While rest and relaxation should be the first words that come to mind when one thinks of a vacation, the reality is, a lot of people associate vacations with stress.
In fact, a recent survey found that 73 percent of people become anxious at the prospect of a vacation.
From choosing dates to booking flights and hotels to planning a daily itinerary, it’s no wonder that so many people find vacation planning to be stressful.
But, it doesn’t have to be this way.
There are many things you can do to plan and execute a stress-free vacation.
Check out this guide to learn the top amazing trip planning tips for a stress-free vacation.
1. Don’t Overplan Your Trip
While planning everything out may seem like a great way to avoid stress, overplanning usually leads to more stress.
By planning out every detail, you’ll be constantly rushing from one activity to the rest, and they won’t be any room for spontaneity.
Plus, planning your schedule so everything fits in perfectly can be really hard to do, and you’ll likely exhaust yourself before your vacation even begins.
For a stress-free vacation, we suggest planning two to three activities per day. This will keep you busy yet still leave enough room for long lunches, spontaneous shopping trips, and more.
2. Eat and Exercise While On the Road
While a vacation is an opportunity to overindulge, you don’t want to throw all of your healthy eating and exercise habits out the window.
This can lead to you feeling stressed out and tired.
There’s no need to stick to a strict fitness and eating plan while on vacation, but you should aim to exercise a few times a week (or at least walk a lot) and make sure that you’re getting a few servings of fruit and veggies each day.
Also, pack a water bottle with you before you leave your hotel so you can stay hydrated throughout the day.
3. Don’t Try to See the Whole Country in One Go
One of the biggest mistakes people make when planning a vacation is trying to see everything in one go.
Not only does this lead to high amounts of stress, but it’ll also cost you a lot of money.
As a general rule of thumb, you should plan to spend two to three days in each city. Also, make sure you’re properly accounting for travel time.
A flight from Milan to Naples may only take an hour and a half, but once you add-in the time it takes to get to and from the airport, getting to the airport two hours before the flight and checking in and out of your hotel, this seemingly short trip can quickly eat up the better part of your day.
So, even if you don’t know when you’ll be back to your destination of choice, don’t try to pack too much in. You’ll appreciate each place much more if you take it in slowly.
4. Head to Underrated Destinations
It’s no surprise that waiting in long lines, dealing with huge crowds of tourists, and fighting for spots on excursions can cause high levels of stress.
To avoid huge crowds of tourists and all the stresses they bring, we suggest booking your trip to an underrated destination.
Not only will this help you avoid large crowds, but it can also save you a ton of money.
If, however, you have your heart set on a very popular vacation destination, we suggest at least booking your trip during the off-season.
5. Take Extra Credit Cards and Travel Documents
One of the most nightmarish travel situations you can find yourself in is being stuck in a foreign country without any money or without any travel documents to get you back home.
To avoid this stressor, we suggest packing extra credit cards and bank cards with you. But, when you go out for the day, we suggest only taking cash and keeping your cards safely locked away. Or, taking one card with you and leaving the rest behind. This way, if your wallet gets stolen, you won’t be totally screwed.
In addition to taking extra cards with you, we also suggest making extra copies of your passport, visa, and other travel documents. This will be a lifesaver in the event that any of these documents get lost or stolen.
Also, don’t just bring an extra physical copy with you. You should also email yourself copies so you never have to worry about keeping track of a bunch of pieces of paper.
6. Learn a Few Phrases in the Native Language
If you’re traveling somewhere where the main language isn’t English, it can help tremendously to learn a few basic phrases in the country’s native language.
This can come in handy when ordering food, asking for directions, or ordering a taxi.
Plus, even if the locals speak English, most of them will at least appreciate your attempt at speaking their language.
7. Get Travel Insurance
Just because you’re not hiking Mount Everest, doesn’t mean you don’t need travel insurance. No matter what type of vacation you’re taking, travel insurance is an absolute must.
If something goes wrong on your trip, you don’t want to be out thousands of dollars.
Travel insurance protects you against theft, canceled flights, injuries, illnesses, or having to be sent home because of a visa issue.
Plus, most travel insurance costs just a few dollars a day- a small price to pay for peace of mind throughout your whole trip.
If you do get injured on your trip, be prepared to hire a personal injury lawyer when you get home. You can get more details on hiring a lawyer here.
Are You Ready for an Amazing Trip?
With these travel tips in mind, you’ll be well on your way to an amazing trip.
Now, all you need to do is remember to take lots of pictures, savor each moment, and relax.
Also, if you liked this post, be sure to check back in for more travel-related tips and tricks.
