Staying Stress-Free While Travelling

Traveling abroad can be a relaxing, soothing tonic for the mind and body. Delicious meals, spa treatments and exotic scenery can be incredibly calming, especially after months of hectic career and family engagements. However – travel isn’t always a sanctuary away from stress. In fact, it has been shown that for many people, vacations can be the most stressful time of the year.

Lost luggage, unmet resort expectations, unexpected charges and poor communication with guides can all make your holiday feel more like a chore than a joy. How can you avoid this? Here are some tips to ensure that your next vacation is blissful – not stressful.

Ship your luggage

Want to avoid the lengthy wait times for delayed baggage, the stress of lost luggage and the hassle of hauling heavy bags around foreign city? Ship them! Services like Ship My Bag and Carry My Luggage are becoming more and more popular with travelers around the world. For a fee, these services will collect your baggage from your home and ensure that they are waiting for you in your hotel room at your destination.

Take advantage of the airport lounge

Business class lounges offer guests a chance to get away from the melee in the terminal and unwind in comfort and style. Complimentary drinks, food and entertainment are provided in all lounges, with each airline offering their own unique perks including saunas, gratis massages and esthetic treatments. Even if you are not flying in business or first class, you may still have access to business class lounges in airports around the world (some of which are truly luxurious), depending on your frequent flyer status or your credit card company.

Book a well-reviewed package holiday

A package holiday often includes flights, hotel, all meals and drinks, and airport transfers, completely removing the stress from the booking process and making your arrival and check in a breeze. Once you are at your resort, many package holidays include a dedicated representative who is there to ensure you know about all of your excursion options, help you make your dining reservations and answer any questions you may have about the area. Check out these other perks to an all-inclusive booking here—the only thing you will have to decide is how many margaritas to drink!

Spend the night at an airport hotel for morning departures

There is something frantic and stressful about early morning departures – before that second coffee it feels a lot easier to forget important items than it does when your flight is later in the day. That said, morning flights are not always avoidable. A pre-night at an established airport hotel can be exactly the prescription for avoiding the early morning mad dash. You get one extra night in luxury, you can sleep in a little longer and you lower your chances of forgetting any key items.

Following these tips will ensure that your holiday is a time for you to relax and get away from the irritations and hectic nature of daily life – and not a time for you to experience them anew.

Family travelling abroad image by Shutterstock.