My Top Tips for Stress-Free Travel
Going on holiday is an exciting experience, so why make the whole process more stressful than it has to be? There are a few things I like to do when travelling, either by plane or other means, that helps to make everything a little more relaxed and easy going. So with that in mind, I thought I'd share a few of my tips with you so that you too can enjoy stress-free travel no matter where you're going this year, staycation or otherwise :)
Plan the journey
Whether you're driving to your destination, taking the train, a plane or even a ferry, it's important that you plan the journey from start to finish. If you're driving, think about the roads and motorways you should take and ask yourself a few questions before hitting the roads:
- Are there any roadworks that could get in my way?
- Are there ways around them?
- What day am thinking of travelling on?
- What time should I set off?
- What time will I arrive?
Where they might seem like simple questions, they're very necessary ones as it could highlight problems or issues that you might not have thought of otherwise. The same goes with train, plane and ferry travel. You will still need to consider the car journey to those locations in much the same way as if you were going all the way to your destination by car. If going to the airport, a train station or a ferry port, then you should ask yourself the following questions:
- Do I need to be close by to the location on the day I travel?
- Does it require me to stay overnight in a hotel, either on the way there or on the way back?
- Will I have enough time to drive there on the day of travel?
- Will I have time to eat at least one meal of the day or will I need to pack something beforehand?
Usually, if you're heading off somewhere by pane, train or ferry, then the duration of your journey is likely to be quite long and tiring, so thinking about food and drink in this scenario is essential. Where you might be able to eat aboard the vessel you're travelling on, it can be an expensive way of doing it unless it's included in your travel, like a long haul flight.
This is also important to consider if you have children. Will they be fed and watered throughout the journey? Will you be able to buy snacks on your travels or do you need to bring your own for good measure? What about sippy cups and other things that a child might need to ensure they aren't hungry or thirsty? This all comes under the category of planning your journey.
Make the most of any downtime you have
Whether in the airport lounge, waiting for your train or ferry or stopping at a service station on the motorway, make the most of the downtime you have. Relax! Some of the things you can do while you're waiting to travel, or having a break from travelling, includes:
- Having something to eat
- Having something to drink, like a coffee
- Going for a bit of a walk around and stretch your legs
- Having a loo break
- Doing something you enjoy like reading a book or magazine
- Listening to music or a podcast
- Catching up with friends and family
- Doing a bit of shopping
Leaving enough time before departure
Whether you're catching a plane, train or ferry, you must make sure to leave enough time between departure times. I like to get there a bit earlier to ensure I can check in, grab a coffee and relax until boarding.
This is the same with a train. I will always get there quite a bit earlier than the time on my ticket so I can meander for a bit until I have to get on the train. Sometimes, the train will be waiting there as I get there so I can just hop on and wait, but other times, you do have to wait in the customer lounge or on the platform for the train to pull in.
Be optimistic
Don't assume that everything that can go wrong will go wrong. This is just a shortcut to unnecessary stress and it's easily avoided. Be positive. This is easy enough if you've done the aforementioned: planned your journey, left enough time before departure and enjoyed your downtime. If something happens that wasn't part of your plan or if there's a small hitch, then deal with is if and when it arises. Don't overthink things and assume that something will go wrong whilst everything is absolutely fine. Just go with the flow.
Make sure your home is clean and tidy when you leave
This ensures that you have something to look forward to when you get home. This way, the only thing you have to worry about when you get back is sorting out your holiday laundry. I like to make sure everything is clean and tidy before I go away.
I will even clean out the coffee machine, washing machine and the toaster! I will also change the bed sheets so they're nice and fresh for when we come home and we don't have to worry about changing them when we get back. It's the little things, for me, that makes all the difference and returning to a tidy home is one of those things. Things I will do throughout the home to make sure I return to a clean and tidy one is:
- Wash all the laundry in the basket
- Put fresh sheets on the bed
- Hoover the floors
- Hoover the stairs
- Mop the floors
- Clean both bathrooms
- Clean the kitchen
- Clean the dining room table
- De-crumb the toaster
- Clean through the coffee machine
- Wash all the components of the coffee machine
- Put the washing machine on its own "wash" cycle
- Leave the washing machine door and draw open to air
- Make sure all surfaces are free from dust
- Plumping up the sofa cushions
- Hoovering the sofa cushions
- Putting any clean and dry washing away
I'm sure I've left a few things out but those are the things that I like to make sure are done before we leave the house, especially if we'll be gone for a long time. Crumb-free is an important one because it keeps away bugs and mice who might be on the lookout for food. So if you do anything before you leave, hoover quickly, paying particular attention to the kitchen. I would also recommend getting all the crumbs out of your toaster and off your worktops!
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I hope you enjoyed this blog post? Let me know in the comments below whether you're going away any time soon and where you're heading off to! I'll see you again very soon with a brand new blog post :)
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