What To Know Before Booking Your Summer Trip
BOSTON (CBS) - Every day, more Americans are dusting off their suitcases and heading to the airport.
According to CBS News travel contributor Peter Greenberg, national parks have been so popular that many are already booked for the summer.
"The new hot destinations are state parks," he said, mentioning Traverse City Michigan, Eureka, California, Bend, Oregon, and Bozeman, Montana as some the most popular.
The European Union announced that starting this summer, fully-vaccinated travelers will not need to quarantine to visit, but there will still be plenty of restrictions.
That's why Yafa Neer of Vista Travel in Cambridge is advising her clients to hold off on Europe a little bit longer.
"In order for them to have an experience, things need to be opening and they need to move freely anywhere they want to go," she said.
If you just can't wait, Neer suggests Turkey, Croatia, and Greece, which are already opening.
"I just got a request for Spain and Italy to travel next month, which I didn't recommend because it's still very restricted and they won't be able to see a lot," she said.
According to Greenberg, if you do travel internationally, that vaccination card will be just as important as your passport.
"You have to carry it. What you need to do is photocopy it, keep one outside your passport, keep one with your travel companion and keep one at home," he said.
Neer, who is grateful to be busy again after more than a year of no business, says she is booking a lot of honeymooners who postponed their trips or their entire weddings during the pandemic.
"They go to the Caribbean, Mexico and Hawaii," Neer said.
If you are ready to book, Greenberg suggests getting on it soon.
"Airfares are rising 7% per week and that's compounded, so the longer you wait, you can do the math," he said.
You also want to be prepared for sticker shock when you book a rental car. According to Greenberg, many companies sold off some of their fleet during the pandemic.
"In destinations like Florida, Arizona, California and Hawaii, it's difficult to find a car for less than $300/day," he said.
One CBS News affiliate in Hawaii reported that people were renting U-Haul trucks because that's all they could find.
Cruise lines are still waiting for the green light to sail. The CDC says that could happen this summer. Many lines are talking about mandating vaccines for all passengers and staff.
Neer says travel agents can help you navigate all the rules and they will know where you will have the best experience. And she says it may be a while before we all can freely jet around the globe.
"2021 will be transitioning, 2022 will be better, 2023 everything will be normal," she said.
