As much as we all might love to travel, it certainly comes as a double-edged sword. For as many pleasures as travel offers, it comes with an equal amount of challenges. From having to get to your gate on time, to bringing the correct travel documents, staying organized is a must if you hope to enjoy your trip. Here are some of the biggest travel stresses and what you can do to overcome them.
Overpacked Bags
Seasoned travelers know the importance of packing only what you need for a trip. There’s nothing more stressful than arriving at the ticket counter and realizing your bag is overweight and you’re expected to pay extra fees. Not only are extra fees a nuisance, but hauling around an overly packed bag can negatively impact the quality of your trip.
If possible, pack a bag for carry-on only. This won’t just save you on baggage fees, but it can also be a huge time saver. Rather than having to sit around and wait for your luggage to arrive on a carousel, you simply get off the plane and go.
Flight Connections
Airports are a bustling place and often extremely spacious. When you have a connecting flight and need to get from one end of the airport to another, sometimes it can take the better part of an hour. When you add on flight delays, changed gates, or having to pass through immigration lines, the stress of making your flight connection can be enough to provoke a heart attack.
Make sure that you stay up to date with any delays or weather disruptions. Sign up for updates, and always look at the screens carefully. When scheduling your flight connections, always make sure that you give yourself a reasonable amount of time in between flights.
Even though it may seem unnecessary to space two hours between a flight, the extra padding of time can give you significant peace of mind.
Language Barriers
As fun and exciting as it can be to go to a different country with an entirely different language, it can also come with a unique set of challenges. Not being able to ask for directions or understand the signs around you can be terrifying.
It helps to bring a small language book with you or a translation application so you can get your message across. Remember, even though you may be feeling insecure about trying to speak a foreign language, people are much more gracious than you might think.
Always make an effort to speak the language of whatever country you’re in before automatically resorting to English. They will appreciate the effort, rather than assuming you’re an ethnocentric American who assumes everyone should speak English.
