Christmas
So safe – or not – are travel options
Rail travel should be an adventure during the holidays
© hanohiki / Shutterstock.com
"Driving Home for Christmas" will also be a special challenge within Germany in the Corona year. You have these options.
Christmas is saved – in theory. After the announcement by the federal government that it would loosen the corona restrictions over Christmas and New Year's Eve in almost all federal states, meetings "in the closest family or friendship crisis" are possible for up to ten people. Before the big meeting on Christmas Eve, it would be advisable to avoid all contact as much as possible, which makes traveling to the family in particular the greatest challenge.
Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn has announced that it will operate a total of 100 special trains between December 18 and 27, including 15 new ICEs, which will provide 13,000 additional seats. There is also a new reservation system: As a rule, only window seats can be reserved, the aisle seat is blocked. You can only reserve seats diagonally opposite at the tables.
But the railway is apparently relying on personal responsibility: There is no reservation requirement. "Our customers should continue to have the opportunity to spontaneously board every train," writes Deutsche Bahn on its website. So it is quite possible that on busy days such as public holidays, two strangers sit next to each other – even if only a maximum of 60 percent of the seats are available for a reservation.
The railway has also announced that it will double the mask controls on trains, with "security teams" to travel in almost half of the trains to inform passengers of the mask requirement. This should be kept for the entire journey.
Flixbus
Flixbus could provide a little more relaxation on the trains: The bus company, which had temporarily suspended its trips at the beginning of November due to the corona contact restrictions, announced that it would resume operations for the Christmas season. In Germany, 150 destinations are to be approached from December 17th to January 11th. Flixbus writes about the hygiene concept: "It is compulsory to wear mouth and nose protection, the buses are regularly cleaned, disinfected and continuously supplied with fresh air." Check-in should also be contactless, and guests are also asked to use hand disinfectants provided.
To fly
According to a Harvard study, traveling by plane is less dangerous than shopping in the supermarket when it comes to contracting the coronavirus. This is due to the many safety precautions that are taken: mask requirement, regular disinfection and, above all, the air filters in the aircraft create safety despite tightness, according to the study. Airlines such as Lufthansa or Eurowings also have the option of "buying" the middle seat for a surcharge so that it remains free. At Eurowings, this costs 18 euros. Since November 12, Lufthansa has also been offering its passengers free quick tests on individual flights between Munich and Hamburg.
automobile
The safest way to visit family or friends over the holidays is to have your own car. If you don't have one, you can rely on car sharing or rental offers. Here, too, the providers have increased hygiene standards since the corona pandemic. For example, "Sixt" promises that every car goes through "a multi-stage cleaning process" based on the recommendations of the WHO. At the request of the ADAC, the car sharing provider "Stadtmobil" stated that the "cleaning intervals" were being shortened. "Car2go" and "ShareNow" also inform on their website that they have been disinfecting their cars four times more often than usual since April.
Conclusion
Travel is a risk factor these days. Whether train, train, bus or rest stops on the motorway – all travel hubs will be more frequented during the Christmas holidays. The basic requirements for the safest possible travel are therefore always: wearing a mask, washing your hands and keeping your distance wherever possible.