Vacations are exciting — a new place, fun experiences, and great people to share it with! But with the fun, stress often comes along too — in fact, 55% of people said they find air travel more stressful than work.
Whether you’re also using an airplane to get to where you want to go or even driving there, there are some vacation tips that can make your experience much better and eliminate some of the stress.
Don’t end up worrying so much that it impacts your vacation.
By following these traveling tips, you can ensure that you’ve prepared for any possibility and made your vacation the best it can be.
Table of Contents
1. Book Everything Early
It’s important to book everything early.
Hotels and flights sell out. Tourist attractions and even restaurants can be booked months in advance.
Decide where you’re going and plan out your trip as much as possible. It’s okay to be a little spontaneous but if you’re doing anything major or want to eat at a famously busy restaurant, get those reservations in.
2. Fly During the Week
If you’re taking a flight, try booking it between Tuesday and Thursday.
Friday-Monday is famously expensive, and the difference can be as much as hundreds of dollars when taking an international trip. The last thing you want is to pay $800 to fly on a Saturday when you could have paid half that to fly on a Wednesday!
3. Check Out Airbnbs
Most people will default to hotels when searching for accommodation (unless they have friends or family to stay with), but Airbnbs can be a great option.
Not only are they often cheaper than hotels, but you can also often have a full place for yourself. If privacy and space are important to you, this might be the perfect option.
4. Research, Research, Research
When going to a new place, you should always research. Especially if it’s a new country.
Not only should you research places to go and things to see, but you should research the culture. Countries often have different customs and traditions than North America, as well as various taboos, and it’s important to know what they are so you can be respectful.
5. Check Out Every Available Travel Option
One of the best travel tips in Europe is to check out every available travel option, because when visiting multiple places, trains may well be cheaper than planes.
Taking a train can also mean you see some scenery you may have missed if you were flying over it.
Check out every option when going place to place — there may be other ways to get around.
6. Pack a Nice Outfit — Even If You Don’t Think You’ll Need It
Even if you think your vacation will be casual, pack a nice outfit. You might end up going for a surprise dinner with your significant other, or meeting someone on the trip you go on a date with!
For that reason, pack a nice dress and some pretty summer necklaces — or dress pants, nice shoes, and a shirt if that’s more your thing!
7. Look for City Passes
If you’re visiting a city and plan to visit multiple attractions, look into city passes. Some cities will sell you a bundle of attraction tickets in one package for much cheaper than if you had bought them all separately.
These are usually well worth it if you visit every location offered by them.
8. Pick Your Plane Seat Early
One of the most valuable international travel tips you’ll ever get is to pay that little bit of extra to choose your plane seat early.
It may not matter as much when flying domestically, but a middle seat on an international plane journey can be a bit of a nightmare.
An aisle seat provides the ability to go to the restroom without disturbing anyone, but a window seat provides peace and easier sleep.
Whatever you value, they have more advantages than the middle seat.
9. Get to the Airport Early
Even if you think you don’t need three hours to check in and get through security, go to the airport early. You might have forgotten something or the security line might be far longer than expected.
Arriving at the airport in the nick of time is a recipe for stress.
Worst comes to worst, you have plenty of time to shop before your vacation!
10. Pack Spare Underwear in Your Carry-On
Luggage gets delayed often. Sometimes, it gets lost completely. It’s every traveler’s worst nightmare.
Fortunately, you can be prepared. Pack enough spare underwear in your carry-on to see you through a day or two. At least then if your luggage goes missing, you’ll have some emergency supplies until the airline finds it.
11. Don’t Fear Public Transport
It’s tempting to take a taxi everywhere in a new place, especially if you don’t understand the language.
However, some cities have awesome transport systems. One of the best Japan travel tips is to make use of their subway system, and some European countries have famously good ones too.
Take a little time to research the system and you’ll be able to get around on it easily.
12. Research and Be Aware of Scams
Some people, unfortunately, like to scam tourists. Whether it’s pickpockets who distract you or taxi drivers who overcharge you, it happens.
Google the place you’re going and check out the common scams there to ensure you don’t fall prey to them.
13. Try the Local Food
Even if the local food seems strange — and it often does, to someone who isn’t used to it! — you should try it. It’s sometimes a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and you might be surprised by how good it is.
Some places also have cocktails and drinks you might never have thought of.
14. Check the Reviews of Everything
To save yourself from having a bad experience, utilize sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp to scour reviews.
This can help with everything, from sight-seeing to eating out. Community reviews make it easy to tell if a place is going to be amazing or terrible, and minimize your chances of being disappointed.
These Easy Traveling Tips Will Make Your Trip Amazing
Follow these traveling tips when booking and enjoying your vacation and you’re almost guaranteed to have a good time for travel accessories.
Traveling can be stressful, but if you prepare, take your time, and remind yourself that you’re on vacation to enjoy yourself, the stress will melt away next to the excitement!
For more life tips, check out the rest of our blog!