8 Heartwarming Travel Stories of Hope, Love and Life during the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020
The novel coronavirus pandemic overturned travel plans around the world, especially for the avid travelers that got stuck or confined within United States or Europe or in countries across Americas and Australia. From these 2020 travel stories emerged some of my most favorite stories filled with emotions that touch the heart. In this article, read heartwarming travel stories of love, separation, pain, hope, and joy from the days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read how people around the world innovated their way to making 2020 their most memorable yet.
This 2-mom family from the US was heading out to travel the world for a year in January 2020 when everything changed. So they created a new home in Mexico and made it their mission to bring joy the kids in the community. What an incredible way to travel during 2020!
Corritta’s travel story of 2020 is proof that “travel is the one of the few things you can buy that makes you richer“.
A 2-mom family with toddler brought joy to 200 kids on their slow travel in Mexico
by Corritta from Playa Del Carmen, Mexico
Where is your home base?
Although we technically do not have a home base we are currently living in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. In January of 2020 we left San Diego, CA to travel the world for a year.
Where were you planning to travel in 2020?
We had plans to travel to Washington DC, Philadelphia, Costa Rica, Mexico City, Cancun, Dallas, Seattle, Shanghai, Nanning, Singapore, and Malaysia.
Those are a lot of places! How did you cancel all the travel plans when COVID travel restrictions started?
Since we couldn’t travel internationally like we planned, we took a 3-week road trip through six states that lead us to move to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico with a toddler.
As you can see we had a very extensive travel itinerary that took over 4 months to plan and two years to save for. Everything was had planned was cancelled, and lucky for us we were able to recover 95% of the money we paid. As you could imagine it was a difficult decision to move to another country, during a pandemic. This was the best decision or our family, due to the financial constraints the pandemic placed on us. Who would have thought this decision would lead us to be adopted by an entire neighborhood.
How did you manage to create a home and shelter-in-place for the 2020 pandemic?
After almost two months in Playa Del Carmen, we moved to a new apartment in a local neighborhood. We wanted to be in an area with locals, to truly live in Mexico. We started taking walks around the neighborhood and got to know a lot of our neighbors. Although we don’t speak Spanish that well, we were able to communicate and they welcomed our son. Every time we passed by a house or store they stopped us to talk to our 2-year-old son, and offered him a sweet treat or snack.
How did you make 2020 special for your family and your neighborhood?
With the bond we were created in the neighborhood, we decided to do what we could to help the kids during this difficult time. This led us to purchasing and donating almost 200 toys, so each kid in our neighborhood received at least 2 toys for Christmas. We purchased everything from diapers to dolls for the kids to play with. After the holidays the community embraced us even further, which to us is heartwarming. We initially came to Playa Del Carmen because the financial impact that the pandemic was having on our family, and within 4 months we had been embraced by a community.
As a two-mom family, and two black women with a biracial son this is huge. We came here to wait to start our family gap year, and it turned into a labor of love for the community and the kids in it. Now we have set up a donation drive that provides the kids with clothes, food, and personal hygiene items. The saying “travel is the one of the few things you buy that make you richer”, is more true than I’ve ever imagined.
What is your travel blog? My blog is called It’s a Family Thing.
Where can we find you on social media? You can find me on Instagram: @_itzafamilything_.
Being stuck in a foreign land during the pandemic outbreak can be nerve-wracking. But 2020 brought much more with canceled flights, closing borders, and confusing travel advisories! Alissa from San Francisco was about to be stuck in Sudan, away from her husband – for who knows how long. She put her creativity and resourcefulness to work and got home just in time.
Coming home from Sudan, just in time
By Alissa Bell from San Francisco, California
Where were you planning to travel in 2020?
My hope was to do a several month bicycle ride through northern Africa and perhaps Ethiopia, then return home and plan another international trip with my husband over the summer.
Where were you traveling before the 2020 pandemic shutdowns? How did Africa perceive the coronavirus in early 2020?
In early 2020, while much of the world was still in denial about Coronavirus, I was riding my bicycle through Egypt and Sudan. I pedaled past ancient temples, practiced terrible Arabic with friendly locals, and sweated in the desert heat.
Back then we didn’t know much about the virus. Sudanese people joked that it could never survive in the Sahara Desert, and the entire continent of Africa had yet to record its first case. Though my husband at home in California was starting to worry, in rural Sudan everything was business as usual.
By early March things were changing quickly. Outbreaks were reported in Egypt not far from where I had been, and some countries had restricted international flights.
How did you get out of Sudan before the lockdown?
I met German archaeologists working at some of Sudan’s famous archaeological sites, and we drank tea in the evening while they strategized about how to get out of Sudan. I realized it was time to go home, and fast.
My archaeologist friend drove us into Khartoum. The police at the checkpoints were wearing masks for the first time. I booked a flight for the following day and packed my bicycle in scavenged cardboard scraps while anxiously checking the news.
The small Khartoum airport was chaotic as expatriates, travelers, and locals waited anxiously outside the doors, half expecting the flight to be canceled. We pressed close together, no one wearing masks; back then the CDC was saying masks weren’t helpful, and no one had them anyway. It was a relief to finally board the packed plane to Istanbul airport, and then the long haul leg to San Francisco. I went through a lot of hand sanitizer on the flights and in the airports.
When the wheels touched down in San Francisco I received two texts: one from my husband saying our region had just imposed stay-at-home orders, and one from a friend in Khartoum saying all future flights from Sudan had been canceled!
My husband picked me up, but despite being away for months we didn’t hug until I had showered and changed clothes, and I mostly stayed in a spare room for several days just in case.
Though I was sad to have cut my trip short, I was thankful to have made it home by such a small margin even as other travelers became stranded around the world. With the trip over it was time to face the new challenge of navigating the pandemic in America.
What is your travel blog? My blog is called Exploring Wild.
Where can we find you on social media? You can find me on Facebook: @exploringwild.
In early 2020, the entire country and the world was watching in utter shock as New York City was hit by the coronavirus. NYC was hit hard! The news was filled with images of dead bodies, hospitals and morgues overflowing. The medical community didn’t really knew what to do when the novel coronavirus struck. There was much research still in progress.
Everyone was told to shelter-in-place, in the confines of their homes. Imagine what it would be like to live in tiny New York apartment with a family of 5 and then the baby arrived, making it 6! Everyone working and schooling from a one bedroom apartment in new York City!
The only way out was to leave the city and head somewhere that offered space. But how do you leave New York City at the height of the pandemic with the many travel restrictions and many unknowns? Read on to find out more.
Giving birth and living in a tiny apartment in New York City forces a family to move
By Daphna Bar from Austin, Texas
Where is your home base?
My home base is New York City, USA
Where were you planning to travel in 2020?
We hadn’t yet made travel plans for the summer, but we usually travel internationally to visit family.
How were you and your friends coping with the COVID-19 pandemic with the restrictions in NYC?
When the coronavirus pandemic completely shut down New York City, many of our friends left to stay in vacation homes or with family in other parts of the country. We, however, were expecting a baby, so our family of five hunkered down in our converted one-bedroom apartment.
A few weeks after the baby was born the situation was untenable – even going out for fresh air was nearly impossible as the sidewalks were crowded with people. We made a quick decision to relocate to Texas for the duration of the pandemic, where even if things remained shut down we would be living in a house with a backyard where the kids could play.
How did you relocate and travel from New York to Texas during 2020 pandemic?
We embarked on a road trip with a two-month-old baby, and three older kids. Driving was limited to about four hours of road time, with frequent stops for feeding the baby. We stayed on the outskirts of major cities.
Practically all of the hotels were empty with very few other guests, and in some, we were even able to enjoy the pool all to ourselves! We got into a routine of Zoom school and work in the mornings, and driving in the late afternoons. After almost two weeks, we finally made it to Texas!
What is your travel blog? My blog is called A Tiny Trip.
Where can we find you on social media? You can find me on Instagram @atinytrip.
Canceling all travel plans and working from home is not something most humans are wired to do. Also not all homes are designed for entire families working from home. But we stuck it through and sheltered-in-place.
A few travelers decided to take work on the road in Australia or move to a secluded cabin in the UK or head to the mountains. Rachita traveled with all COVID-19 precautions up to the mountains of Himachal and enjoyed them in peace and tranquillity, all to herself.
A Delhite’s temporary relocation to the mountains of Himachal
By Rachita Saxena from Delhi, India
Where were you planning to travel in 2020?
I live in Delhi, India, and in 2020, I was planning to travel to lots of places such as Singapore, Sri Lanka, Kashmir, Ladakh, etc. However, due to the pandemic, I couldn’t take these trips anymore and had to spend the majority of the year inside my home during the lockdown. My trips from May to December were affected completely and I had to spend a large chunk of my time just getting refunds for those tickets.
How did you respond to your travel plan cancelations? Did you travel elsewhere during the covid-19 pandemic?
I didn’t let the travel cancellation deter me and when the lockdown was lifted and Indian states started opening their border for tourists, I planned my trips again. I started with Himachal and stayed in Manali for 2 months, working from the mountains and exploring the nearby places. From Manali, I went to Lahaul, Chandratal Lake, Kasol, Rohtang Pass, and completed several treks as well such as Beas Kund, Hampta Pass, Chanderkhani Pass, etc.
Although reaching Himachal was a task since the lockdown had just lifted and there were a lot of restrictions in place plus there was no public transportation available but somehow I made it through. I booked a cab and avoided my outside contact to minimize the risk of catching Covid. Moreover, since most people were staying home at the time, I could enjoy Chandratal, Rohtang Pass, and other places in a quiet and secluded manner with barely anyone around.
Overall, this year wasn’t how I expected it to be in terms of travel but I did get to experience Himachal in a way I never imagined it to be since there was no tourist or crowd here to tarnish the beauty of the place.
What safety measures did you take in your travels during the coronavirus pandemic?
Before the trip, I took a Covid Test to ensure that I am negative so that I don’t end up spreading it around. In Manali, I would mostly travel in a car so the contact with the outside world was minimal, and I also wore a mask and used sanitizer throughout the day.
What is your travel blog? My Travel Blog is Meander Wander.
Where can we find you on social media? You can find me on Instagram: @meanderwander.
Navigating immigration and visa processes is hard at any time. But when COVID-19 shelter-in-place started, embassy staff were sent home and things came to a grinding halt. All the added confusion was extremely stressful to say the least. Travel and immigration documents got stuck for months and people were left in limbo. Read Stephanie’s story to learn all about her challenges of immigrating from US to Spain during the pandemic.
The ordeal of getting immigration visa from the US to Spain
By Stephanie Montagie from Rota, Spain.
Where is your home base?
It just became Rota, Spain as of December 2020. Before that, we hadn’t had one since we left Fukuoka, Japan in February 2019.
Where were you planning to travel in 2020?
We were planning to apply for a Spain Non-Lucrative visa with the goal of moving to Spain in mid-September.
How was your visa experience for Spain in 2020?
We returned to the U.S from Spain at the end of February 2020. We had spent nearly 3 months in Rota to confirm that we wanted it to be our next home base, and we were hoping to move there as residents in the early fall. We knew that the visa application process would take several months, but we figured we could travel within the U.S. or even abroad while we waited.
Within weeks, it became apparent that COVID was not going away anytime soon, and we hunkered down in Washington State. Our plan was to gather our visa application materials and have everything ready when the Spanish consulate in San Francisco began accepting appointments again after closing due to COVID.
As we watched the COVID situation in Spain and around the world worsen, we questioned whether it was the right decision to pursue our visa this year. But we decided to continue with the process and see what happened.
A positive outcome from COVID was that the San Francisco consulate changed their visa application procedure to eliminate in-person appointments and the requirement to pick up the visas in person. So, instead of having to make two trips to San Francisco, we were able to do everything by mail.
When you finally got the visa, how did you travel to Spain with the COVID-19 restrictions?
We received our visas in mid-November, and the next hurdle was figuring out how we could meet Spain’s requirement to have a COVID PCR test less than 72 hours before arriving in the country. It was extremely difficult to find a testing facility that would guarantee results within that time frame. We found one in Miami, which was also one of the few U.S. cities that still had direct flights to Spain.
From there, everything was last minute. We booked our flights from Miami to Spain for less than a week in advance. We flew into Miami, had our tests done on a Friday morning, and received the results around 5 p.m. on Saturday. Our flight was less than 6 hours later!
After a very long visa process and a hectic few weeks of logistical planning, we are thrilled to be residents of Spain less than 3 months later than originally planned!
What’s your travel blog? I write at Poppin’ Smoke.
Where can we find you on social media? You can find me on Instagram: @Poppinsmoke_militarytravel.
COVID-19 was the hardest for families living across multiple continents. With different rules in each country, and those too changing by the minute, and fewer flights meant longer wait times to meet loved ones.
I can only imagine Mayuri’s situation. She and her husband were stuck across the globe, with no way to see each other for months while worrying to no end. Read all about their 2020 travel story of love, pain of separation and final unification. This is another travel story where Facebook came to the rescue in unifying families stuck in different countries.
Heartbreaking separation of a couple and nerve-wrecking travel from India to the USA
By Mayuri Patel from West Virginia
Where is your home base?
My home base is in Surat, Gujarat in India
Where were you planning to travel in 2020?
I was planning to travel to West Virginia to meet my husband who is based in Martinsburg, West Virginia. He moved to the USA in June 2019 and I have a full-time job in India so we were temporary long-distance relationship.
I had planned to meet him in March 2020 so we could spend some time together in the USA and Mexico. We were looking forward to exploring North America.
What was your experience of traveling from India to West Virginia in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic?
Just one week before my travel day, India announced a countrywide lockdown to curb the spread of the novel Coronavirus. It has been almost a year since I had seen my husband. In 2020 international travel was halted and hundreds of thousands of People were separated from their families and spouses. I was one of them. I was worried about my husband as Covid-19 cases were increasing in the USA. I spent 4 months at home, worrying about him with the rising COVID cases in the US.
Once the Indian Government decided to operate repatriation flights, I decided to travel all the way to the USA. I researched through Facebook groups on how to book the tickets for the USA, documentation needed, and other related things.
There were so many people who wanted to reunite with their family that tickets were sold out within a few hours of opening! But I got lucky and booked my tickets for July 2020, just before a week of my travel!
I was anxious to travel during the peak of the Pandemic but I desperately wanted to meet my husband.
I took all the safety precautions for safe air travel during the Pandemic, like wearing a mask, Gloves, and took care not to touch many surfaces!
How did you meet and travel within the US while still in the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic?
Once I reached the USA and met my husband, all my fatigue of the tiring 42 hours journey from India to the USA vanished! We were extremely careful and did our COVID test after a few days. I tested negative and we were all set to explore nearby places where we live in West Virginia.
We visited Washington DC, went apple picking, visited sunflower fields, and had picnics by the lakes while maintaining social distance! We visited our first National Park in the USA together. Overall, I enjoyed this memorable journey which I will remember for a lifetime.
What is your travel blog? My travel website is Fernwehrahee.
Where can we find you on social media? You can find me on Instagram at @fernwehrahee.
News channels talked about shutdowns and layoffs in theme parks around the world. Disney quickly responded with new protocols and welcomed guests back in mid July. But not many ventured to Disney theme parks. Lisa’s family tried it once. They loved it and visited Disney World Florida every month for the rest of 2020. Disney made them feel safe from the coronavirus, while keeping the Disney magic alive.
Disney World visits with COVID-19 safety – every month
by Lisa Shehan from Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Where were you planning to travel in 2020?
I had big travel plans. I had planned to visit Alaska, Vietnam, Disney, Las Vegas, and Hawaii in 2020.
What was it like to visit Disney World during the Pandemic?
Disney World was one of the many places that saw major adjustments after the world was introduced to COVID-19.
The 4 Disney theme parks in Florida were closed from March to mid-July. When it reopened in July, my family and I were lucky enough to visit Disney World every remaining month of 2020.
Each trip to Disney made me feel safe and protected from COVID-19. Disney implemented strict covid safety measures which I am very thankful for. This includes mandatory temperature checks, masks, 6 feet social distancing, and sanitizing the rides. To elaborate further, Disney placed 6 feet social distancing markers in each line for rides and food and strictly enforced social distancing throughout the park. With limited number of people allowed in the parks, the crowds were manageable and easily avoidable.
Some attractions were closed in order to maintain social distancing (like shows and a few attractions) but there was still plenty to do in the parks. With less people allowed in the parks, there were less lines and waits for each ride!
Some people were worried that these extra precautions would take away from the Disney Magic, but instead, I felt like it reinvented Disney magic. Feeling safe in a pandemic is very important to me, and knowing that Disney was taking coronavirus safety measures seriously made my family and I feel at ease as we enjoyed our time in the parks. Of course, we were always alert and frequently used hand sanitizer and only did things where we felt safe. I wrote about my entire experience visiting Disney World post-COVID-19 here.
What is your travel blog? My blog is called Wanderlust with Lisa.
Where can we find you on social media? You can find me on Instagram.
We hear 2020 travel stories of people that got stuck under martial law, or opted to get stuck in Peru or decided to be isolated on remote islands. Some travelers chose to escape back home in time and make 2020 about local travels in Europe or head to the great outdoors in the US. Victoria chose to return to Europe before Australia to Europe travel could be halted. In Europe she made memories for a lifetime.
Just in time exit from Australia for 2-month camping trip through Europe without crowds
By Victoria Heinz from Perth, Australia
Where were you planning to travel in 2020?
My home is Germany and I attend university in Scotland. I was living in Perth, Australia, and was planning to go to Bali and stay there until September before returning to Scotland
What is your 2020 travel story during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Like many people, my 2020 did not go as planned. At the beginning of the year, I was living in Perth, Australia with plans to stay there for at least 4 months before moving on to Bali in time for the Australian winter. Unfortunately, I never made it that far and ended up having to leave Perth quite spontaneously to return home to Germany in early April.
At the time no one really knew how bad the situation with the pandemic was going to get and I did not want to risk being stuck in Australia with no real way of getting home. It was not an easy decision but in the end, I decided it was for the better to abandon my plans and just get home.
Looking back on it now I think I made the right call and still managed to make the best out of the year. When the European borders started opening up in June I decided to take the opportunity to go on a two-month camping road-trip through France, Spain and Portugal.
This is something I probably would have never done if it weren’t for COVID and I am so grateful I got to see more of these incredible countries. We all want to travel to faraway places but sometimes we forget to appreciate what’s on our doorstep.
I got very lucky with the timing as restrictions were starting to lift and camping wasn’t an issue. Most places were actually pretty empty with few other tourists which made staying safe a lot easier. Although this year had its ups and downs I am still fortunate enough to have had incredible experiences even if it didn’t go as planned.
What is your travel blog? My blog is called Guide Your Travel.
Where can we find you on social media? You can find me on Instagram at @guideyourtravel.
More Travel Stories from 2020
Travel stories from the 2020 pandemic were epic! Travel stories this year were so dramatic that every other year pales in comparison. I’ve curated a few collection of short stories for your leisure reading. You’ll surely enjoy them and please do share with others.
- COVID-19 safety precaution when traveling during the pandemic
- Stories of travelers stranded during coronavirus lockdowns
- Travels Stories from Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Travels Stories from USA during COVID-19 pandemic
- Travel stories from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean
- 30 things that will happen in San Francisco when shelter-in-place is lifted
Lisa
January 18, 2021 @ 8:41 am
Really love all the different places people were able to experience! Thanks for sharing!
Nat
January 23, 2021 @ 2:04 am
There are some truly inspiring stories here. Great to hear some nice things in 2020.
Hannah
January 23, 2021 @ 9:53 am
What incredible stories! It’s inspiring to hear the stories of the people who have struggled with travel due to the pandemic. We were fortunate because even though our future travels we canceled, we were at home as the world went into lockdown. I can’t imagine how terrifying it must have been for some of these people facing the prospect of not getting home! Thank you all for sharing your stories!
Krista
January 23, 2021 @ 10:05 am
It’s so interesting to read about the different experiences of people during the pandemic. Thank you for sharing all of them!
Rachel - Rays of Adventure
January 23, 2021 @ 10:06 am
Thanks for sharing, I really enjoyed reading these stories. 2020 was a difficult year but it’s nice to read some positives.