Travel is one of the best ways you can spend your time and money-it broadens your horizons, opens your eyes up to different experiences in the world, and enables you to make memories that last a lifetime. However, while physically being in exciting new locations is great, the process of actually getting there rarely is. Packed trains, stuffy coaches, long flights, and confusing taxi journeys to your destination can make the process really quite stressful. Here are some of the ways you can make a long journey more bearable!
1. Bring a tablet or laptop
A tablet or laptop is your perfect traveling companion and one of the best ways to make a long journey more bearable. Download plenty of things to do on it that you can use even without wifi. Movies and tv series can be downloaded to watch offline on Netflix, sites like https://setapp.com/how-to/top-three-apps-for-reading-books-on-mac allow you to read books, you can get games, listen to music, save articles from the web, and much more. You could even do a bit of writing, type up some posts for your blog, work on your novel, or write a short story to kill the time. When you’re out of your usual environment you might find creativity comes to you more easily! If you’re on a nice flight then you might have a great entertainment system onboard, although having your own personal media choices to dip into whenever you like can really kill time and make a difficult journey go much more quickly. It’s also great if you’re stuck in an airport with delayed flights, on a long train or bus journey or generally waiting around which can and does happen, especially when you’re on particularly long trips.
2. Wear comfortable clothes
When you’re traveling, comfort should always win over style. If you can find an outfit that’s both comfy and looks great then that’s a win-win, but don’t put your appearance first. No one will be looking at you while you’re sitting in a plane seat for hours, and the airport isn’t a fashion show. That skin-tight pair of jeans might be bearable for a few hours, but you’ll soon regret your decision when you can’t get comfortable. That big pair of boots might be super stylish but they’re only going to get in your way when you take them off on the flight. Sensible shoes that can be slipped on and off are best. You need clothes that are loose-fitting and give you a range of motion; leggings, sportswear, or flowy dresses all make good choices. Don’t forget to consider the weather too, if it’s freezing when you depart but it will be sunny when you arrive then lugging a giant coat onto the plane isn’t going to be the best option with limited space. Go with light layers that you can take off and fit into your hand luggage. When you’re planning your outfit, consider how you’ll feel wearing it all day if there ends up being delays and other setbacks.
3. Try and sleep
One of the best ways to make time pass more quickly and make a long journey more bearable when you’re traveling is to go to sleep. It’s not something everyone can do, but if you have this ability then utilize it! An over-the-counter sleeping aid like Kalms or Rescue Remedy might help you to relax, and use a neck pillow so you don’t wake up aching. If you have the choice of flight times, booking a night flight when you’re naturally going to be tired can help, plus the plane will be quiet and the window covers will be down where everyone else tries to get some kip too. Even an hour or two in the land of nod will seemingly cut time off your journey. Even if you can’t drift off, try and relax, meditate or just enjoy having a stretch of time where you don’t have to do anything. We all lead such busy lives, chances are you never have time just to sit and chill. If you see it from this perspective (rather than counting down the hours and minutes) it will be a much more pleasant journey.
4. Bring food
Eating out of boredom is never good and isn’t a habit you’ll want to get into, however bringing some nice food can definitely make a long journey more bearable. People can be wary of taking their own picnic onto a plane, but it’s definitely something you can do- just make sure no liquids are over 100ml. So soups and very saucy dishes are out, but some nice sandwiches and other usual picnic items are fine. If you’re not keen on plane food, then pack up your own tasty lunch and you’ll have that to look forward to throughout your journey. Being hungry can also make you uncomfortable and so any trip will seemingly take longer! Having your own food and snacks on hand that you’ll know you’ll enjoy will break up the trip.
5. Plan your next step
Do you know what you’re doing next when you get off the plane? Have you booked a transfer, or will you be getting a taxi? Do you know where you’re going? If you’re hiring a car, will you be collecting it from the airport or do you need to pick up any train tickets? Planning this ahead of time and having some idea of what the next step is when you get off will prevent stress. Of course, when you’re going somewhere new you can never be fully prepared but check online before you set off and you’re one step ahead. Turning up and letting the trip surprise you is great, but when it comes to practical matters like getting to your hotel, it’s much better to know what you’re doing when you’re tired and aching.