Stress-Free Travel Tips - 5 Things To Do To Reduce Travel Stress
Travelling is one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences you can have. But when you’re planning trips, dealing with airports, and trying to navigate new countries, it can lead to a great deal of travel stress. But you can reduce airport anxiety, save money, and make your trips more enjoyable using the best stress-free travel tips.
Travel doesn’t need to be stressful. On the contrary, a 2021 study from Washington State University found that frequent travellers are happier with their lives than those who avoid travel. Knowing how to avoid the most common travel problems can completely change your mindset and make you even more excited to plan your next trip. Here are 5 of the most effective tips to reduce travel stress.
1. Eliminate Checked Baggage For Stress-Free Travel
Losing your luggage at the airport is one of the surest ways to ruin your trip, and it’s a problem that’s all too common. Not to mention the costs of checking your luggage, check-in queues, and the fear your bag will be slightly too big or heavy. Fortunately, you can reduce travel stress by traveling with a carry-on bag instead.
Learning to pack light is one of the greatest stress-free travel hacks. With a few packing cubes, some handy travel accessories, and a reliable carry-on bag, you can still carry all of your clothes and essentials whether you’re going on a 2-day trip or a 2-year trip. Not only that, but you’ll have your bag with you at all times, avoid excess baggage costs, and breeze past check-in lines.
Most travellers find that a 35L to 40L travel backpack or duffel bag is more than enough to carry everything you need. If you’re going on a short trip, even a 24L travel backpack can do the job. And don’t worry if you need extra space. Most airlines allow you to take a small personal item such as a shoulder bag or sling bag along with your carry-on at no extra cost.
2. Protect Your Belongings With A Secure Travel Sling Bag
Many people worry about losing their money, passport, phone, and other valuable items while they’re traveling. Whether you’re on a train, relaxing on the beach, or even leaving your belongings in the hotel, having a secure travel daypack to protect your items can give you the peace of mind you need for stress-free travel.
The right daypack can vary based on your needs. But if you need something compact yet spacious, it’s hard to beat a secure travel sling bag such as the Bravo Sling Max. With lockable YKK zippers, hidden pouches for your valuables, and a padded laptop pouch that hugs your body, you won’t need to worry about pickpockets grabbing your stuff.
The great thing about a secure sling bag is that you can use it pretty much anywhere. Need to take your laptop to the local co-working space? A sling bag offers a secure yet comfortable option. Need easy access to your essentials while on a long flight? A sling bag can easily fit under your seat or even hang from your tray table. You can even use it to secure your belongings while you’re swimming on the beach.
3. Download Some Handy Travel Apps
Having the most useful travel apps on your phone can be a lifesaver. You can find apps for everything from finding flights to booking hotels to grabbing a taxi to wherever you need to go. Downloading these before you travel can help you avoid all kinds of hassle and reduce your travel stress.
When it comes to accommodation, apps like Airbnb and Agoda are great for finding somewhere to stay. You can even filter options to find the best prices, the right amenities, or even options with free cancellation so you don’t need to worry if something goes wrong. Rome2Rio can help you find the most efficient bus and train routes whereas Skyscanner and Google Flights can help you find cheap flights.
It’s also worth researching the best apps for your destination. For instance, if you’re traveling to England or the United States, Uber is great for ride-hailing and food delivery, but Grab is the best option in many parts of Southeast Asia. You might also want to look into local public transport apps for wherever you’re going.
4. Take Some Entertainment For Long Rides
Waiting to get from one destination to another is one of the most stressful parts of traveling. Many people find themselves becoming anxious on a long plane ride, a cramped bus, or a train, especially if they have nothing to do for hours. Keeping yourself occupied can relieve travel anxiety and stress and even make your transit experiences more enjoyable.
Downloading some entertainment on your phone, tablet, or laptop can make those long hours go by a lot faster. Streaming services such as Spotify, Disney+, and Netflix now allow users to download their favorite songs, podcasts, shows, and movies onto their devices. You can also download ebooks and audiobooks via services such as Kindle and Audible.
Plus, digital entertainment isn’t your only option. Reading a book, journaling, or even bringing cards or pocket board games such as chess or checkers can help reduce travel stress and keep you occupied when you need to kill a few hours.
5. Reduce Travel Stress With Travel Insurance
Even if you plan everything to perfection, you never know what might go wrong. Maybe you get sick on holiday and end up with a medical bill. Perhaps delays in public transport make you miss your flight and you need to book another. Maybe you misplace your passport or maybe your hotel booking gets canceled.
Unforeseen circumstances can be extremely stressful, which is why it’s a great idea to get travel insurance before you go. A good travel insurance quote can cover you for everything from medical costs to delays and cancellations and even trip abandonment. Many also include coverage for lost or damaged items and all kinds of other common travel issues.
Even if nothing goes wrong, having travel insurance can simply give you peace of mind. And of course, if something does go wrong, you can take a breath of relief knowing that you’re financially covered, making it one of the best life hacks for stress-free travel.
Conclusion
Whether you’re worried about airport queues, long flights, or losing your valuables, these stress-free travel tips will help you enjoy your travels more. With so many issues avoided, you’ll even find yourself wanting to travel more often.
If you want to reduce travel stress as much as possible, having the right equipment helps. From secure travel backpacks to great travel accessories for organization, you’ll find a range of items to improve your trips at ALPAKA.
Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash
