Eating on the Road: Staying Safe While Traveling During a Pandemic

Wash your hands. Don’t touch your face. Wear a mask. Keep your distance.

All of these pieces of advice have become the norm in the post-COVID19 environment. As we all navigate this new landscape (and accept the fact that we likely will be for some time), eating – most notably eating out – has become an onslaught of safety protocols and “should-you or shouldn’t-you” anxiety. While we’ve all more or less adjusted at home (sourdough, anyone?), late summer and cabin fever have inspired many to take to the roads and still sneak in a little bit of summer vacation. Whether you’re traveling for fun or necessity (life does, it turns out, go on, and travel sometimes becomes necessary for various reasons), here are a few tips to eating safely while you’re away from home.

Stock the Car

While road tripping, make sure your car is stocked with all the food and drink necessities to minimize the need to go inside any restaurants or gas stations along the way.

Utilize Vacation Rentals Over Hotels

One thing vacation rentals have, aside from being all the rage even before COVID, is a kitchen. Going grocery shopping is a lower risk activity than sitting in a restaurant. You can also bring your own food, or hire a personal chef while traveling at your destination to drop off prepared meals if cooking on vacation doesn’t sound like fun for you. We’re more than happy to put together a week’s worth of meals for clients to take with them on vacation. (Just stack them in a cooler!) We’re also happy to accommodate visitors to our area in Wilmington!

Go Camping

Outdoor spaces have become notoriously “safe” because it’s easier to keep physical distance and the virus is less likely to stick around if someone is contagious. With camping, you’re also inherently more or less packing and cooking your own food. We even provide grill packs to our clients that are short on prep time before leaving.

Stick to Drive-Through, Delivery and Takeaway

Eating the local cuisine is typically half the fun of traveling! We suggest sticking to restaurants offering drive-through or takeaway or even utilizing delivery apps. If for some reason you do end up dining in, be sure to follow all safety protocols and look for restaurants that do so as well. Look for outdoor seating and ample space between tables in an indoor environment.

In-Flight

If you’re flying, don’t expect the slender little cart to breeze by. Many flights have reduced services (particularly in the coach cabin) to a bottle of water and a bag of cookies. We suggest making sure you’ve eaten before your flight to limit having to take your mask off at all in-flight. If you can’t go that long or are traveling with children, be sure to bring your own snacks. It’s also worth noting that many airlines have suspended the sale of in-flight alcohol. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do about this one. Otherwise, wash your hands. Don’t touch your face. Wear a mask…

Whether you’re traveling from Delaware or to Delaware, give us a call. We can set you up with car snacks, grill packs or even prepared meals for your late summer vacation! If you’re looking for a local place to getaway – check out the Fairville Inn! Their spacious dining room is limited to guests only – so no crowded restaurants! Breakfast is crafted by Chef Bianca, and we’ll even cook you a private dinner upon request. Travel safe!