[rahul_kej]

My views.

1) What I feel is that now more and more people will start doing road trips, as it will be the safest means to travel in current scenario avoiding public transport.

2) People will start carrying mini stoves and can cook on the way at neat and tidy places.

3) A culture of carrying tents can begin too, where one can stay in midst of natural beauty such as shores or hills side keeping safety in mind.

4) People will opt for relaxing trips more rather than rushing for sightseeing and all.

5) I see more of western culture kind of tourism in future.

Tourism and travelling wont be same anymore.

[bimal_67]

Was startled to read thru, as the realisation that another dimension has now come in to the essential road trips struck me. Thank Dicor for this thread.

We have to be judicious enough not to let this dimension take out the joys of road trips, by sensibly mixing passion with caution. My thoughts on this are: -

Food - Cannot completely forego dhaba joints. The pleasure of a road trip is amplified with this experience.

Items to carry - Will cater for a readily accessible soap and some washing water.

Lodging - On long trips over 3-4 days, hotel stays cannot be avoided. So has to choose wisely with known chains/establishments.

Maximise payments thru non contact means.

Anyway, it will take some time, at least 1-2 months, for order to set in. And road trip planning is not going to be the same again!

[fhdowntheline]

Originally Posted by rahul_kej

My views.
1) What I feel is that now more and more people will start doing road trips, as it will be the safest means to travel in current scenario avoiding public transport.

That would be really a nice way to go. But it probably it means I need to swap my Honda City/Polo for a Jeep Compass 4x4 or something AWD with bigger boot. Thats north of 30 lacs for a decent SUV. A daunting proposition indeed!

[DreamsUnlimited]

Reading through these (valid) concerns, I wonder if caravans will become more popular.

With more customers to serve, the dedicated caravan camping sites and other adjacent basic infrastructure might mushroom up.
Of course, the driving pleasure is an entirely different topic with caravans but could be a viable alternative for long family holidays wherein you can enjoy the holidays peacefully with the comfort of your own food and bed!

[tomchacks]

I have the following points on the subject.

1. Travel by own vehicle would be safest in the Covid 19 period and more people would be buying cars once affordability picks up.
2. Government should legalize introduction of self contained motor homes/camper vans and Tourism departments should build safe camping sites near wildlife sanctuaries and tourist spots.
3. There would be stress on cleanliness in the hotel industry which would be a welcome change.
4. Airbnb and licensed home stays are options worth promoting.
5. For wild life safaris I don't see any problem with using the open type Gypsies prevalent now. The "picnic minded" wildlife visitors should be discouraged.
6. Eating places and Hotels are synonymous with travel and they will come up with safe options like perhaps food parcel pickup at predestined place and time and similar improved practices.

The travel enthusiasts with wheels cannot be restrained at home for long.
Yes, Government SOPs and precautions have to be taken considering the persons travelling and the zone category of the destination.
Hope for the best and rev up.

[SS-Traveller]

Woah!! This thread actually made me happy!

Most folks seem to be terrified of road trips now in light of COVID-19.

But I am looking forward to the time when the state borders open for free movement of vehicles, and hotels etc. are allowed to start operations again, on whatever limited basis the government allows them to.

No, I don't have a death wish. No, the virus won't kill (or infect) me so easily. All that is important, is to take strict precautions and to understand the behaviour of the virus.

So I would very likely eat at dhabas - they serve hot food straight off the fire - but I would not eat at a Subway.

I would sleep in any hotel, but I would very likely carry my own bedsheets and pillow covers.

I shall carry my own small supply of hand rub for limited use - for when I want to scratch my nose but there is no soap and water available.

I would visit the most popular of tourist destinations, as long as others are not going there - I'd stay well away from any crowd - and I would make sure to wear the best masks that I can buy, if I need to go within 3 metres (10') of another person whose health history I do not know. This applies to hotels and restaurants too - the waiter or receptionist is not someone I know.

I would certainly stop to smell the roses on a bush (or mangoes on a tree) by the roadside - no one else has sniffed or touched them - but I would be very averse to sniffing anything on a fruit seller's cart.

And I shall drive on the highway without my mask on, in my car with the windows rolled up - or even rolled down, unless the pollution is so bad that I need that mask anyway. In the cities, I think we've already been used to having masks on due to the prevailing pollution before COVID-19 came visiting.

No, I shall not sleep in a tent, for fear of being robbed. I also don't like going to a loo at a petrol pump.

No, I shall not carry & cook my own food all the time, because it is too much trouble and takes away from the joy of a road trip (which is not to say that I hate camping or cookouts - but it can't be for every meal and every night).

And even if I somehow manage to get exposed to SARS-CoV-2, I shall expect that its chance of killing me would be a lot lesser than my being killed in a traffic accident during the road trip itself.

[gigatech2006]

The only couple of things that I’d change is NOT traveling with kids. Need to cut down on family trips as it’s difficult to control the kids from touching this and that. Becomes a nightmare when our goal is to enjoy the travel. If at all going with kids, I’d go to known hotels in destinations that I’ve been to many times. No new destination to explore for the next one year.

What have we come to!? The new normal.

[charanreddy]

IMHO, The days of carefree roadtrips are past !

I will make sure to keep less than 400 Kms travel per day. Packed food, sufficient water, own utensils, staying at close relatives, lots of sanitizer !

Honestly, till a vaccine is developed and widely available, really tough to think of any extended travel plans or tourism.

[kovilkalai]

Going against the grain a bit...

If we have to live with the virus, so be it. What works for me is that I never liked crowded places anyway. I will continue to stay in hotels (the branded ones for now) and eat out. However, I will stick to the mask, soap and sanitiser routine. And if COVID testing becomes commonplace, I will get tested regularly.

About the one place I can't visit for now is my parents' place. I don't want to put them at risk. This will be the toughest change of all

[TheHelix0202]

A typical "Well, this sucks so bad!" moment. My 2 cents, in no specific order:

- I can't get my license any time soon, bike or otherwise.

- I'll stick to being ferried around in our trusty car.

- Ordering food online from reputed restaurants will be my go-to method.

- Not planning to take a road trip any time soon. Avoiding crowded places is obvious (not like I had any affection for large gatherings anyway).

- College in other states seems an uncertainty. And so does moving house.

- The worse yet, and the most heart wrenching: probably no TBhp meets for a long time to come.

Edit:- I'm surprised nobody has come up with this idea yet: carry a pair of surgical gloves with you at all times, especially in your car. Best solution for those ubiquitous card swipes at petrol bunks, restaurants etc. Don't forget to sanitize surfaces such as your laptop keyboard, mobile screens, etc at regular intervals. Not handing your phone out to every Tom, Dick and Harry is also useful.

- Avoid buying used cars, and other commodities.

- Also, for the longest possible time, my dad has been in charge of operating the fuel lid in our cars himself, at petrol bunks. This was to avoid improper replacement / rough handling of the said object. In today's age, this would prove beneficial in ways more than that too.

- For those of you that would like to experience a good road trip this way-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPm6RPmI5_A

[Gansan]

I have to drive to Trichy on July 26th and drive back on 27th. My son's college (NITT) reopens on 27th July. I normally drop him at the campus after vacation, buy him some essentials and ensure he settles down. Then stay the night at a hotel in Trichy and drive back the next morning. This time I have to additionally ensure his bicycle is fixed. He left it at the open stand near the campus gate on March 12th when he came for a weekend visit. He was due to leave on 15th, but before that they informed the institute is closing till further notice and all students must leave.

The cycle will surely be in a sorry state, and he really needs it in campus. It is very huge, about 750 acres. The worry is, there will be thousands of students wanting to repair their bicycles, and only two repair shops in the campus! No two wheelers allowed.

Even if I leave the cycle problem to him to face somehow, driving back 325 km on the same day will be difficult. I really would like to avoid hotel stay and outside food. It is a dilemma and I am wondering what to do. Hopefully the situation will improve enough for us to eat at restaurants and stay at hotels.

[Ashish0485]

There won’t be any sweeping changes to my road trip regime.
After our daughter was born
1) We have always chosen the hotels/resorts selectively and will continue to do so.
2) Food was mostly consumed at the place we stayed at or any upmarket restaurant enroute, will continue to do so.
The only change would be regular use of sanitisers and masks.
Will the above provide 100% safety? Absolutely not, but can’t become paranoid as well.

[anandhsub]

The only road trips I do are to my home in Chennai or for some other family function/wedding. It's been a while since I roadtripped just for the sake of it. Can't really cut down on the Chennai visits and am just waiting for the restrictions to end before I drive down to Chennai. Hopefully would be possible by August. As far as precautions go I hate having food inside the car, even snacks let alone a full meal. Hence either will have to start on a full stomach which I hate doing or will as usual stop at a good restaurant with clean restrooms on the way.

[Jeep]

- Will stick to day trips. Anyways the current lockdown relaxation is within England only (but I can't see a place near London that has not been visited). Cornwall is where I wanted to visit but it needs 2 days
- Travelling with 2 kids, so pack all snacks, lunch, water and juice
- Stop for fuel, fill carefully wearing gloves
- Avoid crowded places (beaches are full this week due to bright weather)

Car is in decent condition, as did only about 500 miles after the last service. Had to cancel a Europe trip (Easter holidays)

[advenk999]

I personally believe in the drive over the destination. I'd keep on endlessly driving based on the desired stretch that I wish to cover.
Post the lockdown stage, I do look forward to taking the car out for short day trips and back. The only ideal way is to look out for some isolated picnic spot with family and the spend some quality time with home made meals and snacks. Hotels and restaurants are a no for the timebeing and so are crowded spots.
My personal early morning power drives are sure thing. Hit out my favourite stretch to catch a good sunrise spot and drive back home post the same on Sundays, a bi-monthly ritual that I usually follow.