Before you travel to a tropical isle, here's what you need to know

It’s the latest in adventure travel — deciding whether to travel at all.

And it’s not for the faint of heart. With complex entry requirements in many states and countries, the stress of planning a trip can easily outweigh any benefits. But last fall, after nearly a year on lockdown, I gave in to the travel itch and booked a trip to Maui. COVID-19 was declining, the fall resurgence had yet to materialize and the number of cases in Hawaii was unbelievably low. The condo booked for the first week promised a full refund if restrictions changed, the hotel for the second week was reserved with points (easy to refund) as were the airline tickets. Financially, we wouldn’t lose much if forced to cancel (which I feared up to the moment we landed).

But there were hoops to jump through. As Hawaii opened to travel, stringent entry requirements changed frequently, including getting tested 72 hours in advance at one of the few local places considered "safe travel partners" (travel.hawaii.gov). The 13-hour plane ride made timing critical, a delay in the results would doom the trip. If you don’t have results, you don’t get on the plane. If you sneak through and show up with results from the wrong test or the wrong facility, you’ll be sent home.

Shorter flights make timing easier for destinations in the Caribbean, most with similar if more lenient requirements. Aruba requires a test 72 hours before or upon arrival, while the Bahamas, Bermuda and the U.S. Virgin Islands give you five days. The Dominican Republic doesn’t require tests from Americans and also provides free insurance in case you’re ultimately forced to quarantine. Other spots, Aruba and the Bahamas among them, require travelers to purchase similar insurance. As of now, being fully vaccinated doesn’t get you out of this, but some spots are reconsidering. Remember, this is a moving target, so once you decide on a destination, follow websites closely. (For a detailed list of travel regulations, both U.S. and international, go to thepointsguy.com.)

Intent on Hawaii, we registered on the state’s safe travel site, then sweated getting timely tests. Appointments can only be booked 2-3 days in advance, so I stalked websites to determine when they opened and double-booked in case of a delay. Hawaii also requires completing a health form 24 hours before departure and, for Maui, downloading the AlohaSafeAlert app (though no one ever asked to see it.)

With all the regulations, I feared major delays at the airport, so the efficient arrival process was welcome. Greeters in sunshine yellow shirts checked credentials (make sure your phone is charged) and we were through before our luggage hit the carousel. Credentials had to be shown again for the rental car and at the hotel.

So yes, we made it, and it was glorious. COVID restrictions certainly changed the experience — reserved pool chairs made it difficult to find shade, several favorite stores had shut down, some restaurants were closed and others operated with limited hours and menus. On the plus side, it was far less crowded than in years past. And sitting on the beach listening to news of a foot and a half of snow falling at home didn’t hurt.

GETTING TESTED

While Hawaii requires testing from specific "travel partners," locations in the Caribbean are more lenient. Most accept the rapid PCR tests (not an antibody test) that offer quicker results. It’s imperative to study specific rules, including what tests are accepted, for your destination — they change by the day.

PHARMACIES

Some Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid pharmacies on LI offer drive-through nasal swab testing after completing an online form. I’ve gotten four tests at Walgreens (Hawaii partner) no problem, no charge. I could have scheduled a test at Rite Aid, but CVS said I didn’t qualify for free testing, though they would test me for $139.

TIMING: You can’t schedule an appointment more than three days in advance. Walgreens offers rapid testing, and I’ve always gotten results in 3-4 hours. CVS bailed on Hawaii’s program early on, saying it couldn’t guarantee results in 72 hours, Rite-Aid’s website says 2-7 days.

COST: Usually covered by insurance, but if you’re deemed ineligible, you might have to pay.

URGENT CARES

Most urgent care chains provide testing; Northwell’s GoHealth and American Family Care are Hawaii travel partners. GoHealth has launched an area on its site for "voluntary testers" and it’s easy to schedule an appointment (the chat feature is especially useful.)

TIMING: You can only schedule about 48 hours in advance, but the one time I tested at GoHealth, I had results before I left.

COST: Generally covered by insurance, though some chains require pretest evaluations that could require a copay depending on your coverage.

MAIL-IN TESTS

You can purchase at-home saliva tests; AZOVA at costco.com and Vault Health (vaulthealth.com) are accepted in Hawaii. You can get the tests easily in advance and perform the test while being observed via Zoom.

TIMING: Once you take the test, you have to send it to the lab overnight with results sent via email. Considering mail delays of late, I never considered this a viable option, but a number of airlines have partnered with these companies, and tests should work for closer destinations.

COST: You pay out of pocket, $119 per test.

AIRPORTS/AIRLINES/HOTELS

As pandemic regulations evolve, companies with skin in the travel business are working overtime to ease the way for guests. JFK has three testing sites: Adams Health operates out of terminal 1 (adamshealthservices.com); XpresCheck (Hawaii approved) is in terminal 4 (xprescheck.com); New York City has free testing in terminal 5, as well as in the terminal B parking garage at LaGuardia (testandtrace.nyc). Long Island MacArthur Airport in Islip offers arriving passengers a spot to sign up for testing to meet New York entry requirements (flymacarthur.com) in partnership with AFC Urgent Care.

A number of airlines are also stepping up to offer testing. Some have set up airport test sites, American has one in Dallas for Hawaii passengers, but unless your trip starts there, it’s risky. United directs Hawaii passengers at JFK and Newark to XpresCheck, while others partner with home tests (American uses letsgetchecked.com). In recent weeks, a number of resorts in the Caribbean have started offering testing on site for passengers returning to the United States.

TIMING: Hours at the airport locations vary, but really early flights are out. We could have driven to JFK a day early, but why when Walgreens was a mile away? Still, all the airport locations promise quick results, though the New York City Test and Trace locations give results by phone, making them useless if you need proof.

COST: Rapid tests: Adams Health, $179; LetsGetChecked, $119; XpresCheck, $200

COMING HOME

The end of any vacation is painful, but that goes double right now. New York mandates people coming from anywhere other than contiguous states get a negative COVID test 72 hours before arrival, fill out a form (coronavirus.health.ny.gov), quarantine for four days and then get another test.

On March 3, the state announced vaccinated domestic travelers can skip all of this within 90 days of their full vaccination.

As of Jan. 26, the U.S. government requires anyone returning from out of the country to present a negative test taken at least 72 hours before arrival (travel.state.gov).

Returning from Hawaii wasn’t bad. The New York website offers testing locations and we found a place on Maui that didn’t require an appointment and gave results before you left. At LaGuardia, National Guard officers directed travelers to forms if they didn’t have them on their phones, but no one ever asked to see our negative test results. And beware: Our appointment for the follow-up test was canceled the morning of because someone called in sick. Imagine the stress if that had happened before we left.