We require all Road Scholar participants, including children, and Group Leaders to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at least 14 days prior to departure, and have at least one booster shot, if eligible. We highly recommend everyone stay up to date with their vaccination schedule, according to the CDC’s recommendations. Please refer to this page for current CDC guidelines. We will continue to monitor CDC guidance and update our vaccination policy as necessary.

Road Scholar currently requires all participants and Group Leaders to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and have one booster shot, if eligible. We highly recommend everyone stay up to date with their vaccination schedule according to the CDC. Please refer to this page for current CDC guidelines on boosters. We will continue to monitor CDC guidance and update our vaccination policy as necessary, and will give our participants ample notice if our policy changes.

Yes. Participants must bring their original vaccination card to the program to demonstrate proof of vaccination which must include at least one booster for anyone eligible. Participants who are unable to demonstrate proof of vaccination will not be permitted to participate in the program. We also recommend participants scan or photograph their cards and keep a digital copy somewhere that’s easily accessible should they lose or misplace their original card. Several states in America prohibit requiring proof of vaccination, so in these locations we are not allowed to ask participants for proof of vaccination.

All children attending Grandparent and Family programs will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at least 14 days prior to their program, and have at least one booster shot, if eligible.

Like adults, children will also be required to demonstrate proof of vaccination and booster, if eligible, on the program, so they or their adult companion must bring the child's original vaccination card to the program.

No, we currently do not require vaccinated participants to submit a negative COVID-19 test result for the majority of our programs. However, some of our program partners may require participants to produce a negative test result. If that is the case, participants will be notified with ample time to be tested prior to departure.

Even if vaccination may not be required to enter a country, Road Scholar still requires all participants to be fully vaccinated and boosted, if eligible. In addition, keep in mind that country vaccine requirements can change at any time, so participants should be prepared to demonstrate proof of vaccination at all times while traveling.

• Depending on the airline or destination you may be required to wear a face mask when on board the aircraft and in terminals. Even if it not required, participants are encouraged to wear a mask when flying, transiting airports, as well as whenever in any public space.
• You must travel with your original COVID-19 vaccination card to show evidence of vaccination, with all recommended boosters, throughout your trip, including during travel to and from the program. We also recommend you scan or photograph your vaccination card and keep a digital copy somewhere that’s easily accessible when traveling should you lose or misplace your original card.
• To ensure a smooth travel experience, participants are encouraged to check their airline’s website prior to departure for the latest travel information including any last minute changes to entry or testing requirements. We’ll do our best to keep you informed of any requirements before travelling, but keep in mind that requirements for your specific program can change at any time, so we recommend you stay up to date as well.

We recommend you consider bringing along a couple self-tests if possible. If someone develops symptoms consistent with COVID-19, the Group Leader will help the participant get tested. While bringing your own testing kits is not required, it is recommended to expedite the process. Anyone displaying symptoms consistent with COVID-19 will not be permitted to join group activities until they test negative or is cleared by a medical professional after at least 5 days or longer, depending on local requirements.

These days, we understand participants may want more flexibility when planning for the future. We also know travel plans can change at the very last moment. That’s why our optional Road Scholar Trip Protection Plan also includes Cancel for Any Reason coverage, which allows you to cancel your program enrollment for any reason and receive a credit good for future travel with Road Scholar for the full amount of the cancellation fee. When you purchase the Road Scholar Trip Protection Plan, your program investment is protected should you need to cancel your enrollment, whether due to a scheduling conflict, apprehension about recent world events, a sick pet, or any reason not otherwise covered by insurance. Knowing that your program investment is protected gives you peace of mind, and the flexibility and comfort of choosing a time that’s right for you to travel.

Staying healthy is critical to enjoying your program experience, and taking common sense steps to reduce the risk of getting sick will, of course, also reduce the risk of getting COVID. For instance:

• A week before you depart on your program, consider isolating or being extra careful. If you must be in public in the week prior to departure, wear a mask.
• We recommend you test for COVID-19 three days before your program. The test can be rapid self-test or laboratory test, as long as it is a viral test that looks for current infection. If you test positive, please notify us as soon as possible.
• Do not travel if you are sick, have any symptoms, or if you have had close contact with a person with COVID-19. Do not risk traveling if you are not feeling well.
• Wearing a well-fitted mask is an effective means of protection against COVID-19. Wear a mask whenever around others, including when flying and transiting airports. Once on your program, wear a mask whenever you are in public setting.
• Wash your hands frequently and practice good hygiene.

Road Scholar has always had participant-friendly transfer and cancellation policies, and we make it easy for our participants to transfer to a different program. Participants enrolled in most North America programs can transfer to a different program up to 30 days prior to departure without penalty, and participants enrolled in most International programs can transfer to a different program up to 66 days prior to departure without penalty. Some programs have different transfer or cancellation policies, so please refer to our website, as well as your enrollment packet for all the details.

Unless there are any local regulations requiring them, masks are not required on our programs, however you should exercise the level of precaution that makes you most comfortable. Face masks are a simple and effective way to prevent illness. Participants are encouraged to wear a mask whenever around others, including when flying and transiting airports. Feel free to wear your mask, even if others aren’t. Remember that this is group travel and you are the best person responsible to minimize your own risk of getting COVID. Participants must bring their own face masks to the program and be prepared to wear them when required by applicable laws, rules and regulations, including local establishments visited during the program, as well as in certain locations and settings, or when instructed by your Group Leader.

Should a participant become ill during a program, they should immediately notify the Group Leader, who will assist in obtaining medical attention. If a participant develops symptoms of illness such as a fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, or experience any other signs or symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or other communicable illnesses, they will be required to immediately self-isolate, both for their health and the health, safety and welfare of the group. The Group Leader will then help the participant get tested, or contact a local medical professional so he or she can evaluate the participant's symptoms and provide appropriate guidance regarding treatment and care.

Participants who are ill and having symptoms consistent with COVID-19 will not be permitted to rejoin the program and must remain in self-isolation until either they test negative for COVID-19, or are evaluated by a medical professional who determines their condition is not contagious and clears them to resume group activities, at which time they may return to the group. 

If a participant tests positive for COVID-19, they will be required to remain in isolation and not be permitted to rejoin the group for at least 5 days (or longer depending on local regulations) and test negative for COVID-19 before being permitted to rejoin the program. As a precaution, all participants and the Group Leader will be required to wear a face mask for no less than 10 days. If the COVID-positive participant wishes to rejoin the program after their isolation period ends and they test negative, as an additional safety precaution they will be required to wear a face mask for the remainder of the program. Please note that if the program is in a remote area and the group will move to the next location, it may be necessary for a positive-testing individual to transfer with the group if no other reasonable transportation options are available. This may include itinerary based programs with internal commercial flights. In such rare instances everyone will be required to wear masks.

Please also know that all participants have coverage under our Road Scholar Assurance Plan, which provides 24-hour assistance in the event of a medical emergency during their program and insurance for emergency medical evacuation. Please visit www.roadscholar.org/about/included-insurance for more information about the emergency services and insurance benefits participant have with the Road Scholar Assurance Plan.

In accordance with CDC guidance, individuals who are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations do not need to quarantine if exposed to COVID-19, and therefore the program will continue as planned. However, in line with current CDC guidance, as a precaution all participants and the Group Leader will be required to wear a face mask for no less than 10 days. In addition to the mask-wearing requirement, the CDC recommends that fully vaccinated and boosted individuals who have been exposed to COVID-19 be tested 5 days after exposure. While we will not require everyone on the program to test, if you wish to be tested for COVID, your Group Leader will help facilitate it at any time. If anyone else develops symptoms consistent with COVID-19, we will follow the protocols outlined in the previous FAQ. 

If you test positive during your program you will be required to isolate for the duration of time required by the local government. If your program has not ended by this time and you are able to provide a negative rapid test it is possible to re-join the program.

Because participants and Group Leaders will be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and have all recommended boosters if eligible, it is unlikely you will have to isolate or quarantine during your travels. However, should you test positive for COVID during your program, because of your vaccination status you will likely experience only mild symptoms and not require medical attention. If that is the case, you will however be required to isolate for at least 5 days, or longer if required by local regulations. The country where you are staying may have its own rules for quarantine and isolation.

In addition, you should also be aware that additional expenses incurred due to isolation or quarantine are your responsibility. We therefore strongly recommend Road Scholar’s optional Trip Protection Plan, which provides financial protection in case of program cancellation, interruption or travel delay, as well limited quarantine coverage. Specifically, should COVID-19 cause you to isolate or quarantine, the plan helps reimburse you for additional accommodations, meal and transportation expenses you may incur, as well as reimbursement for missed program days. Please click here to learn more about this and all the other benefits included in Road Scholar’s optional Trip Protection Plan.

From an insurance perspective, COVID-19 is treated the same as any other sickness. As long as an individual is able to demonstrate proof provided by a third-party professional (nurse, clinician, doctor, health practitioner or video proctor etc.) that they tested positive for COVID-19 (whether the test was conducted in-person or remotely via a telehealth service) and/or has an illness due to COVID-19, they are considered to have a “covered illness,” and therefore expenses incurred due to their positive test result and/or illness are reimbursable according to the terms and limits of any applicable insurance policy.

COVID Tests That Qualify for Insurance Coverage

• In-Person Tests: A COVID test performed on an individual by a certified medical professional (nurse, clinician, doctor, etc.) who provides the individual with a report that includes the type of test, the entity issuing the result, the date and time the test was administered.
• Telehealth Tests: A COVID self-collection test supervised by an approved health practitioner or proctor authorized by the manufacturer conducted under real-time video observation via a telehealth service, such as Ellume by Azova, QuickMD, eMed, or any other reputable telehealth service, with the telehealth service issuing the individual a report detailing the test results. For the test to be valid and qualify for insurance coverage, it must meet this criteria:
  • The test must be a viral antigen or NAAT/PCR test.
  • The test must be proctored. That means the participant must perform the test during a live telehealth video call with an authorized technician supervising the procedure in real time.
  • The telehealth provider must confirm the participant’s identity, observe the participant perform the test, confirm the test result, and issue a report that includes the type of test, the entity issuing the result, the date and time the test was administered.

Tests That DO NOT Qualify for Insurance Coverage

• A COVID self-test that was conducted solely by an individual does not qualify as a covered sickness, as there is no independent and approved third-party (i.e. medical professional or test proctor) to substantiate the test result or whom performed the test. Photos or videos taken on a cell phone of someone taking a self-test do not qualify for insurance coverage.

Please note that these are only guidelines, and coverage for expenses related to COVID-19 illness is limited, so we therefore recommend reviewing your policy details carefully and contacting Aon Affinity, the plan administrator, if you have specific questions regarding qualifying COVID-19 tests, or coverage for expenses related to COVID-19 illness.

Should a positive COVID-19 test interrupt your program, Road Scholar’s Optional Insurance plan may help reimburse you for additional accommodation, meal and transportation expenses you may incur, as well as reimburse you for missed program days. Please note that coverage for COVID-19-related illness in the Trip Protection Plan is limited, and we recommend reviewing the policy details and contacting Aon Affinity, the plan administrator, if you have specific questions regarding coverage for expenses related to isolation or quarantine due to COVID-19. Please click here to learn more about this and all the other benefits included in Road Scholar’s optional Trip Protection Plan.

* COVID TEST DISCLAIMER: A positive COVID test that was conducted solely by an individual using a self or rapid home test does not qualify as documentation of a covered Sickness under the policy, and therefore there would be no insurance coverage under the plan. In other words, it would be considered a covered sickness only if the positive COVID test was performed by a medical professional (nurse, clinician, doctor, etc.) who could independently verify and provide documentation for the insurance claim that the person who tested positive was in fact the person the test was performed on.

If someone in your family traveling party tests positive COVID at any time during the program, everyone in your family group will be required to isolate for the remainder of the program, even if other family members test negative or have no symptoms of illness. As disappointing this would undoubtedly be for the family, because they have recently had very close and prolonged contact with their COVID-positive relative, and since a negative test does not rule out an infection, separating the entire family from the other participants is a sensible precaution intended to reduce the risk of illness spreading to other families on the program.

Just as you experience in your everyday life at home, there may be some inconveniences or adjustments we have to make for the foreseeable future in Road Scholar program locations around the world. You may have to wait a little longer at meal time, that museum you were looking forward to may not be accessible during your visit, or there could be other bumps in the road along the way. Please know we are doing our utmost to plan for and manage around these issues, but some may be unavoidable. We have heard from many participants who have returned home from their recent Road Scholar programs. Some have mentioned these kinds of frustrations, but each and every person also says the experience was well worth any shortcomings. Any of the inconveniences they had to cope with were minor in the grand scheme of things, and in the end they were thrilled to be out living their lives again.