2021 will hopefully offer a better summer experience than we had last year, even if last year was limited for obvious and necessary reasons. Yet after a year of mini-travels and postponing our major plans, it’s true to say that many of us can feel a little rusty coming back into the swing of things. While it’s true that many of us have become more creative in the last year so as not to spend all of it cooped up inside our homes, it can be nice to think about just how we might return to ‘the new normal’ without getting a feeling similar to the bends.

For this reason, and in this post, we hope to discuss a few measures you can take when preparing for a year of renewed travel, of resuming the plans you had to cancel, and in coming back to your love of exploring this world without feeling too overwhelmed or rusty. If you have any additional advice, let us know! The more we can collaborate on this idea, the better.

With that in mind, let’s begin:

Preparing For The Summer Weather

It’s a great idea to prepare for the summer weather to the extent that you can. This means ensuring that you, personally, are equipped to handle it first and foremost. For instance, making sure that you have boundless quantities of the correct SPF sun lotion can help you avoid burning or the harmful effects of being out in direct sunlight so often. The same goes for ensuring your children are protected when outside and having a great time.

Some people may have individual needs, too. For instance, hay fever treatments can be a lifesaver when pollen starts becoming denser and we still wish to spend some time outside. There’s nothing as annoying and unpleasant as having to deal with an intense reaction when you’re just trying to have fun with your family.

Of course, wearing the correct clothing, purchasing protective shades and hats that cover your neck against the sun, as well as making sure you remain hydrated throughout your long drives to the holiday destination can be essential. It might be that speaking to your children and reminding them to stay safe and healthy in the sun (even if that means keeping their sandals on so the hot sand doesn’t burn their feet when playing on the beach), can help you avoid having to remedy issues after the fact.

Preparing Your Vehicle As Necessary

It’s important to make sure your vehicle is well geared for driving in intensive and oppressive summer weather. This means that when you enjoy a road trip, or travel to your destination, or simply enjoy driving around in the country you’ve decided to stay in for a few weeks, you can remain confident, safe, and happy behind the wheel.

Of course, implementing a dashcam, a GPS, or a good old-fashioned paper map can help you ensure you’re never traveling unaware. Proper shades that help protect agains the sun shining directly in your vehicle can be, too. A set-top box that allows you to store your luggage above your car rather than within it can help you enjoy more seating space, more comfort, and perhaps even room for your pet while on your travels.

It’s a good idea to invest in the best insurance for driving abroad, just to make sure you’re safe when driving in a different country. Not only this, but making sure that your car has a spare wheel, a first aid kid, an emergency kit such as a short wave radio, blankets, distilled water and food can and will help you in almost any difficult situation. It’s best to have these utilities and not need them than the other way around.

Planning What The Realities May Be

It’s also important to understand just what the realities of summer 2021 may mean for you. While it’s true that the world is mostly in a much better state than it was in summer 2020, we cannot take anything for granted, and must stay on top of the news constantly.

This involves continually keeping on top of the travel advice given by a nation’s tourism board, just to ensure that your plans are worthwhile and unlikely to change in that time. It might be, for instance, that you can get great deal when supporting the tourism industry, but some utilities, like the hotel pool, may be closed until further notice for understandable reasons.

The more realities and concessions you can plan for, even if that means a certain event may be postponed another year, the better you can avoid disappointment and focus on alternative pursuits instead.

Making Sure Your Health Needs Are Accommodated

It’s essential to make sure you have everything you need to stay healthy when traveling. You can bring along a set of masks for you and your children, just to keep yourself safe in public. Bringing along a medicine bag with multivitamins, an Epipen, lotion that helps protect against sunburn, your health insurance card for use in a foreigh country, and of course, making sure that you use anti-bacterial wipes on your hands before eating can also be worthwhile.

In general, taking a responsible and proactive approach to caring for your health can be tremendously useful and will result in you feeling safer. Even having copious quantities of your medication to hand, as is permissible by customs, can help you feel safer and more able to feel protected in case of an emergency.

Supporting The Tourism Industry Properly

Of course, deciding to travel this summer is also something of a proactive statement, because using your money as appropriate will feed an industry that has been spluttering along in the last year.

This may mean that instead of opting to stay in chain hotels, or international chain restaurants, or using large-scale travel companies, you decide to opt for more independent businesses, family-owned and well-reviewed accommodations, and more. This might sound quite obvious and worthwhile on the surface, but it may take a little bit of research to ensure that you have everything organized and you know which businesses are worth your time.

Also, checking availability ahead of time can be useful, including what surrounding events may be taking place. It could be that booking a hotel a little further out of the main square when Venice is enjoying its carnival time can help you enjoy the peace and quiet your family deserves.

Visiting Your Family As Necessary

It can be nice to schedule a trip that helps you return to a sense of normality first and foremost, instead of thinking that you have to book every single experience you’ve been missing out on just because those businesses are open again.

For instance, for some people, it may be over a year since they have visited their families. Understanding that can help us curate a little more empathy and willingness to take a humble and somewhat comfortable, plodding vacation instead. This might involve a long road trip visiting three members of your family using coastal roads, and enjoying the view the entire way. With nice camping utilities or renting a recreational vehicle (RV), you can truly define the summer in your own terms.

No matter what you choose, preparing for your plan through and through will help summer 2021 become the best possible experience. WIth this advice, we hope you can achieve that as necessary.

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