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18 Epic Tips For Stress-Free Travel

Whether you’re traveling alone or with your children and family, it’s okay to be stressed out. However, if you pack the right things for your trip, you can enjoy stress-free travel. Check out my list below for details. 

Taking a break from everything at home and getting away to an exotic destination is a mind-cleansing experience.

However, if you’re someone who faces anxiety at every stage of travel planning, a weekend getaway can become a stressful endeavor for you. 

Whether you’re planning a vacation with a baby, young children, teenagers, or all by yourself, investing in the right products can help you travel stress-free. 

stress-free travel

Once you have picked out the ideal destination for yourself along with the perfect itinerary, it is time to stock up on relevant products and services to ease your nerves during the trip.

From packing essentials to on-site gadgets and useful apps, this list of tips for stress-free travel has multiple options for you to choose from. 

   1. Install Home Monitoring Devices

Let’s face it; whether you’re going on a weekend getaway or a long-term trip, you cannot enjoy yourself if you’re constantly worried about your home.

Especially if you live in an area that’s prone to robberies and other malpractices, you’ll find yourself constantly calling your neighbors for reassurance.

Yes, you can always ask a relative or friends to stay over or check on your house. But, a better idea is to install a home monitoring device.

Consider investing in this high-tech monitoring system by SimpliSafe that watches over your home while you’re away. 

Home Monitoring Devices

Simply install its camera at your home entrances and view the on-goings in real-time. You can even set up alarms for specific situations. These triggers will automatically alert the authorities and make sure your home stays safe.

Also, you can sync the device with your intelligent home management system. This way, you can customize your commands according to the conditions you observe at home throughout your trip. 

Once you’re entirely concern-free about your home, you can concentrate on enjoying your trip to the optimum level. 

See Related: Travel Hacking 101

   2. Download Travel Apps

My honest answer to anyone who asks how to travel stress-free is to download handy travel apps.

If you’re someone who tends to mess up flight timings and struggle to get seat reservations in time, these apps can make life easier for you. 

Download Travel Apps

The best part is if you make your bookings through an online platform, most of them have personalized apps you can download to track your bookings. You can get regular reminders about your flight timings.

Similarly, you can conduct check-in formalities beforehand and even reserve your desired seats easily. 

See Related: Best Travel Credit Card for International Trips

   3. Buy Travel Insurance

I cannot understate the importance of travel insurance if you’re asking how to make your travel stress-free.

Unfortunately, most people make the mistake of foregoing travel insurance. Eventually, they get stuck in unpleasant situations before or during their trips. 

Insurance policies can get you coverage for multiple inconveniences during travel. These include trip cancellations, delays, accidents, health emergencies, and lost baggage or documents.

This way, you won’t have to be worried about spending extra money on unexpected events during your trip. 

AARDY logo

If you can’t decide which insurance plan would work best for you, you can refer to platforms like AARDY travel insurance.

This website lets you compare policies from multiple platforms to get a customized plan for yourself and your family. 

Want to learn more? Read our full AARDY Travel Insurance review

See Related: Best Family Travel Insurance

   4. Get Smart Luggage

Buying sturdy and reliable luggage bags is one of the most critical stress-free travel tips to consider. If you’ve ever had your flimsy luggage break down on a conveyor belt or get lost during transit, you know the stress that comes with such situations. 

An ideal option is this reliable 20-inch carry-on from Wrangler. Built with a hard-shell exterior for rugged use, the bag has a USB port for charging your devices on the go. 

Get Smart Luggage

Similarly, the four-wheeled base lets you spin the bag effortlessly anywhere you want.

This makes it ideal for day trips where you’ll have to walk around with your luggage. 

See Related: 21 Tips for Beating Post-Travel Blues

   5. Pack Mini-Trunks for Kids

Believe it or not, one of the best stress-relievers during a family vacation is to avoid carrying colossal luggage.

Of course, the ideal way to avoid doing this is by getting your kids to pack and drag their own tiny trunks. 

Pack Mini-Trunks For Kids

For starters, packing each bag individually will help you remember the specific requirements for each child. Secondly, kids’ suitcases and trunks come in catchy designs and colors that will excite your kids enough to carry them throughout the journey. 

If you frequently travel with your family, you can teach your children to pack their trunks by themselves.

Once they get a hang of it, you can enjoy effortless vacationing for the rest of your life. Although, you will have to check their bags to see if they pack all the essentials. 

See Related: Best Credit Cards for International Travel

   6. Don’t Forget Luggage Locks

Having your luggage safely locked ensures peace of mind in-flight and whenever you leave your baggage behind in your hotel room. You can go for a combination lock or a lock with keys, depending on your preference. 

Don’t Forget Luggage Locks

Apart from that, you can get GPS-integrated key trackers to attach to the keys if you lose them during your trip. These trackers attach to your keys like a keychain and give you the exact location of your valuables. 

This means you won’t ever have to worry about losing your luggage keys and other valuables while enjoying your outdoor excursions. 

See Related: Next Vacay Review

   7. Carry Travel Pillows

Carrying a comfortable travel pillow is one of the best ways to travel stress free. Remember, if you’re well-rested during your flights and hotel stays, you’ll feel the difference while exploring your destination during the day. 

Carry Travel Pillows

Although travel pillows have developed a reputation for being bulky and dorky, this Infinity Pillow by Huzi is one of the best items to take along with you.

Whether you have an uncomfortable sleeping arrangement at your accommodation or need to get into a deep sleep during your flight, this versatile pillow adjusts to all your needs. 

See Related: Must-Know Vacation Tips to Maximize Your Trip Experience

   8. Stock Up On Natural Anxiety Relievers

There’s nothing like essential oils and their soothing fragrances to lower your anxiety levels when you’re traveling alone or with kids.

If you’re traveling to a destination where you’ll experience jet lag, you should take this Aromatherapy Pillow Mist along with you. 

Stock Up On Natural Anxiety Relievers

The mist has a relaxing combination of lavender and other essential oils. These work together to help you get a good night’s sleep wherever you are.

If you’re taking your kids along and they’re likely to stall their bedtime and be cranky the next day. This relaxing mist can help soothe their minds and put them to sleep ensuring stress-free travel for you.

See Related: Tips for Luggage-Free Travel

9. Sleep-Enhancing Eye Masks

If you’re planning to get good sleep while traveling to reduce stress, it is crucial to carry a high-quality eye mask for yourself.

Yes, you could rely on the earplugs and masks provided in-flight. But, there’s nothing like getting a customized solution that suits your needs. 

Sleep-Enhancing Eye Masks

For example, this contoured eye mask by Bucky is one of the highest-rated travel products on Amazon. They are designed to cancel out light entirely and come in cool and trendy patterns and prints to choose from. 

You can use them to get a few comfortable hours of sleep during your flight.

Then, start exploring your destination as soon as you land at the airport.

See Related: Best Travel Gifts for Her

10. Use Portable Humidifiers to Refresh Your Environment

Whether you’re planning to live in a hotel or an Airbnb, predicting your accommodation conditions can be pretty tricky.

If you’re booking on a budget, you should be ready for any kind of mishaps and setbacks when you enter your room for the first time. 

That doesn’t mean you should only go for high-end and luxurious hotels. But, let’s face it; if you’re there to visit the destination, you only need lodgings to get a good night’s sleep. 

Nevertheless, you don’t have to miss out on peaceful sleep for yourself and your family while booking a hotel on a budget.

The trick to enjoying stress-free travel is carrying a portable humidifier with you at all times. 

Use Portable Humidifiers to Refresh

If you find the air stuffy and dry, it will get challenging to fall asleep. In this case, just turn the battery-operated gadget on and enjoy your favorite fragrance.

It is also a great device to take along with you if your kids have nasal or respiratory problems. 

See Related: Best Portable Nebulizers for Travel

11. High-Quality Wireless Headphones

If you don’t intend to sleep during your flight or are traveling with unpredictable kids who might need to be entertained, consider taking this gadget along.

These headphones let you play whatever you like and stay engaged throughout the flight without having to charge them or plug them into another device. 

Bose Quiet Comfort Headphones

These Wireless QuietComfort Headphones by Bose are affordable options integrated with a high-tech sound system so you can enjoy your music in any situation.

Whenever you experience a stressful situation during travel, just put on your headphones and enjoy your favorite music to relieve the anxiety. 

Besides that, you can receive important calls and messages through these headphones. Just pair them easily with any device if you like to avoid any inconveniences during travel. 

See Related: Best Travel Gift Ideas for Backpackers

12. Plentiful Reading Material

One of the most essential stress-free travel tips is keeping your family entertained at all times.

Remember, if you’re traveling with kids of different ages it can get quite difficult to have everyone enjoy themselves simultaneously. 

As a result, those who are not enthusiastic about the day’s activities or cannot get involved directly will get bored and drive you nuts.

In this case, you can pack along with their favorite fiction or nonfiction titles for the trip. 

Kindle

However, if you don’t like the idea of packing the extra weight of paperbacks, consider carrying a Kindle or e-reader. 

If you want to limit unproductive screen time during vacations, go for these gadgets with glare-free screens. They can help your kids spend their time enjoyably without any health risks.

The best part is that their battery does not need to be recharged frequently compared to iPads and other gadgets. This makes them quite travel-friendly. 

See Related: Best Family Travel Insurance Options

13. Portable Power Bank

Imagine saving the details of all your tickets, accommodation, and destination bookings on your device just to have it go dead on you during your trip.

This is perhaps the most stressful prospect you can face while traveling alone or with family. 

Luckily, the solution is simple. To enjoy stress-free travel, simply carry a portable power bank with you at all times. Try to find one with multiple charging ports so you can plug in more than one device at once. 

portable power bank

Besides that, you should choose one with a fast-charging capacity. This way, all you have to do is plug it in when you arrive at your accommodation, and it will be fully charged for use in the morning.

Similarly, if you have both Android and Apple devices, make sure to bring the designated USB cords to charge each device quickly from your power bank. 

See Related: Best Travel Wi-Fi Routers

   14. Pack A Traveling Cot For Babies

There’s a reason you find very few couples vacationing with their babies. Meeting every need of an infant in a new country can become quite stressful.  Especially when your child’s well-being is at stake. 

However, you don’t need to postpone all your trips until your little ones are old enough. If you’re ready to plan out your trip carefully, you can still enjoy stress-free travel with babies.

One of the best gadgets I came across to soothe young travelers is a compact traveling cot. 

Regardless of the sleeping arrangements, you can easily make the small kids feel at home by setting this cot up in no time. This traveling crib by Lotus is easy to erect, portable, and lightweight. 

Pack A Traveling Cot For Babies

Even if you have a fussy baby after a long flight, you can quickly put him to sleep and enjoy some moments of relaxation.

Similarly, The cot takes no time to re-assemble. This means you can get going towards your plans for the day as soon as your baby wakes up.

See Related: Best Portable Strollers for Travel

   15. Carry Unlimited Snacks

There’s one thing you’ll need to provide for small kids to teenagers during travel: snacks. For every five steps you walk towards a tourist attraction, you are likely to hear ‘Daddy, I am hungry at least once. 

The easiest way out of this ordeal is to pack your kids’ favorite snacks in their carry-ons before setting out for the days’ activities. This way, they won’t bother you much and will let you enjoy stress-free travel. 

Carry Unlimited Snacks

If you don’t like the idea of loading your kids up with junk food during the trip, you can invest in small and hygienic snack pots for kids.

Then, simply fill them up with the local produce you find at your destination. These include berries, veggie sticks, and baked goods. This way, the children can fuel themselves up whenever they need to.

See Related: RVShare Review

   16. Download Food Delivery Apps

I know what you’re thinking. Unfortunately, getting the older kids to eat the snacks you choose can get quite tricky.

That’s why make sure to download all the popular food delivery apps on multiple devices. This way, they can simply order whatever they want. 

Most apps like Grubhub and Seamless offer excellent deals on popular food items, so you won’t have to worry about stretching your budget.

Similarly, the children can make reservations for local restaurants by themselves using Caviar or Seated

This will expose them to the culture of your destination and allow them to try out new cuisines and grow accustomed to exotic flavors. 

To enjoy stress-free travel with picky eaters, just hand them your smartphone whenever they are hungry, so they can order whatever they want.

After all, they can do as they like during the vacation period. And, you can have them back on their usual diet once you’re home. 

See Related: Why Are Flights So Expensive Right Now? Factors to Know

   17. Invest In Special Beach Safes

Beach vacations are undoubtedly enjoyable but can get quite stressful if you’re traveling with your family. With huge crowds heading towards famous beaches during the peak season, we’re always concerned about our belongings. 

You can easily keep your valuables safely locked at your accommodation or hand them over at public beach safes. But, it is pretty relaxing to carry your own beach safe. 

Invest In Special Beach Safes

This small and portable beach safe by SAFEGO is a lightweight and discrete solution to store your valuables while indulging in activities on the beach. It comes with optional locking mechanisms using keys or a combination. You can choose whatever safe you like and get the peace of mind you need. 

See Related: Best Portable Car Seats for Travel

   18. Consider Wearing GPS Bracelets

Let’s face it; your kids don’t want to hang out with you all the time during your vacation. But, having them run around on their own at a new place can become quite stressful for parents. 

Luckily, you can use GPS bracelets to let your kids explore the destinations by themselves and find them easily when you need to, through your smartphone.

From trackers disguised as necklaces, watches, and anklets, you can get the desired solution for each family member. 

Consider Wearing GPS Bracelets

This way, they can run freely and have their customized excursions while you enjoy stress-free travel at all times.

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