If you and your family are planning to move cross-country, driving might be a better option. It allows you to avoid big crowds and being in an airplane for hours with little to no proper ventilation, and it might be a good opportunity to spend time with your family and see some sights you wouldn’t get to see otherwise. But since we’re currently living through a pandemic, there are plenty of health and safety precautions you need to take to ensure you and your family’s health and safety. But just because you’re being careful, it doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. Here are some tips for a fun and safe drive while moving cross-country.
Hire professionals to clean and disinfect your car
When was the last time you had your car sanitized and disinfected? Having your car’s exteriors washed is one thing, but caring for your vehicle’s interiors is just as important in the time of COVID-19. Visit your local car washes to see if they now offer disinfection services—you’d be surprised at how many car wash chains started offering this service since the pandemic started. You can also do it yourself; you just need to ensure that you’re using products that won’t damage the materials inside your vehicle.
Follow health protocols
Here are some health and safety measures you need to take before, during, and after your trip:
- Have your whole family vaccinated as soon as possible.
- Check your destination’s quarantine guidelines, or if you need to present negative test results. If you’re driving, this might not be a problem.
- Postpone your travel if any of your family members have fever or cough. Wait it out until everyone is in tip-top shape.
- On your drive, avoid dining in at restaurants as much as possible. Opt for drive-thru or curbside pickup.
- When going to the restroom, wear your masks and wash or disinfect your hands with water and soap for not less than twenty seconds. Keep a small bottle of alcohol-based sanitizer in your person in case water and soap are not available.
- Keep a distance of at least one meter or six feet from outsiders.
Find hotels that follow health guidelines.
When choosing hotels or beds-and-breakfast for your cross-country drive, do thorough research on establishments that are taking this pandemic seriously and book them. Check their websites to see if they have a bulletin on the steps they’re taking to ensure that infections don’t happen in their facilities, and read up on reviews as well.
Choose open-air destinations.
When looking for places to visit along the way, choose destinations that are more open-air than enclosed ones. Skip the museums for now; you’ll have plenty of time to visit those places when the virus is eradicated. Choose the stunning views of mountains and beaches instead of enclosed buildings. Some examples include national parks and interesting art installations like the Cadillac Ranch on Route 66.
Make sure your belongings are protected.
As you make your way from one coast to another, you also want to ensure that your belongings will be protected by reputable shipping companies who will keep them safe in the time of COVID-19. In the same way that you want to ensure that your hotels are abiding by public health guidelines, you also want to choose shipping companies that have a reputation for taking care of their employees’ health and the items that their customers have entrusted them with. If you have another car that you need to move with you, a reliable vehicle shipping company will ensure that your beloved auto will move from your old place to the new one without a scratch or any traces of the virus.
Here are some other tips for choosing a moving company:
- Ask for referrals from friends and family you trust.
- Don’t ignore red flags. If the company keeps asking for money upfront, it might not be legitimate.
- Ask them to show you their accreditation and other important seals.
- Do thorough research on every moving company on your list. Look at their websites, read up on reviews.
- Ask them what health and safety measures they’re taking to make sure that their staff is healthy and that your items will be protected from the virus.
The Bottom Line
While all kinds of travel carry significant risks, you can mitigate those risks by doing your part. At the same time, you’re not going on a cross-country road trip for leisure; you’re moving to a different home. Might as well make sure that you and your family have fun and stay safe while doing it. Good luck!
