Need a Non-Traditional Way to Celebrate the Holidays?

Travel is still considered by many to be risky business. If you’d like some ideas for how to embrace this new era of family (or family-less) celebration and still make it memorable and meaningful, how to combine it with a journey (near or far), and to do so safely, I have some suggestions. None of these ideas are foreign to you (see what I did there??), but by way of getting you thinking, here they are.

1. Go private for exclusivity and peace-of-mind

- Private jet. Is air travel is a no-no for you? In terms of risk, the actual flight is probably one of the least risky things you'll do on your travel day, thanks to the sanitization protocols, the on-board air-filtration, the surface wiping you’ll do yourself, the mask wearing, etc. The riskier things are, for example, the shuttle ride from the parking lot, standing in line or face-to-face at the kiosk/baggage check/check-in desk (required for international travel), or anywhere else you might let your guard down. A private flight lets you customize your travel companions and eliminates or minimizes those extra stops and tasks that encourage exposure to other people.

- Private yacht. If you balk at the idea of a yacht, keep in mind that you don’t need to know how to operate it, any more than you need to know how fly the private jet. The cost is comparable to a luxury hotel stay for two, including the bar tab, meals and taxes. The cost rivals that of a very fine family cruise, while eliminating the fear of being in close proximity to hundreds of strangers.

- Private villa. I’ve talked about private villas before. A villa close to home is the best of all worlds – you could drive there yet still feel like you’re in fabulous new-to-you destination; a villa big enough to accommodate friends and family you don’t live with will satisfy the distancing thing, and that warm holiday spirit you long for this time of year.

2. Vacation close to home. You might wonder how this is different from just staying home. We can make it different.

- If there’s a favorite National Park within driving distance, why not enjoy it on a day with very few visitors? I can even couple your stay in the lodge with a train ride to eliminate driving on crowded highways; the rail system’s safety precautions are above and beyond the airlines’ at this time, especially in terms of the distance between passengers’ seating.

- In your state there are exclusive luxury resorts and vacation properties with a low complement of guests; yes, there I go again with the private villa.

Being able to drive to a destination lets you bypass having to commingle with the traveling population, which is the point of this holiday disruption. I'd love to minimize that disruption for you and the family.

Everyone must consider their own risk tolerance when it comes to embarking on a voyage at this time. The holiday season is throwing a wrench into the social distancing philosophy, Or is it the other way 'round? Either way, health and safety precautions are a necessary...ummm, evil?...right now. Your travel advisor is invaluable in the process of deciding on the travel whens, wheres and ifs - we have the inside information to guide you and can ask you the questions and help lead the discussion that brings about the right choices for you.