Published: 26 Oct, 2018 Ashwini
I envy the impromptu and spontaneous travel plans. Every time I have to go somewhere, chances are I have planned it months in advance. But even after precisely planning holiday travel, my itinerary goes out of the window once I reach the destination. Managing money, sticking to schedule become my priority rather than enjoying the place. So, now I have realized and accepted the fact that no matter how intricately I plan everything, something is bound to go wrong. Chances are most of my money would be spent on commuting and eating, so now I have started to plan accordingly. Contingency is the key, you possibly can’t have just plan A, you ought to have Plan B, Plan C and so on and over the years, I have realized by taking the best tips for stress-free holidays, I can manage all aspect of my travel more smoothly. So, I thought of sharing these tips with you as well and have curated an ultimate guide to a stress-free vacation.
Plan Your Travel
The first step of any trip is planning. Although impromptu and spontaneous travel is exciting, planning everything in advance helps you manage everything else more effectively. You should have a rough itinerary of the entire trip before you proceed to book anything.
Book Flights in Advance
Last moment flight booking can burn a hole in your packet as they are super-costly. Booking tickets in advance is the best way to go about it. Also, if you book early the airlines usually offer some deal. Also, check out different portals through which you book cheap flights. Tour My India also offers cheap flight ticket deals to its customers.
Book Accommodation Before Reaching Your Destination
Nobody likes going to a new place and hunting for a hotel, it’s tiring and most of the times it costs more than the actual deal. Pick any stress-free holiday guide and it would say the hotel, most of the times, charge you more when you book it directly at the reception desk. It’s always better to book an accommodation before you leave. Like cheap flight tickets, Tour My India also offers great hotel deals for its customers.
Look For Alternate Accommodation
A tip for backpackers and budget travellers, alternate homestays are the new trend rather than looking for cheap hotels for accommodation. Cheaper than hotels, such hostels and homestays are a fun place to stay at. You get to meet fellow travellers and you get to interact with them and share stories. Homestays will always be cheaper than the hotels so you can save some bucks while having the time of your life with fellow travellers.
Don’t Exchange Currency At Airports
Ask for holiday travel tips from the travelling community and they would suggest that if you are planning a trip abroad, it is best advised to not exchange the currency at airports as you are prone to losing around 10% of your total money. The forex exchange at airports and local shops at your destination will charge you a lot. The best way is to go to a government body, like the Post office to get your currency exchanged. Also, compare the rates with all the other options available.
Carry All Documents
It’s better to keep all your documents and identification papers together. If you are planning to go for an international holiday, you should keep your documents handy all the time.
Carry A Soft Copy Of Documents
Accidents can happen anytime, you might misplace your luggage which had all your important documents like Passport, Identification proof. It’s best advised to have a soft copy of all the documents in your phone in case of emergency and ensure a stress-free vacation.
Check For Network Connectivity
Seeking expert tips, here is one. Having an active network connection is an essential part of our travel. We all depend on the internet to guide us in the new place. So, it’s better to check the network connectivity in the place you are planning to visit. You can contact your service provider to get more details on this.
Public Transport For The Win
Easy ways to reduce holiday stress is by ensuring that you save money at every possible step. Travelling to an alien destination can be super costly. Hiring a cab or taxi will push your budget over the roof. Instead, opt for local public transport. They are cheap and they also help you in exploring the destination better. You also get a chance to get acquainted with the local culture and people. The best way to explore the city, public transports can help you save money on your travel.
Ask Locals when Exploring Restaurants
Starving and have no idea where to eat, what are you going to do? Check out Tripadvisor? Restaurants usually listed on such websites are pretty costly. The best way to save money at the same time try local cuisine is to ask locals. They can tell you about the best place to eat on a budget. Also, doing so would help you explore local cuisines.
Learn The Local Language
Travelling to a new place can be a bit uncomfortable and alienating especially if the language and culture are different than yours. Knowing some of the culture and traditions and some basic words in the local language can go on to help you a long way out when you get to the place.
Carry Extra Batteries
This is must follow tip for photographers, you might not get a stable charging connection in your destination. So it’s advisable that you carry an extra set of camera batteries and an extra memory card. One of the best ways to leave worries at home is to ensure that all the bases are covered. The same applies to your every gadget, make sure all of them are charged. If you are planning to go camping or travelling to an offbeat place to a rural village, chances are you won’t find stable electricity.
Research About Place
Not knowing about the destination is one thing you can’t afford to do. It would waste your time as well as waste your money. Knowing about the place from people who have been there will give you some of the important hacks that you should follow. Also, a little research about the place will allow you to explore the place in a better way.
Seek Out Honest Opinions
You will find thousands of blogs about the destination you want to visit. They might or might not be a reliable source of information. It’s better to seek out honest opinions through Quora or other people’s experience. Facebook travel groups have evolved to be a reliable source of information as well.
Be Flexible With Your Planning
No matter how intricately you plan your trip, chances are something will go wrong. Maybe you will miss the last bus or maybe you are not done exploring the whole place or maybe you crossed your budget for food; any of these things can potentially ruin your trip if you don’t have a backup. Be flexible enough to accommodate any of such issues.
Have Maximum Credit On Your Credit Cards
You might think you won’t need extra money but the truth is you would. Credit cards always come in handy in such situations. Carry your credit and debit cards with you all the time and make sure that none of your cards is maxed out.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is intended to cover medical expenses, trip cancellations, lost luggage, and flight accidents occurred during travel. You can pick an insurance for the duration of your trip. Some countries make it mandatory for tourists to have a travel insurance.
Pack Light
You might have to carry your bag for a long period of time so packing light is the best way to go about it. If you are planning to go hiking or trekking, it’s best to carry just the essentials. You should get rid of things that you won’t be needing on the trip. Carry the minimal pair of clothes and accessories. I almost lost a bus because I had to carry a 10Kg bag, down the hill for 5 km. If you are taking a flight, carry a bag of around 7 kg, maximum weight of luggage allowed inside cabin.
Safety First
Every tourist destination has its own share of good and bad. On one side you might face warm hospitality and on the flip side, some areas of the city might not be best suited for tourists because of safety hazards. Hence, it is advised for tourists to be aware of such places and avoid it as much as you can. Read blogs online and take out time to ask questions to someone who has already visited the place about the safety of the place.
Reach Airport or Railway Station Early
You never know when you might get stuck in the traffic or how long is the line for the boarding pass. Reaching the airport and railway station on a clock might not be the best way to go about it. At least have a 30 minutes contingency plan that means reach 30 minutes early than the mentioned time.
Travelling in itself is hectic, things can sometimes get out of hand. In situations like those, the best thing to do is take a deep breath and accept that something is bound to go wrong. Once you do that these travel tips will really come in handy. So, relieve holiday stress and anxiety and enjoy your travel and if anything goes wrong, you know you are now prepared for it. Happy travel and do tell us know if we have missed any important travel tips.
Also, if you’re on a look out for some stress management retreats, you can contact us at Tour My India. You can call us at +91-9212553106 or send us your queries at info@tourmyindia.com and we’ll get back to you with cheapest travel packages where you can pick the one that suits you the most. For any queries, feel free to post your questions in the comment section below.
Born and brought up in the Lucknowi tehzeeb, Ashwini wishes to someday settle in a quaint little town in the Himalayas. If you do not find him daydreaming about his travel plans, you’ll find him exploring the vastness of Youtube and Netflix. A travel romantic and a cricket fanatic, he also wishes to try every cuisine ever made in this world.
