Check Your Travel Bucket List

If you need a break from your routine, it may be time for a vacation.

Vacations are a great way to create life-long memories, and they can also be good for your health! Now that the summer travel season has officially begun, and pandemic travel restrictions are beginning to ease, you may be revisiting your bucket list.

If you’re dreaming about a getaway, we share suggestions that can help you enjoy your experience.

• Plan it. One of the highlights of vacationing is making the arrangements. Planning a vacation stirs the imagination, which can make you happier and more optimistic. It also can have other health benefits, such as helping you sleep better, both before and after your trip!¹ However, COVID-19 may still be a risk. So, if you are thinking about travelling out of the country, check the CDC’s website for guidance and testing requirements to get back into the country.

• Protect it. If you’re taking an expensive vacation, it may pay to invest in travel insurance. However, check the exclusions to make sure that it’s worth the investment. Coverage levels depend upon the policy you choose for:
  • Trip cancellation insurance to cover non-refundable fees in the event someone in your party gets sick. Check that COVID-19 is covered as a named event.
  • Cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage, which allows you to abandon your trip for reasons not included in your base policy. Not all providers offer this upgrade, and it can be costly to add.
  • Trip delay and/or interruption insurance to reimburse you for expenses incurred if you’re stranded somewhere.
  • Baggage delay and/or loss coverage to reimburse you for items you have to purchase while you’re waiting for your bags to arrive, or for items that go missing.
  • Travel medical coverage to pay for potential healthcare expenses not offered through your healthcare plan when travelling abroad (check your policy first to see what is covered). If you’re vacationing in a remote area, you may want to add emergency medical evacuation coverage as well.

• Take it. Even before the pandemic began, more than half of Americans did not use up their vacation days, leaving 768 million days on the table.³ However, taking time off can make you both healthier and more productive at work. For example, people who regularly vacation scored higher on the Gallup-Heathway’s Well-Being Index than those who did not, reporting better quality of sleep, fewer physical complaints, and an improved mood that lasted more than a month after their vacations.⁴ In addition, according to WebMD, taking some time away gives your body time to repair the damages caused by everyday stressors and can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.⁵

• Enjoy it, but don’t post about it. Your vacation is an opportunity to expand your horizons and recharge. However, wait until it is over before sharing your experiences on social media. You don’t want to broadcast that your house will be empty or encourage scammers to target your friends and relatives by pretending to be you.

If you have any questions about planning for your bucket list travel or how to access your money abroad, speak with your Washington Trust Wealth Advisor for guidance. Follow us to learn more!

Inspiring Travel Ideas

According to Travel & Leisure, ² top travel destinations include:

• An African Safari, to view majestic wildlife in its natural habitat
• Alaska, to see the northern lights and its majestic landscape
• The American National Parks, including Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon, to enjoy our country’s natural beauty
• Easter Island, to witness the impressive monolithic moai statues
• Machu Picchu, to trek to historic Incan ruins in the breathtaking Andes
• The Maldives, to stay in a luxurious overwater bungalow
• Paris, France, to see priceless works of art at some of the world’s top museums and savor the cuisine
• Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia to enjoy street food and historic sites
• Tokyo, Japan, to visit the temples, sample the cuisine, and shop