How to Ease the Stressful Process of Planning a Trip!
Everybody has a travel destination in mind that they have been putting off for years. Why exactly do we keep putting off this trip? Is it because of work, school, your budget, or because it is simply so stressful to plan a trip that it’s discouraging?
According to Christopher Muther at the Boston Globe, “In a new study, 92% of Americans said travel is nerve-racking”. No wonder so many trips fall through, and many people just stay at home instead.
However, planning your dream trip doesn’t need to be as stressful as you might think if you take advantage of a few different resources and tips. Many of these are online and just a click away.
At every destination there are tons of places to stay, tons of places to see, and tons of ways to get there. Luckily for us, there are wonderful people out there who can sort through all these options.
For first time travelers, or even experienced travelers, contacting a travel agent can really help streamline the process of organizing the details of your trip. Many travel agents are available at little to no cost, and your only job is to tell them when and where you want to go, and they can do the rest.
Travel agents can be available from websites such as Expedia.com, Kayak.com, or even brick-and-mortar locations where you can go and talk to them in person.
There is a downside with using travel agents, and that is they are usually partnered with a few hotel chains and airlines. You will end up getting a more “tourist style” of trip, but for a lot of people, that is exactly what they are looking for.
But if you are looking for a more personalized experience, this can still be done with a travel agent, but using travel planning websites such as Booking.com or Skyscanner.com might be a better option for you. Travel websites such as these put you in the driver seat to plan your trip but give you a one-stop shop for creating your perfect travel package.
This way you won’t have three different browsers open, all trying to coordinate the same dates between three different booking companies. Matthew Kepnes from Nomadic Matt says, “I’ve been there but I can tell you from years of experience the more you plan the more anxiety you will face”.
Many times, that is one of the main reasons a trip never gets planned. We start to feel overwhelmed and decide it is not worth the trouble. This is where my third piece of advice comes in.
Don’t overthink your trip. Keep your plan simple and easy to follow.
I had a recent experience of overthinking while planning a trip to Europe. Europe is a big, fantastic place with many things to see, but we simply can’t see them all on one trip.
At least that’s what I had to remind myself of when I was planning my trip to multiple different countries with multiple destinations at each location.
I took a step back and realized my plan was too complicated to be enjoyable. In the end, I settled on three countries with five total tourist destinations over a two-week course.
This provided me with some much needed breathing room, and some time to relax and just explore my surroundings instead of rushing around to the next big thing. I will get to see everything I want to see but enjoy taking my time in between.
If there’s something that you just can’t fit in on this trip, instead of being sad you should be happy. That means another future trip is already in the works!
Something to keep in mind is if you are planning on traveling internationally, your planning starts way before you even start picking out your destinations. Passports keep many people from traveling internationally, especially with the long wait times to receive one.
My advice is to apply for your passport as much in advance as possible. There is no need to add an extra layer of stress waiting for your passport to arrive as your departure date grows closer and closer.
If you are traveling domestically, it is still important to stay up to date on current airline regulations and keep all your information valid and up to date. Being prepared and informed is a great stress reducer.
It’s no secret that traveling can be expensive though, and for many this is a huge cause of stress. Luckily, there are many ways to incorporate a responsible budget and still make it to your destination.
Emma from Education First says, “Exploring exotic places doesn’t have to cost a fortune and you certainly don’t need to win the lottery to travel the world or study abroad — not if you know how to watch your pennies”.
Booking your trips well in advance, traveling out of season, or creating a daily budget for yourself can be great ways to reduce the stress of spending while traveling. Everything gets more expensive the closer you are to a departure date, so don’t hesitate and book your trip now!
Another great way to manage your budget is to stay organized. Organization is the key to stress free and effective planning.
If there are destinations you really want to see while you are traveling, put them on a list and stick to it.
Here is a simple list example that can help collect your thoughts.
Nine days in Europe.
- Paris, Effiel Tower
- Munich, Marienplatz
- Zurich, Lindenhof
It lists a location, and what you want to see there. Easy!
This will keep your trip simple, meaningful, and more fun without overthinking it.
If you combine all these great tips listed above, you can finally go on that trip you have always wanted to. But you can do it in a relaxing and less stressful way.
Check out these other travel blogs at Independent Travel Cats and Travel and Leisure!
So where will you be going next, and what methods will you use to reduce the stress of planning?
Share your travel tips below and be sure to follow for more exciting travel blogs!
