Sometimes, the stress involved in planning a vacation makes you feel like it’s not a vacation at all. Studies have shown that vacation planning is often much more stressful than it is fun. There is stress in figuring out transportation logistics, planning the itinerary, and there’s the awkward sense of confusion and unfamiliarity of being in a foreign location. There are also safety factors to think about such as tourist scams and common crimes in the area. Plus, everyone is hyper-aware that a poorly organized trip will result in a negative experience and cause us to miss out on must-see activities that we didn’t organize in advance. But who has time to do all of this organizing and advance planning? Its no wonder why travel-related stress can detract from the fun of a vacation. Here are 3 big tips that will guarantee a better and more organized vacation, and make trip-planning easier and much less stressful:
1. Opt for an all-inclusive resort
It’s amazing how much of the planning is done for you when you choose an all-inclusive resort as your vacation destination. An all-inclusive vacation is much more likely to be stress-free than one where you have to do all the organizing and planning yourself. At an all-inclusive resort, you don’t have to decide where to go for dinner or research the best local bar. The best local bar is the swim-up bar at your resort, and the for dinner you’ll have options that won’t cost you a dime and don’t require a taxi. At night, all-inclusives offer performances and other forms of organized entertainment, so there’s always something to do that’s already been planned for you.
Another reason a vacation at an all-inclusive resort requires less organization is because of the structure they offer their guests. There are options when it comes to what you want to do each day on vacation, but the options are limited and cherry-picked for you. There are a few restaurants to choose from to eat at, a few pools to choose from to swim in, a few bars to choose from to drink at, and a few activities to choose from outside of the resort. This creates structure and an effortless ease to your vacation. One of the most stressful things involved in a vacation is planning daily itineraries, especially when there are endless options. All-inclusives make daily itinerary-planning a non-issue.
2. Hire a travel agent
You know that feeling when you’re planning a trip somewhere you’ve always wanted to go to but never been, and you aren’t sure what the top sights to see are when you get there? A travel agent always knows what the ‘must-see’ and ‘must-do’ things are for any given destination. They’ve already done that research for you, and they can help you pre-plan these things so that you don’t end up coming home feeling as though you missed out on something.
If the idea of coming home from a vacation with regrets stresses you out, then hire a travel agent. It’s their job to plan the top activities for you, so that you don’t come home with regrets or a sense of missing out.
3. Research your destination
Even though travel agents do a lot of the research through online for you, it’ll still decrease your stress levels to do some research yourself, too. Reading up on the destination you’ll be visiting will help you feel informed and in-the-know, which reduces your anxiety. It’s common knowledge that travel anxiety often stems from a fear of the unknown, so anything you can do to educate yourself will help ease your trip-planning stress.
It’s a common problem to not have enough time to pre-plan a trip properly, but you should be able to find the time to do some online research. In the weeks leading up to your trip, find that time whenever you can. Whether you’re bored during your train-ride home from work, you’re in a waiting room at the doctor’s office, or you’ve got a bit of time to kill in between meetings, get out your phone and do some online research. You’ll find that the more you educate yourself about where you’re going, the more excited you’ll be and the less stressed you’ll be.
