Can I justify traveling? In two weeks I will travel to Berlin and take care of two cats. But I´m not sure if I should travel.
How do you do this? Do you travel less at the moment?
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As someone who is an owner who just had someone cancel a sit, please notify the owner asap of your plans. I understand that travel is fluid because of COVID, but canceling a sit at the last minute is very unsettling for owners. I also understand your concerns, so this is why you should decide to go through or not with your sit ASAP.
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My husband and I are avid travelers and have just started up our travels again after two years. We went to Mexico in September and just returned from a second trip there last week. We have another trip planned on a cruise next month(just heard there’s been an outbreak on a cruise so may have reconsider that). Some of our friends think we’re crazy as they’re not even riding public transport let alone traveling but this is what we had planned for our retirement and we’re going to keep going as long as we can. I check out the COVID requirements/testing etc. for the countries we are going to prior to booking anything and make sure everything is in order. It’s a very personal decision to travel now and if you feel comfortable go for it.
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That’s very much up to you, whether to travel or not.
We are retired and want to spend our retirement travelling. That was put on hold for a year. Now, we are both vaccinated and travel following all rules and regulations from countries we are leaving and ones we are going to.
We are in Panama at the moment. We were in France in November and Spain last winter. We are heading to Costa Rica next then US and Canada. Yes, we are travelling and will continue to until we cannot anymore.
It’s a very personal choice and one that you have to make for yourself.
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I’d been doing a lot of drivable sits (within about 6 hours of home). I had just booked an apartment in Nice, France, through VRBO because it’s refundable until about a month prior). Then the omicron news hit. I’ve since booked VRBO places in Portugal (again, cancelable) but I won’t book flights until I have to. And I won’t apply for sits until my feet are firmly planted within a border.
These days, it’s just fingers crossed.
Currently I’m only doing sits I can drive to, and only going to places where covid cases aren’t high, and where people wear masks in the grocery stores.
The only strangers I’m indoors with are possibly the homeowners and possibly people at the grocery store.
I go to places where I can enjoy the outdoors. 
One thing I keep in mind: If hospitalizations are high in the place you’re going, that could affect you poorly if you have some sort of accident or health crisis. When an area is in the middle of a bad surge, that sometimes means non-covid healthcare is unavailable or requires really long waits.
Best of luck to all! 
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100% i would not do a cruise. at the best of times they’re floating petri dishes. with covid you could end up getting stuck on there for an extended time as no one will let you off due to infection spread.
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We have not really slowed our travelling, ( Sept 2020 -Greece-Spain-Italy-UK-currently back in Spain) We just become more aware and considerate of other travellers. We no longer would fly for a weekend trip as we regularly did pre Covid but, for longer stays just follow the rules and keep our eyes open for windows of travelling opportunity.
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No, I haven’t slowed down. I think we stopped for a couple of months then it’s been business as usual.
Good travels for the coming year.
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We have been doing sits almost without a break for 3 years. Last year was difficult in the beginning of the pandemic and we had to do a 2 month break. We mostly stick to 2 countries now and need to be super flexible. For December we were booked for three sits, only one of the homeowners was actually able to travel, one cancelled 3 weeks ahead and the other one came back after 3 days (instead of over two weeks). But this isn’t always like that. We are registered on multiple platforms and always expect the homeowner coming back the next moment or some sit to get cancelled, but so far we’ve only stayed in an AirBnb for a couple of days throughout the pandemic.
I’ve been sitting a lot since March 2021 - 16 sits. All in the US. I’ve flown to most of the sits and been lucky not to have been on a plane with anyone who ‘acted out.’
In the beginning when on a sit I tried to avoid indoor spaces - have visited a lot of botanic gardens and parks.
I was hoping to start international again this month with 4 sits in the UK but I took a covid test before departing and even though I’m fully vaccinated with a booster came back with a positive pcr test. Contacted the sits in the UK immediately and cancelled. All were very understanding. The airline fully refunded and I’m trying to get money back for the UK train tickets I bought - the most expensive trip was refunded immediately.
I’ll be clear to be out tomorrow (10 days after + test) and started looking for replacement sits in the US that I can drive to. Pretty amazing - had 4 offers and have accepted a 2 week sit in the Hudson Valley that I will drive to for 2 weeks over Christmas and New Year. Hoping this doesn’t cancel - the hosts are going to Hawai’i and they may have to cancel their trip.
I let every sit I applied to know about the + test and no one was concerned since it would be 2-3 weeks after the test before the sits started. Several did thank me for offering the information.
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Many thanks for your feedback. I habe decided to go to Berlin.
All the best for you. 
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Great decision, in my opinion. Let us know how it goes.
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While we should always make smart decisions about or health and the health of those around us, I feel like the decision to travel right now, is an extremely personal choice. That being said, We’ve both been traveling since spring of 2020, and not had any problems. Plains, trains, and automobiles…along with cruise ships, and we’ve had zero health issues. Following stringent protocols for all travel venues, has kept us both in good health. We have extensive travel overseas booked beginning in the spring, and will always be open to embracing whatever requirements each country adds to the process of entry. Best of luck in your extended travels!
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I don’t have the confidence to travel outside the UK atm, and am hoping that the home owners I’m sitting for over the next few months won’t cancel their trips.
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I totally agree Elsie - it’s a very personal choice! Good for you!
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Hi @Kristina
It is a major concern at the moment : to travel or not to travel ?
As far as we are concerned, my husband and I decided not to travel out of Schengen in EU. For me it is to much stress to handle (finding lab to have a PCR test in France, in some areas, can be difficult ; I can’t imagine how it will be possible the week before Christmas when everybody want’s to travel !!??? 
) : I find it already difficult to deal with cancellations and last minute changes involved with HO trips, it is enough for me to sit in my own country.
So I understand both positions : sitters and HO brave enough to fly overseas, HO limiting their search to local sitters, sitters limiting their application to local sit.
I can read you chose to come to Berlin, I keep my finger crossed it will be OK for you. I hope you’ll have a great time in Germany.
That was just to give you my point of view.
And I hope our two forthcoming sits will occur with no change ! 
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I have been a member of TH for 4 years. Before the pandemic, I was doing sits outside of my resident country as much as possible. I flew out of U.S. for the first time last weekend since being forced to return in mid March 2020. I couldn’t wait any longer and made sure I was able to get into E.U. - thrice vaccinated, filled out forms required by the first European country I am visiting, took PCR test before flying, though it wasn’t required… so far, things have been smooth.
I have a sit coming up in Copenhagen and know that it is advised by U.S. govt not to travel to Denmark. The owners are still expecting me, and I made a calculated decision that it is safe enough for me to not infect others and vice versa.
Considering my route in the months right before the pandemic was declared, it is a miracle I never caught COVID. I had 2 antibody tests before the vaccines were available and had 2 COVID tests since my second dose - all negative. I have a robust immune system. So it is based on your health/risk.
Good luck✌🏼
Thanks again for your opinion. I wish you all a good trip. 
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I have a friend who is trotting around Europe right now. You’re probably safer in Germany than you are here. They have strict curfews and protocols in place. You can’t go into anywhere unless you are vaccinated or tested. There are very few tourist and from her pictures the streets are basically empty