5 Travel Tips for Less Stress
Preparation before a trip can reduce stress while traveling and keep everything on your itinerary running smoothly. Now, guaranteed, the unexpected can always occur to throw your travel plans for a loop, but by thinking ahead and taking steps to limit those times of sudden chaos, you may find traveling a whole lot more enjoyable.
Guest Blogger: Darlene Panzera
As a wife, mom, author, and frequent traveler, I am happy to share this list of 5 Travel Tips for Less Stress which comes from my own personal experience of traveling with my family.
5 Travel Tips for Less Stress
1. Before your trip, confirm ALL reservations.
My family reserved a rental car to take us from one destination to another where we were scheduled to drop it off. Except after driving three hours to get there, we found the drop off location did not exist! The car rental place had recently burned down in a fire and was reduced to a pile of rubble blocked off by tall metal fencing. Not familiar with the area, we did not know what to do, especially because we had a cruise boat to catch. We were frantic to say the least! Luckily, we used Google to locate another nearby car rental with the same agency and we were able to drop the vehicle off there. However, we did lose valuable time and the stress of the situation took its toll.
I would also advise that you print out physical copies of your travel reservations and place them in a folder to carry with you in case you lose your cell phone, tablet, or laptop or the internet service quits working and you are suddenly unable to access your apps and pertinent info. Even in this modern age, this can still happen. A multi-pocketed folder can organize reservations for airline, airport parking, rental car, pre-paid outings and events.
2. If traveling by plane, download the airline app before you go.
Flights often get delayed or canceled at the last minute and having the latest update on your flight status is a must. This information is easy to access if you already have the airline’s app installed on your phone or other digital device.
Twice while traveling, the luggage scanner at the airport quit working and TSA had to manually inspect each suitcase by hand which resulted in chaotic overcrowding, a 3-hour flight delay for us, and canceled flights for many others. One time when we had a connecting flight our first flight was delayed, and when we got off there was no information on our ticket or from flight attendants to tell us what gate to head toward next. Oh, and we only had 10 minutes to get there. All we kept hearing was – ‘TBA – To be announced.’ Only by having the airline app, were we able to head straight toward the right gate and make our second flight on time.
3. Bring your own snacks.
If traveling by car, especially with young children, this can prevent the need for additional stops on a road trip and also save you money, as buying snacks from a store along the way will be more expensive than supplying your own from home. You never know when your vehicle may decide to break down, sometimes causing lengthy delays, and the hungrier you are, the more stressed you will be.
Also bring your own snacks onto the plane. On a recent trip my family and I decided we were not hungry and did not eat a good breakfast. The airline we were taking was one of the few that still offers a free meal and we decided that would be enough for us until we got to our next destination. Then after boarding our plane, our flight was unable to take off due to problems at the airport. The airline attendants handed out cups of water, but we were unable to leave the plane and were literally trapped inside with no food for many long hours. A few granola bars in your carry-on do not take up much room and can be very beneficial. You can also bring an empty water bottle or hydro flask and fill it with water at a faucet or drinking fountain once you are through airport security.
4. Pack a few extra clothes into your airport carry-on suitcase.
Several years ago, a foreign exchange student flew from Europe to stay with us for one month over the summer. She had a bright yellow suitcase, easily identifiable. However, her checked-in luggage never made it to the right destination. After consulting with airline officials, it was discovered the suitcase had been put on the wrong flight and was sent to another location halfway across the United States. Later, we were told it had been sent back to Europe. After our student’s stay was up and she returned home, she was told they’d found the suitcase at an airport in Paris, but when she went, it was not there. She never did ever get that suitcase. This is a good reason never to pack valuables into your luggage. Keep them safe in your carry-on, along with a change of clothes.
After boarding a cruise boat for the first time, I was made aware of another reason to place a change of clothes in my carry-on bag. While we were able to board the cruise boat five hours before we left port, our luggage wasn’t delivered to our rooms until much later. Other passengers obviously knew this, for they were all wearing bathing suits and enjoying the pools, while we – stuck onboard without our bathing suits – could not.
A third reason for storing extra clothes in your carry-on bag would be to help you adjust to an extreme change in temperature from one location to another. For example, if you’re going someplace cold, you may need a coat or pair of leggings when you arrive. Or if going somewhere hot, you may be glad to have a pair of shorts to change into at the airport after you land.
5. Prepare in advance for your return trip home.
During your vacation, many important items that you had packed and shuffled around during your stay could get lost and cause unnecessary panic when it’s time to produce them quickly at the end of your trip. For instance, do not forget your phone cord charger plugged into the wall of your hotel room. Do not forget where you stored the car keys to your vehicle parked back home in the airport parking lot. Recall the letter and lot number where you parked your car. And if using a parking lot or transportation service, do not forget where you put that receipt stub with the scannable code that will enable you to get your car back out through the gates. Check ALL drawers and closets when checking out of a hotel. And it would be a great idea to have a handy checklist for all these things so that you do not forget anything.
Bonus tip:
Of course, if traveling with others, it would also be an excellent idea to discuss many of these travel issues together in advance so that everyone is of the same mindset and knows what to expect. Identify what in your itinerary could lead to stress and brainstorm what you could do to either lessen or avoid the potential problem. Communication alone can help you avoid a multitude of unexpected hardships.
I hope you have found the above information useful, and if you have any other travel tips for less stress, I’d love to hear them! Post your ideas in the comments below.
Wishing you safe and stress-free travel adventures!
Darlene Panzera
Guest Blogger
Darlene Panzera is a multi-published author of sweet, fun-loving contemporary and historical romance. She has also written a children’s book series with her daughter, Samantha, based on their horses, and enjoys camping, hiking, and all kinds of adventure and travel in the great outdoors. www.darlenepanzera.com
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