Traveling Internationally During Covid

Traveling internationally can be a process, more so with 3 kids in tow. On top of that, we decided to do it during a pandemic. I know, some may call us crazy, but we are vaccinated and went with the kids grandparents who are also vaccinated, and we haven’t seen in a very long time. You have to jump through some hoops but it’s so worth it, in my opinion. Let’s get started!

We recently traveled to Sint Maartin with family. Both of my in laws were fully vaccinated and Brian and I had had our first dose. The covid protocol added another step in the travel process. Each country is different but Sint Maartin required a negative covid test 120 hours before arrival. We stayed at the Royal Islander on the Dutch side. They took our temps when we arrived and were told masks were needed in the lobby only. We chose to wear them anytime we were in contact with other people.

The resort has a great restaurant that serves all 3 meals. The pool deck is next to the beach and the service is great. We did venture into the town of Philipsburg one day. They have an open market with lots of affordable hand made goods. Everyone was masked. Some stores took temps upon entering.

We were there for 7 days. The US required a negative test 48 hrs before our return. That was easy, as we registered at the hotel next to us, set up our appts for the next day, and after we had our tests (done across the street from the hotel), the results were back a few hours later and delivered to our hotel! It was the easiest part of covid related requirements.

The only part of our trip that made me a little uncomfortable was the catamaran trip. My in laws booked us a boat trip for the day without realizing it was booked to capacity. There were 15 of us on board, no one wore a mask. I literally kept to myself the whole time. If you have a chance to get out on the water during a tropical vacation, I highly recommend it.

The last, and most favorite thing we did was visit SXM Paws. It is a dog rescue organization that 2 of our pups came from. We volunteered there for the day, you can check out that post HERE!

Overall, it was a little bit of a process getting there but was smooth sailing from then on. I wouldn’t let the extra steps hold you back from traveling. Also, it seems like we are moving in the right direction pretty quickly to get back to “normal”. As always, if you have any questions or comments, leave them in the box below! I also have a post with all my resort looks for the week that you can check out HERE. Here’s to resuming vacations in 2021!