Staying stress-free when traveling is easier said than done, as travel by its very nature can be pretty unpredictable. We’ve put together our top tips for keeping your stress-levels low whilst traveling, so you can really enjoy your adventure without worries.
Pre-travel organization
Like many things in life, organized travel is key! By planning ahead and preparing for potential bumps in the road, you can be ready to embrace whatever comes your way (although hopefully your trip is totally smooth!)
The first thing to do is allow plenty of time! Stress can easily be induced by a canceled train to the airport or a longer-than-expected queue at security. It’s always smart to have a plan B for getting to your destination, especially if you’ve got a plane or a train to catch.
Where you can, cut the queues by checking in for your flight in advance, and have all the required documentation (including travel documents, VISAs, and vaccination records) on hand and easily available to save stress at the airport gate.
If you’re flying from the US, a TSA precheck is a great way to cut down time at the airport—TSA say that 99% of people will wait less than 10 minutes.
Finally, it’s a good idea to research how you’ll get from the airport or train or bus station to your accommodation when you arrive. This is especially important to consider if you’re traveling abroad—small details like making sure you have enough cash in the correct currency to get a local bus, and the address of your accommodation in case your cell can’t get internet right away.
Efficient packing strategies
When it comes to packing, we’ve made it easy! With Solgaard’s Carry-On Closet, you can organize your items as you pack them, so when you arrive at your destination you don’t even need to unpack! To maximize space, we recommend rolling your clothes instead of folding them.
Make sure you pack everything you might need for your journey in your hand luggage, especially essentials like travel documents, medication, and comforts for your trip. Our top tip for organized travel when checking a bag is to have a spare change of clothes in your carry-on, in case of any luggage mishaps in transit.
Travel apps for stress-free travel
Apps are a great way to have easy access to everything you might need at your fingertips, for a stress-free travel experience. If you’re traveling to a non-English-speaking country, it’s not always safe to assume you’ll be understood. Having a translation app ready to go is an easy way to communicate with locals and avoid unnecessary confusion.
A navigation app is essential, and although the obvious choices are Google Maps or Citymapper, consider looking into an offline map option like Maps.me—this allows you to download maps of the city you’re visiting when you’re on WiFi, to use anywhere in case you don’t have data. For the keen hikers, check out GPS hiking apps like All Trails or Wikiloc—these apps allow you to follow a route and use GPS rather than signal, so you’re good to go in even the most remote locations.
A currency converter app is an easy way to check how much you’re paying for things if you’re adjusting to a different currency,
Finally, apps from your airline and booking apps for accommodation are great to have on hand, as well as apps for getting around like Uber or Lyft—it’s also worth researching if there’s an equivalent version in the country you’re traveling to.
Travel itinerary tips
When it comes to your travel itinerary, there’s no such thing as researching too much in advance. It’s great to get as much knowledge about the place you’re going—everything from culture, safety, ‘must-see’ sights, and the best ways to get around.
If you’re doing your own thing, a top tip is to check itineraries on travel company websites to get an idea of the best routes and timeframes, whilst blogs or travel Instagram accounts are a great way to pick up tips when planning.
Check if you need to buy tickets in advance for certain attractions to avoid missing out or having to join a really long queue on the day!
Whilst having a well-prepared itinerary is great, it’s also important to be flexible for unforeseen circumstances that may delay or change your plans.
Schedule rest
Traveling can be incredibly tiring, especially when trying to fit a lot into a short vacation. In order to maximize your trip, you need to recharge, so make sure you schedule some downtime! Having a nap to recharge from a long day before heading out for the evening will help you to destress. On longer trips, try and schedule rest days at least once a week to recharge your batteries. Finally, on travel days remember to take it easy—traveling is exhausting and time difference and dehydration can often get the better of you, so take it slow!
Health and Safety
For stress-free travel, it’s safety first! Whilst traveling can be fun and liberating, it’s also often necessary to take extra precautions. Taking out good travel insurance is essential—read the policy small print carefully to make sure it covers the duration and location of your trip as well as the type of activities you plan to do. If you take any medication, make sure you have plenty for your trip, and keep it in your carry-on where possible in case of lost luggage. Make sure this information is easily accessible, especially if traveling solo.
Before you travel, do your research on the safety of the country and make sure the information is up to date, as well as learning a little about the areas that are safe for tourists to visit. If you have a location-sharing app, you can share your location with family or friends as an extra safety precaution.
Finally, check your vaccinations are up-to-date for the area you’re traveling to!
Meditation and mindfulness
To stay stress-free when you travel, we’d recommend a meditation app such as Headspace or Calm. These are especially good for nervous travelers, but great for anyone who wants to unwind after a busy day of adventuring!
Be flexible
The last golden nugget of advice we’ve got is be flexible. So often with travel, you can be as organized as you like but things can happen that are totally out of your control. What you can control is how you respond, and by taking a flexible approach to your trip, with flexible tickets, free cancelation on accommodation and an open mind, you’ll almost certainly have a much more stress-free travel experience.
Long Story Short…
Travel is what you make it, and by following these tips, you’ll have a super relaxed vacation!
Written by Alex Callahan
