Travelling can be a stressful experience. If there’s one thing you can count on, it’s to expect the unexpected. Luckily, there are many ways that we can make our travel experience much more enjoyable.
By taking a few extra steps in the planning process, you’re more equipped to handle delays, cancellations, or anything else that may come up during your travels. While we can’t predict the future, we can certainly plan accordingly to ensure a stress-free travel experience.
How to Have a Stress-Free Travel Experience
1) Arrive early Always give yourself plenty of extra time on travel day. Between arriving at the airport, checking in, going through security, and finding your gate, it can be a stressful experience especially if you’re running late. This also applies to any tours and excursions that you have planned for your trip.
2) Carry physical documents More than half of our essential documents are digital now. It’s a good idea to print physical copies and have them handy in case your electronic documents aren’t accessible. It provides peace of mind and makes the entire process much smoother should you run into any issues.
Some physical copies to carry include flight itinerary, hotel reservation(s), and your travel insurance. Be sure to have an extra photocopy of your passport and driver’s license just in case and remind those travelling with you to do the same. Don’t forget to double check that you have packed all of your documents the night before.
TIP: Separate your documents accordingly using envelopes. Label each envelope as personal identification, itinerary, and tickets, etc. In the event you need your paperwork, it’s neatly organized and easy to find.
3) Check travel requirements Check your airline’s website and familiarize yourself with any additional travel requirements that you may need. This will vary depending on your origin and destination, so it’s important to double check to ensure a stress-free trip. The last thing you want is to be without an important document and have that derail your travel plans.
4) Take a photo of your luggage If you’re checking in your luggage, it’s a good idea to take a photo of your luggage, luggage tag, and valuable items inside. In the event your luggage goes missing or is damaged, you are able to verify the expenses for compensation.
5) Check the weather Check the forecast so you have a clear idea of what you’ll need to pack. I personally love using PackPoint. It’s a free app that uses your destination, date and length of stay, and activities to generate a list of necessities to pack. You can also create a website of your packing list to share with others who are travelling with you! PackPoint is available in the App Store and on Google Play.
6) Plan ahead What will you be doing on your trip? Hiking? Sight-seeing? Museum hopping? If you’re planning on making the most out of your trip, create a realistic schedule that you can follow once you arrive. That way, you’ll be able to visit every spot you’ve been wanting to visit while using your time efficiently.
TIP: Certain attractions offer better discounts if you purchase tickets online rather than at the gate. Check out their websites for the best deals and you may even come across a handful of free activities to enjoy during your visit.
7) Download handy apps If there are any apps that you need for your trip, be sure to download them beforehand. This can include your airline app, Uber, resort app, etc. Roaming and data charges can add up, so downloading things before your trip makes things much easier.
One essential app for me is the airline app. It’s a convenient tool for checking-in, getting your boarding pass, receiving notifications on delays, upgrading, or changing your seat, and checking your flight status. There have been times where I’ve received updates on the app before they were announced at the gate.
8) Get a roaming pass In Canada, if you’re traveling abroad and want to use your mobile phone, you’ll need to look into roaming options with your mobile provider. Instead of using their pay-per-use rates, which tend to be very expensive and can add up, consider adding a roaming pass to your plan before you travel.
Adding a roaming plan helps you avoid any surprise charges on your phone bill when it comes to calls, text messaging, or data usage. The most common plan that most mobile providers offer is a flat daily rate. It’s worth the price if you’re planning on using your phone for the majority of your trip. A few known providers include Rogers and Telus.
9) Clean up Nothing beats coming home from a vacation to a clean house. I like to do a regular cleaning before I leave for my trip, so that when I come home I don’t have to worry about piles of laundry or dirty floors. It’s a small task, but it’s one that you’ll appreciate after coming home from a long trip.
If you plan your next trip with these steps in mind, you’re sure to enjoy a stress-free trip. What are some tips that you have for a stress-free travel experience? I’d love to hear your suggestions.
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Simple but key advice for easy traveling. I will definitely consider these tips in my next travel plans. Thanks for sharing.
That’s great! Thank you for reading John.
These are some really good tips! I like to arrive early to avoid missing things and it always makes me stressed if running behind. Thank you for sharing these tips!
Lauren
I agree, the best tip is to always arrive early! Thank you for reading Lauren.
I always travel with printouts and hate things like digital tickets (even though I know that’s the way the trains our going).
I agree, it’s always a good idea to carry physical copies. Digital tickets can be convenient, but technology can be unreliable sometimes. Thank you for reading Nikki!
such a helpful read for travel tips! Hoping to travel a lot more this spring and summer!
Already brainstorming trips to OBX, Chicago, NYC and a Caribbean Cruise 😊
That’s so exciting B! I hope you have fun planning your trips, it sounds like it’s gonna be a great summer. Thank you for reading!
These are all great tips. Keeping physical copies of things are so important.
Yes! You never know with technology, so it’s always a great idea to have a physical copy handy. Thank you for reading!
What a great post! I’ve been reading a lot about esims when travelling when a dedicated phone number isn’t necessary. There are so many apps now that allow you to make voice calls over wifi! I’m so excited to travel this year.
Thank you for bringing that to my attention Jodie! I definitely want to look into an eSIM. Roaming plans can be pricey, especially since it’s an additional cost on top of your monthly plan. Thank you for reading!
Having handy mobile apps is really helpful wen traveling abroad. This is interesting to read and to reduce stress. Thank you for sharing!
Absolutely, there are so many helpful apps for keeping track of your schedule, flights, etc. Thank you for reading Fransic!
Amazing tips, definitely staying longer on one place puts the stress behind.
Changing the location every day or every second day can be stressful.
We need to organize our time efficiently and enjoy our vacation to the fullest..
Great suggestions! Staying longer definitely makes the experience less stressful. Thank you for reading!
Travelling definitely makes me feel a bit stressed! I love this post, checking out the travel requirements is a great idea, especially if it’s your first time travelling far away x
Indeed, especially since many cities/countries have their own requirements with the pandemic. Thank you for reading Eleanor!
Great tips. I’ve travled quite a bit over the years and agree with all these tips. I didn’t know about the roam pass for Canadians. I plan to travel to Canada again this summer, so I’ll look into getting a good plan for me to travel there.
Yes, it’s an additional pass that we can add to our existing mobile plans! That’s great that you’re planning on visiting again this summer. Thank you for reading Wendy!