Simple Steps to Take Stress Out of Travel

Today is my last day in paradise and I will be leaving a piece of my heart in Fiji. I'm so sad to leave and wish life can be this beautiful all the time! 

While I'm exhausted from a whirlwind visit seeing so many hotels around these amazing islands in just a week's time - I have to admit I was a little stressed at first thinking about the long travel time and packing for a trip this far.  Did you know the inter-island flights only allows 33 lbs for checked luggage? YIKES! What girl can travel that light - Am I right?! haha! :)  

I'm pretty good at packing and mixing outfits to save space, as I've learned many years ago how much I hate lugging heavy bags around. However, 33 lbs adds up quickly and made for a new type of packing experience for me. 

Travel planning is exciting and fun, but when it's almost time to leave, and sometimes during your trip, things can go a different way that you may not be ready for. This can cause you to be just as stressed as you were prior to your departure. ​

The number one cause of not full enjoying a vacation, is a tie between dealing with stressful situations that came up on your trip, and not leaving the stress of life back home at home. With that in mind, here are some simple tips for taking the stress out of travel...

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Create a plan to execute but be okay with ditching the plan.
Make a list of each of your days (activities day and night) and everything you need to bring with you on your trip - then pack. Just this trick alone can save you loads of stress. Rather than worrying if you forgot something, you'll have peace of mind because you took time to think and visualize what you needed, instead of going about packing haphazardly. When you don't have a list, you start adding items later and end up bringing way too much stuff that you never even used.

Next, make a list of the places you want to see and visit on your trip. This is where being willing to ditch the plan comes into play. Too many people create an itinerary, and then feel they have to commit to it causing them to do and see things that didn't keep the fun going. If you get to a museum and suddenly realize they bore you to tears, you don't have to go to any other museums if you don't want to! Consider this your permission slip.

Personal Travel Tip: For the city adventures, I still highly recommend bringing a laminated city map. It's a great visual to plan your routes BEFORE you travel. I like to color code my marks and make notations for where my hotel is located, then use another color for all the "must see" attractions, and another color for those "maybe sights" if time permits. When you can visualize the spots in one large map - you can easily plan a more efficient route to maximize your time and ensure you aren't wasting valuable time back-tracking or trying to figure out what you want to do that day.  


Get everywhere early!
Flights, dinner reservations, shows and games – what do they all have in common? They generally have a time attached to them. Give yourself plenty of buffer time to arrive everywhere you need to be. Nothing ruins a vacation faster than missed flights and late arrivals to important events. When you are in a new city, you can almost count on getting lost at least once while you venture to your next event. Traffic can also be unreliable, so leave early and arrive stress-free. 


Intend to be on vacation. 
Okay, this one might sound silly, but you need to have the mindset to be on vacation. This means NOT checking in at work or working at all while on the vacation. Going into a vacation with the intention of letting everything at home stay at home, can work wonders for your stress levels. Your body and mind need this escape, so allow yourself to actually get away completely!


Go to sleep, and sleep at least 8 hours every night. 
This tip may shock you, but one of the reasons travelers come home even more exhausted and stressed, is they try to pack too much into their schedule while away, and barely sleep. Yes, a getaway is exciting, but you'll enjoy it more with a good night's sleep each night.


Hire a travel professional. 
When you work with a travel agent that is specialized in the destination you are traveling to, they can coordinate and schedule your travel accommodations, transportation, activities and provide travel tips and advice that may enhance your experience you didn't even know existed. Allow a professional to take some of the work off your plate, so you can just enjoy preparing for the fun adventures. If anything goes wrong or need changes - you have someone to call that works for you, so you can get back to enjoying your trip.

Book your consultation today for a stress-free vacation experience. You don't have to spend countless hours creating your perfect trip – that's our job! Let us handle the heavy lifting for you, so that all you have to do is show up. 
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