Do you also experience those pre-travel nerves? No matter how much time we've left to
prepare for our holiday or trip abroad, all of us at some point fall victim to the angst that
surrounds the trip. Luckily for you, we’ve come up with 5 helpful tips to make your travel planning less stressful.
1. Write a list
The last thing we want when on holiday or travelling abroad is the realization that we have
forgotten that all-too-important item we can’t be without. Be it our phone charger, adaptor or
favourite pair of sunglasses – we will no doubt kick ourselves on discovering we haven’t
packed them. For that reason, we swear by writing lists. List each item you want to take with
you and simply tick it off once packed. You can even add items to the list at a later date and
refer back to it so that nothing is forgotten, giving you that added reassurance.
2. Plan ahead
We all have those special items we want to take on holiday, whether it be an item of clothing,
camera, or book. Prepping these things can often take time and therefore require planning
ahead. This might mean washing clothes in advance so that they are fresh to wear or charging a camera so that the battery will last for the first few days of your trip. Whatever it is, make a note of it on your list so you won’t forget it.
3. Have an itinerary
For many of us, one of the biggest parts of going away is the anticipation that precedes the
trip. More often than not we have places and activities in mind that we want to see and do,
so making an itinerary is never a bad idea, even if it serves as a reminder of that
recommended restaurant or route to that hidden beach. Whatever it is, making a note of top
tips and planning your days can be a helpful tool and will ensure you make the most of your
time.
4. Travel documents
Never, ever forget those trusty travel documents. The last thing you want to do is arrive at
your destination ready to hire a car or need an emergency trip to the hospital and not have
your travel insurance or driver’s licence. These small (and often paperless!)
but vital documents are the difference between making or breaking your time away, so always
double-check or even triple-check you’ve got these in a safe place.
5. Be on time
One of the biggest bug-bears and panic-inducers amongst us travellers is the fear of being
late. Avoid that worry by making sure you plan ahead of schedule at all times. Always give
yourself a 90-minute leeway to get to the airport on time, get your luggage checked in and
have enough time for a toilet break, a snack and time to relax before boarding your flight.
As pre-travel stress is more often than not down to a lack of planning and organization, we
reckon if you can nail these five handy tips, you’ll be enjoying stress-free travel planning
hereafter.
Happy traveling my friends!
xo
This is a contributed post written by Dale White
