(CNN) – After nearly three months of quarantine, millions of Americans are ready to travel – overnight trips, weekend getaways, summer vacations. By reopening the country, it’s now possible, with a warning. Before coronavirus, some people might think twice about staying in hotel rooms, rented houses or cabins in the woods. But now, we must take into account the potential for coronavirus exposure. Even if you agree with the risks of travel that take you to your destination – plane, train or car – what about the risk of the destination itself?

We are both exposure scientists. One of us felt comfortable booking a “contactless” stay; others are still unsure whether to travel overnight in the near future. But we agreed on two things: Today’s journey carries increased risk, but there are ways to minimize that risk.

Problem

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Guide is clear that travel enhances your chances of getting or spreading Covid-19. The travel industry takes this seriously. The American Hotel & Lodging Association and the Vacation Rental Management Association have released guidelines and best practice standards.

Whatever type of stay you plan on, the main concern is making close contact (less than six feet) with an infected person. Opportunities are higher when you travel. Keep in mind that someone with Covid-19 can spread the virus before developing symptoms. Right from the start, you should assume that everyone around you might be infected. Including yourself.

Contact with contaminated surfaces is of minor concern, but still something to consider. We learned more about potential infections from them, but we knew that coronaviruses had been detected on the surface of the living room. Try to minimize your contact with surfaces – tabletops, chairs, bathroom sinks, blanket covers – that have not been cleaned or disinfected.

Further complications: The pattern and level of Covid-19 can vary between communities, even in the same area. Public health laws and guidelines also vary, so make sure you check for updates before traveling.

A tourist checks into a hotel in Savannah, Georgia, on April 25, 2020, shortly after Georgian Governor Brian Kemp raised some social measures.

CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP through Getty Images

Before you order

There is no way to make your stay 100% safe, but there is certainly a way to make your stay safer. Remember each lodging scenario is different; for example, unlike hotels or rented houses, campsites usually only have a shared bathroom. But wherever you live, start by checking the company’s website, or call to ask what management is doing to reduce the risk of transmission.

Be sure to ask about:

Air quality. Cleaning with approved products must be done frequently. Ask if hand washing or sanitation stations are available in public areas. Engineering controls, such as increased air exchange or HEPA filters in the ventilation system, must be present. If that is not the case, consider bringing a portable air purifier with a HEPA filter. On the low tech side: Can windows be opened for better air flow? The fan can help carry more outside air and increase the rate of mixing if used near an open window.

Contactless options, such as digital keys.

Policy on masks and health checks for guests and staff.

Does the rental business limit the capacity to promote distance? Namely, did they just order another room? And do they prevent a night’s stay, which will bring more people and therefore pose more risks? Avoid lodging by changing the same day.

Strategies for a safer stay

After you determine that management is doing everything it can, you must do everything you can to minimize exposure. Wear face coverings and practice social distance in public areas. Minimize time in confined spaces, lack of ventilation, such as an elevator. Avoid contact with “high-touch” surfaces in shared spaces, such as elevator call buttons, door handles, and dining tables and chairs; they tend to be disinfected between individual touches. Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer after spending time in public areas. If the gym and swimming pool are open, remember for social distance, wear your mask, and clean the equipment before and after use.

Use a zip plastic bag for personal items that others might handle. That includes your SIM, credit card and key. Carry extra bags to load these items after you disinfect them. Handle your own luggage, or arrange shipping without contact.

Clean the surface by following the CDC guidelines. If housekeeping is available, select Exit. Request that the decorative pillows and blankets be removed before your arrival.

The lowest risk choice for dining: bring your own food or do room service or delivery without contact. Dining outdoors can be a reasonable choice, but if you eat inside, make sure there is a reasonable ventilation and a table with sufficient distance.

Bring enough face mask or face mask for each day, or bring detergent to wash between uses. You will also need hand sanitizers or hand wipes, surface disinfectants, paper towels and disposable disinfecting wipes.

All of this helps, but remember: Even doing everything on this substantial list doesn’t eliminate your chances of getting a virus. The point is, we do not recommend that everyone launches back to an unnecessary trip. You might need a vacation, but Covid-19 never took it.

Elizabeth Marder is Chair of Communications and Outreach for the International Society of Exposure Science, a non-profit organization.
Paloma Beamer is President of the International Society of Exposure Science, a non-profit organization and receives funding from NIH, EPA, Agricola Alta Pozo Manuel and the Pima District Health Department.