In the age of COVID-19, most people are putting travel plans on hold. However, you don’t need to hop on a plane to take a vacation with your family.

With smart planning and social restrictions and safety in mind, it’s still possible to take your family on a fun adventure.

Although a plane trip or a cross country road trip may be currently out of the question, there are still plenty of ways to safely plan a family vacation.

If you and the kids are getting tired of being cramped up at home, this summer and fall are great times to plan a short excursion.

Once you cover your basics like checking your car insurance travel coverage and choosing a date for your trip, it’s time to start planning.

Let’s take a look at a few tips to help you plan your family road trip during this time:

1. Explore Your State

We are often so focused on adding miles to our travel diaries that we often ignore the fabulous sites and attractions in our own states.

During the pandemic, there is no way to travel internationally, and the safety of flying remains questionable. In some states, if you are traveling from another area, a 14-day quarantine is required.

A road trip just makes sense when you take this into account.

Get online and start investigating the interesting and fun things to do in your own state. The shorter distance it takes to explore locally allows you to pack a lunch for a day trip or find a state park and get some camping done.

2. Take Precautions

If you are ready to get out of the house after months of quarantine, you need to be smart about your adventure.

There are still thousands of new COVID-19 cases being reported across the country every day.

Make sure to pack a mask for everyone in your family and wear them whenever you are in a public place or in close proximity to others.

It’s also a good idea to make sure that you have enough hand sanitizer in your backpacks and vehicle.

3. Pack Your Cooler

Restaurants are slowly starting to open back up after pandemic closures.

If you aren’t sure if it’s safe enough to eat out, pack your cooler instead.

Premade sandwiches, small meals, snacks, and drinks can all get thrown in the cooler and are ready to eat without the risk of going into a restaurant.

4. Check Restrictions

It could be really disappointing to arrive at a local attraction and find out that it is still closed or has capacity restrictions and can’t accommodate you.

Most attraction websites now post updates on their pandemic business hours, restrictions, and protocols.

5. Go Camping

Hotels and motels are still cut back to minimal capacities due to the pandemic and it can be a challenge to find those kinds of accommodations.

Instead, skip the hotel room and the risks that come from staying in an unfamiliar room and take the family camping.

Stay safe and socially distant with the whole family and enjoy the great outdoors.

The pandemic has changed so many things about our daily lives.

Don’t let your family miss out on the opportunity to get out and have some fun with a safe and adventurous pandemic road trip.