Travel is one of the best ways to 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 excellent, getting there rarely is. Packed trains, stuffy coaches, long flights, and confusing taxi journeys to your destination can be stressful. Here are some ways to make a long journey more bearable!
How do you make a long journey bearable?
- 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 time. When you’re out of your usual environment, you might find creativity coming to you more easily! If you’re on a nice flight, you might have a great entertainment system onboard, although having your own personal media choices to dip into whenever you like can kill time and make an arduous 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 on particularly long trips. - 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 look at you while 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 will only 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 loose-fitting clothes that 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 the best option with limited space. Go with light layers to take off and fit into your hand luggage. When planning your outfit, consider how you’ll feel wearing it all day if there are delays and other setbacks. - Try and sleep.
One of the best ways to make time pass quicker and make a long journey more bearable when 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 relax, and you can use a neck pillow so you don’t wake up aching. If you can choose flight times, booking a night flight when you’re naturally tired can help. Plus, the plane will be quiet, and the window covers will be down where everyone else tries to get some kip. 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 to relax, meditate, or enjoy a period where you don’t have to do anything. We all lead busy lives; chances are you never have time to sit and chill. It will be a much more pleasant journey if you see it from this perspective (rather than counting down the hours and minutes). - 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 make a long journey more bearable. People can be wary of taking their picnic onto a plane, but it’s something you can do- make sure no liquids are over 100ml. So soups and very saucy dishes are out, but some lovely sandwiches and picnic items are delicate. If you’re not keen on plane food, pack up your tasty lunch, and you’ll have that to look forward to throughout your journey. Being hungry can also make you uncomfortable so that any trip will take longer! Having food and snacks on hand that you know you’ll enjoy will break up the trip. - 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 collect it from the airport, or do you need to pick up any train tickets? Planning this and knowing the next step 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 excellent, 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.