Seasoned travellers share simple habits that help make trips less stressful and more comfortable — from planning your route to the small things in your hand luggage.
One popular approach is to create your own map in Google Maps in advance. On it, you mark ‘must-see’ places, other interesting spots and places to eat with separate pins. This lets you combine basic planning with the freedom to change your route on the fly, depending on what happens to be nearby.
Many people recommend packing a spare set of clothes in your personal bag so you can change during a long journey or layover. For long flights, travellers also consider a saline nasal spray and eye drops indispensable, as well as wet wipes, which are a lifesaver if there’s no paper or soap, or simply for a quick clean-up.
Another tip is not to overload your days with too many activities. Travellers often deliberately plan a maximum of one ‘big’ thing per day (a tour, a museum, a meeting), leaving the rest of the time free. This makes it easier to adapt to the weather, how you’re feeling or delays on the way.
Quite a few people deliberately avoid planning anything for the day they arrive: because of possible flight delays and jet lag, they limit themselves to a walk and finding something to eat, so they don’t start their holiday with the feeling that they’re ‘already behind schedule’.
Among the small but useful habits are: a hoodie with a large hood for flights, to cover your eyes and head; the rule ‘one item in one pocket, and it must fasten’ so you don’t lose anything; paper copies of tickets and bookings in case of problems with your phone; a small kit in your hand luggage (earplugs, sleep mask, headphones, pen, hair tie).
Experienced travellers also advise not forgetting about your health: take your usual digestion remedies, blister plasters, and a medium-sized rubbish bag to help keep your hotel room tidy. Some people always carry a few bandanas, which they use as a headscarf, napkin, extra knee support or even a temporary strap.
They also recommend thinking through logistics separately: if possible, book hotels closer to railway stations when travelling by train, so you don’t waste energy on extra transfers. Before your trip, it’s worth planning your route from the airport to your accommodation in detail, choosing the type of transport and checking on Google Street View what the entrance to the hotel or flat looks like.
Another common piece of advice is to stay flexible with your plan: have a list of ‘modules’ for the day that you can swap around depending on the weather or your mood, and build ‘rest days’ into your trip with no compulsory items on the agenda.
Some travellers recommend starting and ending your holiday in the middle of the working week, so you don’t set off tired after full working days and have a couple of days to readjust once you’re back.