made can be hard to live with. In those instances, when reluctance to travel means missing the chance to say goodbye to a loved one, what’s even more unclear than defining “essential” or “nonessential” activity is how to grieve without closure.

Williams recommends that her clients try and “be okay in your feelings.”

“A lot of times, American society pushes you to push your grief down and not actually articulate what you’re feeling because you have to get up and go to work,” Williams said. “You still have to function every day. But taking that time out for self-care is really important as well. And also making sure that you are thinking about what that person meant to you.

“Give yourself grace to know that you did everything that you could to ensure that that person was celebrated.”

Hirschberg is still struggling to cope with the loss of her mother. She has been journaling, writing notes to her mother, going through old pictures and reaching out to friends who have also lost loved ones. But it’s hard; her siblings were there with her mother and she was not. They don’t understand what she’s going through, said Hirschberg. And while her husband has been “available and understanding,” her mother was her best friend. 

“My mom was like the one person who just always got me my whole life. She was the one I could always call and talk to about anything and I knew she would accept me and understand me,” Hirschberg said. “That kind of loss … it’s a real kind of loneliness.”

The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times.

National Geographic content straight to your inbox—sign up for our popular newsletters here

a traveler with a face mask at an airport

A traveler walks through Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport May 13, 2020. Netherlands-based KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, like most carriers, now requires passengers to cover their faces to board planes.

  • CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

Is it safe to travel now? It depends.

Here are the best practices for getting on the road without endangering your health—or anyone else’s.

Although many restrictions are still in place, travel is slowly starting up again. People locked down for months want to stretch their legs, see something other than a screen, and boost the economy. Restaurants and some tourist attractions (Florida’s Universal Orlando Resort, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston) are opening for local and domestic travel. A few countries (Greece, Italy) are starting to welcome international travelers.

But how can you safely explore a world of potentially deadly encounters with friendly people who might infect you (or who you might expose to the virus)? Is the airplane really a soaring petri dish? Is visiting a national park possible while social distancing? And if you choose a seemingly safer road trip, can you stop to use a public restroom?

A poll by National Geographic and Morning Consult finds that just 2 percent of 2,200 Americans said they’d jump on a plane now, and only another 8 percent would consider it later this summer. That’s wise with travel advisories still in place, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warnings against international travel and cautions about travel within the U.S. , and with many countries and states ( Maine , Hawaii ) still requiring 14 days of post-travel self-isolation regardless of symptoms.

As we recently report, travel planning is good for your mental health . Knowing more about real and perceived COVID-19 risks might help you feel better about getting out as roadblocks lift. Here are best practices for travelers.

Should I get on an airplane?

Challenge: Being crammed next to strangers in a flying metal tube

Best practice: It’s reassuring to know that “data to date suggest only rare possible occurrences of in-flight transmission” of COVID-19, says Dr. Lin H. Chen , associate professor at Harvard Medical School and director of Cambridge’s Travel Medicine Center at Mount Auburn . She explains that if everyone follows the World Health Organization’s guidelines , the risk of transmission aboard planes, and anywhere else, is significantly reduced.

an airline counter with protective plastic

A plastic drape covers an airline check-in counter at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport on March 27, 2020. Barriers like this between workers and travelers are meant to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“Many people think they get sick on an airplane, but the reality is that the air quality on an airplane is actually really good—high amounts of clean outdoor air and all recirculated air passes through a HEPA filter,” says Joe Allen . An assistant professor and director of the Healthy Buildings Program at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Allen explains that you’re more likely to pick up a bug standing in line at airport security, at the boarding gate, or on the subway.

Airports and airlines are trying to minimize the risks of contagions in their often-crowded environments. Intensive cleaning is now the norm; planes are now being fogged with electrostatic disinfectant that sticks to surfaces like seatbelts. Some airlines give you wipes and the Transportation Security Administration has upped the size of hand sanitizer bottles you can bring on board from 3.4 ounces to 12.

(Related: What’s the safest seat to claim on the plane?)

Face coverings are required to board most flights. Airlines are trying to seat people so they have more space. But that doesn’t necessarily mean middle seats are remaining empty, especially with reductions in numbers of flights. There’s no national U.S. policy yet, but several airlines are checking for fevers. They won’t let you fly with a temperature above 100.4℉ (though testing is far from foolproof).

Internationally, some destinations require proof of a negative COVID-19 test; other destinations test passengers on arrival. Many have mandatory 14-day quarantines, sometimes requiring you to submit a quarantine plan for approval, download an app, or get a tracking bracelet to ensure you follow the rules. Vaccination certification may eventually be needed for travel, but so far the science doesn’t support “immunity passports” or proof that a person has had COVID-19 and is, in theory, immune.

Should I head to a national park?

Challenge: Avoiding big crowds in the great outdoors

Best practice: “There are many health benefits to being outside in nature, and the risks are low and manageable,” says Allen. The key is keeping a six-foot distance. A good practice at a park is to pretend that other people are grizzly bears and stay away from them.

Check the National Park Service’s find-a-park website to see if the park is closed or partially closed (restrooms and food services, in particular), for limits on numbers of visitors, and other rules like mask-wearing. Avoid group activities that involve close contact and practice social distancing at camp sites. Joyce Sanchez , an infectious disease specialist and medical director of the Travel Health Clinic at Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin, reminds us that “summer is tick and mosquito season,” so don’t forget your bug spray and sunscreen (though perhaps a face-mask tan will become a badge of honor that you’re doing your part to protect others).

(Related: Learn how COVID closures are impacting the small town bordering Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.)

Should I rent a cottage by the sea?

Challenge : Assessing the safety of beaches and vacation rentals

Best practice: Like park trips, seaside vacations are great if you can stay away from others and obey beach closure rules. There’s no evidence you can catch COVID-19 from the water (it’s other people you should be concerned about). Remember to bring your two best beach friends: reef-safe sunscreen free of oxybenzone and hand sanitizer.

a woman in a roped off distancing zone on a beach in France

A woman sunbathes in a roped-off social-distancing zone on the beach in La Grande Motte in southern France.

Regarding rentals, ask whether properties are cleaned according to public health guidelines, such as the WHO’s accommodation sector advice . Airbnb’s Enhanced Cleaning Initiative includes a 24- to 72-hour vacancy period between guests (though cleaners may visit during that window), but it’s likely unnecessary given evidence that the coronavirus floats in the air only up to three hours. Since it’s possible for the virus to live on surfaces for two or three days , you could give high-touch surfaces an extra clean. As Chen says, “good hand washing should overcome potentially contaminated touching.” If anxiety outweighs the benefits of a vacation, it’s a sign you’re not ready to venture out yet.

Should I stay in a hotel?

Challenge: Distancing safely and trusting housekeeping

Best practice: Hotels that take better care of their employees (by providing them with personal protective equipment and paid sick leave) are more likely to take better care of you. Check the website of any hotel you’re considering to determine how they’re responding to COVID-19. Many U.S. hotels are following the American Hotel and Lodging Association’s new Safe Stay guidelines .

Choose properties that base their protocols on science, rather than things that sound good but have little effect or take focus away from areas that really matter. Look for hotels that have installed plexiglass at reception and that require staff to wear masks, or where you can check-in online and use your phone as your room key.

(Related: Want to stay healthy on the road? Follow these germ-fighting tips.)

a worker in a protective suit disinfecting a hotel room

In Pristina, Kosovo, a worker in a protective suit sprays disinfectant in a hotel room to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Avoid elevators and, if able, “take the opportunity to exercise and use the stairs,” advises Sanchez. Room service may be safer than the restaurant. Go for a swim if the pool isn’t crowded: Standard pool cleaning kills viruses, so the pool is probably safe; it’s the people you need to worry about. While clean rooms are important, what’s more important is staying six feet away from others. And, of course, wash your hands when you arrive in your room and again before you leave.

Should I use a public restroom?

Challenge: Taking care of business in busy bathrooms

Best practice: Assume public restrooms “are not properly disinfected and treat surfaces as if they have live virus on them,” says Sanchez. That said, it’s often necessary to use. When you do, choose single-stall and well-ventilated bathrooms if you can, and keep your distance from others.

Chen says that “good hand hygiene is key after using a public bathroom,” meaning wash and dry your hands; if there’s no soap, use hand sanitizer. She adds “I am unaware of any data to show that flushing aerosolizes SARS-CoV-2 and transmits the virus.” Regardless, it’s always good practice to put the lid down before you flush .

What about people who don’t wear masks?

Challenge: Staying safe while respecting others’ boundaries

Best practice: Following all the new COVID-19 protocols takes some getting used to. It’s easy to revert to pre-pandemic habits in new situations, when we’re stressed, and when we’re trying to relax and have fun. Being as kind and understanding as possible helps minimize stress.

Setting a good example is the best way to encourage others. Jonathon Day , associate professor and graduate program director at Purdue’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management , says “safety when traveling (and when out and about in general) is a ‘co-creation.’”

“If it’s someone you know who is non-mask-wearing [or] non-social-distancing, it might be worth discussing the reasoning behind these measures,” says Chen. Remember that not everyone can wear a mask and that we’re all human and can forget the new norms. You could politely ask anyone who gets too close “would you mind giving us a bit more space, please?” but it might be easier just to move away from them. It’s likely not worth the risk, or the stress, to confront a stranger. If you can’t escape the situation, ask a store manager or flight attendant for help.

Remember that, with communicable diseases, “if everyone is responsible to themselves and community/society, then we would all be safer,” says Chen.

Know the safety basics

We’re still learning about COVID-19. But one consensus is that it seems to spread most easily by close contact between people. The CDC says that touching objects isn’t the main way of contracting it .

This means that whenever you’re away from home, the most important thing you can do is maintain a six-foot (or more) distance from people you don’t live with. Wearing a face covering also minimizes the chance you’ll pass a virus or other illness to others.

Other key prevention measures, outlined by the World Health Organization and other public health authorities: washing your hands well, avoiding touching your face, coughing and sneezing into your elbow, disinfecting frequently touched items like your phone, and staying home if you’re sick. Practicing these measures keeps you—and everyone else—safer, regardless of how far you roam. “COVID-19 has shown that we have shared responsibilities to reduce spread,” says Chen, who’s president of the International Society of Travel Medicine .

General considerations for travel

During a pandemic, going to the grocery store—let alone traveling to another city or country—requires new protocols. Follow policies about lockdown restrictions and mandatory quarantines, both at home and at your planned destination. The CDC provides links to the rules of each state’s and territory’s health departments . Many international borders remain closed to nonessential travel, and some countries also limit domestic travel between regions.

Examine your personal situation. Extra cautions are needed for anyone at elevated risk of contracting COVID-19 . Check post-travel quarantine rules, including your employer’s. Just as important as protecting you and your loved ones is shielding other people. You don’t want to bring the virus from your community, especially to places with low case numbers, or bring it home (the CDC tracks cases and deaths by state and county ). Consider whether the benefits of travel outweigh the risk that you might spread the virus.

When deciding where to go and how you’ll get there, scrutinize how easy it will be to stay away from other people. “Generally speaking, driving is going to be safer than flying commercially from an infection standpoint because you can control how you reach your destination—who is sharing the car with you, what measures are used for disinfecting surfaces, where you stop along the way, and when you return,” says Sanchez.

Related Topics

  • CORONAVIRUS
  • BEACH ACTIVITIES

You May Also Like

prevent new travel without end

9 travel stories our readers loved in 2023

prevent new travel without end

6 tips to make your next beach trip more sustainable

Leap year special.

Get a FREE BONUS ISSUE when you subscribe

prevent new travel without end

New tools offer peace of mind for pandemic travel

prevent new travel without end

A break in Llandudno, a vintage Welsh beachside resort with enduring appeal

prevent new travel without end

10 best things to do in Alaska

prevent new travel without end

A UK break in Falmouth: Cornish maritime history on the South West Coast Path

prevent new travel without end

10 of the best hotels in Rio de Janeiro, from party houses to beach boltholes

  • Environment

History & Culture

  • History & Culture
  • Best of the World
  • Gory Details
  • Mind, Body, Wonder
  • Paid Content
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your US State Privacy Rights
  • Children's Online Privacy Policy
  • Interest-Based Ads
  • About Nielsen Measurement
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Nat Geo Home
  • Attend a Live Event
  • Book a Trip
  • Inspire Your Kids
  • Shop Nat Geo
  • Visit the D.C. Museum
  • Learn About Our Impact
  • Support Our Mission
  • Advertise With Us
  • Customer Service
  • Renew Subscription
  • Manage Your Subscription
  • Work at Nat Geo
  • Sign Up for Our Newsletters
  • Contribute to Protect the Planet

Copyright Š 1996-2015 National Geographic Society Copyright Š 2015-2024 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved

You are using an outdated browser. Upgrade your browser today or install Google Chrome Frame to better experience this site.

During Travel

woman on bridge looking at map

Take steps during travel to stay safe and healthy and avoid experiences that might ruin your trip.

Wash Your Hands

Regular handwashing is one of the best ways to remove germs, avoid getting sick, and prevent the spread of germs to others. Wash your hands and take other precautions to prevent getting and spreading diseases while traveling:

  • Wash your hands with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands. If you need to touch your face, make sure your hands are clean.
  • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze.
  • Avoid contact with people who are sick.
  • If you get sick during travel, stay in your accommodations, unless you need medical care.

Choose Safe Transportation

Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death among travelers. In many middle- or low-income destinations, there may be poor road surfaces, roads without shoulders, unprotected curves and cliffs, or no streetlights. In some destinations traffic laws and road signs may not be regularly followed. Follow these tips to reduce your risk of getting injured:

  • Always wear a seat belt.
  • Don't drive at night, especially in unfamiliar or rural areas.
  • Do not ride motorcycles. If you must ride a motorcycle, wear a helmet.
  • Know local traffic laws before you get behind the wheel.
  • Do not drink and drive.
  • Only ride in marked taxis that have seatbelts.
  • Avoid overcrowded, overweight, or top-heavy buses or vans.
  • Be alert when crossing the street, especially in countries where people drive on the left.

Prevent Bug Bites

On your trip, use insect repellent and take other steps to avoid bug bites. Bugs, including mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, and flies, can spread diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, Zika, dengue, chikungunya, and Lyme.

  • Use an EPA-registered insect repellent with one of the following active ingredients: DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus/para-menthane-diol, or 2-undecanone.
  • Always apply sunscreen first, let it dry, and then apply insect repellent. Be sure to follow instructions on the label and re-apply both as directed.
  • Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors.

Choose Safe Food and Drinks

Contaminated food or drinks can cause travelers’ diarrhea and other diseases and disrupt your travel. Travelers to low or middle income destinations are especially at risk. Choose safer food and drinks to prevent getting sick.

  • Eat foods that have been fully cooked and served hot.
  • Do not eat fresh vegetables or fruits unless you can wash or peel them yourself.
  • Drink only bottled, sealed beverages, and avoid ice—it was likely made with tap water.

Avoid Animals

Animals can look cute and cuddly, and you may want to pet them. But any animal, even if it appears to be friendly or harmless, can spread disease and may be dangerous. When traveling, don’t pet or feed animals, even pets, as they may not be vaccinated against rabies and other diseases. Animal bites can cause a bacterial infection, that may require antibiotics, so seek medical attention after any animal encounter. Also, be sure you are up-to-date on your tetanus vaccination.

Protect Against Sun and Extreme Temperatures

Apply sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher when traveling. Protecting yourself from the sun isn’t just for tropical beaches—you can get a sunburn even if it’s cloudy or cold.

If you are traveling in hot weather or in a hot climate, wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing. When traveling in cold weather or climates, wear warm clothing in several loose layers.

Emergencies and Natural Disasters

If you or a travel companion gets an injury or sickness that can’t be helped with basic first aid or an over-the-counter medicine, seek medical attention right away. Visit Getting Health Care During Travel to learn how to connect with a doctor or medical services during your trip.

If you bought evacuation insurance and think you need to use it, call the travel insurance company for assistance.

For other emergencies or natural disasters you may want to do the following:

  • Contact family, friends, a trusted colleague, or your employer as soon as possible after the disaster to keep them informed of your location and health status.
  • Monitor travel advisories and announcements by the  U.S. Department of State  and the Voice of America  (VOA) websites. 
  • Contact the  U.S. embassy or consulate .

More Information on Different Types of Travel

  • Adventure Travel
  • Humanitarian Aid Work
  • Medical Tourism
  • Visiting Friends and Relatives

File Formats Help:

  • Adobe PDF file
  • Microsoft PowerPoint file
  • Microsoft Word file
  • Microsoft Excel file
  • Audio/Video file
  • Apple Quicktime file
  • RealPlayer file
  • Zip Archive file

Exit Notification / Disclaimer Policy

  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website.
  • Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.
  • You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link.
  • CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website.
  • Pain-Free Travel Tips

By: Ron Miller, PT, Physical Therapist

Back and neck pain can intensify when traveling due to the myriad stresses placed on the spine’s intricate network of muscles, joints, and discs. A common source of back strain while traveling is handling and lifting luggage, as well as sitting for long periods and poor lumbar support .

See Pulled Back Muscle and Lower Back Strain

prevent new travel without end

Show Transcript

In this article:.

  • How to Protect the Back While Traveling

Use Ergonomic Lifting Techniques While Handling Luggage

Illustration of 2 men, one showing incorrect and correct lifting technique.

To prevent back injuries, squat and lift heavy items with your knees.

To protect the spinal structures from undue stress, try the following lifting techniques:

  • Bend at the knees and squat to lift heavy items, instead of bending at the waist
  • When bending, carry the weight in the leg muscles rather than the back muscles
  • Carry items close to the chest rather than forward in front of the body
  • Distribute weight evenly on both sides of the body, instead of piling bags onto one shoulder
  • Move the body to meet the bag, rather than pulling the bag to meet the body

Additionally, move slowly and carefully. Be aware of the surrounding space to know how much room there is to handle luggage. For example, on a plane, wait until nearby passengers have cleared the aisle so there is more room to retrieve luggage from an overhead bin.

Common Lifting Techniques That May Injure the Lower Spine

Back injury tends to occur when lifting heavy items near the end of the body’s range of motion, such as while bending at the waist to lift a suitcase off the ground or lifting a suitcase from the ground into an overhead compartment. Twisting at the waist to move a suitcase from a car trunk to the ground also adds stress to the muscles and spinal structures around the trunk.

How to Efficiently Handle Luggage to Prevent Back Pain

To avoid injuries from unsupported postures, it is recommended to lift heavy items slowly, breaking the action into multiple steps and distinct motions For example, when lifting a bag into an overhead bin on an airplane, first place the bag onto the top of the seat, then lift the bag overhead to be stowed into the bin. 1 Nichols B, Nova P, Jacobs, K. Ergonomic Strategies for Using a Suitcase. The American Occupational Therapy Association. https://www.aota.org/About-Occupational-Therapy/Patients-Clients/Adults/Ergonomic-Strategies-Suitcase.aspx. August 2018. Accessed May 2019.

Similarly, loading a suitcase into the trunk of a car can be broken into two steps—by first lifting the suitcase onto a chair or stepstool, and then lifting it into the back of the car.

Avoid overpacking or using a bulky, hard-to-handle suitcase. Instead, use a suitcase with wheels, and distribute items between smaller bags that can be lifted one at a time. 1 Nichols B, Nova P, Jacobs, K. Ergonomic Strategies for Using a Suitcase. The American Occupational Therapy Association. https://www.aota.org/About-Occupational-Therapy/Patients-Clients/Adults/Ergonomic-Strategies-Suitcase.aspx. August 2018. Accessed May 2019.

Avoid using a suitcase made of relatively heavy materials, such as leather. Use a suitcase made of lightweight materials, such as canvas, vinyl, or plastics, such as polycarbonate.

Minimize Luggage Handling to Avoid Back Strain

There are many options for minimizing luggage handling and lifting while traveling through an airport, train station, or bus depot, such as:

  • Use curbside check-in services for air travel , which is a check-in service usually available at the departures drop-off curb before entering the airport. Opting for this service helps minimize luggage handling. Check with the airline before arriving to ensure that curbside check-in is available.
  • Request mobility assistance through an airport or station to avoid handling luggage and walking long distances. Mobility assistance may include an option to use a wheelchair or motorized cart.
  • Consider preboarding , available through airline carriers or train operators for passengers who request such services. Preboarding can be especially helpful to have extra time to get seated, stow bags and/or mobility equipment (such as a cane), and board without having to navigate a crowded area.
  • Ask for assistance to carry or lift luggage. Flight attendants may be available to help stow and retrieve luggage in an overhead bin. At a train or bus station, assistants may be available to move luggage on carts through a depot to the boarding area.
  • Ship ahead to avoid carrying luggage on the day of travel. For example, before traveling, mail the larger pieces of luggage to the destination so that only the carry-on bag is needed on the day of travel. 1 Nichols B, Nova P, Jacobs, K. Ergonomic Strategies for Using a Suitcase. The American Occupational Therapy Association. https://www.aota.org/About-Occupational-Therapy/Patients-Clients/Adults/Ergonomic-Strategies-Suitcase.aspx. August 2018. Accessed May 2019.

Mobility assistance, pre-boarding, and other custom arrangements usually need to be made at the same time as the original reservation in order to ensure the service is available. In some situations, it may be a good idea to get a letter from the doctor requesting assistance for a specific condition.

Watch: Video: 5 Overlooked Tips to Protect Your Lower Back

Check Your Posture

Sitting for prolonged periods adds strain to the structures of the low back, and poor posture puts even more stress on your spine. Make sure that your back is aligned against the back of your seat in a sitting position and that your headrest is supporting the middle of your head. Keep the shoulders straight and avoid hunching forward. Make sure both feet are firmly resting on the floor or a footrest. If you are driving, adjust the seat and steering wheel to a comfortable position to avoid reaching for the wheel.

Move as Much as Possible

The spine is designed to move. Sitting in one position for extended periods of time stiffens the back muscles, which can put stress on the spine. Get up and stretch and move around frequently—every 20 to 30 minutes if possible—to move your core body muscles. Importantly, movement stimulates blood flow, and blood brings important nutrients and oxygen to the structures of the back, which helps prevent soft tissues in the low back from stiffening and aching after sitting for a long time. Even 10 seconds of movement and stretching is better than sitting still. Movement also helps prevent blood clots from forming in the leg (called deep vein thrombosis), which is one of the most dangerous risks of sitting still for long periods.

Stretch Your Legs and Hips

Sitting can also cause stiffness and tension in the hamstrings (the muscles in the back of the thighs) and hip flexor muscles, which can put pressure on the low back. Keep your hamstrings limber with a standing or sitting hamstring stretch. Options for stretching include:

  • 1 Nichols B, Nova P, Jacobs, K. Ergonomic Strategies for Using a Suitcase. The American Occupational Therapy Association. https://www.aota.org/About-Occupational-Therapy/Patients-Clients/Adults/Ergonomic-Strategies-Suitcase.aspx. August 2018. Accessed May 2019.

Ron Miller is a licensed physical therapist with more than 20 years of experience specializing in spine care. He helped develop the physical therapy department at the NeuroSpine Center of Wisconsin, where he focuses on manual therapy, spinal stabilization, and therapeutic exercises.

  • Pain-Free Travel Tips "> Share on Facebook
  • Pain-Free Travel Tips "> Share on Pinterest
  • Pain-Free Travel Tips "> Share on X
  • Subscribe to our newsletter
  • Print this article
  • Pain-Free Travel Tips &body=https://www.spine-health.com/wellness/ergonomics/pain-free-travel-tips&subject= Pain-Free Travel Tips "> Email this article

Editor’s Top Picks

Good posture helps reduce back pain, ten tips for improving posture and ergonomics, pillows for neck pain.

Lower Back Strain Video

Video: 5 Overlooked Tips to Protect Your Lower Back

Popular Videos

sciatica pain

Sciatica Causes and Symptoms Video

lumbar herniated disc

Lumbar Herniated Disc Video

cervical spinal cord

Cervical Spinal Stenosis Video

lower back strain

Health Information (Sponsored)

  • Take the Chronic Pain Quiz
  • Suffering from Lumbar Spinal Stenosis? Obtain Long Term Pain Relief
  • Learn How Bone Growth Therapy Can Help You
  • Get a Comprehensive Evaluation from Mayo Clinic's Spine Care Experts

If you must travel now, here’s how to make it safer

Considering a trip during the pandemic medical pros lay out the best practices at restaurants, hotels, and public bathrooms..

A traveller in a face mask walks through Ronald Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia on ...

A traveller in a face mask walks through Ronald Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia on June 9, 2020. 

It’s far from ideal to travel during a pandemic. But wanderlust and obligations can exert powerful lures. If you’ve really got to go somewhere now  — to check in on distant family, to attend an important (socially distanced) event, or just to spring yourself and your stir-crazy kids from the house — there are ways to decrease your risks while taking a trip. So whether you’re setting off by plane or car, here’s what you should focus on, and a few things you don’t need to fret about as much.

How to get there

If your trip is essential and if you’re committed to social distancing and mask-wearing, it’s possible to mitigate (but not eliminate) COVID-19 risks during travel. The safest trips are ones where you avoid other people as much as possible. If solitude and getting through your stack of classic Russian novels is your idea of a perfect vacation, summer 2020 is for you. One of the easiest ways to keep far from fellow, potentially infected humans is avoiding public transportation. Drive directly to your destination, with minimal stops.

If you must fly, do it more safely: flying, as with any activity that brings you close to other people, does carry more risk than driving in a car. But crowded security and boarding areas are likely more of a concern than the planes themselves, given HEPA filters that capture 99 percent of microbes and the new electrostatic disinfection . While everyone aboard a plane should wear a mask, your energies are better spent keeping six feet from others in airport lines than stressing out because you’re stuck in the middle seat.

( Related: Which plane seat is safest? How to choose the least germy spot.)

“Choose a window seat as far from the bathroom as possible,” says Dr. Farley Cleghorn , the global health practice head at Palladium, an international impact consultancy firm. “Keep the overhead vent open and toward your face — continuous airflow creates a small, invisible ‘wall’ that restricts (at least slightly) the exhaled air from other passengers,” he says. Disinfect your hands after you’ve settled into your seat, and again before and after you touch your face, such as when you remove your mask to eat.

While airlines boast of their enhanced cleaning these days, recent investigations suggest that cleaners are still often rushed and undersupplied . So treat every surface you touch (seat arm, table tray, etc.) as if it’s radioactive, and wipe it with a disinfecting wipe before plopping down.

The pandemic travel toolkit

You’ll need to pack a sunhat and comfy shoes for a summer trip. But in 2020, you’ll also need some basic COVID-19 knowledge.

When you leave home, “wear a face mask, avoid crowded areas, stay six feet from others, wash hands/use hand sanitiser frequently, [and] avoid touching public surfaces,” says Dr. Lin H. Chen , president of the International Society of Travel Medicine and director of the Harvard-affiliated Mount Auburn Hospital Travel Medicine Centre. Once these become habits, it’s not so hard.

Use that mask correctly. “I see many well-meaning people wearing masks or face coverings improperly, with the nose exposed,” says Dr. Joyce Sanchez , an infectious disease specialist and medical director of the Travel Health Clinic at Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin . “Since droplets are spread by both the mouth and nose, they should both be covered.”

A masked server delivers food to patrons at a restaurant at San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf on ...

A masked server delivers food to patrons at a restaurant at San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf on July 8, 2020.

(Related: What makes a good mask? These are the latest ways to cover your face.)

The science is simple. “Wearing masks drastically drops the distance that droplets travel, thereby protecting individuals that come close to us,” says Sanchez, adding “the overwhelming majority of people, including those with chronic lung and heart problems, can safely wear them. Their use does not affect the body’s oxygen or carbon dioxide levels.”

You don’t need to glove up to get petrol or do a food shop. As soon as you touch something, gloves are just as dirty as your hands would be. Just disinfect your hands afterward (washing with soap and water is more effective than hand sanitiser). Sanchez explains that “while keeping high-touch surfaces clean is important, obsession or worry over disinfecting every surface you come into contact with is unlikely to make a meaningful impact on your risk.” Similarly, there’s no need to shun public bathrooms in favour of the side of the road (which could lead to rises in cholera, salmonella, E.coli, typhoid, and other diseases we prevent by treating sewage). Your bigger public restroom danger is not the theoretical virus aerosolisation by a flushing toilet, but congregating with other people in poorly ventilated spaces. Use a public loo when you must, but wait outside until it’s free, wear your trusty mask, wash and dry your hands well, and, if you can, put the lid down when you flush.

It’s being close to other people, not the act of moving from place to place, that is the most dangerous. “Of all the precautions you can take while out in public or travelling, maintaining physical distance from others outside of your household is still the most important to curtail the spread of COVID-19,” says Sanchez. So imagine you’re in a zombie movie, but refrain from running away from others and screaming.

Where to sleep safely

Accommodations where you can minimise interactions with other people are best, but hotel lovers need not despair. Dr. Joel Kammeyer , an infectious disease specialist and assistant professor at the University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences says “a traveller committed to masks and remaining six feet from others is likely to be fine, regardless of the accommodation.”

Don’t stress if your hotel doesn’t provide keyless entry. You’ll need to touch the door handle to get into your room anyhow. Just wash your hands (and your key card) once you’re inside. More important: avoiding packed lifts and being sure your hotel has a plexiglass barrier between you and reception staff, and that guests don’t crowd each other during check in or check out.

Which sort of lodgings to choose? Well, an isolated cottage or villa is far better than Airbnbing a spare room in someone’s apartment. Having your own kitchen and laundry facilities gives you more control over cleanliness. “Most accommodations have implemented extra precautions and cleaning services,” says Dr. Abe Malkin, founder and medical director of health care provider Concierge MD LA . Check websites for details or ask. It doesn’t matter whether a hotel is a chain motel or a boutique inn. It’s more important that the property has a good record and follows recommended guidelines. Look for employers that provide employees pandemic supports — training, equipment, fair pay, and other measures, which translate into a safer environment for everyone. While it might be reassuring to give high-touch surfaces a wipedown when you arrive, it’s better to confirm your hotel’s cleaning protocols in advance.

What about visiting family and friends? It’s safest for you and for them if you maintain that six-foot distance. A back-garden dinner might be OK, but sharing the same bathroom and doing meal prep together increases risks. Decide how much risk you and your loved ones are willing to take; booking yourself a hotel is safer for everyone.

50 year-old COVID-19 patient William Ferguson receives care at the Royal Papworth Hospital, near Cambridge, June 2020. ...

How and where can you eat?

Preparing your own food or getting takeaway is safest. But it’s still possible to eat in a restaurant. Key risk factors, says Sanchez, “include the setting (outdoors over indoors), the size and airflow of the space, the number of people sharing that space, and the amount of time you spend in that space.”

So, choose to eat on a patio where you’re at least six feet from other diners and where everyone (staff and customers) wears a face mask except when sipping or supping. When possible, Sanchez adds, avoid “peak times to minimise the number of people you share the space with,” and don’t linger. Keep an eye on your waiter too: it’s easy to spread germs if they pick up a dirty dish from the table next to you and then bring your dinner without washing their hands. Restaurants that have separate server and busing jobs will have higher costs, though, as will those that provide sick leave and safety equipment to their staff. It’s worth it. 

What if you get sick on the road?

Dr. William Lang, medical director at WorldClinic medical practice, adds that every traveller needs a plan. “Simply assuming you will not get COVID-19 is not a good plan. Who will you call if you get COVID-19?” he asks. “If you get it, how will you protect your loved ones? Do you have a plan to limit its spread? Is the plan informed by destination risk?” Be sure to find out if your travel insurance even covers COVID 19-related costs. Travelling is no longer as simple as booking a hotel and a flight.

Fever checks and COVID-19 tests

Travel, by its very nature, has risks. If the stresses of travel outweigh the benefits, question whether you should do it. Similarly, don’t put all your faith in a negative COVID-19 test or fever checks. While they can help in preventing viral transmission on the road, they can also give you a false sense of security. Temperature checks are becoming the norm not only in airports but also in attractions and even some hotels and restaurants. But people with non-transmissible illnesses can run a temp, and many infectious COVID-19 patients don’t have a fever — or any symptoms — at all. “Relying on a fever as an indicator of COVID-19 in and of itself is not effective,” says Sanchez. Rather, fever checks are “one additional tool that can be used to protect symptomatic individuals from infecting others.”

Like fever checks, more and more destinations are requiring a negative COVID-19 test to visit, either before you leave or on arrival. There are several types of COVID-19 tests , with molecular ones like RT-PCR tests seen as most reliable. But inconclusive test results aren’t unusual and false negatives “may be as high as 30 percent,” says Kammeyer.

Even if we could be sure a negative test means you’re COVID-free, you could get infected while walking out of the testing centre. Still, says Malkin, “getting tested close to your travel date can help to put your mind at ease and reduce the likelihood you are infected pre-travel.”

          Editor's note: always check local laws and social distancing guidelines at your origin, destination and en route.

Johanna Read is a Canadian writer and photographer specialising in responsible tourism. A former Canadian government policy executive, she’s worked on issues ranging from pandemic influenza to refugee determination. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram .
  • Family Travel
  • Public Health
  • Restaurants
  • Travel and Adventure
  • Election 2024
  • Entertainment
  • Newsletters
  • Photography
  • Press Releases
  • Israel-Hamas War
  • Russia-Ukraine War
  • Latin America
  • Middle East
  • Asia Pacific
  • AP Top 25 College Football Poll
  • Movie reviews
  • Book reviews
  • Financial Markets
  • Business Highlights
  • Financial wellness
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Social Media

What would happen without a Leap Day? More than you might think

February, 29, otherwise know as leap year day, is shown on a calendar Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024, in Overland Park, Kan. Because it actually takes a bit longer than 365 days for the Earth to revolve around the sun, an extra day is added to the calendar in February every four years to make up make up for the that extra time. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

February, 29, otherwise know as leap year day, is shown on a calendar Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024, in Overland Park, Kan. Because it actually takes a bit longer than 365 days for the Earth to revolve around the sun, an extra day is added to the calendar in February every four years to make up make up for the that extra time. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

A calendar shows the month of February, including leap day, Feb. 29, on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

A calendar shows the month of February, including leap day, Feb. 29, on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, in Glenside, Pa., Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

The 29th of February is shown on a calendar during a leap year, in Glenside, Pa., Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

  • Copy Link copied

NEW YORK (AP) — Leap year. It’s a delight for the calendar and math nerds among us. So how did it all begin and why?

Have a look at some of the numbers, history and lore behind the (not quite) every four year phenom that adds a 29th day to February.

BY THE NUMBERS

The math is mind-boggling in a layperson sort of way and down to fractions of days and minutes. There’s even a leap second occasionally, but there’s no hullabaloo when that happens.

The thing to know is that leap year exists, in large part, to keep the months in sync with annual events, including equinoxes and solstices, according to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology.

It’s a correction to counter the fact that Earth’s orbit isn’t precisely 365 days a year. The trip takes about six hours longer than that, NASA says.

Contrary to what some might believe, however, not every four years is a leaper. Adding a leap day every four years would make the calendar longer by more than 44 minutes, according to the National Air & Space Museum.

Later, on a calendar yet to come (we’ll get to it), it was decreed that years divisible by 100 not follow the four-year leap day rule unless they are also divisible by 400, the JPL notes. In the past 500 years, there was no leap day in 1700, 1800 and 1900, but 2000 had one. In the next 500 years, if the practice is followed, there will be no leap day in 2100, 2200, 2300 and 2500.

Still with us?

The next leap years are 2028, 2032 and 2036.

Decorations adorn The Wedding Chapel at Vegas Weddings on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, in Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that New Year’s Eve could take the cake for the busiest wedding day in Las Vegas thanks to the date's repeating pattern of 1-2-3-1-2-3. That's known as a specialty date for those who work in the massive Las Vegas wedding industry. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WITHOUT A LEAP DAY?

Eventually, nothing good in terms of when major events fall, when farmers plant and how seasons align with the sun and the moon.

“Without the leap years, after a few hundred years we will have summer in November,” said Younas Khan, a physics instructor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “Christmas will be in summer. There will be no snow. There will be no feeling of Christmas.”

WHO CAME UP WITH LEAP YEAR?

The short answer: It evolved.

Ancient civilizations used the cosmos to plan their lives, and there are calendars dating back to the Bronze Age. They were based on either the phases of the moon or the sun, as various calendars are today. Usually they were “lunisolar,” using both.

Now hop on over to the Roman Empire and Julius Caesar. He was dealing with major seasonal drift on calendars used in his neck of the woods. They dealt badly with drift by adding months. He was also navigating a vast array of calendars starting in a vast array of ways in the vast Roman Empire.

He introduced his Julian calendar in 46 BCE. It was purely solar and counted a year at 365.25 days, so once every four years an extra day was added. Before that, the Romans counted a year at 355 days, at least for a time.

But still, under Julius, there was drift. There were too many leap years! The solar year isn’t precisely 365.25 days! It’s 365.242 days, said Nick Eakes, an astronomy educator at the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

Thomas Palaima, a classics professor at the University of Texas at Austin, said adding periods of time to a year to reflect variations in the lunar and solar cycles was done by the ancients. The Athenian calendar, he said, was used in the fourth, fifth and sixth centuries with 12 lunar months.

That didn’t work for seasonal religious rites. The drift problem led to “intercalating” an extra month periodically to realign with lunar and solar cycles, Palaima said.

The Julian calendar was 0.0078 days (11 minutes and 14 seconds) longer than the tropical year, so errors in timekeeping still gradually accumulated, according to NASA. But stability increased, Palaima said.

The Julian calendar was the model used by the Western world for hundreds of years. Enter Pope Gregory XIII, who calibrated further. His Gregorian calendar took effect in the late 16th century. It remains in use today and, clearly, isn’t perfect or there would be no need for leap year. But it was a big improvement, reducing drift to mere seconds.

Why did he step in? Well, Easter. It was coming later in the year over time, and he fretted that events related to Easter like the Pentecost might bump up against pagan festivals. The pope wanted Easter to remain in the spring.

He eliminated some extra days accumulated on the Julian calendar and tweaked the rules on leap day. It’s Pope Gregory and his advisers who came up with the really gnarly math on when there should or shouldn’t be a leap year.

“If the solar year was a perfect 365.25 then we wouldn’t have to worry about the tricky math involved,” Eakes said.

WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH LEAP YEAR AND MARRIAGE?

Bizarrely, leap day comes with lore about women popping the marriage question to men. It was mostly benign fun, but it came with a bite that reinforced gender roles.

There’s distant European folklore. One story places the idea of women proposing in fifth century Ireland, with St. Bridget appealing to St. Patrick to offer women the chance to ask men to marry them, according to historian Katherine Parkin in a 2012 paper in the Journal of Family History.

Nobody really knows where it all began.

In 1904, syndicated columnist Elizabeth Meriwether Gilmer, aka Dorothy Dix, summed up the tradition this way: “Of course people will say ... that a woman’s leap year prerogative, like most of her liberties, is merely a glittering mockery.”

The pre-Sadie Hawkins tradition, however serious or tongue-in-cheek, could have empowered women but merely perpetuated stereotypes. The proposals were to happen via postcard, but many such cards turned the tables and poked fun at women instead.

Advertising perpetuated the leap year marriage game. A 1916 ad by the American Industrial Bank and Trust Co. read thusly: “This being Leap Year day, we suggest to every girl that she propose to her father to open a savings account in her name in our own bank.”

There was no breath of independence for women due to leap day.

Leap Year Did You Know?-leap intro wrap

AP correspondent Julie Walker reports on the upcoming Leap Day February 29th.

SHOULD WE PITY THE LEAPLINGS?

Being born in a leap year on a leap day certainly is a talking point. But it can be kind of a pain from a paperwork perspective. Some governments and others requiring forms to be filled out and birthdays to be stated stepped in to declare what date was used by leaplings for such things as drivers licenses, whether Feb. 28 or March 1.

Technology has made it far easier for leap babies to jot down their Feb. 29 milestones, though there can be glitches in terms of health systems, insurance policies and with other businesses and organization that don’t have that date built in.

There are about 5 million people worldwide who share the leap birthday out of about 8 billion people on the planet. Shelley Dean, 23, in Seattle, Washington, chooses a rosy attitude about being a leapling. Growing up, she had normal birthday parties each year, but an extra special one when leap years rolled around. Since, as an adult, she marks that non-leap period between Feb. 28 and March 1 with a low-key “whew.”

This year is different.

“It will be the first birthday that I’m going to celebrate with my family in eight years, which is super exciting, because the last leap day I was on the other side of the country in New York for college,” she said. “It’s a very big year.”

prevent new travel without end

  • Conditionally
  • Newsletter Signup

Health Conditions Chevron

Infectious Diseases Chevron

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Chevron

  • Foodborne Illness
  • Infectious Diseases

These 6 Strategies Can Help You Avoid Getting Sick While Traveling

By Bonnie Darves

Medically reviewed by Mathew Devine, DO

Photo representing someone packing for a trip.

Nearly two years ago, when the COVID-19 pandemic began to surge, traveling for fun was pretty much out of the question. But now, as the world cautiously opens back up, more and more people are becoming comfortable with booking a flight again —and let’s be real, we all deserve a vacation.

But you probably also want to avoid getting sick, even with a good ol’ fashioned common cold. Being stuck under the covers while your family enjoys holiday activities or your travel buddies have fun exploring a new city isn’t how anyone wants to spend their time away. And any flu-like symptoms can be downright frightening, because COVID-19 is still a very real threat, especially if you’re not vaccinated.

However, if you find yourself scheduling a trip, there are a few simple steps you can take to stay healthy on your journey. There’s no surefire way to avoid getting sick, but SELF spoke to several experts about the things you can do to minimize your risk. All of them agree on one key point: A good sickness-prevention strategy begins before you leave town!

1. Be prepared to follow COVID-19 safety guidelines.

Let’s get to the elephant in the room first. As highly infectious coronavirus variants continue to spread, you may be worried about getting sick with COVID-19, even if you’re vaccinated. That’s why it’s so important to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) safety guidelines 1 if you have a trip planned. That includes waiting to travel until you’re fully vaccinated —ideally two weeks after your final dose, since it takes 14 days for your body to build up a strong immune response 2 . (If you’re eligible for a booster dose, ask your doc about that before you leave too.)

It’s also crucial to wear a face mask in public settings, and of course, while you’re en route on public transportation, such as planes, buses, and trains, and wherever else it’s required. When possible, try to maintain the recommended six-foot distance between yourself and those around you, especially in indoor settings where there’s less airflow. “Masks are a simple and effective barrier to help prevent your respiratory droplets from reaching others,” Cindy Friedman, M.D., chief of the CDC’s Travelers’ Health Branch, tells SELF. Masks also help prevent other people’s droplets from reaching you.

It’s also a good idea to check the prevalence of COVID-19 cases at your destination, as well as its local guidelines and whether you need to get a COVID-19 test before traveling . The CDC site has up-to-date case rates for each U.S. county and recommendations on whether or not a destination is considered high-risk if you’re traveling outside of the country. (Generally, places that have at least 100 new cases per 100,000 people are considered high-risk 3 .) And finally, be sure to pack plenty of back-up masks and hand sanitizer so you don’t worry about running out.

2. Get enough sleep before (and during) your trip.

One reason people get sick on vacation is because they run themselves ragged in the week before they leave. (You know, with a miles-long to-do list or just generalized fretting about getting away.) The resulting stress, in turn, can affect your immune system, which makes it harder for your body to fight off any nasty pathogens you might encounter, according to Carolyn Fernandes, M.D., an infectious diseases physician at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center who runs the UPMC Travel Health Clinic.

5 Seemingly Harmless Habits That Can Really Hurt Your Back

By Ashley Abramson

Here’s Exactly How to Use Lube for Wetter, Hotter, Better Sex

By Reina Sultan

Could Your Skin Symptoms Be Hidradenitis Suppurativa?

By Amy Norton

“What I often tell travelers is that sometimes we work so hard rushing around and getting ready to leave that we don’t get enough sleep, which makes us more susceptible to getting sick,” Dr. Fernandes tells SELF. When you’re sleep deprived, your body makes fewer cytokines (proteins that help your cells communicate so your immune system functions well) and certain antibodies that help fight infection or counter stress, according to the Mayo Clinic 4 . Everyone has different sleep needs, but generally, most adults benefit from at least seven to nine hours of shut-eye each night, according to the National Sleep Foundation 5.

If your vacation involves jetting across several time zones, transitioning your sleep schedule to your destination’s time zone may be easier to adopt than suddenly going to bed three hours earlier the day you arrive. “Start that process ahead of time,” Paul Pottinger, M.D., director of the University of Washington Medical Center Tropical Medicine & Infectious Diseases Clinic in Seattle, tells SELF. “If you’re crossing three time zones, for example, try to adjust your sleep schedule by one time zone per day.” For instance, if you’re flying to New York from San Francisco, then you might go to bed one hour earlier than usual three nights before you leave, and two hours earlier the next night, if your schedule allows it. (Of course, this strategy probably won’t help much or be doable if you’re skipping over six time zones, Dr. Pottinger says.)

During your trip, you might be tempted to skimp on sleep to make the most of your time away, but maintaining good sleep habits—even if that sounds a bit boring—is really important, according to Nicole Van Groningen, M.D., an internist and hospitalist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. If you can, aim to sleep your normal amount each night and go to bed and wake up around the same time every day of your trip. If you have jet lag and really can’t get decent shut-eye, you may want to consider taking low-dose melatonin (up to 3 milligrams), a hormone that your body produces naturally to make you feel sleepy, Dr. Van Groningen suggests. (Just a note: If you have a health condition or take any other medications or supplements, it’s always safest to talk to your doctor before adding in something else.)

3. Stay hydrated—especially when you’re flying.

In addition to getting enough sleep, it’s also important to preemptively hydrate before traveling, and to keep up your water intake throughout your trip. First, drinking enough water can help prevent dehydration, which can make you feel tired and dizzy.

As a major bonus, upping your fluids can help your body ward off germs by maintaining a moist environment in your throat and nasal passages via mucus production. “If you’re not hydrated enough, your cilia, the little hairs in your nose, can’t do their job because they dry out,” Dr. Fernandes says.

Mucus keeps those hairs nice and sticky so they can trap germs and dirt in your nose and keep them from getting to your lungs. You then expel these germs by coughing or sneezing, according to the British Society for Immunology 6 .

Staying hydrated is especially important when flying. “You should assume that just by sitting on the plane, you’re becoming dehydrated,” Dr. Pottinger says. That’s because the air inside planes can be really dry due to the higher altitude, even though airlines try to moderate humidity levels by injecting more moisture in the cabin air.

Everyone has different hydration needs, but typically getting roughly 2.7 liters (11 cups) to 3.7 liters (almost 16 cups) of water per day (including through your food and other drinks) is enough for most adults, according to The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Sciences 7 .

In addition to drinking water during the flight, Dr. Pottinger suggests using a nasal saline solution to keep the inside of your nose moist. (That can be a bit tricky and awkward while wearing a mask, so you might want to do this privately before you board the plane.) This is where your face covering comes in handy again: “Wearing a mask actually keeps more moisture in your nose and mouth,” Dr. Pottinger says.

4. Be careful when eating and drinking to prevent foodborne illness.

Eating or drinking something a bit funky can give you a one-way ticket to your hotel bathroom. “Consuming contaminated food or drinks can cause traveler’s diarrhea and other diseases that can disrupt your travel,” Dr. Friedman says.

If you’re unsure about certain meals, she recommends trying to stick to foods that have been fully cooked and are served hot, since raw and undercooked foods have a higher risk of carrying potentially harmful pathogens. One thing you’ll want to watch out for are vendors that seem to leave foods out unrefrigerated. “Be especially careful about items containing dairy products, such as eggs and mayonnaise, which might have been left out,” says Dr. Van Groningen. “These are big ones for foodborne illness .”

If you’re traveling internationally in an area where you aren’t familiar with the food safety regulations, then you may want to avoid eating raw fruits and vegetables to be extra cautious, according to the CDC 8 . (You can visit the CDC Traveler’s Health page to check the food and water safety recommendations for international destinations.)

If you’re concerned about foodborne illness risks, you can research the rules and regulations with the local health department of your destination in the U.S. Finding out food safety laws can be a bit more difficult to do internationally, but a travel clinic associated with an academic institution, like the NYU Family Travel Medicine Center , may be able to provide helpful guidance.

If you’re traveling in an area where the CDC recommends avoiding drinking tap water, then it’s best to consume only bottled and sealed beverages to be safe. Be sure to check that the seals are intact to avoid possibly having any contaminated drinks, Dr. Friedman says. Another pro tip: Be mindful that you’re not plopping a few cubes of ice into the glass before drinking a beverage in these locations. “That ice was likely made with tap water,” Dr. Friedman says.

5. Wash or sanitize your hands frequently (and thoroughly).

Handwashing is a very simple, very effective way to avoid illness. “There’s a heightened awareness about handwashing now because of COVID, and that’s a good thing,” says Dr. Van Groningen.

In particular, washing your hands with soap and water ( for at least 20 seconds, preferably !) after touching things that are used by many people, like handrails and door handles, is really important. Ideally, you want to make sure your hands are clean before touching your face, because germs can easily enter your body through your eyes, nose, or mouth.

As a general rule, you don’t need to clean your hands every single time you touch an object or surface, like when you’re shopping, provided you try to avoid touching your face. But it’s very important to wash your hands before eating, according to every expert we spoke to. Washing your hands may prevent about 30% of diarrhea-related illnesses and about 20% of respiratory infections, per the CDC 9 .

If you can’t use soap and water, opt for hand sanitizer in a pinch. “A bottle of Purell in your pocket goes a long way,” Dr. Pottinger says. Choose one that contains at least 60% alcohol for the best protection. (Oh, and skip the gloves—none of the experts we interviewed recommended using them because germs can still collect on the gloves.)

6. Pack essentials such as pain relievers, medications, and insect repellent.

Although no one leaves for vacation expecting to get sick, it can happen. That’s why the CDC recommends that your routine vaccinations (and any required or recommended for your destination) and tetanus shots are up to date before traveling.

You’ll also want to bring along any items that can help if you start to feel unwell, like acetaminophen or ibuprofen, an antihistamine like Benadryl, and antidiarrheal medicines. Items that can prevent any annoying symptoms—like insect repellent, sunscreen, and your regular prescription medicines—will also help you feel your best.

“Sometimes we get lulled into thinking that we’ll find whatever we need wherever we travel, but especially in foreign destinations, that’s not always the case,” Dr. Fernandes says. So, just in case you do need to seek medical care while traveling, it’s worth carrying any documents you might need, such as insurance cards, immunization records, and your list of allergies if you have them.

Bottom line: Although there’s no surefire way to avoid getting sick, taking a few simple steps to prepare before your trip can help you stay as healthy as possible, so you can actually enjoy your time away without worry.

Sources 1. Mayo Clinic, Lack of Sleep: Can It Make You Sick?   2. Sleep Health Journal, National Sleep Foundation’s Sleep Time Duration Recommendations: Methodology and Results Summary 3. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Report Sets Dietary Intake Levels for Water, Salt, and Potassium To Maintain Health and Reduce Chronic Disease Risk 4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Traveler’s Health 5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Show Me the Science - Why Wash Your Hands?

  • 5 Ways You Can Mentally Prepare for Pandemic Travel
  • What’s the Safest Way to Travel Right Now?
  • 6 Beach Tips That Can Make Your Trip Less Exhausting

prevent new travel without end

SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.

How to Keep Psoriatic Arthritis Symptoms From Wrecking Your Sleep

Get Daily Travel Tips & Deals!

By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use .

Woman feeling sick inside air plane coughing

How to Avoid Getting Sick While Traveling: 18 Things Not to Do

'  data-srcset=

Ed Hewitt started traveling with his family at the age of 10 and has since visited dozens of countries on six continents. He wrote for IndependentTraveler.com for more than 20 years, producing hundreds of columns on travel and offering his expertise on radio and television. He is now a regular contributor to SmarterTravel.

An avid surfer and rower, Ed has written about and photographed rowing competitions around the world, including the last five Olympic Games.

He's passing his love of travel on to the next generation; his 10-year-old son has flown some 200,000 miles already.

Travel Smarter! Sign up for our free newsletter.

With vacation days so precious—especially in the U.S., where people take an average of just 16.2 days off each year, according to the U.S. Travel Association—getting sick while traveling can be an incredibly frustrating experience.

Don’t want to lose half your vacation to an illness? The best remedy for travel sicknesses is prevention. To that end, here are 18 surefire ways to get sick while traveling; avoid them and you will feel like a champ on your next trip.

Guzzle a Lot of Tap Water

Most tap water is perfectly fine to drink—if you are a local. For travelers, however, the bacteria found in tap water around the world varies considerably, and your own belly biome may not stand up well to the local bacteria, even if you like the locals themselves.

The best approach here is to buy and drink bottled water only; in most cases bottled water has been filtered sufficiently not to cause trouble even for weaker stomachs. Beware, however, establishments that reuse old water bottles by refilling them at the tap. You will want to open your new water bottle yourself to be sure. If you want to avoid single-use plastic, bring your own water purification system such as the LARQ bottle or the SteriPEN .

And don’t forget that ice cubes are typically made from tap water; this is an easy one to forget. Unless you know the ice was made with bottled or disinfected water, skip it.

It may be obvious, but this tip applies mostly to international travel; water standards throughout most of the U.S. allow you to ignore this advice stateside (as well as in Canada, Western Europe, and other developed countries).

LifeStraw Go Water Filter Bottle

LifeStraw Go Water Filter Bottle

LifeStraw Personal Water Filter

LifeStraw Personal Water Filter

SteriPen Ultra UV Water Purifier

SteriPen Ultra UV Water Purifier

Eat food washed in tap water.

Similarly, if you eat food that was rinsed or washed in tap water (or worse, such as in a washing basin filled with water in which other food was also washed), you are vulnerable to the same bacteria as if you guzzled the water down yourself. This tends to happen most frequently with things like lettuce, onions, and other vegetables that come from the ground, need washing, and are typically served raw.

Rummage Around in the Seatback Pockets

Airplanes are notoriously filthy , and they’re cleaned far less frequently than you might think; there is certainly no deep cleaning going on during the short period of deboarding and reboarding that goes on at most airline gates. While I do recommend checking out the emergency information at the beginning of your flight, avoid too much rummaging around in the seatback pocket if you can help it.

The same goes for pretty much all surfaces on the plane (and in the airport waiting areas and bathrooms, etc.), but the seatback pockets seem to be particularly troublesome areas. Some travelers immediately come and wipe down everything around their seats with an alcohol wipe, which may be going overboard a bit, but it sure can’t hurt. If that isn’t your style, try to keep your hands away from your face until you have had a chance to clean up after your flight.

Drink from Unclean or Unwrapped Glasses in Hotel Rooms

By now most folks have seen the hotel sanitation exposes where the cleaning staff merely wipes out a used glass with a towel, or, even worse, sprays some kind of cleaning agent in a glass, wipes it with a dirty rag, and puts it back on the counter. Germs, chemicals, leftover toothpaste; none of these are good for you. The rule of thumb here: If the glass is not wrapped in a sealed plastic bag, wash it yourself using very hot water, or simply don’t use it.

Don’t Hydrate, Especially While Flying

Your body needs water to do pretty much everything, and hydration only gets more important when you are tired, run down, and under siege by unfamiliar germs. Dehydration not only makes you more vulnerable to invading bugs (sometimes in unexpected ways, as described in Avoiding the Airplane Cold ), but also makes it harder for you to recover once infected in some way. Some of the other tips here are open to interpretation and may vary greatly by destination and by the individual traveler as well, but this one is a lot less negotiable.

Keep in mind that drinks like alcohol and coffee don’t really count as good choices for hydration. They are not terrible—the hydration effect of coffee is a net positive, for example—but they aren’t going to get the job done well under tough conditions.

Nomader Collapsible Water Bottle

Nomader Collapsible Water Bottle

Memobottle - Reusable Slim Water Bottle

Memobottle - Reusable Slim Water Bottle

Alter your diet radically.

Eating and drinking like the locals is an essential and satisfying part of travel, and to skip this experience is a non-starter for a lot of travelers. But switching up your diet too drastically can topple all but the hardiest constitutions; for example, if you eat mostly fruit and vegetables at home, jumping into having barbecue or other meat three times a day might not be a great idea. Dig in on the local stuff, but maybe have a meal or two each day that is a bit more like your home fare.

As you spend more time in a place, you can often shift gradually to eating like a local around the clock, but we recommend giving your gut a couple of days to get ready.

Eat at a Deserted Restaurant

Spoiled or tainted food can cripple travelers for a few days, or worse; a good indicator of the freshness and edibility at any given restaurant is how many people are eating there and how many of them are locals. Establishments favored by the hordes and by the locals are less likely to have a reputation for tainted food. Even if the flora differs a bit from that at home, the fact that heaps of folks are eating the food is almost always a good sign (and high turnover means the food is probably fresher, too).

Don’t Eat Boiled or Peeled Food

This is an old traveler’s standby; when in doubt, eat only food that is either boiled or peeled. Germs will be killed off pretty much universally by boiling, and germs can’t get into food that has a peelable skin in most cases.

Get Jacked up on Caffeine

Jet lag, the availability of great local coffee and a bit of extra leisure time to enjoy a refill can tempt travelers into noticeably upping their coffee intake. Your belly might not agree with this tactic; big increases in your daily caffeine intake can cause you some really uncomfortable hours just when you don’t want them. Keep your caffeine consumption within the range of your normal levels at home to avoid problems.

Try to Quit Caffeine Cold Turkey Because You Are on Vacation

Conversely, if you have a fairly regular caffeine habit, you will want to figure out a way to slake your appetite for it during your trip. Anyone who has tried to go cold turkey on caffeine understands how miserable the withdrawal can be; it can also last from a couple of days to a week and a half, the full length of many trips.

Single Serve Coffee Brew Buddy

Single Serve Coffee Brew Buddy

Bodum Travel Tea and Coffee Press

Bodum Travel Tea and Coffee Press

Asobu Coldbrew Portable Cold Brew Coffee Maker

Asobu Coldbrew Portable Cold Brew Coffee Maker

Miss a lot of sleep.

Along with hydration, sleep is your most effective weapon against becoming ill or fighting it off once you are already infected; in fact, sleep and hydration together are your best tools both for prevention and recovery from illness on the road. Don’t shortchange yourself on shuteye.

Don’t Pack Your Medications

If you have go-to medications when you get ill—or, even more critically, have prescription medications you need—you will want to bring them on your trip so you have the right medication at the right time. When traveling abroad, buying something even as simple as DayQuil can be difficult, as language barriers, availability, and even different formulas in different parts of the world can make it tricky to know exactly what you’re buying. A lot of folks have remedies that just seem to work best for them, and if this is the case, bring them from home. To learn more, see Traveling with Medication: Everything You Need to Know .

Skip Hand Sanitizers

I am not a fan of constantly pouring hand sanitizers every time your hand touches something new, but while overseas there are different bugs all around you, so this can help. I recommend you pick and choose when to use these—on airplanes, in questionable restrooms, after your kids go in a McDonald’s playground, that kind of thing—and otherwise don’t worry about it all the time. You don’t need your hands to be as clean as an operating room—just clean enough not to wreck your trip.

Whip up a batch of homemade hand sanitizer with household items already in your medicine cabinet. Want more expert tips and vacation inspiration? Subscribe to SmarterTravel on YouTube!

Rely on Your Immune System Alone If You Get Sick

Most cases of traveler’s tummy are caused by strong or unfamiliar bacteria, and the cure for a bacterial infection is to take an antibiotic. You might think to let your body fight off the bacteria for a while, and only if you don’t recover quickly to go see a doctor, but it may be better to get to a doctor more quickly so you don’t give the bacteria time to thrive.

In some cases, your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic before your trip for use in case you get traveler’s stomach; the choice of antibiotic differs by destination, so check with your doctor directly on this one.

Don’t Use Sun Protection

Any number of discomforting conditions can be caused by too much sun, and it doesn’t take that much exposure to bring on symptoms that can range from itchy skin to fairly serious stomach problems, all potential symptoms of sunstroke or excessive sun exposure. Pack a serious sunblock and a wide-brimmed hat , and you are set.

Swim in Polluted Water

There is a fantastic lake near my home, and the temptation to swim in it would be quite high—if I didn’t know what was in there. The water is beautiful, giving no hint of the heavy metals, goose bacteria, and annual algae blooms that abound in it. There’s a reason you don’t ever see anyone swimming in that lake.

The presence of people in the water isn’t necessarily proof that the water quality is acceptable; there are lots of places where locals go swimming (and catch fish and the like) even though health officials advise against it. Before diving in, look around for signs, pipes emptying into the water, scum on the surface, and other common-sense indicators that the water isn’t safe for swimming.

Skip Recommended Vaccinations

Before you travel, check the CDC and State Department websites to find out if any specific vaccinations are recommended in the regions to which you’re traveling. If so, make an appointment at a travel clinic to get them done well before your trip.

Don’t Do Any Research on Health Risks in Your Destination

This is easy as can be these days; check out the CDC’s destination list for heaps of information by country.

While you can’t safeguard against every possible malady, following all of the above recommendations will significantly reduce the likelihood of getting sick while traveling. If you have any tips we missed, please add them in the comments.

Traveling? Consider Bringing These:

Shop the look.

prevent new travel without end

Sambucus Elderberry Gummies

prevent new travel without end

Weekend Bag

prevent new travel without end

Tea Tree Oil Active Wipes

More from smartertravel:.

  • 15 Tiny Travel Products to Help You Stay Healthy While Traveling
  • 8 Foods You Should Never Eat Before Flying
  • How to Avoid 4 Common Mosquito-Borne Diseases

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2017. It has been updated to reflect the most current information.

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.

Top Fares From

prevent new travel without end

Don't see a fare you like? View all flight deals from your city.

Today's top travel deals.

Brought to you by ShermansTravel

London to Edinburgh: 9-Night, Small-Group United...

Indus Travels

prevent new travel without end

Monte Carlo to Athens: Luxe, 10-Night...

Oceania Cruises

prevent new travel without end

Pennsylvania: Daily Car Rentals from Pittsburgh

prevent new travel without end

Trending on SmarterTravel

A germaphobe's guide to travel

Anita Isalska

Jan 19, 2020 • 7 min read

prevent new travel without end

When I travel, my default fragrance is the citrusy smell of disinfectant. I’m the fidgety train passenger who slathers their hands with hand sanitizer. The fussy person on the plane who cleans their tray table with anti-bacterial wipes. Do these habits mean I’m well-prepared, anxiety-prone, or waging an unwinnable war against legions of microorganisms? Maybe all three.

Woman coughing with a surgical mask in an airport

Despite my germaphobic rituals, I still occasionally succumb to coughs, colds or gastric upsets when I’m on the road. Wondering whether to invest in a hazmat suit, I asked the experts: what does science say about reducing the risks of getting sick when traveling?

Do flight wipes work?

Supermodel Naomi Campbell ’s pre-flight routine involves gloves and disinfectant wipes, and she isn’t alone. It’s increasingly common to see plane and train travelers cleaning the area around their seat, hoping to avoid picking up a bug from their tray table, arm rest or screen. It sounds sensible enough, when you consider how many other passengers (and their grubby hands) have passed through, but is this kind of clean-up effective?

“It’s not wrong to wipe these things down, but it’s probably unnecessary,” says David Denning, Professor of Infectious Diseases in Global Health at the University of Manchester. The likelihood of transmitting microorganisms comes down to their numbers and how long they can survive outside the body, and in this scenario both are likely to be low. If you’re inclined to clean, wiping down surfaces might reduce the risk of contracting some illnesses, but your likelihood of falling ill probably doesn’t hinge on it.

“Norovirus and rotavirus [both contagious viruses that can cause vomiting and diarrhea] are transmitted on hands and surfaces,” explains Professor Denning. “Most of these viruses don’t last very long on those surfaces. The chance of catching a cold or a diarrheal illness from the plane or from a train carriage itself is low.”

Some travelers avoid germy on-board toilets and try to remain in a window seat for the whole journey, the logic being that aisle seats receive more contact, and more potential contamination, from other passengers. This tactic could be reassuring, but on long plane journeys it runs counter to other health advice. Regularly moving around reduces the risk of deep-vein thrombosis, when blood clots can form and potentially travel to the lungs – a much more significant health threat than catching a sniffle.

Read more: How a pulmonary embolism nearly canceled my honeymoon

empty plane seats on a plane with an open window

How to avoid getting sick on a plane

Many air travelers get a sinking feeling when they hear an eruption of coughing nearby. But don’t panic right away: you might be hearing the symptoms of asthma, allergies or various non-contagious chronic coughs.

However, if you’re on a plane seated close to a flu-ridden passenger, there’s a risk of contracting their illness. The sound of ‘productive’ (chesty, phlegmy) coughs and sneezes from someone next to you or directly behind is your cue to see if it’s possible to move to a different seat. “You want to sit behind that person rather than in front of them, because they’re projecting their viruses that way,” advises Professor Denning.

The airborne particles ejected by patient zero will fly all over the place, and attempting to use clothing or a surgical mask to shield your face from spluttering sneezes will have little to no effect. The best line of defense is frequently washing your hands with soap and water. People generally touch their hands to their face more than three times an hour, which can transmit bugs directly to their mouth, nose or eyes.  

Hand sanitizer can help

The popularity of hand sanitizer has sky-rocketed in recent years. It makes up a global market of US$2.4 billion (and rising) and it’s increasingly part of travelers’ toolkits. Washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water is still the most effective way of ridding your hands of bacteria and viruses, but a squirt of microorganism-killing gel is a convenient prelude to eating and drinking on the road, especially where hand-washing facilities aren’t available.

What about the nay-sayers, who warn that being overly attentive to cleanliness is helping to create superbugs, bacteria that develop resistance to antibiotics? Is there a risk that travelers like me, with our liberal dowsings of antibacterial gel, are in fact creating a training ground for superbugs to thrive?

“It is unlikely that exposure to alcohol hand rub will select superbugs,” says Professor Laura Piddock of the University of Birmingham’s Institute of Microbiology and Infection. “However, it should be noted that no hand rub will completely eradicate microbes from the skin. Therefore, reducing the likelihood of eating or drinking contaminated food or drink requires common sense.”

Many brands of hand sanitizer claim to deactivate 99.9% of viruses, but laboratory tests take place on inanimate surfaces, not on multi-textured hands. As with good hand-washing etiquette, sanitizer is only effective if you apply it thoroughly (watch the spaces in between your fingers). And what you eat when you travel is just as important as keeping your hands clean.

Read more: 10 wellness retreats to recharge for 2020

Colorful microscopic image of bacteria

How to avoid (or endure) food poisoning 

Whether it’s growling guts or a nasty bout of vomiting and diarrhea, very few frequent travelers manage to entirely avoid stomach troubles. There are numerous ways to contract one of these bugs: dirty cutlery, contaminated swimming pools, ice cubes of unknown origin, and even the tap water used when brushing your teeth.

Food is a significant risk factor, and it’s a good strategy to choose hot and freshly cooked options (and to avoid salads and fruit that can’t be peeled). Try to assess how hygienic a food stall or restaurant is: check whether raw meat is being kept separately, whether the vendor is washing their hands or using gloves (rather than handling money and food interchangeably), whether surfaces are kept clean (or are mopped down with the same dirty cloth), and whether food is being cooked to order (or standing around unrefrigerated). Also beware touring street-food stalls after dark, as it’s much more difficult to assess whether food has been thoroughly cooked.

“E-coli causes horrible things like hemorrhagic colitis and kidney disease, and incredibly small numbers of bacteria can cause those diseases,” explains Professor Denning. “And they’re all meat-related, and meat-product related. So a veggie and fruit diet is much safer.”

Many travelers carry antibiotics to use if they contract a stomach bug, but don’t reach for them too quickly. The antibiotics may not be the right ones for the illness you’ve caught. Additionally, the drugs have an impact on your intestinal flora, which play an important role in the healthy functioning of your gut – using antibiotics for mild ailments may even raise your chances of succumbing to another gastric illness.

“You really don’t want to take an antibiotic unless you’ve had quite a lot of diarrhea or you’ve been ill for a day, or two days,” warns Professor Denning. “You may be taking something that destroys your good flora and doesn’t do anything to the bugs.”

Even travelers taking the utmost care with what they eat may still end up scurrying sweatily to the nearest toilet. It isn’t necessarily because food hygiene standards are lower in your travel destination, but simply that your body isn’t used to local bacteria. Sometimes, with a little help from electrolyte-rich drinks and plenty of rest, a traveler simply has to admit defeat and let diarrhea, ahem, run its course.

A woman sneezing on a bus while other passengers look on in disgust

How to fight germ-anxiety and see the world

For worriers like me, who google the microorganisms that might lurk in food stalls or public bathrooms, it can be easy to let anxiety overhang a trip. Meanwhile, world travelers who have a medical background are much better able to balance sensible health precautions with seizing the day (without “sneezing” the day).

“We know more about the real risks and become quite militant about them: vaccinations, antimalarials, avoiding mosquito bites, safe drinking water, thorough hand washing, etc,” says Abigail King, a doctor-turned-writer who runs luxury travel blog Inside the Travel Lab . “But that allows us to relax where others stress! We also know full well how many risks wait at home, so aren’t put off by lists of risks when traveling abroad.”

Travelers should strive for preparedness without panic, as exploring the world inevitably brings situations that are beyond a person’s control. Armed with hand sanitizer and a little more knowledge, my immune system and I are all set for travel’s roller-coaster ride.

Explore related stories

Shambala-Sweden-Joris-Van-Egmond.jpg

Health & Wellness

Jan 30, 2024 • 6 min read

Is the daily grind getting you down? Take the edge off and recharge with a nourishing yoga retreat in Europe.

A Black family laughing together in a park

Mar 1, 2024 • 8 min read

Elevated view of Seattle skyline and restaurants in Bell Harbour Marina at dusk, Belltown District, Seattle, Washington State, United States of Americ

Feb 29, 2024 • 9 min read

prevent new travel without end

Feb 23, 2024 • 6 min read

prevent new travel without end

Feb 22, 2024 • 5 min read

prevent new travel without end

Mar 2, 2024 • 8 min read

prevent new travel without end

Mar 2, 2024 • 7 min read

1301994793

Mar 1, 2024 • 5 min read

A man throwing confetti in the air at a street party in Olinda, Brazil

Mar 1, 2024 • 9 min read

1291824230

Mar 1, 2024 • 6 min read

  • Share full article

Advertisement

Subscriber-only Newsletter

How to Make Travel Easier on Your Body

Backache after a long car ride? Sore neck from trying to sleep on a plane? Try these tips before the next time you head out of town.

prevent new travel without end

By Melinda Wenner Moyer

I love taking vacations, but travel has an uncanny way of making me feel old. I inevitably pull a muscle trying to lift my bag into the plane’s overhead bin. My lower back aches during long car rides. My neck throbs after a short airplane nap.

It’s not surprising that travel causes pain and, sometimes, injury. “You’re out of your norm, you’re changing your patterns,” said Dr. D.J. Kennedy, a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. You’re doing things like pulling a 30-pound suitcase for what feels like six miles as you sprint to catch your connecting flight, which is probably not something your body has trained for.

With summer travel approaching prepandemic levels in the United States, I’m sure I’m not alone in experiencing — and wondering what can be done to ease — travel-induced aches and pains. So for this week’s newsletter, in part because I have a cross-country flight in a few days, I talked to a physical therapist and two physicians to get advice.

Make travel plans with your body in mind

When you’re planning a vacation, keep your body’s strengths and limitations in mind, Dr. Kennedy suggested. If sitting in a car for long periods tends to hurt your back, a weeklong road trip might not be your best option.

That said, if you really want to take the trip that might make your body unhappy, you can take steps to prepare for it in advance. If you have arthritis in your knee and walking is painful, you can still go on a walking tour, but you might want to see a physical therapist or physical medicine doctor in the months leading up to the trip to improve your range of motion and endurance, Dr. Kennedy said. Or, he added, you might think about getting a shot to reduce swelling and pain. Be sure to bring any doctor-recommended pain medications with you in case you need them, too, he said.

Limit the weight you must bear

When it comes to handling luggage, the best approach is to pack lightly so your bags aren’t heavy. But that’s simply not possible for some people (including me). Thankfully, there are ways to make heavy luggage more manageable.

Dr. Kennedy said that roller bags are less likely to cause injury and pain than bags you must carry by hand or on your shoulder. He prefers bags that move on four wheels rather than two, because moving them requires less effort. The big pushcarts you can rent from the airport can also be helpful for moving luggage, he said.

If you need to carry a bag on your body, a backpack is the best option, said Dr. Deborah Venesy, a physician in the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Spine Health in Ohio, and she said you should use both straps to distribute the weight evenly. Colleen Louw, a physical therapist based in Iowa and a spokeswoman for the American Physical Therapy Association, added that backpacks should hang evenly in the middle of the back — not down against the low back — and that straps should be adjusted to make it easy to take the backpack on and off.

Don’t hesitate to ask for help if you struggle to lift your luggage, Dr. Kennedy said. (He is a former competitive powerlifter, but said he has a shoulder injury and often asks for help lifting his bags into the plane’s overhead compartment.)

If sitting causes pain, take movement and stretching breaks

An hour or so into every car or plane ride, the side of my back starts aching, and that’s in part because bodies aren’t meant to stay stationary. “Movement is essential to keep blood flowing to your muscles and joints to help prevent stiffness and pain,” Ms. Louw explained. Ideally, you’ll want to stand up and walk around at least once every hour if you’re feeling pain, Dr. Kennedy advised. If you have trouble remembering to do this, set a timer or drink lots of water so you need frequent bathroom breaks, he suggested. (Dr. Venesy said she prefers aisle seats so she can get up regularly.)

As for how to sit, Ms. Louw said that sitting upright, or with a slight recline, is generally the best position for the spine. Dr. Venesy added that rolling up a sweatshirt or fleece and resting it behind your lower back could also provide pain-relieving lumbar support.

Stretching can also be useful. One good stretch to do while sitting is a spine twist, where you put both hands on one leg and gently twist your upper body in the same direction, then repeat on the other side, Dr. Venesy said. A good seated stretch for the low back and hips is a figure four stretch, where you rest your right heel on your left knee and lean forward, and vice versa, she added. Dr. Kennedy said that it may feel good to stand up and do a slight back bend, too. (If you’re in pain from standing for a long time, the opposite could ease your pain — leaning into a forward fold, he said.)

If you experience leg cramps while sitting, try pumping your ankles — alternately pointing and then flexing your feet — with your knees bent and extended, Ms. Louw suggested.

Prevent neck pain by reading or watching tablets at eye level and using a neck pillow

If you’re anything like me, you look down a lot during flights or as a car passenger — at your phone, a tablet or a book. But this position can cause neck pain, Dr. Kennedy said. It’s far better to bring things closer to eye level. Some airplanes now have devices that allow you to hang your phone or tablet on the back of the seat in front of you, he said, and you can also buy accessories that will do this for you (or even fashion one out of a sickness bag ).

If you think you’ll doze off in the plane or car, you may also want to invest in a neck pillow. Dr. Kennedy prefers designs that are thinner in the back than on the sides, because they don’t pitch the head forward too much when you lean against the seat.

I’m not going to be able to put all these suggestions into practice for my upcoming trip — I’m sure my suitcase will be just under the maximum weight limit, as usual — but I’ll certainly make some changes to my travel habits. I’ve never stretched on an airplane before, but this time, I’ll be the woman unapologetically stretching my hips in the aisle seat, ignoring everyone’s side-eye.

Another Women’s Disease, Ignored and Misunderstood

Nearly one in 10 women suffers from endometriosis, a painful condition that occurs when tissue similar to the kind that lines the uterus grows elsewhere in the body. Yet doctors often misdiagnose the disease and downplay the pain women with endometriosis experience. But surgery, birth control, acupuncture and lifestyle changes can help.

Read more: A Debilitating Illness, Often Ignored

A Common Virus That Can, Rarely, Be Deadly for Babies

Since May, parechovirus — a little-known virus that usually causes mild symptoms, if any — has been circulating around the United States. Rarely, in infants, the virus can cause severe illness and brain damage. Symptoms include runny nose, sore throat, coughing, fever, rash, vomiting and diarrhea.

Read more: ‘We Were So Blindsided’: What New Parents Should Know About Parechovirus

The Week in Well

Here are some stories you don’t want to miss:

Hannah Seo discusses the worst foods and drinks for your teeth .

If you’re wondering if eye creams actually reduce wrinkles , read Annie Sneed’s analysis of the science.

Knvul Sheikh discusses a new study on how Covid-19 vaccines affect periods .

Alisha Haridasani Gupta shares five signs that you might be dehydrated .

And of course, we’ve got the Weekly Health Quiz .

Let’s keep the conversation going. Write to me at [email protected] .

IMAGES

  1. Travel Without Limits Illustration Background Vector Download

    prevent new travel without end

  2. The top 5 essential things you can't travel without

    prevent new travel without end

  3. 10 In-Flight Essentials You Should Never Travel Without

    prevent new travel without end

  4. 11 Things You Can't Travel Without

    prevent new travel without end

  5. 4 Tips to Prevent Common Travel Issues

    prevent new travel without end

  6. 8 Things We Can't Travel Without

    prevent new travel without end

COMMENTS

  1. Prevent new travel without end (5) Crossword Clue

    Answers for Prevent new travel without end (5) crossword clue, 5 letters. Search for crossword clues found in the Daily Celebrity, NY Times, Daily Mirror, Telegraph and major publications. Find clues for Prevent new travel without end (5) or most any crossword answer or clues for crossword answers.

  2. A Proclamation on Advancing the Safe Resumption of Global Travel During

    The continued spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global threat to our health and safety. COVID-19 has resulted in more than 733,000 deaths in the ...

  3. The Latest on U.S. Travel Restrictions

    What to Know: U.S. Travel Restrictions. Lauren Hard 📍 Reporting from New Jersey. Reuters. The new policy ends an 18-month ban on nonessential travel from 33 countries, including China, Brazil ...

  4. COVID-safe travel tips if you can't postpone your holiday plans

    Lee says if you're traveling internationally, expect headaches. KELLEY LEE: You know, it's going to be a lot of things to navigate and probably a lot more stress if you're going on holiday. And ...

  5. What to know about the Biden administration's new travel rules

    September 21, 2021 / 6:44 PM EDT / AP. The Biden administration is rolling out new international travel policies affecting Americans and foreigners alike who want to fly to the U.S. The goal is to ...

  6. Can travel bans prevent the spread of new variants? : NPR

    But the long-term solution - we can't get out of this pandemic, at least without a lot of harm, without vaccinating high numbers of people all around the world. There's no shortcut to that.

  7. The U.S. lifts the pandemic travel ban and opens the doors to ...

    The new rules allow air travel from previously restricted countries as long as the traveler has proof of vaccination and a negative COVID-19 test. Land travel from Mexico and Canada will require ...

  8. Defining 'essential' travel in the COVID era

    For Lisa Norris, another Washingtonian, flying to Virginia to help care for her mother who has terminal cancer felt like an essential trip. For Norris, 62, the decision on whether to travel was a ...

  9. Covid-19 travel rules, mandates and safety guidance state by state

    CNN —. US travel restrictions instituted in the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic by states have been eliminated. However, the US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention suggests delaying ...

  10. Travel and the Coronavirus: Answers to Your Top Questions

    The more people you come in contact with while traveling, the higher the risk of getting infected with the virus, said Dr. David Abramson, a clinical associate professor at New York University's ...

  11. Executive Order on Promoting COVID-19 Safety in Domestic and

    Section 1. Policy. Science-based public health measures are critical to preventing the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by travelers within the United States and those who enter the ...

  12. How to travel safely during the coronavirus outbreak

    Follow these germ-fighting tips.) In Pristina, Kosovo, a worker in a protective suit sprays disinfectant in a hotel room to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Avoid elevators and, if able, "take ...

  13. During Travel

    Take steps during travel to stay safe and healthy and avoid experiences that might ruin your trip. Wash Your Hands. Regular handwashing is one of the best ways to remove germs, avoid getting sick, and prevent the spread of germs to others. Wash your hands and take other precautions to prevent getting and spreading diseases while traveling:

  14. What Are Some Ways to "Travel" Without ...

    Walk to a friend's house and call them from your phone from the street. They look out their window, and you can see each other in person, using the phone to hear each other's voices. You are ...

  15. Fact Sheet: Biden Administration Releases Additional Detail for

    As we continue to work to protect people from COVID-19, today, the Biden Administration is releasing additional detail around implementation of the new international air travel policy requiring ...

  16. How To Travel Safely During the Pandemic

    But in order to avoid riding in style with germs, there are some precautions you should take before you hit the road. Start by cleaning and disinfecting your vehicle thoroughly. Wipe down all high ...

  17. Pain-Free Travel Tips

    To protect the spinal structures from undue stress, try the following lifting techniques: Bend at the knees and squat to lift heavy items, instead of bending at the waist. Distribute weight evenly on both sides of the body, instead of piling bags onto one shoulder. Move the body to meet the bag, rather than pulling the bag to meet the body.

  18. If you must travel now, here's how to make it safer

    One of the easiest ways to keep far from fellow, potentially infected humans is avoiding public transportation. Drive directly to your destination, with minimal stops. If you must fly, do it more safely: flying, as with any activity that brings you close to other people, does carry more risk than driving in a car.

  19. Leap year 2024: How did it all begin and why?

    1 of 6 | . February, 29, otherwise know as leap year day, is shown on a calendar Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024, in Overland Park, Kan. Because it actually takes a bit longer than 365 days for the Earth to revolve around the sun, an extra day is added to the calendar in February every four years to make up make up for the that extra time.

  20. prevent new travel without end Crossword Clue

    Answers for prevent new travel without end crossword clue, 5 letters. Search for crossword clues found in the Daily Celebrity, NY Times, Daily Mirror, Telegraph and major publications. Find clues for prevent new travel without end or most any crossword answer or clues for crossword answers.

  21. How to Stay Healthy and Avoid Getting Sick While Traveling

    3. Stay hydrated—especially when you're flying. In addition to getting enough sleep, it's also important to preemptively hydrate before traveling, and to keep up your water intake throughout ...

  22. 18 Surefire Ways to Get Sick While Traveling

    With vacation days so precious—especially in the U.S., where people take an average of just 16.2 days off each year, according to the U.S. Travel Association—getting sick while traveling can ...

  23. How to avoid getting sick while traveling

    Hand sanitizer can help. The popularity of hand sanitizer has sky-rocketed in recent years. It makes up a global market of US$2.4 billion (and rising) and it's increasingly part of travelers' toolkits. Washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water is still the most effective way of ridding your hands of bacteria and viruses, but a ...

  24. How to Ease Neck and Back Pain From Travel

    Prevent neck pain by reading or watching tablets at eye level and using a neck pillow. If you're anything like me, you look down a lot during flights or as a car passenger — at your phone, a ...