Is Corona Virus Affecting Your Travel Plans?

To go or not to go, that is our question! There are 13 days before we are supposed to fly to Rome, Italy for spring break. That certainly sounds like ample time to get organized and packed, finalize our walking tour Google maps and purchase any admissions to museums. But something larger than our ability to plan is at work around our globe – the Novel Coronavirus COVID-19! 

Even seasoned travelers like us are pausing to consider our next steps based on the information that comes to us from the Centers for Disease Control, US State Department and Department of Homeland Security. We are doing our best to follow the stories and posts from Italy to determine if we should go and enjoy fewer crowds or remain home and prepare for whatever the future may bring. We certainly don’t want to panic, but we want to make an informed decision. What to do, what to do…?

On one hand, the lure of fewer tourists is really attractive. There would be fewer people in locations such as the Roman Forum and that means fewer tourists in the photos and video. On the other hand, we could end up getting sick while we are in Italy, be quarantined and not be able to fly back home for a few weeks or more.

Another pro is that we would be adding some funding, albeit a few hundred dollars, to the Italian tourism economy. A con is that we might need to use those funds in our own state and country, with the threat of quarantines and interrupted services. 

A major benefit of going is that we used airline miles and timeshare points to fund the air travel and condo. However, our own health and the health of our family, friends, and co-workers isn’t something we can put a price tag on!

Another possibility is that our flight could be partially empty, allowing us to stretch out a bit on the long trans-Atlantic flights to and from Rome. But then again, being stuck in an airplane and breathing the recirculated air for hours upon end each way doesn’t sound very healthy. Nor does the very real probability of being placed in mandatory quarantine when we return to the US at the end of the month even if we are not infected with the bug!

So, again I ask, “What do we do?!”

For the latest updates on Covid-19 and revised travel advisories and restrictions, visit the CDC’s website at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/faqs.html.

Stay tuned and Happy Walking!