Is the pandemic getting to you? Do you desperately need a change in your surroundings and routine life? Do you want to step out but are skeptical of running into a sea of people?
A road trip might just be the answer you are looking for.
It’s definitely one of the safest modes of travel during these times.
After nearly six months of being confined to my colony, I took baby steps and ventured out on day trips around Mumbai. Even 4-5 hours on the road with a picnic basket can be that much needed escape we crave for.
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Tips for Road Tripping During the Pandemic
Mask – Sanitize – Social distance
I guess we have all become accustomed to this routine now. Being in a car makes it easy to do all three.
Sanitize
Yes, it is a little cumbersome to keep sanitizing your hands. But it’s also a small price to pay for peace of mind during the time of this pandemic. As a positive to this – your car will smell nice.
A tip here. As the sanitizers have ~60-70% alcohol, they can be flammable and you should take care to keep them away from direct heat (especially if the weather is hot). Also, avoid using these on keys and ignition.
It is best to sanitize your hands every time you get in and out of the car. If you want to be extra cautious, then also sanitize contact surfaces in your car like steering wheel, gear box and hand brake to name a few.
Mask
Absolute essential when you are outside your car and there are people around. Personally, I feel that masks are very claustrophobic and I am eager to remove it at the first sign of safe surroundings. For both my road trips, I only had to wear the mask while travelling from my house to the car and back which is a very short period.
Another small issue with the masks is transfer of the lipstick on to the face mask.
Now this may not even seem like a first world problem and the solution seems to be simple – avoid lipsticks.
For me, however, having been at home for six months and using the same clothes in a loop to avoid folding them (!), getting out on a road trip is a chance to dress up a bit. Although make-up for me is a simple kohl and lip gloss, but I do need these. The solution for me was to carry my lip gloss and wear it in the car.
Social Distance
This is needed if you plan to get out of your car in an area where there are other people. Maybe at a petrol pump or washroom break or food stop. I did not stop for any of these.
Food
Although most of the highway eateries have now opened, I would not recommend eating outside food. As per most researches, cooked food seems to be safe with respect to the pandemic, but it is still a risk and the stress is not worth it, especially while on a trip.
If you need to dine at the highway restaurants, then preferably get your own reusable cutlery.
For both my road trips, I carried home-cooked food (vada pavs, bread pakodas, tea and juice). Do invest in a good thermos – I bought a Borosil 500ml thermos from amazon.in before my first trip and am very happy with it. Even after 2 hours of drive, my tea was piping hot.
The weather was unfortunately not the best during both my trips (despite it being Mumbai monsoons), and that is why I had to chomp away in my car.
It did get a little messy in do that, but I was definitely better prepared on my second trip.
Tips for eating in the Car
- Carry a lot of tissues
- Depending on the food item you plan to eat, carry cutlery and plates/cups
- Carry a garbage bag
- If you have a lap tray, that will make the process less messy.
- If you are carrying your own food, then preferably carry fuss-free food
If you are planning to be on the road for a few days, then carry food with longer shelf life like theplas. Also, stock up on nuts, chocolates, fruits with longer shelf life.
Washroom
Given the number of contact surfaces that you would need to touch in a washroom, I am a little wary of visiting public washrooms while the pandemic is ongoing. Fortunately, both my drives were on isolated roads so going out into the wild was an easy option and felt safe.
On that note, do read my piece on washroom facilities for women on Indian highways here.
If you do plan to go into a public washroom, avoid touching surfaces as much as possible and make sure you wear your mask and wash your hands properly and later sanitize them too. If you need to use the toilet seat, carry disinfectant sprays to sanitise the seats prior to using.
Cash Transactions
Most NH toll booths are equipped with FASTag which eliminates the need for cash transactions. For the few that are not equipped, mobile wallets is a good option and do remember to wear your mask if you need to lower your window. For both my trips, I did not cross any toll booths.
The idea here is to avoid physical cash transactions as much as possible.
Stay
Although I have not yet gone for an overnight stay during the pandemic phase, I have done a lot of research!
The higher end hotels and resorts mostly follow all the protocols and if you can afford a stay in one of these, that is your safest bet. Also, most of these resorts have slashed their rates and are offering good deals.
The second best option would be Airbnbs with your own kitchen so that you can sanitise all contact surfaces in the room as per your standard. It will be a little cumbersome, but the good part is that you will only need to do this once and then treat it like your own house. Though this kind of accommodation will make sense only of you are staying for a longer duration (at least 3 days).
However, do your due diligence on the hotel to make sure that it was not a containment zone or reported any recent cases of infection. Also check recent reviews and try to book one hotel for the entire trip.
And the key to overnight stay is BYOB – Bring Your Own Bedding! And given that you will be travelling in a car, carrying sheets should not be an issue.