It hasn’t yet been two years since the COVID-19 pandemic turned so much upside-down, but it feels as though it’s been a lot longer. Everyone’s exhausted at this point, of course: community spirit got people through the worst times so far, but it’s so much harder to be resilient as the months drag on and there’s no clear light at the end of the tunnel.

While there isn’t some grand competition about who’s been under the most pressure, it’s surely fair to put mothers near the top of the pack. School closures have made it necessary to attempt home-schooling, while job losses and furloughings have left many households struggling to make ends meet.

There’s some good news, however. Due primarily to widespread vaccination efforts, it’s increasingly viable to take foreign holidays, so you still might be able to get away this year. If you do, though, you need to ensure that you stay safe. Here are some tips to help you manage it:

Get fully insured to protect against financial loss

It’s been possible to visit various countries for quite some time now, but there’s been a lot of confusion about what the requirements are, and you can’t blame people for being confused given how frequently the rules change. You can book a trip a few weeks in advance, then find out the day beforehand that the flights have been postponed indefinitely.

If something like that happens to you, you can end up losing all the money you put towards a hotel stay — and things will be even worse if something goes wrong while you’re away and you need to extend your stay. You should be able to claim some money, but there’s no guarantee that the process will be accessible, and it might not cover everything.

This is where travel insurance becomes essential. Since it’s possible to find affordable travel insurance that covers everything you need without breaking the bank, you don’t need to take it on faith that things won’t be cancelled. You can book a trip and rest assured that you won’t suffer a financial blow if everything goes wrong.

Research the area you’re intending to visit

If you’re a big planner then you’ll do this anyway, but it’s particularly important in pandemic times to learn about the most widely-infected parts of the area you intend to visit. You can then make an effort to steer clear of those parts, keeping to the safer parts with lower infection rates. You should also look into hotel options in case you get stuck there, and plan for the event that restrictions change and you need to leave the country imminently.

Whist it isn’t specific to the pandemic era, it still bears mentioning the need to take basic security precautions. Keep high-value items locked away whenever possible, be aware of people around you when you’re reaching for your wallet, and pay close attention to your kids at all times if they’re with you. Suffering through this tough time hasn’t somehow brought everyone together: don’t make the mistake of assuming that people will be kind.

Take masks and maintain social distancing

Spending time in a new location (having no doubt been vaccinated in advance) won’t somehow mean that you don’t need to worry about COVID-19. Vaccinated people can still contract the virus, and they can still pass it on even if they don’t become severely symptomatic. Also, if you have kids with you, you need to set a good example for life in general.

Take masks with you and use them when appropriate while you’re out and about. Be friendly to locals, but don’t simply forget about social distance. In short, be sensible. Traveling overseas is a risk in itself, so you shouldn’t be taking any further risks. Just do what you can to enjoy your holiday time in a practical way, and you’ll return refreshed.