How to minimise travel stress
10:48 pm
Does anybody else find travelling extremely stressful? I know I do! Today was the last day of my second term at university which means it's time for all of us students to go back home for our Easter holiday. For most people, this means hopping on a fairly short train journey or (if you're one of the really lucky ones), waiting for your parents to come and pick you up. For me, however, this means a train journey to the airport to catch a flight - my parents live abroad which is great in some respects but extremely stressful in others! And yes, you've guessed it, travelling alone is one of those stresses.
I didn't have any classes today so I've spent most of the day sorting out the bits and bobs that I needed to do before leaving in order to minimise my stress tomorrow as much as possible, and I thought I'd share these things with you! Stress during travel is completely normal (or so they tell me) as there's always the chance you'll miss the train/plane/whatever, or that you'll forget that all important passport. I totally understand this stress, trust me - I've checked that my passport is safe in my bag about twenty times already today! So, without further ado, here are my top tips on how to minimise stress while traveling!
I didn't have any classes today so I've spent most of the day sorting out the bits and bobs that I needed to do before leaving in order to minimise my stress tomorrow as much as possible, and I thought I'd share these things with you! Stress during travel is completely normal (or so they tell me) as there's always the chance you'll miss the train/plane/whatever, or that you'll forget that all important passport. I totally understand this stress, trust me - I've checked that my passport is safe in my bag about twenty times already today! So, without further ado, here are my top tips on how to minimise stress while traveling!
1. Book tickets in advance
There's nothing quite like the panic of realising you haven't booked your train tickets yet - trust me, I know from experience! Always try to make sure that you book train or plane tickets in advance, preferably as soon as you know what date you'll be travelling. Tickets are much cheaper when you buy them early, and it'll save you a lot of stress when you know that your journey is already planned out.
2. Make a packing list
Call me overly organised, but I always make myself a packing list a few days before I'll be leaving! My boyfriend actually bought me a little packing list notepad since he knows how much I love to have a list! It gives me plenty of time to get everything together and make sure I've got everything I need. If I'm missing something important, I'll have a few days in which to go and buy it before I travel! It's also important to try and start getting everything ready for packing a day or two before you actually pack. Lay everything out and make sure that it will all fit into the suitcase, as you don't want to be struggling for space only a few hours before you leave!
3. Travel light
Leading on from my previous point, try to travel as light as possible. Not only does this give you extra space for your holiday shopping, it also means you won't have to be lugging a ridiculously heavy case on and off busy trains! They say you should pack half as much as you think you'll need, and I must say I agree with this tip. I always take way too much when I go away and find that I don't use most of it while I'm there, which means I could've had a lighter case! You also don't want to go over the baggage allowance, of course, as this could induce extra fees.
4. Keep important documents safe
I've definitely learned from my mum that it's important to keep documents such as your passport and flight information somewhere safe. I remember when we were younger and on our way to Disneyland Paris, she had forgotten all of our passports, resulting in an awful lot of stress before we even reached the plane! I always keep my documents in a little plastic folder inside a zip bag that goes over my shoulder. These bags are really great as they make it easy for you to double check you've got everything, and there's no risk of things falling out of them!
5. Get to the airport or train station in plenty of time
The crazy mad dash to a train station or airport gate is my least favourite thing IN THE WORLD. Minimise the risk of this by leaving home in plenty of time! Make sure you set an alarm if you need to get up early, and book the taxi in advance if you live far away from the station. Also make sure to check what time you need to be at the airport for - normally it's three hours in advance, or an hour and a half in advance if you've checked in online.
6. Make sure you've got money and emergency contact details
You never know when you might need a bit of extra cash! I always make sure I've got some money on me, as well as my bank card, and emergency details in case something goes wrong. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst is what I always say!
7. Have things to look forward to on the journey
I know travelling can be stressful but try and take time to enjoy the journey. I always pack myself some nice snacks and a good book or magazine to read on the way, just to give myself something to look forward to and let myself relax for a little while. You are going on holiday, after all!
I hope these tips have been helpful to you in minimising any travel stress you may be having. For those of you going home or on holiday during the break, I hope you have a wonderful time and that you all stay safe on your travels! Happy Easter!
8 comments
this was a good one :)
ReplyDelete<3: Jasmin N | littlethingswithjassy.blogspot.fi
Thanks Jasmin, I'm glad you like it! :) x
DeleteOh I agree - panicking because you think you are going to be late is the worst feeling! I do try and always pack the night before and make a list of everything I have to do when I get up to make sure I can just zip around and get everything done quickly... I still usually end up rushing though!! Hope you enjoy your time off xx
ReplyDeletewww.lovedbylaura.com
I'm exactly the same, and even when I do pack the night before I still find myself thinking of things as I'm falling asleep that I'll need to do in the morning! I'm definitely turning into my mum - she keeps a little post-it note pad by her bed to write down things she remembers and now I've started doing the same! :') It definitely works though :) thanks for your comment, hope you have a lovely Easter too :) xx
DeleteGreat list! Completely agree with number 5, this is a huge biggie for me, I like getting there as early as possible just in case there's a delay at check-in/bag drop or security!
ReplyDeleteC x | Lux Life
Oh my goodness, yes! One time I got to the airport but there was some kind of problem with my ticket or something - I don't remember exactly, but I ended up rushing to the departure gate only to make it just in time! It was the most horrible thing ever so now I always make sure I'm there super super early just in case! At least airports have shops to look in and stuff, and I always take my kindle in case I get bored waiting around :) xx
DeleteThis post was so amazing, thanks alot! Im going to new york in june and ive never been on a plane EVER let alone by myself so im terrified, this has helped ALOT!!
ReplyDeletewww.throughthemirror.co.uk
Oh wow, New York sounds so exciting! I'm very jealous, I've never been but always wanted to. Don't worry, you will be absolutely fine - once you've sat down and got a film onscreen it's actually quite easy to forget you're on a plane! I'm planning on getting a few more travel-themed posts on my blog soon as I do travel quite a bit, so keep an eye out for those and hopefully they can be of some help to you as well!
DeleteThank you so much for your lovely comment, I'm glad you found the advice helpful! xxx