Being able to travel alone is a wonderful feeling when everything goes smoothly. Whether you’re doing it for the first time, or you’ve done it before but had lots of anxiety, there are ways in which you can make it more enjoyable.
Traveling on your own can certainly be less stressful but it often takes plenty of prep and planning to make it a fun experience.
With that being said, when you’re looking to make traveling less stressful, here are some helpful tips to get you started.
Do your research so you have full clarity of what to expect
When it comes to making traveling less stressful, it’s good to have done your research before you go. This is helpful because it ensures you have full clarity on what to expect. From the cultural norms to the basics of getting to and from the destination.
The best times of the year can be discovered online when looking at when to travel, as well as what to look out for – or avoid – if you’re traveling alone or just in general.
Doing your own research can also help to avoid the fear of the unknown. Rather than going off what other people have said to you about the destination, it’s a good idea to do the research and understand fully what to expect when visiting this place.
Choose a destination that feels familiar
Choosing a destination that feels familiar is always a good way of feeling good about the place you’re traveling to.
The destination you pick might be somewhere you’ve been on your own before, or perhaps it was a popular spot you visited with family or friends when you were younger.
Some people find comfort when they’re visiting a place that’s not too far from home in the distance, or perhaps has native speakers in the country.
Finding the destination is one of the most important parts of booking travel alone and ensuring you enjoy the place you’re visiting. Don’t just go off recommendations or what’s the cheapest option. Travel should be personable to you, so it’s useful to find a place that sounds exciting for to you.
Distract yourself in the lead-up to the travel day
Distracting yourself in the lead-up to the travel day is important. If you’re someone who gets anxious while traveling, it’s better to fill your days before the travel day itself so that you’re not spiraling and thinking too often about it.
What you do to distract yourself might be to do something related to the travel, like going shopping for vacation clothes. Others might want to do something completely different so that they’re not thinking about the travel day until the night before or the morning of.
Distractions are helpful to keep anxiety levels low and to not feel stressed out for long periods of time. There’s nothing more physically and mentally draining than feeling constantly stressed out about the upcoming travel ahead.
Acknowledge your fears and sit with it
Your fears are something that are present regardless of whether you recognize them or choose to ignore them. They’re not going to go away and you’re only going to feel worse if you try to push them down and pretend that they’re not real.
Just because you have a fear of planes or a fear of travel in general, doesn’t mean you can’t travel. Acknowledging the fears and sitting with those fears is the best way to navigate through them in a healthy way.
You might find that over time, your mind and body know how to control it or even move past the anxiety and fear itself. Those fears aren’t something to be ashamed of, especially when travel often goes awry and does not meet the expectations of those traveling.
Consider doing part of it with a travel group
For some, the idea of traveling alone entirely is blissful. However, for others, the idea of traveling alone for even part of the adventure is terrifying. While some will overcome that fear, bite the bullet, and just do it, others might want to ease themselves in. Neither one is the wrong way to go about it.
Thankfully, there are a lot of travel groups out there which are great if you’re looking to do less traveling on your own. These travel groups are also great for meeting new people and those who are like-minded when it comes to travel. You could end up making some great friendships by traveling on your own.
Take a look at what options are available here in your own country and those that operate in the place where you’re visiting. You might find that there are varying numbers when it comes to these groups in order to cater to those who want a more intimate experience versus being surrounded by lots of people in a group setting.
Pack light
Packing light is going to save you a lot of stress because you’ll be thinking less about how you’re going to manage to get all of your bits and bobs through an airport or onto a train.
When you pack light, you want to be mindful of where you’re visiting. Some destinations might need more clothing and accessories, whereas there are some destinations where just a few tops and bottoms might be all you need.
It’s worth packing the essentials regardless of what you’ll need for travel. When you’ve packed or assembled everything on a bed or table, take a look at everything you’ve got. Do you need every single thing or can one or two items be cut?
Packing should also be done a few days before you travel so that you’re not haphazardly packing the night before. That’s when you are more likely to forget something by rushing.
Don’t plan too much
Planning is something that can be helpful but it can also be a bit of a hindrance if you’re filling up your itinerary with too much stuff.
If you end up planning too much, you might find yourself rushing from one place to the next and not fully taking in the moment.
At the same time, you don’t leave any time for that spontaneity that can come when visiting a new destination or one you’ve been to many times before. Having some free time and a flexible itinerary is going to be great for ensuring you have some magical moments during your travel adventures. After all, it’s often the spontaneous activities that are the best and most memorable.
Leave yourself with plenty of time
When you’re traveling on the day, be mindful of how much time you’re giving yourself. When you’re traveling alone, you don’t have the added stress of rounding everyone up. However, if you don’t leave yourself enough time, you may find yourself getting worked up and rushing to get out the door.
Be mindful of the time you have and consider adding an hour on either side so that if anything were to happen or be delayed, you’ve got plenty of time to reach your destination. There’s nothing more fear-inducing than being delayed on a connection and figuring out you only have a brief amount of time to get to the next place.
Arrive at the airport or station early
When arriving at the airport or station, try to do so early. As mentioned above, it’s always good to be preemptive of delays. More than likely at an airport or train station, there’s going to be some sort of delay to the travel itself. But there are times when everything runs and operates according to plan – which leaves no time for error on your part.
Try to arrive at the airport at the time recommended by the airline and ensure at least half an hour is given when you’re looking to catch a train at the station.
Get airport transport to and from
Airport transport is a good one to have when you’re easily stressed out during the travel. There’s nothing better than having Cabo Airport Transportation to help get you from the airport to your hotel or accommodation.
That means no need to wait for public transport or hire a car to get to where you need to go. Airport transportation is important because it helps ensure you make the most of wherever you are instead of encountering delays or getting left stranded in a place you’ve never been in.
Learn the local lingo
Learning the lingo is a great way to make sure you have fun while on your vacation. It’s polite and considerate to at least learn the language when it comes to basic interactions but if you can become somewhat conversational, the locals will appreciate it a lot more.
Making traveling on your own less stressful is something that can benefit your experience a lot more. With that in mind, use these tips to ensure you have the best time on your travels in the near future.
