Traveling can quickly become overwhelming if you’re not careful to plan ahead and give yourself the luxury of letting go.
In your vision, you see yourself relaxing and drifting away on a nice vacation getaway – away from work and away from the daily grind. But, you still need to plan.
Thankfully there are tips that can save you time while you relax — kicking off your travels stress-free! Here is how you can do it:
1. Prepare Yourself With An Overnight Bag
You never know what could happen when you are traveling and hand your luggage off to someone else to put in the cargo area. And, since you don’t have a choice in the matter, you must let go and hope that your luggage ends up in the same place you do. However, if you are prepared for anything – with everything you need in a carryon or overnight bag, you’ll have something to hold you over if your bag doesn’t show up on time.
So, what should you pack?
- A change of clothing
- Basic toiletries
- Medications
- Necessary travel documents or any pertinent information
- Chargers for electronics
- Healthy snacks and a bottle of water.
- A small travel pillow/blanket
If you are traveling with kids and/or pets, be sure to organize your overnight bag to include all the necessities for them.
2. Do Your Research Before You Go
This is especially important if you are traveling to a new city. You have two choices. One, you can arrive at your vacation destination and spend hours of your vacation time looking up things to do, reviewing restaurants, speaking to the concierge and hoping that your plan to wing it doesn’t lead you empty handed and overwhelmed.
Or, you can decide to do your research before you go. Put together a list of things to do, places to dine and sights to see. Then, rank them in order of priority. Take time to learn about the destination – and if there is anything you should be aware of before you arrive.
3. Make Reservations and Plan Activities Ahead
For everything possible, make reservations in advance. This means for your dining, any excursion you want to experience, shows you want to see, local travel arrangements around the city, etc. – book it in advance. This ensures that you get to enjoy the things you want to do and not worry about missing opportunities. You don’t want to spend your vacation time trying to schedule the good stuff.
4. Organize, Organize, Organize
Staying organized during travel is one of the most important keys to enjoying your vacation. If everything has a place in your luggage and everything is in its place, your vacation will go much more smoothly. You will not have to worry about misplacing items or searching for documents as they are needed.
- Print out your travel tickets, your itinerary, hotel reservations, dinner/show reservations, a copy of your passport or identification, etc. Place these in a file and secure in an easily accessible place for when needed.
- Use toiletry bags to store your toiletries and keep them together – and away from your clothing.
- Pack the essentials.
- When you arrive at your destination, continue to stay organized while you are there. That way, when it is time to go home, packing up all your items will not be a chore.
5. Consider Upgrading If Available
Sometimes choosing to splurge a little for upgrades can mean the difference between having a stressful travel situation or having a stress-free one. Most people would prefer the latter, of course. So, consider the opportunity cost – is a few extra bucks for a peaceful and relaxing trip worth it? For instance, upgrades may include:
- Travel upgrades to business or first class. This can provide you with perks you may otherwise not get.
- Resort upgrades to a more convenient room can allow you to relax while you come and go with ease.
- Car rental upgrades, local entertainment packages, etc.
6. Use Helpful Travel Apps
Your smart device can distract you from the real life going on around you, but, when traveling, it can allow you to take care of things with ease and quickly, such as checking in for a flight or checking flight status, requesting reservations, or reading reviews or discovering new places to explore.
7. Join A Club
Perhaps one of the best ways to save time and help you relax while on vacation is to join a club that prepares these vacations for you! Imagine knowing that each year you and your family will be traveling to some of the world’s most amazing destinations. Then, while there, you will get to experience the best that the destination to offer. Excursions will be set up for you and you will be booked at a very comfortable resort.
Diamond Resorts has a club of this type available – called Vacations for Life. Throughout the year they offer these vacations, so you can travel whenever you can. No need to stress over having to fight the summer break crowds. These clubs come with a ton of perks to make your vacations hassle free and full of rejuvenation and memory-making!
How do you define your vacation? They are meant to be enjoyable and refreshing. They are a break from your day-to-day routine and a chance to experience new things and make new memories. Break the monotony of your life and introduce yourself to new places, new people, and new things with a vacation. Use these travel tips to ensure that your trip is a perfect balance – without wasting time or without stress.
