Travel next year?

I would not base any decision on uninformed guesses (and that's all they would be - just guesses) made on a travel forum. People here are well-meaning and very helpful, but they are not public health experts and they don't have the benefit of seeing the data or models that are developed to guide national and state decisions.

I agree it's time to put seriously thinking (as in concrete planning, buying tickets, etc) about travel on the back burner - many people are suffering right now all over the world. Take it one day at a time, good luck.

Hello, I am not sure that it will be possible to travel in May and it is not forbidden to think about travel, we still need to keep dreaming and living our lives as we can.

It will get better ! It has to get better !

There's nothing wrong with dreaming about travel in the future. Everybody has to have something to hang their hopes on, and if travel dreams help you get through the grim days ahead, then dream on and don't let anyone tell you that's wrong.

Just don't make any firm plans, because travel as we have known it won't be coming back for a long time. Exactly how long, nobody knows (personally, I'm not even fantasizing about any trips for at least a year, maybe longer).

Sharon - I think the CDC will have already come up with a vaccine by that time next year and will have it available if this virus re-emerged. Travel plans will slowly return to normal so think positive. 2020 is looking like a bad year for everyone. It is a rough start to a decade but there will be a light at the end of this dark tunnel. We just have to be patient and do our due diligence to stay healthy.

I think faster and more wide spread testing for both those with the virus or have had it and recovered will make a bigger impact sooner. Now that tests that give results in minutes are coming out I can see airports/passport control screening travelers with those tools sort of like security screening.

A thoroughly tested vaccine will take awhile. I'm in no hurry to take one rushed through testing. I'm absolutely not an anti-vaxer but recently had a totally unexpected reaction to the shingles vaccine. Will be dealing with the results for at least the rest of 2020. Would have been easier to get the shingles.

cj traveler: A reaction to the shingles vaccine. Is that the new vaccine that you have in two-to-three doses? I had shingles last October and am told to get one in June or so of next year. What can I expect?

Would have been easier to get the shingles.

Uummmm, no. I have had it for the past 2 weeks and, believe me, you don't want it. It's incredibly painful, like shooting pain going through your skin all day and night long. Everyone's experience is different...I'm in my 40s and it's still really painful. If I had a chance to get a vaccine, I would have. Like any other vaccine, some people will have adverse reactions.

As of right now there is no way to forecast the future for any of us. We would like to think we can go on our trip to Scotland that we re-booked for September. Not because we actually will be able to but just something to look forward to in the future. As a nurse, my thoughts and dreams are consumed with catching this monster and bringing it home to my family. I literally believe that many of us Americans will be fat alcoholics before this is over! My fear for our future will be possibly more strict passport controls on who can travel where. However,. my thought process does change as I remember money is the root of all evil and the countries need and love tourist revenue. Only time will tell the devastation this will cause to Italy and what other places will be like when this is over. If we cannot go to Scotland in September, I will book out for April/May of 2021. The only difference I will not be getting my airline tickets from Capital One Travel!!!! I hope everyone is healthy and please please stay at home.

No one knows what the future holds. But I suggest if you want current informative information from the experts, listen to all that Dr. Fauci has to say. He is a wealth of information. He said that we need a vaccine and even when one is developed, there will not be enough for everyone at the beginning. We will not be able to travel immedialely. He also said he suspects this will be annual issue like the flu and we will need to get the vaccine. Based upon what he said, I don't think travel next May will be prudent. I think we all must wait until this is resolved and the vaccine is available to the public. This is hitting the world and the world needs to all get the vaccine so everyone can stay well.

I do believe things will get better with a vaccine, it will just take time.

I had tkts for Highclere Castle and they cancelled the tour for May 2020 when I was supposed to go. But they gave me a voucher that lasts until 2022 and I am grateful that is lasts that long and not just until 2021. I wish I could get my money back but I read the terms and conditions and there is no way I can.

@cjtraveler: I agree about not being first in line for a new vaccine. I usually have reactions to shots, but usually only for a day or so, even if I'm quite sick for those days. I, too, would not have gone for the new shingle's vaccine had I understood the side effects. (I'd already had the single shot one, but my DR recommended the other.) They had said there might be side effects, but I didn't realize how many people had them and for how long. I was down for a miserable week from that shot, and had a rash for over 2 months from it as well. So, yeah, I'll let everyone else be the guinea pigs for this next vaccine. ...Edit: When I told my DR about the reaction, she said she was starting to do some research because she'd heard about quite a few such reactions, her own reaction being one of them. Just an FYI. YMMV

I figure my travel is off for at least 18 months now. Frankly, I'm in an unusual situation right now, for me, as I have absolutely no desire to travel or plan travel down the road. In fact, I keep coming on here thinking something on this forum will interest me or get my travel gene moving, but, sadly no...and I'm so sick about reading about refunds or no refunds or poor me badly treated by airlines posts, but I guess I'm still somewhat in the habit of checking the forum. Sigh. ;)

I am hoping too that we all get through this sooner rather than later. Day dreaming about travel is in itself not something to feel guilty about even, with people dying or losing their livelihood. We do need something to make us feel better and to have hope. I hope next spring I can take my cancelled trip to Bosnia, Croatia, and more that I would have been on right now. Someday it will be safe and OK to travel But honestly, I don't know. when. Dr. Faucci says he doesn't know when. So the bottom line is: Nobody really knows when it will be safe. But we can all hope and dream.

Sorry Agnes..... Best wishes

Sharon,

I had the new shingles vaccine last year, I think 3 months apart, 2 shots total. I had no reaction at all. No one I know who has had the shot has ever had a reaction. Good luck.

Pam

I would happily be first in line to try a vaccine. Never had a reaction to anything I’ve been vaccinated with never particularly ill. So we have with positive thoughts to reasonable safe travel sooner rather than later. If we can go to Europe in the fall, we will. If not, we will travel domestically as soon as possible, hopefully for a planned July getaway. If we cannot go to Europe this year, I will immediately shift to 2021 and see how things look in Dec and Jan before buying tickets. Maybe we’ll go twice in 2021. 😁 Gotta think positively (and wash our hands).

I'm a retired military member who's had plenty of vaccinations with little or no bad side effects. I get my flu shot every year. Didn't give it a thought when my Dr reminded me to get the shingrix first dose. Had the not unusual reaction - a few days of flu like symptoms then seemingly over. At the same time some other joint issues popped up, then more inflammation, swelling, weight loss, etc over the next 6-8 weeks ending in an ER visit. Now I have an auto immune condition that will require meds for the next 10 months (if I'm lucky) to get over and also depress my immune system (seriously not good right now). A very abnormal response to the vaccine but then they didn't test it on people with auto immune conditions like RA, lupus, etc. I also have a med allergy that I found out the hard way (hives) several years ago.

Yes, I probably will get the corona virus vaccine eventually, but have a new respect for why thorough testing of medications and vaccines is important. It's a risk. One we all have to weigh the benefits and possible drawbacks of.

Interesting discussion regarding vaccines. I will add my experience in administering vaccines for decades. As far as the Shingles Vaccine the current (Shingrix) is given in two doses separated by 2-6 months. It's currently recommended for adults 50 years and older. It's over 90% effective. Most common side effects are a sore arm, redness at the site, headache, muscle pain and low grade fever. I used to see debilitating cases of Shingles prior to the development of the vaccine.

I've also read references to Influenza Vaccine on the Forum; specifically being "ineffective." Yes, some years efficacy has been an issue, that said I would not discourage getting a yearly flu vaccination. In most cases if you do receive the vaccine and do get Influenza it's likely you will have a milder case. This may also prevent secondary infections such as Pneumonia.

If I'm still working when the Covid-19 Virus Vaccine is available I will look forward to administering it. In my opinion I believe this will be the key to save lives & for future travel.

Edited to add: To CJ's story- There are exception's to the rule, dependent on your medical history.

As to travel planning (dreaming) -- first I want to get through this situation alive, then get tested to see if I did get a mild case (i.e., my pneumonia this year was more than just a cold gone bad) and I perhaps have some immunity to COVID-19. Vaccine when it's widely available and hope that the virus has not severely mutated when/if it returns.
Then there's the question of when/whether the stock market recovers enough that I have disposable funds for travel.

I wouldn't necessarily rule out 2021 if there are bargains -- and if the locations are eager to see visitors.

Sharon,
There is nothing wrong with dreaming about or planning a trip for May 2021, so please don’t feel guilty. You are not hurting anyone and dreaming and planning a trip for next year is not causing anyone’s death. We all need something to look forward to and something that makes us happy. There is no harm in planning the trip, but I wouldn’t make any reservations right now.

I don’t think anyone knows when we will be able to travel again. It might be this fall or not until 2021. No one knows. It’s best to continue listening to Dr. Fauci and Dr. Gupta and see what this summer and fall brings.

When people say they don’t believe travel will be possible until 2021, do you mean travel will be forbidden through all of 2020, or that one doesn’t think it’s a good idea to travel? I guess I find it hard to believe that we will be forbidden to travel for another year or so. What would that do to the travel industry and its employees? It’s one thing to be out of work for a few months but for a year??? Some employers are generously paying their employees’ health insurance for a few months, but they obviously can’t do this for a year. Congress just passed the stimulus package, but there is already problems with that. Supposedly, it could be months before the government mails checks, and $1200 won’t go far. At some point people need to get back to work, but no one knows when that will be.

If it’s possible for us to go to France in the fall, I think we will go. We just have to be very cautious with good hand washing, etc.

My husband and I have been to the UK 26 times. For the first time ever, our son asked if he could go with us the next time. He would pay his own way and carry our bags to make it easier. I've been so excited about it! We were going to go next May. Now I will just dream about it for now and see where this goes. We definitely want to do this trip but will have to decide when it makes sense. All this discussion has been very helpful and interesting.

Does anyone have any guesses about whether travel next May will be
viable.

At the moment, all we can offer are guesses. This is a new virus and scientists are working hard to learn more about it and how it behaves, but our knowledge about the virus is limited at the moment. Other scientists all over the world are working hard to try to find a vaccine, which would be amazing if they are able to find one. But it will take some time. It seems like the situation in Chine is slowly getting back to normal which is a good sign, that means there is a light in the end of the tunnel. But what the situation will look like in May 21 is hard to say. I hope that it will be more or less normal, but who knows?

Next May would be 13 months for now and a vaccine would be possible, in fact, I would say likely. However, I am no expert, but I think the approval process will be pushed to obtain vaccines.

Then, it might be like when the Salk Polio vaccine (oral) vaccine was given to just about anybody in the early 60s. I remember it well.

We have a trip booked in October 2021 to Italy and will be sticking to that plan.

Not sure why you are looking out so far in advance and are you talking about RS tour?

Between now and next May, I would prefer to do a wait and see as the months go by and no need to rush into anything.

As of today, my RS Eastern Europe for June 14 has not cancelled. If it does get cancelled, then I will look to June 2021, but I wouldn’t be in any rush to sign up.

Also, I am fortunate enough to be working from home as a software engineer, but eventually, we will have to work at the company location.

I am hoping that this virus becomes seasonal and begins to dissipate in May like the 2003 SARS (coronavirus family). Will this come back next fall/winter, I don’t know and neither does anyone else.

I've been tracking flight prices on GoogleFlights for a June 8th trip to Toronto and then on to Budapest for about 2 weeks. They send me up dates, the price is up, the price is down. I logged in today to see the price and they reminded me that the price when I began looking was $3,600 (to be honest, I don't remember it being that high). Its been bouncing around 2,000 more or less for the last couple of weeks. Today it is $1,130. I no longer have the cause to spend a few days in Toronto, but if I can snag a good cheap AirBnb in the right neighborhood, just might do it. And if it cancels? Such is life.

@ James E.

I follow travel blogs and I noticed someone talking about the elevated prices by airlines to pre-covid. He also noticed that those airplanes are empty for flights in December. He was saying that if airlines want passengers back, they should be offering low ball prices. This should be happening now and I suspect it will happen. Unfortunately, who knows when it will happen. This time around, it may pay off to wait until getting closer to fly?

I gave up trying to predict airline pricing. I now when I first tried to book the flight the numbers seemed a bit high, but not terribly unusual. I make the trip to Budapest several times a year so I have a pretty good handle on it. These new numbers are cheap. But thanks for the advice.