As more vaccines meet more arms, many people are taking the first tentative steps back to vacation planning. Possibilities abound for a post-pandemic vacation, even for would-be travelers who don’t feel quite ready to plunge back into close quarters and shared airspace. Hotels, tour companies and other travel providers are crafting bubble travel options for people seeking a vacation experience while limiting contact outside their immediate group.
Though no vacation offers an airtight bubble – the point of travel, after all, is to experience the world – keeping within a trusted group while in transit, dining and where you stay can reduce stress and risk. These so-called bubble trips provide another bonus: the chance to reconnect with friends and family after extended separations.
Book a private tour for your bubble
Once outside the realm of financial possibility for most travelers, private tours are making their way into the mainstream – at least for now. Prices are still higher than equivalent larger-group tours, but there’s a way to balance out the bump in cost: Build your own tour group. Bubble up with a few families, close friends or couples, or extend your bubble to include multiple generations of family. Match your group to a tour, and you’ll get your own itinerary, tour director, transportation and private trip.
When you take the private tour path back to travel, you’ll have plenty of choices. Adventures by Disney debuted its Private Adventures. Groups of up to 12 people can book itineraries in Costa Rica, Egypt, Greece, Italy and Peru – some of the most popular itineraries the company offers – with travel dates starting in April. There’s no age minimum (except for the Peru trip), and you can choose your own travel dates. Best of all, on a private tour, your group gets more dedicated time with the local Private Adventure guide. That means more immersive storytelling, which families say lends a special and authentic connection to the destination.
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Adventure tour operator G Adventures unveiled its Book Your Bubble Collection, consisting of 80 private tours that offer the same benefits of a small group trip – including in-depth itineraries, accommodations and local guides. This collection of private tours has flexible booking conditions and discounted tours for trip organizers. The eighth spot is 50% off, the 12th spot is complimentary, and discounts can be spread across individuals, making the tours even more affordable.
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In 2018, Globus launched Private Touring, and more recently, its sister brand Cosmos joined in with private tours, too. Both brands offer a private option on all their European itineraries. Structured for groups ranging from two to 24 (though in the time of the bubble, less is more), private tours come with private transportation and driver, tour director, professional local guides and the chance to move at the pace you choose.
Sustainable tour operator Intrepid Travel, best known for its small group trips around the globe, isn’t new to the private tour game. Its Tailor-Made tours have long been popular with families and groups who want to travel together on an entirely private and customizable adventure. Matt Berna, Intrepid Travel’s managing director in North America, says that in the past year, “our Tailor-Made product has become more popular as exploring within your ‘bubble’ is increasingly interesting to groups of travelers.” Intrepid saw a 41% bump month over month in the last three months of 2020, a trend that looks likely to continue.
Even if you’re not ready to commit to a private tour, there are plenty of creative ways to vacation with your bubble. Outdoors-focused accommodations, inns and B&Bs, luxury properties and vacation rentals are often well-suited to cater safely to bubble groups.
Social distancing at national and state parks
National and state parks offer a fresh-air backdrop for families and groups looking for inspiring nature and the built-in safety of social distancing outdoors. In addition to the famous national park lodges, many parks offer private, rustic cabins that not only help to accommodate budget-conscious vacationers but also offer isolation and social distancing to keep families safe.
With a prime location next to Grand Teton National Forest, Yellowstone National Park and Bridger Teton National Forest, Togwotee Mountain Lodge has 54 rustic cabins with kitchenettes. In Washington’s Olympic National Park and Forest, Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort has 32 cabins, access to natural hot springs and plenty of room for safe social distancing. In Shenandoah National Park, Skyland, Big Meadows Lodge and Lewis Mountain Cabins all offer individual cabin accommodations.
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Happily for those who prefer comfort over roughing it, rustic is not the only option. Just outside Yosemite National Park, Rush Creek Lodge’s accommodations include standalone cabins and villas with hundreds of acres of open space to let everyone spread out. Even better, the lodge’s Rush Creek Spa offers takeovers of its Yosemite-inspired experiential spa. Couples or groups can reserve the spa – which features a granite waterfall hot tub, cool mist showers, a Himalayan salt sauna and warm river rock immersion beds – for private use.
Camping and RV
If affordability and flexibility are at the top of your bubble-trip wish list, camping or RV travel might be the perfect fit. Ashley Rossi, managing editor of Togo RV, says, “Traveling with your travel bubble to a campground is one of the easiest ways to follow social distancing and maximize your time outside – you can avoid indoor dining, bring everything you need with you, socialize comfortably outdoors and get direct access to hiking trails and other outdoor activities.” Camping doesn’t have to mean sleeping on the ground, either.
“So many campgrounds now offer cabins and other glamping experiences,” Rossi says, noting that if you’ve never tried RV travel, this might be the year to give it a go. “Traveling by RV gives you your own space and bathroom, and it’s easier than ever to rent an RV with platforms like RVshare and Outdoorsy.”
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Luxury stays
Privacy has long been a standard offering at luxury properties. What was once a draw for celebrities looking to unwind in peace is a perk for bubble groups looking to vacation sans crowds. The picture-perfect Grenadines is home to the private island resort of Petit St. Vincent. There, you can take bubble-ready tropical distancing to the next level with a stay at the resort’s PSV Peninsula, a small collection of one- and two-bedroom cottages on a secluded part of the island. Groups can book up to four cottages, and with all-inclusive amenities and two acres of Caribbean bliss per person, a stay feels both pampered and private.
In south central Alaska, Tutka Bay Lodge on the Kachemak Bay and Winterlake Lodge at the entrance to the Alaska Range offer remote wilderness luxury and plenty of room for your group. These small lodges are by their very nature socially distant. Guests can choose additional measures such as having their meals in-room and opting for “refresh packages” instead of housekeeping.
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Cabo San Lucas calls, and The Cape answers. The boutique luxury hotel on the Sea of Cortez offers its A Villa State of Mind package as the answer to families and small groups who want a week-or-longer stay. Multi-bedroom villas come equipped with kitchens, large outdoor patios with hanging daybeds, washers and dryers and ocean views for miles. Other villa options include private plunge pools, outdoor BBQs and direct beach access. The package bundles a villa stay with high-speed Wi-Fi, daily breakfast, a personal concierge and private cooking classes.
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