Travel Stress
Every one has been there before. Getting lost abroad, the overbooked flight, or worse, the missed flight. Some people avoid traveling all together because of their fear of anxiety-inducing situations. This is no way to live your life. Sure, there are a million things that can go wrong when traveling. We’ve all experienced the frustration one way or another. Personally, Gregg and I have been through almost every kind of hiccup during our travels. Somehow, we make it through the anger and enjoy our trip. We want to share some ways on how to deal with travel stress with our followers! It is an important skill to hone and will make for more pleasant trips in the future. Don’t let things that are out of your control ruin your vacation. Read on to see how to deal with travel stress!
#1 Plan for success
Build in extra time
Planning for a trip can be done by you or a travel agent. Regardless, make sure you allow time for possible obstacles or additional plans. It is important not to overbook your days. You don’t need to plan every meal or store you shop at, but make a general plan including must-do activities. Allow extra time in between each event for travel, food, bathroom breaks, or whatever you may think you’ll need. You will never regret giving yourself extra time to get to the train station. Perhaps you need assistance getting a bus ticket or the staff don’t speak your language well. You never know, so plan ahead.
Pre-purchase tickets
We always try to pre-purchase tickets online. This not only allows you to research the best prices, but also saves you time. It is a good feeling having your tickets ready ahead of time. Not to mention, it’s one less stressful moment to deal with. Always keep a printed and phone copy with you for proof. You never know when your phone may die or break. I can’t think of anything more stressful than losing/breaking your phone that has your only copies of timelines and tickets. No thanks!
Don’t Over-Pack
Gregg and I are huge advocates of packing lightly. Of course, some trips require large winter clothes or heavy hiking gear, but try to only pack what you need. Check out our post on packing carry-on only luggage. This alleviates travel stress from having to check-in bags, risk losing luggage, and carrying heavy bags through the airport. We try to pack carry-on only luggage whenever possible. Trust us, you will not regret it.
Dealing with flight anxiety
As much as we fly, I am far from being a comfortable passenger. I used to get severe anxiety whenever I boarded a plane (amazingly, Gregg could sleep through the plane going down). Over time, I have adapted and lightened up significantly. However, in times of turbulence I still get anxiety. There are ways to deal with this stress. Part of my routine is to bring the appropriate items in my personal bag. This way, I am as comfortable as possible on the flight. Read my post here.
On top of being comfortable, here is an article from Pilot Patrick about how to manage flight anxiety. Reading perspectives and statistics from pilots always makes me feel better about being 30,000 feet in the air!
#2 Make a schedule
This goes hand-in-hand with planning for success. Always, always, always make a schedule. You will want a timeline handy on you for the ultimate organization. You can refer to this whenever you need to. This is especially ideal for busier trips. For our Europe trip, we packed 8 cities into three weeks of travel. Each day was filled with activities from sunrise to sunset. Not to mention, the names of some of the addresses or hotels were not in English. We never would have remembered these details by heart. Write down the times and locations of each place/event. I also included links and contact info for everything in the timeline. You and your travel companions will appreciate the organization. I promise it will lead to less travel stress!
Whether it’s an excel file, your Apple notes, or a travel app, find an organizer that works best for you. I usually start out with planning on my Apple notes, then transition final details to our favorite app, TripIt. This app is amazing! You can link your email to the app, which will automatically sync your travel details from emails to your planner. This includes all information within the email. See example below from our Australia trip.
#3 Book through reputable companies
Reviews, reviews, reviews! We NEVER book an excursion, tour, or accommodation that has poor reviews. The last thing you want is to be cheap and have a terrible experience. This in itself is an avoidable travel stress. Not only a bad experience can be avoided, but you can avoid scams as well. Always go with your gut and do your research when booking online. Waiting to book in person can be sketchy and lead to scams. Avoid the stressful situations and book as much as possible with reputable companies online. You may even save money by pre-purchasing ahead of time.
#4 Don’t be afraid to ask too many questions
This should be pretty straightforward, but sometimes we get in to the habit of expecting certain things. You have to remember that you are in a different country and specific conveniences may not be included. Don’t be naive. Do your research and ask questions before arrival. Don’t expect something that you are not 100% sure is included. For example, many European hotels allow you to leave your luggage while you explore the city before and after check-in/out. However, it should be confirmed with your hotel prior to arrival. The last thing you want is to be lugging your suitcases all over the unpaved, cobblestone streets of Rome. Trust us, that is not an enjoyable way to site see.
#5 When all else fails, don’t get upset
We understand that mistakes happen and some situations are unavoidable. Maybe your flight got delayed and you missed your connection or your flight was overbooked. We get it. These mishaps SUCK, but don’t let it ruin your trip. These are travel stresses that are not your fault and you can’t do anything to prevent it. The only thing in your control at this point is to take a deep breath, relax, and try not to get upset. Enjoy the airport food or souvenir shopping in your spare time. Take the time to review your plans and see what you can adjust in your schedule after the delay.
Overbooked Flights
We have experienced all of these moments before. Gregg and I did not make a flight from Sicily to Florence because of an overbooked plane. This caused us to miss out on a much desired Tuscany home cooking class. Sure, we were pissed, but we didn’t let it ruin our trip. We asked the airlines to put us on the Rome flight and took a train to Florence from there. It wasn’t ideal, but it made for an entertaining story and we got to experience how awesome the trains in Europe are! Of course, it is one of the most frustrating travel stresses you will experience, but this one is truly out of your control. Try to go with the flow.
Running Late for Flights
Another big one is running late for a flight. I cannot express the number of times we have ran through an airport at five in the morning. It is no fun for anyone and you usually get really upset at your significant other or family members. Try not to blame the other person and be grateful that you made your flight. Arriving to the airport at least an hour and a half early will eliminate the chances of you running through the airport like a crazy person. All airports are different and we’d rather be sitting at the gate bored, than stressing out about missing our flight. We’ve learned the hard way to just get up earlier and be patient.
#6 Make sure to get compensated for any flight issues (AFTER your trip)
If you do experience a flight delay, cancellation, or overbooking, make sure to get compensated by the airlines. Since this is their fault not yours, you have the right to get compensated for the inconvenience. We urge you to set a reminder to deal with this after your trip. Don’t ruin your vacation dwelling on this matter. It is an unnecessary stress that can be dealt with when you get home. If the airlines did not offer you compensation at the gate (upgrades, refunds, credits, etc.), then contact them at a later time. Enjoy your vacation and forget about it until you leave. Who knows, you may get a free flight out of it!
#7 Laugh about it
This may be difficult to do in the moment, but later on you can laugh about the stressful moment you encountered. I know that Gregg and I get a good kick out of all of the flights we almost missed or traveling to the wrong airport (yes, many major cities have 2 international airports). Be sure to learn from your mistakes and move on. This will allow you to be a more experienced traveler in the future.
Don’t let travel stress scare you from enjoying your life and experiencing the world. There are ways to deal with it and prevent hiccups from happening. Take our advice and use it on your next trip. Let us know if you have any other suggestions on what works for you!
Bon Voyage!
