Whether you are taking the bus to a nearby city or embarking on a long, around-the-world journey, traveling is always an exciting, mind-opening, adventurous experience that compares to nothing else. But exploring the unknown has its darker side – it’s often filled with worries, triggered by your own unpreparedness or the millions of things you can’t control. No trip is perfect, but with our tips, you can at least learn how to prevent most of the problems and how to travel stress-free.
- Read more: How to Travel on a Budget; Wellness Travel Trends 2015; 5 Luxury Travel Trends to Keep an Eye on in 2015
Back everything up
You probably think of creating backup of your photos and files online or on an external hard drive, but it is much more than that. Before leaving home, make sure you have both physical and digital copies of your passport, visas, driver’s license, and even birth certificate, health insurance card, and pretty much everything you can think of. Don’t forget to save on your phone and to write down on notes important phone numbers in case of an emergency. This is the first mandatory rule, but not merely a tip, for how to travel stress-free.
Plan, but not too much
Your best friend may have had a great 3-day vacation in Paris, but even 3 weeks may not be enough for you. Plan your starting point, accommodation and food, one or two activities, and see what happens. If you’re not that adventurous, get a return plane ticket, book your hotel room online, but leave the rest to the fate – you can try local food, instead of sticking to the hotel’s all-inclusive menu, you can explore the area on your own, instead of visiting the “popular” tourist sites, which are often really common and boring, and so on.
