Do you love to travel but find it a little stressful? Here are 15 amazing tips for stress-free travel, so that you can relax & enjoy your holiday or business trip.
As human beings, stressing and worrying about stuff big and small comes with the territory.
Yet, stressing during travel sucks the joy out of the journey and the spice out of the experience. You can’t predict the future but there are some things you can control that can make your travel experience fun and relaxing.
Here are 15 tips for stress-free travel to try out.
1. Buy Travel Insurance
Most consider travel insurance a waste of money, especially for a short trip. Don’t think about the morrow. Live life to the fullest. Be an optimist. All those are lovely mantras to live on. But what if something happens that was not part of your happy plans.
What if you fall in love with a local dish that your conscience and stomach are warning you to avoid, and you end up spending more time in a hospital than a hotel room?
Or you lose a suitcase filled with designer clothing and your favorite socks?
Why take chances at all when there are options to financially cover you for those potentially dark days.
2. Make A Packing Checklist
To pack or not to pack.
Nomads of the past and travellers of the present have wrestled with the conundrum. How much is enough?
One suggestion is to make a packing list which you can prepare weeks before the date of the trip. I have done it for years and it helps me tremendously.
You can use this list for other trips too and tweak accordingly for long vacations, short sojourns, summer breaks, winter breaks, international travel.
A list will also ensure that you don’t miss anything when packing for your return. Check out this packing list I love.
3. Pack Smart And Pack A Couple Of Days Before The Trip
Pack smart and pack early.
You have a sea of info on the Internet on how to pack the perfect suitcase. It’s really a science, this packing thing.
Roll them to create more space, they say. Pack more non-ironing clothes and thin knits. Don’t pack jeans. Pick versatile items of clothes that fit into your activities.
Roll your socks into your undies and your shirts into your pants (trousers) and your pants (trousers) into your jacket. Shoes and heavier items near the wheel of the suitcase.
There are tons of great tips that are available on packing. Here’s one you can check out.
If packing is still an anxiety-filled process that leaves you stressed, wound up and pulling your hair, wanting to scream blue murder, then there are alternatives.
You have to be willing to shell out extra dough though.
A company such as DUFL does all the heavy lifting for business professionals. It borrows from today’s sharing economy approach popularized by such brands as Airbnb or Uber. Travellers don’t have to, in the company’s own words, “pack, do laundry, or drag a bag through the airport again.”
4. Pay People Before You Set Out
Ensure you pay all your bills before you embark on your travels. If you are going for a long vacation, set up a bill pay system so none of the payments are missed. Pay your rent, electricity, internet, and any other monthly payment.
5. Clean Home Before Leaving
Imagine coming back from a vacation or an exhausting business trip to a bed with clean sheets, a clean kitchen sink and bathroom. It’s a great feeling.
Put in a little work before you set out. This does not have to be spring cleaning. Just take care of the basics. Vacuum the house. Take out the trash. Wash your sheets. Throw away (or use) food that can go bad. You don’t want to come to a messy house after a reinvigorating trip to the mountains to clear your head.
Also, don’t forget to turn off your electric, gas and water meters. Not only does this save money (yes, those electric outlets never stop pruning your wallet) but also leaks can happen. As the saying goes, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
6. Download Useful apps
While almost everyone tends to use Uber, here are some other apps that I find extremely useful:
Skyscanner or Momondo: Offers the best deals on flights, hotels, and rental cars.
Google Trips: It organizes everything about your travel trip under one umbrella – even when you’re offline. All you have to do is download the place you are visiting and the app points out attractions, places to eat, transportation and a whole host of other valuable info that comes in handy in a new place.
Flushd or SitOrSquat: You never know when nature calls. This app helps you find bathrooms based on where you are located. So handy, phew!
7. Dress in layers
My favorite travel attire is leggings and a snug-fit shirt worn under a somewhat loose dress (far more comfortable than pants or skirts), with a cardigan on top. Don’t forget to throw in a chunky scarf that can double up as a makeshift pillow or for extra warmth in cold airplane environment.
8. Be Loyal To An Airline For Those Frequent Flier Miles Benefits
This one is such common knowledge that it goes under the radar. Loyalty counts. If you are a frequent flyer, you rack up loyalty points which get you “status” and that comes with its own set of perks such as easy check-in, seat upgrades, and other benefits that makes the flight experience so much bearable.
And, if you earn enough points, you get a free flight!
9. Take A Photo Of Your Airport Car Parking Section
If you take your car to the airport, make sure you take a photo of the parking section so you don’t have to spend too much time wandering about trying to find the vehicle when you return.
10. Be Nice
Travel is the time to be Mary Poppins not Doctor House. You would be amazed at how positively people react to politeness. If you are late for a flight an apology delivered with a smiling face and friendly demeanor can do wonders. Who knows, you may end up with a better seat in the plane.
Kindness in the travel realm does make the world easier to navigate. Don’t drop the good attitude at the airport exit. Carry that beaming smile at the restaurant or the hotel reception. They may serve you the room with the best view. Even if you don’t get free gifts, be stress free and free the others of stress.
Spread the love. It works, really.
11. If You Are Arriving Late At Night, Find A Place Near The Airport
Sample this: You’ve reached your destination at night and lugging your bags around in a new place and the journey has sapped you of energy.
You may know 20 different languages or have more martial arts ability than Bruce Lee, but the best thing to do is find yourself a place near the airport and in the morning you can shift hotels if you feel like.
There’s no point at that hour in trying to work out where to get a taxi (not that I know this from personal experience or anything).
12. Reserve A Driver (Especially For Business Travels)
Or, to avoid unpleasant No.11 altogether, reserve a driver who will pick you at the airport and take you wherever you want to go. A reserved driver offers you flexibility and control over your itinerary, which you can’t do with a local taxi.
13. Bring A Small First Aid Bag
Carry a first aid bag with the necessary arsenal – anti-histamine and anti-bacterial cream, motion sickness meds, antacids, paracetamols, throat lozenges, pain relief meditations, oral re-hydration salts, antiseptic wipes, Band-Aids.
Shit happens, like literally. Just be prepared.
14. Keep Receipts From Travel
Keep all the receipts from your travel like a diligent sleuth. It helps to know where your money went and you can use the receipts to compare against credit card bills and for travel reimbursements.
15. Enjoy The Journey
Doesn’t matter if it’s a vacation or a business trip, try and enjoy the entire experience – the journey to the destination, the destination itself, and the journey back home. Don’t stress and look forward to new experiences and what could be lasting memories.
Do you have a favorite tip for a stress-free travel? Share them in them in the comments.
Bio
Jess K is the owner and author of mywellnessme.com. Her site is for those who care about their health and that of the planet. She enjoys green living, DIY projects, travelling and the occasional sing-along.
I think a lot of research has gone into writing this informative article. It will certainly help anyone going on a short or even long trip by browsing through this article before embarking on the journey. Well done, keep it up.
Thank you. There are some great tips. I like the one about taking a photo of where you park your car!