Traveling is not always easy. Even with all of your planning, there can be unforeseen delays, lost luggage, and sometimes, even an extra fee. Despite these challenges of traveling, it is possible to travel well – that is, with ease and without stress.
I’ll give you the ultimate guide to traveling well; but first, let me define what it means to “travel well”…
Traveling Well: The act of eliminating all unnecessary discomfort when on a journey. This can be different depending on what kind of traveler you are – a digital nomad would have different needs than someone going on a family vacation.
In this blog post, I’ll give you the ultimate guide to traveling well – whether you are seeking comfort or adventure! You can choose how far outside of your comfort zone you want to go…but at least now you know what it takes for those trips!
Ready to get started? Let’s go!
Part 1: Planning Your Trip
One of the biggest ways to travel well is by choosing your destination wisely. How bad do you want that view? Decide if you want to be in the middle of everything or would you rather travel a little further for the silence.
Some other limitations to think about are: How long do you want to be gone? How much can you spend on a trip? How many people are going with you? How far do you need to travel from your home base to get where you want to go?
Once you have a list of potential places, make sure they align with your budget and time constraints. If it is going to be expensive or far away from home, choose a shorter amount of time – unless that’s what will make this vacation special for you.
When it comes time for actual traveling, there are several options. You can choose to fly, drive, bus, or train. It helps to look at other travelers’ recommendations. Someone might recommend a faster bus option or easy trains. Be prepared with backup ideas in case there are delays, strikes, or cancellations.
On top of transportation, keep in mind the other details – consider if you need a visa or permission for entry into another country. Look up currency exchanges and potential rates. Many people decide to buy insurance for their trips – if something terrible happens, it will be nice to have.
All of these things will help you decide what is best for your trip. Decide the priorities and then go from there!
So now you’ve chosen your destination, you know how you will get there and where you want to go once you arrive. Let’s get ready to prepare for your adventure!
Part 2: Packing Essentials
Pack what’s important to you! If you don’t like carrying around a suitcase your entire trip, aim for a carry-on. Or if you have the flexibility of carrying as much as you want, go for it. It is your trip and only you know what’s best.
Regardless if you’re just planning to bring your weekend bag or brings all the extra wigs and glitter, here are few essentials we recommend always packing.
- Travel Documents – Passport, international credit/debit card, visas,etc.
- Water bottle – Collapsable water bottles are easy to travel with!
- Snacks – My favorites are health bars or almonds.
- Comfortable shoes – Don’t worry, they can be comfortable AND fashionable.
- Underwear – Obvious, but often forgotten.
- Charger – For phone, laptop, e-reader. Scratch this one if you are trying to disconnect!
- Lip balm – To protect your lips from the sun or wind. It can also be used as a moisturizer!
- Wet wipes – They are great for just about everything!
Related Post:
The Top Essentials You Need For Your Next Wellness Trip
Part 3: Taking Care of Your Mind, Body, and Soul While Traveling
Now that you’ve got your packing essentials taken care of, what’s next? You have to take care of yourself! Here are some tips on how to take good care of yourself both physically and mentally during your trip:
For me, being flexible and patient has been my best go-to. Things will happen that are out of your control. The more you can roll with the punches, the better your experience will be.
Get enough sleep. The number one reason most people can’t have fun on vacation is that they are so exhausted.
Eat nourishing food. This will not only will help keep you energized but also help you avoid getting sick.
Limit your alcohol intake. If you’re like us, you’ll want to go out and party with the locals. But trust us when we say moderation is key so you don’t wake up the next day with a major hangover!
Take care of your mental health. Take breaks, relax, and check in with yourself regularly.
To avoid jetlag, there are a few simple things we can do to keep our bodies on schedule and in sync with the earth’s rotation. Some ways to help are to start adjusting your sleep schedule before you leave by going to bed earlier each night or getting up 30 minutes later each morning. Eat meals at the local time and drink plenty of water!
Part 4: Making Your Trip Sustainable
Since you’re going to be on the road and traveling well, why not make it sustainable? How can we become more responsible travelers to leave less of a footprint and give back while traveling? Here are some dos and don’ts that will help us all continue traveling well and having fun without hurting Mother Earth!
Fly with eco-airlines whenever possible! There are carbon-neutral airlines that only emit as much CO² as they can offset.
Rent bicycles instead of cars, scooters, etc when possible! This helps keep the air clean and is not as harmful to others around you on the road.
Buy souvenirs that give back! For example, buying items from co-ops that help provide job opportunities to the locals.
Recycle and be conscious of your waste! We can all do our part by picking up other people’s trash while we have the chance, separating recyclables when possible, or bringing reusable bags with us on our trip so we don’t end up creating more waste!
Focus on making small changes that you can sustain over time.
Related Post:
10 Tips for Being a Conscious Traveler
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are many ways to travel well. Start small and build up your new habits little by little. You’ll find that the more you travel well, the more fulfilling and sustainable experiences you will have!
How have you found ways to travel well?
