These sanitary and safe social distancing travel tips are perfect for the fall family road trip. We took an Epic Family Road Trip to Yellowstone this summer and these 11 tips are my gift from what we learned. With friends taking their kids to the beach for virtual learning or couples getaways still on the books, add a few new steps to your travel packing routine can make a big difference for continued family travel safety.
I should mention I am not a medical professional or CDC guideline and recommendations expert. I’m sharing tips from my personal experiences, please educate and inform yourself to make the best decisions for your family when it comes to sanitary, germ prevention, and COVID-19 precautions.
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- Keep your face mask in your pocket. One is convenient and it’s easy to always have it on you do it’s not in the car when you walk into a store or restroom. This also keeps you from contaminating other masks or surfaces once your face has been exposed to a new area.
- Carry a package of disposable masks. If you sneeze or drop it you can easily throw it away and get anew one. This is especially silly helpful if you are not doing laundry on your trip. I do realize this creates more trash, but it’s just preference. The alternative is to have multiple masks for each family member. Technically you are supposed to have anew mask each day.
- Put hand sanitizer in every car door and take one inside your accommodations. It makes it so much easier to “pass out” sanitizer when everyone can access some on their own. I will suggest getting sanitizer that is spray or has a flip-top lid. We had a pump type leak all over our door in the heat.
- Get spray hand sanitizer for the driver door to spray hands and the steering wheel after getting gas.
- If you are able, only stop at clean places, they are more likely to be cleaning their facilities and following more sanitation recommendations. Avoid getting out at places that look shady or only stop for gas and move along.
- Take a set of Wet Ones or Lysol Antibacterial wipes to have with you for all the things. I’m suggesting something more than baby wipes, these are antibacterial wipes you can use for hands and surfaces whether it’s a table, hands, or bags you had to set on the ground or unclean surfaces.
- Plan for picnic lunches or curbside in all locations. Look ahead and have an idea of what your dining options will be around mealtimes.
- Get plastic tablecloths at the dollar store for picnics. You are not guaranteed what type of surface you will be eating on and this gives you a fresh covering and easier picnic than a picnic blanket that would have to keep cleaning.
- Cook your own meals when possible. Try staying at a condo, cabin, or Airbnb type location where you can cook or prepare meals. Not only will this save you a little money but you won’t be dining out in restaurants with servers and other diners.
- Take your own car snacks so you can minimize your trips inside gas stations. It was great to have our preferred gas station treats like cheese it’s and gummies as well as Gatorade and sodas in a cooler so we didn’t have to go in at every gas station.
- Tell your kids to put their hands on their head when you go into a bathroom. Man, it’s so hard to do bathrooms with kids. I feel this way in general, during flu season, and any time we are in a public space. I’ve started telling Little Man to put his hands on his head or his tummy to keep him from touching surfaces and his face. This way I open and close doors and his clean hands stay that way as much as possible.
Germs are inevitable everywhere you go. But with a little planning and conscious effort, it’s much easier to keep your risk of infection low and spreading extra germs at a minimum.
What tips would you share that your family is trying to keep the germ sharing down?
Learn more about my fun trips our family has taken!
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