5 Ways to Do a Social Distancing Trip

"We can literally drive the coach up to the driveway of our guests’ home,” says Mark Wills, Roadies co-owner. “The road trips will be round trips, starting and finishing in the same location, therefore removing a need to fly for those still not comfortable with that."

Private flights

When the pandemic spread across the nation and travelers scrambled to get home ahead of closing borders and shelter-in-place orders, private jet companies saw demand surge. Now, as airlines scramble to ensure their planes are hyper-clean and require passengers to wear masks, private charter companies are positioning themselves as hygienic alternatives.

"Private jets provide the security of not exposing you to groups of people as you walk through TSA and airport terminals,” says Ron Silverman, the chief operating officer of XO, a private aviation company, where basic membership costs $595 a year and allows access to seats on charter flights or to entire charter planes (flight fees additional).

Pricing of private flights depends on distance and plane size. Some private companies have quoted charters at $6,000 per flight hour. On the affordable end, JSX offers short-haul flights from private jet terminals between Arizona, California, Nevada and Washington, starting at $89 each way. The company flies 30-seat planes but currently only offers 20 seats for sale in order to maintain social distancing.

Dispersed resorts

State regulations about essential businesses and stay-at-home orders have kept many resorts closed for now. But when they reopen, those that naturally offer more space and privacy — regardless of a room’s square footage — will look more attractive.

“We’re offering a safer alternative: your own private cabin, fresh air in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and social distancing based on cabin spacing,” says Jamie Mackay, owner of Fireside Resort near Grand Teton National Park, which rents tiny homes with their own firepits (from $150).

To duck the crowds, look for dispersed resorts — cabin compounds, camps or retreats cutting back on their occupancy — offering rooms that are naturally spread out. Wild Rice Retreat in Bayfield, Wisconsin, opens with a few homes this fall, and by next summer will host 19 homes and treehouses on 114 acres on the Lake Superior shore (from $252). Rates will include yoga and classes in the creative arts, such as photography and jewelry-making.