How Will Relaxed COVID Guidelines Affect Your Next Trip?

Reduced isolation periods and other changes to CDC recommendations make it less likely your trip will be disrupted.
Sally French
By Sally French 
Updated
Edited by Meghan Coyle

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.

MORE LIKE THISTravel

About two and a half years into the pandemic, you might be wearing masks less often and traveling more often than you did last year. Most countries have lifted the restrictions that prevented international travel.

In an August brief, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the pandemic has moved into “a different phase,” pointing to lower disease severity. The CDC also released newly relaxed guidelines that may have a big impact on how people think about the health risks related to travel.

“There is generally less risk of severe illness as a result of COVID-19 due to the resources we have available to reduce symptoms, like vaccinations, medications, and boosters,” says Dr. Janice Johnston, chief medical officer and co-founder of Redirect Health, a healthcare solutions platform.

So does that mean you can go back to traveling like you used to, with no worries about COVID-19? Only you can assess your risk tolerance, and it likely depends on your pre-existing conditions and the nature of your trip.

What the CDC guidelines say now

The CDC updated its guidelines regarding COVID-19 in August. Among the biggest changes:

  • Eliminating quarantining after exposure: The CDC no longer recommends that you quarantine if you’ve been exposed to someone who tests positive for COVID-19, even if you’re unvaccinated.

  • Reducing isolation periods: If you test positive, the CDC says it’s safe for you to end isolation after five days (even if you still test positive), as long as you’ve been fever-free for at least 24 hours and symptoms are improving. Mask-wearing is still recommended through day 10.

Reduced isolation periods — as well as the end of quarantine recommendations for people who have been exposed to COVID-19 — make it less likely that you’d have to cancel a planned trip just because your coworker got sick the day before your departure.

It also cuts back on the likelihood that you’ll have to cancel a trip if you catch COVID–19 a couple of weeks before you leave.

How to think about international travel

In June, the CDC rescinded the requirement for travelers to show a negative COVID-19 test or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 to board any U.S-bound aircraft from a foreign country.

That said, all non-immigrant, non-U.S. citizen air travelers are still required to be fully vaccinated — with proof — prior to boarding an airplane to the U.S.

Sure, there is still some risk of being exposed to COVID-19 abroad. But if you do test positive in a foreign country, the reduction of the 10-day isolation period to five also cuts down on the extra time you may need to spend in isolation abroad.

While you shouldn’t jump on an airplane if you have symptoms or know you're positive, you don't have to take a COVID test simply to board. Previous testing requirements were complicated and expensive. Some travelers reported paying $1,000 for COVID-19 tests so their families could travel internationally. Travelers who tested positive while abroad documented the stress of finding lodging and rebooking flights last minute.

Accept that anything can change — and have a plan if it does

If the past couple of years taught us anything, it’s that flexibility is king. Some cities have encouraged people to mask up again. Borders have reopened, but they could close again if another pandemic necessitated it. The state of the COVID-19 pandemic today might be different by the time your trip rolls around — and rules and recommendations might be different too.

Given the ongoing uncertainty of travel, it can be wise to purchase travel insurance. Policies typically cover illness and injury, so if you test positive for COVID-19 and can no longer travel (or need to extend a trip you’re already on to isolate), your insurer can cover those costs. And you might not even need to pay for travel insurance. Many premium travel credit cards include trip insurance as a benefit for trips paid for on that card.

And while you can take steps to mitigate personal risk, travel still may not be for everyone.

“People should not be afraid to return to pre-pandemic travel practices, though masks can always be worn in crowded spaces, and those who are significantly immunocompromised should consult with their physicians before travel,” says Dr. Joseph Kerby Gray, an emergency medicine resident in Chattanooga, Tennessee. “The vast majority of people are safe to travel as they were during pre-pandemic times, especially if they are vaccinated.”


How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024, including those best for:

Travel Cards from Our Partners
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card

on Chase's website

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
5.0
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

1x-5x

5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

Points

Intro offer

60,000

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

Points
Chase Freedom Unlimited Credit Card

on Chase's website

Chase Freedom Unlimited®
5.0
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

1.5%-6.5%

Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Cashback

Intro offer

$300

Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

on Capital One's website

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
4.7
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

2x-5x

Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

Miles

Intro offer

75,000

Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

Miles
See more travel cards
Get more smart money moves – straight to your inbox
Sign up and we’ll send you Nerdy articles about the money topics that matter most to you along with other ways to help you get more from your money.