Well hello to you my reader chums! Travelling is my favourite thing. I've missed the rush of the airports, packing my suitcase, stepping out of the plane and immersing myself in a new culture, and experiencing a place I've never seen before.

Travel is slowly getting back to a new level of normal, one where people are beginning to feel more comfortable in jetting abroad, travel and holiday it up the way we used to. It's a feeling which had started to fill me with excitement and hope after waiting for so long to get back to the travel way of life.

Whether you're thinking of travelling soon, have a trip planned, or looking for some reassurance, here are my tips on how to travel in the 'new normal'.

Check the rules and regulations

Rules and regulations are constantly changing from one country to the next and it's important to stay on top of what's new, especially if you're booking your trip in advance. When you book your trip, see what rules and regulations are in place for your destination. This could be a negative test on arrival, proving your vaccination status, and locator forms. Each destination varies from the next. Then, a week before your trip, a few days before and the day of, keep an eye to see if anything has changed or if you're on course to abiding by the regulations of your destination and what you need to do when you return.

The red list is the one you need to be the most aware of with quarantine measures in place and the destinations on there being deemed as not safe. For vaccinated travellers, any other country not on that list means you can travel with a lot more freedom, as long as you abide by the rules.

Book in all the testing requirements

Checking the rules is vital including what Covid-19 testing you'll need to participate in on your trip. It has gotten a lot less in terms of testing measures recently, however, each destination may have different rules to the UK so you need to be wary of that before you jet off. Book in the tests before you set off or when they need to be booked in to save you the stress of worrying about them whilst you're away and to prevent causing you any disruption on your trip. Usually, when filling out a locator form, you'll need to include your test reference if a negative test is needed to enter a destination.

Purchase your travel insurance

Travel insurance is incredibly important; more important than people think, especially during these still uncertain times to go anywhere. When booking your travel insurance, you want to be aware to see what you're actually covered for as not every policy covers every instance. Read your policy wordings before you book, and ensure they offer some level of cover to do with the disruption of your trip due to having to isolate, contracting Covid-19, or cancelling your trip because of it. The minimum amount of money it'll cost you can save you in the long run if the unforeseeable happens.

Get masked up 

The pandemic or Covid-19 hasn't disappeared and you're still able to catch it even if you've been double vaccinated. It's important to keep this thought in mind wherever you go and stay as safe as possible, and this means wearing a mask on public transport, tight indoor spaces, and whenever you need to feel safe. It's also important to carry around hand sanitizer to keep your hands clean wherever you travel.

Keep socially distanced when you can

Similar to masks and keeping your hands clean, social distancing is still very important when you're able to do that with other tourists and travellers on your trip. Keeping this practice wherever you visit on your travels can prevent you from getting ill and ensure everyone around you stays at some level of safety.

Abide by the countries safety measures

Each country has different safety measures put in place to manage the pandemic and it's up to you to stick by those rules and respect them. That country has put them in place to keep their locals and visitors safe so ensure to follow them the best you can - and research ahead of time to make you aware of what it'll be like at your destination.

Go and enjoy yourself 

We've all been in our houses or local areas (or the same country) for the best part of 18 months, that flying off somewhere new is something we all need to have a complete break for reality. You deserve to enjoy this holiday after the uncertainty of the past year. Enjoy the experience of getting away, the new memories you'll create, the new destination, new weather, and new scenery. Stay safe and have fun.

I hope you enjoyed this post. What other tips do you have?

Thank you for reading <3