travelling too often

• Conditionally
• Newsletter Signup

16 Ways to Stay Mentally Healthy When You Travel A LOT, From People Who Do It

By Annie Daly

I woke up in four different countries during the month of August. I started in the U.S.—California to visit my family, then back home to New York after that—followed by a trip to England, then India, and then Costa Rica. By the time I reached Central America for that last trip, I was both exhausted and exhilarated.

“How can I get your life?” people often ask me.

“It seems like every time I see you on Instagram, you’re in a new country!” others say.

“Seriously, are you ever home??” people write underneath my photos.

“Dude, you are living the dream.”

As a freelance travel and wellness writer, I’m no stranger to these sorts of comments. I do travel a lot for work—about twice a month, I’d say—and I also understand the allure of the peripatetic lifestyle that prompts people to inquire about it in the first place. And of course I feel fortunate that I’m able to make a living traveling the world, staying in amazing hotels, and doing something exciting and awe inspiring that I truly love.

But even though I know I'm lucky to have such a lifestyle, it's also true that traveling so much is not always easy. Most people know that frequent travel can take a toll on your physical health (what up, stale airplane air and boozy business dinners), but it can mess with your mental health, too. I have a friend who used to travel so much for work, she would often wake up in a dark hotel room and have to retrace her steps from the night before to remind herself what city she was even in—which, not surprisingly, started to throw her for a loop big time. While I’ve personally never had that extreme of an experience, I’ve definitely had moments of feeling unstable and a little shaky, like I was moving so quickly that I didn’t even have time to realize I was moving at all.

Fortunately, there are ways to sidestep the shakiness when your job requires loads of travel. I’ve developed quite a few good tactics myself over the years, which I’ve included below, but I also asked other frequent fliers in various professions for their advice on how to stay healthy while traveling, too. Consider this your ultimate guide to staying grounded, even when you spend a lot of your life up in the air.

“In a life that moves so fast, it's important that I keep track of what I'm experiencing and stay aware of how I'm feeling—which is why I keep a personal journal that allows me to gain insight, process my emotions, and establish goals. Journaling also helps me reduce any stress and or anxiety that may come with a life that is often seen from the outside as being unstable. To make sure I never let my writing habit slip, I carry my journal with me everywhere, along with a good pen, so that I can write in coffee shops, airplanes, or anywhere else.” — Ciara Johnson, 25, travel blogger who travels twice a month

“Have a conversation with the local barista, a shop owner or a waiter. I find myself feeling more grounded in these borrowed moments of human connection.” — Erik Oberholtzer, 49, Tender Greens restaurant co-founder who lives between LA and NYC and travels frequently between both places

“Oftentimes for work, you are provided unhealthy food, especially if you’re traveling for a conference or meetings. That’s why I try to get out of schedules that are set for me and sneak in some time to connect with the location I’m in—and I’ve found that the easiest way to do this is through local food.” — Linden Schaffer, 40, founder of the wellness travel company Pravassa, who travels often overseas for up to three months at a time

“Having a sense of gratitude often helps me out of the ‘travel is a burden’ self-talk that can cause the inevitable micro-struggles of travel to appear more dramatic. Choose to celebrate the challenge of travel instead.” — Erik Oberholtzer

“I like to get at least three emails drafted each night and ready to send first thing in the morning. It makes me feel like I accomplished something and was productive even before getting out of bed, which is helpful when you're traveling and you don't have much control over timing.” — Elyse Eisen, 33, freelance publicist, travels two to three times per month, often internationally and across time zones

“I’m a Fitbit fanatic, and I try to get 12K steps every single day, no matter what I’m doing or where I am. When I’m at home, this goal often means I will take a night walk to the park near my apartment to ‘finish my steps,’ a term I both love using and also make fun of myself for using. And when I’m traveling, hitting this goal is a little easier, since I always make a point to explore the new city I’m in on foot. But while this Fitbit goal is certainly a good way to keep up my physical health no matter where I am, I’m actually more in it for the mental health benefit. It is oddly satisfying and soothing to look at my Fitbit chart and see that I am able to maintain consistency no matter where I am in the world. It makes me feel less nervous about not being home all the time when I see that I end up doing roughly the same thing no matter where I am.” — Annie Daly, 33, freelance writer who’s on the road about two times per month (and the author of this post!)

By Jenna Ryu

By Julia Ries

“I try to go on lots of long walks to clear my head, whether I'm listening to a podcast or trying to institute some silence/non-noise in my day. When I'm at home, I walk my dog a few times a day, which is really good for my mental health: It helps me get away from my computer screen and reset if I'm having a tough day or dealing with lots of deadlines. When I'm traveling, I remind myself to go on walks even when I don't have a dog to force me to!” — Christine Amorose Merrill, 30, account executive who travels domestically for work weekly and internationally for fun a few times a year

“I try to drink chamomile tea every night before bed, whether at home or away. And I also try to be strict with myself and ban phone time while I’m drinking the tea. The combo of the routine, the lack of screen time before bed, and the tea itself really calms me and helps me unwind. If I’m being particularly on point, I’ll read fiction on my Kindle while drinking the tea—it helps me gain perspective and get out of my head.” — Bex Shapiro, 25, managing editor of Intrepid Travel, travels once a month for work and play

“I'm very dedicated to my sleep routine when I'm at home and when I travel; sleeping well can make such a huge difference in my mood and energy levels. So no matter how light I'm traveling, I always pack a super soft and luxurious eye mask. I also listen to either the same classical CD that I've listened to to fall asleep since I was a kid (my mom played it at my nap times!) or the Sleep With Me podcast, which is a newer discovery but can be helpful for me when I'm in strange environments.” — Christine Amorose Merrill

“I've been doing more or less the same thing every morning for about five years, no matter where I am in the world. First, I do a little stretching, and then I write in my dream journal (sounds cheesy, I know). I tend to write about my mental and physical state as well, which then acts like a log that I can go back to and read later. Then, I meditate for about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on my schedule. If I'm feeling really out of it and wonky, I do breathing practices to quiet my mind (which is where I tend to live, especially when tired).

In doing this routine, I know that no matter where I am or how mentally or physically tired I feel, I can find a way to return to myself and know that I'm still me, just in a totally different place—and there's a strength in knowing that. It helps that when I'm home, I still do it, so there's always that sense of continuity in my life, which I think is what makes it so stabilizing. Having a routine is especially important in the face of constant change—something I think everyone experiences on different scales, whether they travel frequently or not.” — Yasmin Fahr, 35, founder of the membership club Loka Pack, travels about one to two times per month

“This sounds like a practical tip but, for me, it’s about feeling free. If I have a lot of stuff/ a suitcase with wheels, I find travel far more of a stressful faff. But the second I have a carry-on that’s light and easy to carry, I feel far less worried about travel logistics. I’m currently away for two weeks and have a small rucksack that makes me very happy!” — Bex Shapiro

“I have go-to travel outfits that I bring with me no matter where I go. I always wear the same thing on the plane, for example: black leggings, this stretchy black tank top that I’ve had for years, and a deep purple hoodie from Lululemon that has really good pockets. And then I have my go-to “night out” dress, which is blue and doesn’t wrinkle, and my yellow travel scarf, which I use as both a blanket on the plane and an accessory to dress up basically any outfit (pro tip: a yellow scarf matches anything). And even though that sounds like a plain old packing tip, it’s more than that because it’s about not having to think about packing. Thinking about packing can stress me out for days if I let it, so having a travel uniform eliminates the need to waste my precious mental energy on my wardrobe.” — Annie Daly

“No matter how short my stay in my destination or hotel, I always fully unpack my suitcase and put away my clothes right away.” — Linden Schaffer

“I always decant a bit of my favorite shower gel (LUSH’s Lord of Misrule) and bring it along just in case I luck into a good spot for a bubble bath. Its patchouli-peppercorn-vanilla smell and deep green color creates a little cauldron of home when I’m on the road.

“I also keep a plastic animal or two in my purse. Being the millionth person to take a photo of a vista or monument doesn’t feel very special, but snapping one along with, say, the little fennec fox my nephew gave me a few years ago is the best. He’ll often send me a photo back, with his matching fox perched wherever I am on his globe. Those little ‘hey, I'm thinking of you’ shout-outs are an ongoing mental connection that collapses physical distance, and a reminder that I control my emotional geography; if I love my people and they love me back, we're close no matter where I am.”— Lauren Oster, 40, freelance writer, travels once a month, frequently overseas

“Whenever I travel, I make a beeline for the nearest bookstore and ask if they have a copy of George Orwell’s 1984 . I have 15 at the moment, in languages and editions from all over the world. It’s an odd title to collect, perhaps, but it always starts a conversation, and I love meeting the people (and shop cats) keeping print alive. Plus, I love how that glorious smell of a well-loved bookstore is the same around the world, as are many of the things we worry about and hold dear. And sharing a literary cultural touchstone is lethal to loneliness. ” — Lauren Oster

“Not only does this help reset my circadian rhythm—not sleeping is one of the fastest way to ruin your mental health!—but it shows me the beauty of the place I’m visiting.” — Linden Schaffer

“It can be easy to isolate yourself when you're constantly traveling for work, but I make an effort to put my relationships first. I'll call friends whenever I need advice, and I go out of my way to build meaningful relationships in the places I visit, too. Knowing that I have bonds both at home and abroad brings me a lot of relief, especially in moments where I feel alone.” — Ciara Johnson

“I FaceTime with my loved ones as often as I can when I’m on the road. We often underestimate the role that community plays in our mental health, so connecting face-to-face whenever possible is a key way for me to keep loneliness at bay.” — Linden Schaffer

“Before I even get to my destination, I check in with myself on the plane. How? I carry a ‘stuff’ bag (the bag literally says ‘stuff’ on it), which contains spa-like items to sooth me on my journey. It includes eucalyptus oil, which I’ll rub into my hands and then breathe deeply, cupping my hands over my face; tiger balm to relax my muscles; lip balm; hand lotion; and yes, even some crystals. Plus, most people around me tend to love the smells, because who doesn’t love feeling like they’re in a spa?” — Jessica Wade Pfeffer, 34, president of JWI Public Relations, who travels about once a month

“One of the things that is both the best and the worst about the iPhone camera is that there is so much storage, you can let your photos just sit in there and not really think about them except for when you are at a bar and want to show someone a photo from that trip you took two years ago. I know a lot of people do that, but I find that making the time to load my photos onto my computer and edit them there—even if they’re just from a business trip!—helps me process the whole experience on a deeper level once I return. Taking time to go through your photos is a great visual reminder to think about your past experiences and intentionally remember what you learned from each trip, rather than letting those lessons just slide into your memory and hope that they make their way to the surface at some point.” — Annie Daly

“The one thing that’s helped me stay sane when I travel so much is to just be where I am . I try to submerge myself in the experience completely, and try to not think about what’s going on anywhere other than where I happen to be. To make this happen, I try to be as organized with my time as possible when I’m at home, so that I don’t have any loose ends floating around out there when I’m on the road. And I have a daughter, so staying connected to her is key, as well, and the only way I can do this. A daily phone call or a few texts will do it.” — Maria Luisa, 41, interior designer at Pegasus Hotels, who travels every other week between San Francisco and New York, and internationally every 10 weeks

“As the PR director for the digital nomad brand Selina, I am on the road more than I am at home. And that’s why I think it’s best to create a routine when you’re traveling rather than trying to recreate the one you have at home. For me, my on-the-road routine involves making a point to meet new people, trying to work in as many remote locations as I can, and taking the time to walk around and explore each new city I’m in. I still get tired and long for home, of course, but doing these things really helps a lot.” — Maca Capocci, 28, PR director for Selina, who travels twice a month

Annie Daly has written about travel for BuzzFeed Travel, Yahoo! Travel, AFAR, United Hemispheres, Cosmopolitan, and more.

SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.

Science Says This Is How Long Your Vacation Should Be

By Cassie Shortsleeve

All products featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

We often fit vacations into the free time we can spare: weekends, school holidays, full months abroad (when we're lucky, or in between jobs). But is there an ultimate vacation length? Some stand firmly behind the idea that it takes two weeks—minimum—to fully unwind. Others say it depends on what you pack in, and how rejuvenated you feel after: One person’s secluded sunrise over the Grand Canyon is another's ticket to a packed Sagrada Familia ).

Fortunately, science—as well as experts in the field of sleep, psychology, and trip planning—shed light on how we can all craft a better trip using the clock as a guide.

A week-plus jaunt may mean a better vacation.

A study out of Finland’s University of Tampere that analyzed 54 people’s trips found that while longer trips didn't necessarily increase post-vacation bliss, in-the-moment happiness levels peaked on day eight of vacation.

That’s probably enough time to overcome the stresses of travel, adjust to a new time zone, and feel comfortable in a new place, says Jaime Kurtz, Ph.D., author of The Happy Traveler: Unpacking the Secrets of Better Vacations , who wasn’t involved in the research.

In primary research to create Utrip , a company that uses artificial intelligence and psychology to create personalized trips, CEO and founder Gilad Berenstein found that most people described the 'perfect trip' as a seven- to ten-day stint. If you’re the antsy type, have your activities lined up. “We have seen in data collected by Utrip that most trips longer than seven to ten days are very frequently about discovery and exploration, not relaxation,” he says. Think: a European tour, backpacking in Asia, or hiking in South America.

You'll need a day for every time zone you travel.

Saying you need one day to adjust for every time zone you cross is as accurate as saying you need eight hours of sleep a night, says W. Christopher Winter, M.D., a neurologist and sleep specialist in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Guess what: You do.) Every bodily action—heart beats, digestion, sleep—all happen in a rhythm based on timing. “When you travel, it takes time for your body’s chemicals to shift and re-establish that rhythm,” Winter says.

The adjustment period shortens as you start flying halfway around the world (it likely won’t take you 14 days to feel human again in Australia if you live in New York), but it's still difficult, he notes. Waking up early, planning to get up and outside ASAP, and eating regularly timed meals can speed acclimatization . “Your brain gets the message that this is the new start time for the day.”

So if you’re crossing multiple time zones, do your math. Plan five or six days minimum in London if you’re looking to feel your best. Only have six or seven days to spare? Fly for five hours or less, suggests Kay Merrill, owner of Are We There Yet? Adventures . Seven to ten days? Spend as many as eight hours in the air.

Sites such as Jet Lag Rooster can help you craft a pre-trip plan to beat jet lag, too.

Spend your time wisely.

Understanding a place the way a local might takes weeks, months, or even years. But diving into experiences native to an area (enjoying a cup of coffee in a Roman café , eating at a bistro in Paris ) can help familiarize you to a new spot in a matter of days, Kurtz says.

Another way to jump right in: solo or small group travel. “With fewer people, there are fewer distractions, rules, and shenanigans leaving more time to explore and to get to know the city,” Berenstein says.

Plan for two full days, minimum. Or a once-in-a-lifetime day trip.

Given that much of the research on vacations suggests that pre-travel anticipation helps boost happiness, there’s a case for lining up a few 72-hour getaways.

Of course, day trips, particularly on business trips can be a fantastic way to check off big-ticket locations. If work brings you to Delhi and you’re able to extend your trip 24 hours, make time to see the Taj Mahal for a day, Merrill suggests. Traveler editors stand behind a day trip to explore Potsdam's palace gardens outside of Berlin . You can even climb Machu Picchu in a day.

Make sure you have a day to settle in and a day to unwind.

Kurtz always suggests tacking on a day for rest at the front of a trip and a day to relax at home after. “If people leave a buffer, their post-vacation ‘high’ can last for several weeks after they get home,” she says. Extend the feel-good emotions by looking at photos and reminiscing with travel companions.

How Often Should You Travel?

We use affiliate links, and receive a small commission if you make purchases through them. Find out more here .

Unlock the Ultimate Guide to Airline Luggage Allowances

Don’t get caught off guard by unexpected baggage fees! With this comprehensive eBook, you’ll have all the information you need at your fingertips.

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

Maximizing Health and Longevity: The Importance of Regular Travel and Ideal Vacation Durations

First of all , in my opinion, you should be traveling at least once per year at a minimum. If you don’t use your vacation days to blow off steam in healthy ways, you could risk getting burned out.

Not only that, but a study published in Psychosomatic Medicine even suggests that lack of travel may actually shorten your life expectancy. According to this nine-year-old study, traveling less than once per year may increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, which in turn shortens your lifespan. Take care of your mental health, and you’ll live longer.

Now that’s the minimum, but what’s the recommended amount that you should spend on a vacation?

Ideally, you should take at least two longer trips per year, in addition to a few other smaller trips. The total amount that you should spend on vacation is 30-45 days per year. I know getting one month off per year can seem hard for some, but it’s a very effective way to stay healthy, live happier, and longer.

So how should you space out these 30-45 days? Take at least two longer trips of 7-14 days and fill in some three to four-day trips across the year. Also, make sure to book your vacations mostly in Autumn and Winter, to escape the cold and depressing routine.

Here’s How Frequently I Travel

Personally, I would like to travel much more than I currently do. During 2017, I was abroad for about sixty days. The year before that – Only about a week, because I was working on a new company (which eventually failed).

When I compare the last two years, it becomes clear that 2016 was a very stressful time for me. I account for most of it due to burning out. In contrast, I’m pleased that I’ve improved the time spent abroad during 2017 because now I feel much happier and relaxed. P.S. I’m not the only one, most of you will feel much happier if you take some time off!

When I was trying to think of any happy moments in my life, I came to the conclusion that almost all of them were while traveling. That’s why I plan on finishing off 2018 with at least three months abroad. A goal of mine is to spend at least half a year abroad in the near future.

As I’m traveling more and more, I’m in a need of a carry-on that I can depend on. I’ve owned the Travelpro Maxlite 5 carry-on for a  few years now, and I’m absolutely thrilled by it. If you’re looking for a carry-on yourself, make sure to check it out! (full review here)

How Long Should Your Vacation Be?

The study looked at many respondent’s experiences while on their vacations. The results were nothing short of interesting.

In the first four days, the ‘health and wellbeing of most participants improved dramatically. By the eighth day, health and wellbeing had peaked and then stalled for the remainder of the vacation. Once the vacation had ended, it returned to normal within the first week.

So what’s the takeaway? To get the most out of your vacation, it’s recommended to travel for a minimum of eight days.

From my personal experience, I’ve felt best on really long three-week trips. On trips that take this long, you really get to experience everything that you want to see and immerse yourself in their culture fully. Even two weeks feel a little short-handed for me.

Are Vacations Worth It?

I would answer this question with a resounding YES! As mentioned above, a good vacation is shown to lower stress, raise happiness, and ultimately contribute to improved health and wellbeing for the average holiday goer. Taking a break from the daily grind every now and then is essential, and a nice day at the beach or a night out with friends won’t always cut it.

The truth is that we don’t always realize how deeply stress affects us. Even outside of the workplace we may still feel the pressure of our workload and boss/colleague expectations weighing down on us.

That’s one of the great beauties of travel. It’s very hard to think about current projects when you’re sipping Mai Tai’s or hiking up mountains thousands of miles from your office. The further away you are, and the more radically different your new environment is, the easier it will be to mentally distance yourself from stress and give your mind a well-deserved break.

But that’s not the only reason you should take a vacation. Exploring new countries, cultures, and experiences will do wonders in changing your perspective and deepening your understanding of yourself and the world around you. Diverse travel, when done right, will go far in improving your life and making you a better world citizen.

Where Should You Go on a Vacation To?

An ideal vacation spot depends entirely on you: your personal taste, interests, and financial/personal means. While I can’t tell you exactly where to go, I can say that your best bet is finding a destination that fits somewhere between all of these criteria. A good way of figuring this out could be through a process of elimination, through questioning what your idea of a “dream” vacation might be.

Can you afford a luxury vacation to Switzerland , or will backpacking through Thailand be more faithful to your budget?

Are you looking for excitement or leisure?

Do you like a fast-paced or high adrenaline environment? Do you prefer cities or the countryside?

Asking yourself a series of realistic questions like these will quickly narrow down your options.

At the end of the day, knowing what is accessible and desirable to you, as well as doing A LOT of research is going to be your best bet. While it’s hard to go wrong if you head off on any holiday with a positive mindset, finding a place that you know you are likely to enjoy and take interest in is the first step to the vacation of a lifetime.

When Is the Best Time to Take a Vacation?

If you’re not flush with cash flying in the off-season (when tourist numbers are at their lowest) may be the best choice for you, as flight costs will be at their cheapest during these periods. If you like having the choice of meeting like-minded travelers, or ideal weather conditions are important to you, shoulder season may be a good compromise.

Just like choosing your destination, finding the best time for a vacation will require research more than anything. Every location’s premium visiting period will change according to the seasons, public holidays, local customs, etc. Read up through Google and Lonely Planet, and even consider posting your queries on travel forums to gain the perspective of more experienced travelers.

Why Is Traveling Good for Your Health

There are many things that are good for you , like eating healthy, sleeping, and regular exercise. But when it comes to taking care of ourselves, most of us overwhelmingly prioritize our bodies over our minds.

I’ve found that traveling is the best way to lower stress and improve overall happiness. And I’m not the only one; many studies have actually proven this.

Here are some of the benefits you can get from traveling:

• Creativity: Some studies have seen a link between creativity and traveling. This comes from experiencing different cultures and traditions, which in return trains your ability to adapt to new and unfamiliar situations.
• Stress relief: Traveling is basically mindfulness on steroids. Meditation teaches you to forget all about the past and future and experience only the current moment. Have you ever noticed that on your longer trips, after the first day or two you start to feel more relaxed? That’s the time it usually takes to forget about your everyday troubles and focus on the current experiences.
• Improved heart health: Let’s be real here, on average you’re probably not exercising that much. While traveling, you often walk for miles, climb steep mountains, and push through crowded tourist masses, all of which contribute to your physical fitness and improves cardiovascular health. Not only that, but the Framingham Heart Study concluded that women who take vacations once every six years or less are eight times more likely to develop heart disease, compared to those who travel twice per year.

How to Travel More Often

During the last year, I’ve been abroad for about two months. In the future, I plan on traveling at least six months per year. How have I managed to achieve this? By leaving my position in banking and gradually moving to something that allows working remotely, like blogging.

Now I know not all of you can just change your career at the drop of a hat just to travel more often. But it’s possible to travel one to two months per year if you’re smart about your decisions.

Here’s how you do it:

• Cheap destinations. When looking for your destination, look for less developed countries that are cheaper to travel in.
• Book your vacation early. Like, half a year early. Be on the lookout for cheap deals and flash sales. You can easily save at least half the cost of your flight and reservations by booking early.
• Travel in the off-season.  Not only will the reservations be cheaper, but sometimes your airline tickets, costs of living, and entrance fees will be as well.
• Live minimalistic. I’ve managed to save around forty percent of my everyday costs by avoiding unneeded stuff. Also, I use public transport over cars, to save some money on transportation costs. Actually, by using public transport alone, you could save up for one additional vacation per year!
• Squeeze in some weekend trips. If a national holiday falls on Friday or Monday, man am I happy that I’ll get to go on a three-day trip. All while not missing any work.
• Consider changing your career. Before I was working in a bank. Not only was this job really stressful, but I also didn’t get many vacation days, and there weren’t any options for remote work. So I chose a different career, and it’s possible for you as well. Look for a job that allows you to work from home on some days or one that involves lots of business trips.

How to Travel With a Full-Time Job

The simple fact is that most of us are working full-time jobs in fixed locations. This can make traveling more than once a year seem like climbing to the peak of Mount Everest (and not necessarily in the exciting, adventurous way). But there are tips you can use to make it work.

Only a few months ago I was still working a nine-to-five job at a bank. It was extremely stressful, and the desire to travel was growing stronger by the day. So during the last few months of working there, I actually managed to be abroad pretty often.

Here’s how I did it:

• Make use of weekend trips: Nowadays, you can fly to a nearby country in just a few hours. If you book early, you can do it pretty cheaply as well. Look at surrounding countries or states, then go to Pinterest or Google and look for awesome destinations to visit there. If you take a Friday or Monday off you can enjoy your three to four-day trip.
• Don’t sacrifice your paid holidays: Be careful of how you spend your vacations. Try not to spend it watching Netflix on the couch or drinking your money and time away in overpriced bars. If you’re really passionate about seeing the world, you’ll use this valuable time to be abroad.
• Talk with HR about unpaid leave: Be honest and talk to the HR department. Say that you’re getting burned out and you feel that a longer unpaid leave would get you pumped up for further work. I actually managed to get two weeks off this way by talking to my manager.
• Chase opportunities for business trips: Are there any other positions that require more business travel? You could talk to HR about trying out participating in some of the business trips, as this would widen your experience and help you become a better employee.

Read Next: 30 Things to Do Before Traveling Abroad

Jobs That Require Traveling

To start you off, here are a few jobs that require travel:

• Travel nurse: Nurses are in high demand across the world, especially in third-world countries. Being a nurse will give you the opportunity to travel to different places and see different cultures. Not only will you get to travel; you’ll be making an impact in other countries and communities as well.
• Flight attendant: The good thing about being a flight attendant is that you don’t need a degree. You just need to be good at communicating and customer service. If you choose this path, you eventually get to travel the world for free. (And often get discounted airline tickets as an added travel perk!)
• B2B sales representative: Do you have any experience in sales? Polish your sales skills and apply for a job as a sales representative. Just make sure to look at a position that sells products to other businesses and mostly does exporting or importing. That way you get to travel to many different countries for free.
• Travel writer: If your passion is writing, chances are you could become an excellent travel writer! Many news and media companies have these positions. Your job would be to travel to various countries, eat in restaurants, and visit beautiful destinations. What’s even better: You get paid for doing that!
• Cruise line employee: Do you get seasick? If yes, skip this one. But for those who don’t, this could be the perfect opportunity to travel and get paid for it. In addition to traveling the world, these jobs pay extremely well!

Read Next: 80 Packing Tips For International Travel

How Often Can You Travel With a Green Card?

If you’re a green card holder, traveling less than ninety days per year should be fine. Technically, there’s no limit to the number of times that you can travel per year. The only caveat being that you shouldn’t be away for more than six months at a time. Otherwise, the GCB may come to the conclusion that you’ve abandoned your US residency. This would result in your green card being revoked and your deportation.

Although many shorter flights are acceptable, this may raise questions upon returning to the USA. If you have a valid reason, that’s ok. But all in all, you should try to limit the number of times you are leaving and returning to the USA.

This post is also available in: English

You Might Also Enjoy

One response to “How Often Should You Travel?”

Oscar, what a breathtaking read! Your blend of personal experience and professional guidance really resonated with me. Remember when iPhones first started using Li-ion batterie? What’s the most notable change you’ve seen since then? I’ve personally found it incredible seeing my device maintain power longevity despite daily use. It’s strange though, why do some batteries perform better in cold weather? 😕

One aspect readers might appreciate is discussing ways to preserve the life of our Li-ion batteries. Also, any thoughts on potential breakthroughs in PV cells?

Stay charged, my friend. ⚡ Looking forward to your geeky insights!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Featured in

GET CONNECTED

Follow Clever Journey on social media for travel tips, packing hacks, and latest updates!

SUB TO NEWSLETTER

Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest travel tips, packing hacks, gear reviews, and bargain deals straight to your inbox. We hate spam, so we’ll send only the most important stuff.

Savvy Travel Advice

12 Reasons Travel Can Be Stressful & Tips for Reducing Travel Stress

Last updated: March 26, 2019 - Written by Jessica Norah 98 Comments

Many people travel as a way to relieve stress, but for some people travel can also induce travel stress. Travel stress is a feeling of mental strain and pressure related to traveling. Although travel has a number of positive aspects and benefits, travel stress can lead to people having a negative vacation experience.

A reader on my blog recently wanted to know “Why is travel stressful?”. So I spent some time researching and thinking about this question.

In this post we present a number of common reasons that you might be finding travel to be stressful. These include feeling overwhelmed with travel planning, air travel experiences, concerns about the safety of a destination, difficulty handling unexpected events, financial strain, and having unrealistic expectations.

Then we discuss a number of ways that you might prevent or reduce travel stress for each travel stressor. Our tips for reducing travel stress are based on research, a background in psychology, and our own personal travel experiences. 

Table of Contents:

Is Travel Stressful? 

This depends. Research tells us that travel has both positive and negative aspects, and while most research and reports have focused on the positive, travel can also sometimes be stressful. Most people probably experience some level of stress both before and during any trip, but overall have a positive experience. 

We all know that travel can have a lot of positive aspects! We can learn new things, take time to relax, increase cultural awareness, spend more quality time with our travel partners, have new experiences, volunteer to do good for others, make positive family memories, etc.

In relation to stress and health, research has shown that travel can indeed have a number of positive benefits such as relaxation, detachment from work, perceived boosts in health and wellness, and feeling higher levels of personal control and mastery ( Chen & Petrick, 2013 ; Chen, Petrick, & Shahvali, 2016 ). Some of these benefits have also been found to lead to higher rated life satisfaction in people following a trip.  

But for some travel can be a stressful experience (e.g., Crotts & Zehrer, 2012 , Harvard Business Review article, 2014 ), and many people report that some aspects of travel are stressful to them.

Research has found that the most common stressful travel experiences  were actually related to pre-travel issues and planning such as financial concerns, packing, making travel arrangements, and developing the itinerary. But some also have stressful experiences during the trip such as coping with weather conditions, traffic jams, flight delays, conflict with travel partners, and transportation. Those who report a travel experience as stressful are much less likely to benefit from the potential positive effects from their trip.

It is unfortunate that someone may travel to get a break from a stressful situation at work or home, but then find travel to also be a stressful experience. The good news, however, is that  in many cases, there are ways to prevent or reduce the stressors. But the first step is to identify the factors that are contributing to your travel stress, and then find ways to combat them. 

12 Factors that Can Contribute to Travel Stress 

Here are 12 factors that can contribute to travel stress. We explore each travel stressor and then give some expert tips on how to prevent and reduce stress related to each factor. 

1. Financial Concerns

Financial related problems are one of the most stressful issues, and they affect our relationships, our work, and even our health. Money also plays a big role in travel as it can limit where we go, how we get there, where we stay, and what we can do once we get there.

Travel can be expensive and although there are lots of ways to save money on travel, travel is a big expense for most people. This extra spending can put a strain on a person’s finances and lead to extra stress.

Most people have worked hard to save up money for a trip and therefore feel they need to maximize every dollar which can also be stressful . Worrying about the costs associated with the vacation makes it difficult to enjoy the experience, and things are often even worse once you come home and have to pay the bills.

If you think you are alone, be assured that financial worries are a fact of life for most people. The key to reducing the financial related stress is to figure out what you feel comfortable spending and then stick to a general budget for your trip. Plan the kind of trip you want within your financial limits.

Remember the most positive aspects of travel are often the relaxation, the experiences, and the memories, not the destination or fancy hotels.

Ways to Reduce Travel Stress related to Financial Concerns:  

• Check your finances and make a realistic budget. It doesn’t have to be complex, just something simple so you know how much you feel comfortable spending and how that might be budgeted across your trip. 
• Book a trip you can afford! If your account balance says $500 and the trip your family wants to take to Disney World costs $2,500, think about an alternative or wait until you have the money saved. If you need to save, set up a weekly or monthly savings plan.
• If you feel comfortable, discuss the budget and any financial pressure you feel with your travel partners. They may not be aware of the finances and if they know, they can hopefully be supportive and help keep the trip on budget.
• Book you travel in advance (plane tickets, hotels, trains, etc.). First, this will often save you money and will help you better anticipate your travel costs. Research also finds that people feel less stressed about the cost if they book at least a month in advance (likely due to the passing of time). 
• Do some research to make the most of your travel money. Compare prices before booking, check for discount city passes, look for deals and coupons, etc.
• Remember travel is not a contest. Don’t feel pressured by others or caught up in social media posts. Just because your neighbors can afford to go on a private East African luxury safari trip doesn’t mean you have to keep up with them. If that is not within your budget, find fun places you can afford. 
• Travel experiences can be priceless and are worth investing in, so while you should budget, try not to worry about how you spend every dollar. Sometimes it is OK for a little splurge here and there!

2. Thinking that Travel Will Solve Your Problems

Travel has lots of positives associated with it, but it won’t fix the problems in your life. For many people travel is a form of escapism, and some think that if only they can go away for a while, it will solve X problem or make X better. Unfortunately most problems can’t be fixed by travel, although it can be a good way to get a respite from them.

If you think that taking a big trip will help your psychological problems, career issues, or relationship difficulties, you’ll likely feel pretty disappointed when you return home to find that all the same issues are still there. It’s a bit like getting married to “fix” a bad relationship, you may have a brief honeymoon period, but then everything will likely be the same as it was before the wedding.

Some people travel to “find themselves”, “find a purpose”, or be changed through some mysterious process. You are unlikely to “find yourself” and come back a different person as films like Eat, Pray, Love or Under the Tuscan Sun might have us believe.

But do let us know if you do find inner peace, true love, and the answer to the universe out there! Travel can help shift our perspectives and we can learn a lot from it, but it won’t make you a different person or unlock mysterious truths.

Will traveling indefinitely fix it? What if you never returned to your house, job, or family? We haven’t tried this personally, but there are many digital nomads who have found that you simply carry the same issues with you as you go, regardless of the location. You can run from a place, but not from yourself or your thoughts.

Ways to Reduce Travel Stress related to Thinking Travel will Solve Problems:  

• Adjust your expectations for travel. Travel can be transformative but it is not going to make you into a different person or help fix your problems. It can be a good way to get away from your daily routine to think and get clarity, but you still need to work on your problems if you want to actually change them. 
• Enjoy the travel experience for what it can provide. It may not fix troubled marriages or empty bank accounts, but it can still have a lot of positive benefits!
• If you find yourself planning and taking trips to escape problems at home, try reallocating some of that time and resources into identifying and working on those problems. Travel is a whole lot more enjoyable when we don’t have lots of troubles waiting for us back home!
• Understand what problems you have in your life and what is causing them. Think about ways you might be able to change them, and the steps you need to take to make those changes.
• Consider professional help. If you are having psychological issues or serious relationship issues, I’d consider seeking out counseling or a psychologist. For financial or legal issues, consider getting advice from a legitimate source.
• Not all problems can be solved. An ailing elderly parent, a divorce, a death, a terminal illness. In these cases, while you can’t solve the issue, seeking additional help and support may help you find additional ways to cope.
• Change won’t happen unless you are receptive to it and willing to change.

3. Planning Travel

The most stressful part of travel for most people actually begins before the trip, it is the trip planning stage. This includes doing travel research, making travel arrangements, making an itinerary, and packing. It is also when people often begin to have financial concerns related to the trip. 

I think most people, even veteran travelers like ourselves, have stress over the planning. It just involves so many aspects that it can feel overwhelming, from coordinating things at work to booking hotels to packing. It can be especially stressful when you are planning an independent trip where you are trying to research places and plan an itinerary for a destination you’ve never visited before.

The easiest way to make the process less stressful is to approach it in parts and stages rather than being overwhelmed by all the things you need to do at once. Make a checklist and then slowly work your way through it, starting with the most urgent and leaving the rest for later. Enlist any fellow travel companions to help so you can divide up the tasks. 

If you do not feel you have the time, knowledge, or interest in planning a big trip, considering paying a professional travel agent and/or travel planning service to help do some of it for you.

Also remember you don’t have to plan every last detail! You want to be flexible and have plenty of free time as well. More laid back people may want to just plan the big things (e.g., dates, flights, hotels for the first part of the trip) and leave the rest to decide along the way. It really depends on how you like to travel.

Ways to Reduce Travel Stress related to Travel Planning:  

• Be organized. Set aside some dedicated time to work on travel planning. You also might want to dedicate a special notebook and/or computer folder to keep documents and notes together.
• Make a checklist with all the things you need to do before your trip (e.g., complete a report at work, order visa photos , apply for a visa, book flights and hotels, order a guidebook, make a general itinerary, book tour to X, get someone to check on the cats, get new prescriptions, have mail held, pack, etc.). Sometimes just writing or typing it all out makes people feel less anxiety.
• Break down what you need to do into actionable steps with a realistic timeline (e..g, Monday I am going to book the flights and start researching hotels in San Diego, Tuesday I am going to book the hotels and call the neighbor to check on the cats and plants while we are away, etc.)
• Ask any travel partners to help you so you are not doing all the planning yourself. 
• Start the planning process as early as you can so you have more time. Last minute planning often leads to more stress and a more negative experience. 
• Invest in a good travel guidebook (paper or digital) as it will have all the essential information that you need in one handy place to help you plan and learn more about that destination. Get one that has been recently edited/updated. Then you can supplement that with online research, friends’ reports, and travel blog information.
• If you find the planning really stressful and frustrating, enlist the aid of a professional travel planning service or travel agent. Find a service or person who is knowledgeable about where you want to go and have them help you book everything and/or help you plan out a suggested itinerary.
• If you really hate travel planning and don’t want to pay for outside help, consider a vacation that requires little planning like a guided tour or a cruise. Or consider vacationing in a place you already know well. 
• Remember you don’t have to plan out the entire trip from start to finish! If you are a more laid back person,  do the main bits and you can figure out the rest once you are on the trip. 

4. Unrealistic Expectations

Many people daydream about their upcoming vacations, thinking about how wonderful and amazing everything will be once they get to a certain destination. This is a healthy form of escapism. The anticipation of travel can have positive benefits, perhaps even more so than the travel itself!

However, if our expectations are too high, they are going to be tough to meet. Unfortunately, few vacations or destinations can live up to the idealized experience promoted by the tourism boards, the glamorized Instagram photos, the glowing travel reports that highlight only the positive aspects of a place, or the unrealistic expectations we have in our mind.

If a place doesn’t live up to travelers’ high expectations, travelers may feel disappointed, upset, mislead, or like they “missed something”. This can lead to a stressful trip and a negative overall experience.

That is not to say that your vacation won’t be an amazing experience or that you should have low expectations, but I think like any other experience, it will likely have its flaws and negative moments. For example, a destination may not be as romantic as you imagined, your kids may not enjoy a park as much as you expected, or the hotel you booked may be less nice than pictured online. Just be prepared that these sorts of things happen and try to let the destination speak for itself.

Ways to Reduce Travel Stress related to Unrealistic Expectations:  

• Go ahead and daydream away, but don’t expect a destination or trip to be perfect. 
• Expect there to be negative aspects to any trip and destination. 
• Be flexible while traveling, and don’t let any of the flaws or speed bumps get in the way of enjoying all the positive aspects of a trip. Focus on the positive experiences and enjoy them!

5. Safety Concerns

Many people worry about the safety of certain destinations, especially if that destination has experienced recent terrorist activity, tourist kidnappings, shootings, unrest, or armed conflicts. But sometimes a place just makes someone uneasy for other reasons. Feeling unsafe is definitely something that is going to cause travel anxiety.

There are always a few unstable places in the world where true danger and risk lurk, and both travel security warnings and common sense tell us not to travel there. However in some cases, people’s fears are irrational and are not proportional to the actual statistical chances of being harmed. You are much more likely to get into an automobile accident or drown than be harmed or killed in a plane crash or terrorist attack. 

Do your own research to make your decision about traveling to the destination. Check out travel advisories and recent traveler reports. Is the safety risk just limited to a city or region, or is it country wide? Have tourists been threatened, kidnapped, robbed, harassed, or harmed in the area? Are there ways to help protect yourself from these threats (e.g, avoiding certain areas, not carrying valuables)?

In the end, you’ll need to trust your judgement and your gut instinct here. No place is ever completely safe (e.g., we were in London during a terrorist attack last year), and you have to do what feels right to you. 

Note that just because a fear is exaggerated or irrational, doesn’t mean these fears should be discounted or ignored. If you and/or your travel partner(s) are genuinely concerned about a place, I would recommend choosing another destination. If you go, two things could happen: a) you end up getting there and realizing it is not as bad as you thought and feeling safe, OR b) you could spend your whole trip worried and anxious. This is your holiday, and you don’t want to risk spending you trip being worried or traveling with someone who is feeling that way.

Don’t feel pressured by others to a visit a place you feel uncomfortable going. However, at the same time, don’t let fear keep you from traveling all together! 

In the unlikely event that something does happen when you are traveling, it can be helpful to know who you should contact and also it might just make you feel better. If there is an emergency while you are traveling, get to a safe place and call your home country’s local consulate and seek their advice in what you can do.

If are the victim of a crime while traveling, get to safety, seek any needed medical treatment, and contact the local law enforcement. Call the consulate for assistance as they can help you contact law enforcement and legal services and help you navigate the local criminal justice system. If you don’t understand what is happening, request for the presence of an interpreter and for important documents to be translated into your native language.

Ways to Reduce Travel Stress related to Safety Concerns:  

• Look up the latest travel alerts, safety warnings, and travel advice. For instance the United Stated Department of State issues regularly updated country specific advisories here , and the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office has regularly updated advisories and advice for each country here . 
• Search for recent news (e.g., search headlines online) and travel reports (e.g., blogs, message boards) of people who have recently traveled in the destination. Try to evaluate how reliable the source is (e.g., a journalist based in the destination versus a blogger who visited for 3 days).
• If a valid risk does seem to be present, find out if it covers the whole country or is isolated to one particular city or area. Is the risk of a perceived threat low or high?
• After learning what you can, self-assess how you feel and ask how your travel partner(s) feels. Do you feel it is risky? Do you feel safe traveling there?  Be honest and let that help you decide. 
• Make use of safety tactics like being aware of your surroundings, telling people where you are going each day, making copies of all your travel documents, keeping your money and credit cards in more than once place, keep some valuables in something like a travel belt , scarf , or travel pocket , etc.
• If you are going somewhere considered a more high risk destination, make sure that the destination is covered by your travel insurance and know if the destination has a consulate or foreign office there if you would need assistance. Note down the contact information.
• Know who you should contact in the unlikely event that something (e.g., terrorist act, robbery, sexual assault) does happen while you are traveling.
• Some safety concerns are normal and healthy, but if you are feeling genuinely fearful or anxious, I’d choose an alternative destination. You don’t want to spend your vacation being weary and fearful of being robbed or shot! Also remember the destination will still be there next year if you decide to go elsewhere this year.
• Don’t let fear keep you from traveling! It is perfectly fine to avoid some places, but don’t let it keep you at home. Even if you decide on a local trip, that’s fine, just don’t let it keep you from enjoying your hard-earned vacation time in whatever ways feels best to you.

6. Juggling the Needs & Expectations of Travel Companions

If you are traveling solo, you have only yourself to really consider when planning your trip and traveling. But if you are traveling with a spouse, romantic partner, children, parents, friends, etc., you also have to consider their needs and expectations. This can often be a stressful experience for people, especially if travelers don’t agree on everything. The more people, the more stressful it can be. 

Everyone has different needs, preferences, and expectations related to travel. The first thing to do is to get an understanding of what each person’s thoughts are about an ideal vacation.

Is it lying on a beach sipping a tropical drink? Is it exploring museums and cultural attractions in a big city? Is it completing a multi-day hiking trail? Is it riding roller coasters and sky diving? Is it just staying at home and watching a TV marathon? Imagine you were traveling with 5 other people and you got back the five above responses for the same trip, you might feel a little stressed!

To reduce stress, share the travel planning and decisions with your travel companions, it should not be left to just one person. Each person should have a voice, including kids. Take a vote on the destination and try to fit in at least one “priority” experience for each person into the itinerary.

Unless you and your travel companion(s) all share the same likes and dislikes, everyone will likely have to make some compromises. For instance, Laurence visits a historic site with me and then we go sit on top of some building to watch the sunset because that is what he wants to do. But travelers should also not be afraid to split up, I often explore museums without Laurence and he often goes hiking up mountains without me.

Ways to Reduce Travel Stress related to Juggling the Needs of Travel Companions:  

• Ask everyone what they want most out of the vacation and how they imagine a vacation. 
• Make sure everyone has a voice and a hand in the planning. Don’t forget the kids!
• If there is a lot of difficulty in making trip decisions, take votes or appoint a mutually agreed upon leader. 
• Respect everyone’s needs and ways they want to spend their holiday. If your husband’s ideal vacation is to stay in the hotel room and watch sports, let him have that chance for at least one afternoon while you do something you want to do.
• Be willing to compromise. But also don’t be afraid to split up at times from your travel companions to seek out the things you each really want to do. 
• If conflict comes up during the trip, try to understand why the person is upset and how they are feeling. Travel stress can definitely increase the possibility that people will become angry and irritated with each other. So they may be more irritated with the cancelled train than with you but are lashing at you anyway. Try to find a healthy way to resolve the conflict. 
• Enjoy your time together. Travel is about the experiences and memories, not necessarily the destination. You likely won’t remember that scenic viewpoint or museum a few years from now, but you might remember that special memory you shared getting spit on by a llama, completing a challenging hike, or laughing over a bottle of wine in a bistro.

7. Not Feeling Prepared

Some travelers may be constantly worried about whether or not they are prepared enough for their trip and second guess their decisions. Did we do enough research?   Did I book the right hotel?   Did I pack the right coat?  Should I have booked a rental car instead of a bus tour? What happens if I need medical help on the trip?

Do the research you feel you need to do before the trip to be prepared, but know that you cannot be prepared for every eventuality. Also you can’t plan a “perfect trip”. Those who enjoy their trips most, believe that they booked the best possible tour/hotel/attractions/restaurants based on their means and information. Second guessing yourself may lead to anxiety and disappointment.

Try to avoid focusing on the “what ifs”, “buts” and hypothetical comparisons. You’ll never know if X tour was better than Y tour or what would have been different if you had booked a hotel instead of an apartment. Focus your thoughts and conversations elsewhere.

It might be helpful to remind yourself that you did what you could in terms of planning and preparing, and although it may not have been perfect, you want to make the most of your time and the experience! 

Ways to Reduce Travel Stress related to Not Feeling Prepared:  

• Do the research and travel planning you can do. Ask for professional help if you need it.
• Find a guidebook or packing list geared towards your destination to help you make sure you pack well for your trip. If you find you forgot or lost something, you can almost always buy a replacement at the airport or at the destination.
• Try to accept the decisions and bookings you have made for your trip. If something goes really wrong (e.g., the hotel is terrible), you can almost always make changes (e.g., book a different hotel). 
• If you find yourself making a lot of “travel mistakes”, note them and use them to be more prepared and savvy for the next trip. We all make mistakes, and smart travelers learn from them.
• Do you have health concerns? Many people might worry about what to do if X happens. Try to alleviate this concern by visiting your doctor before you go, stocking up on prescriptions, getting recommended travel vaccines, making sure you have travel insurance that covers medical care, having emergency numbers handy, getting any recommended medical cards or bracelets, etc.
• If you have a specific health need or concern, research medical facilities in your travel destination that could handle your issue. For example if you are  traveling with an implanted pacemaker  and are worried about what to do in the event of complications while traveling, ask the device manufacturer or your cardiologist to help you locate medical centers that could diagnose, fix, and/or replace your pacemaker device if needed. 
• Try to think about the big picture and focus on enjoying your time away!

8. Air Travel Stressors

Air travel is probably one of the biggest sources of travel stress for those who travel internationally by plane. First there is the airport experience. Long lines. Crowds. Enormous airports with complicated layouts. Baggage fees. Security. Unexpected issues like reservation problems, flight delays and cancellations, and overbooked flights can really turn up the stress levels.

Then comes the experience of being in the plane. Being trapped in a metal tube. Dry recycled air. Food in boxes. No legroom. Turbulence. Difficulty sleeping. Limited number of toilets. Annoying fellow passengers. Some people may have anxiety about flying, or even a phobia of flying , and might be especially anxious during the flight. 

After the flight most people are anxious to leave the airport, but there are still a few more potential stressors. Lost luggage. Customs. Currency exchange. Figuring out how to leave the airport. Sketchy taxi drivers.

There are a lot of qualities of air travel that are pretty unappealing and can induce travel stress in just about any traveler! Just the thought of long check-in lines, airport security, and long-haul flights can make people anxious. I know we always dread long-haul flights.

In many ways the general airport and plane experience is what it is, and you can’t change that. But there are things you can to do to prepare for it and lessen the amount of stress and anxiety you feel during the experience. 

Ways to Reduce Travel Stress related to Air Travel:  

• Pinpoint the specific parts of air travel that you find stressful (e.g., long lines, flight delays, security, lack of in-flight entertainment, unhealthy meals). 
• Try to see if you can prevent any of the parts of air travel that you find the most stressful. For example while you can’t prevent a flight delay, you can bring your own food to eat, things to do to keep yourself entertained, and you can arrive early to minimize the stress of long lines at the airport.
• For those things you can’t change or control, try to find ways to make them as acceptable and comfortable as possible. Consider joining a travel priority program where you can have faster access through security lines, lounge access, and/or other upgrades. Bring an air pillow, eye mask, and ear plugs to help you sleep. Wear comfortable clothing and easy to slip off shoes. Bring entertainment and use relaxation techniques to keep yourself relaxed and occupied during waits and delays.  
• Do some research on your flights, the airports, and the plane. Find out baggage allowances, recommended arrival times (e.g., 2 hours before flights), what amenities are offered on the flight, things to do in the airport, your rights if a flight is cancelled, etc. 
• Always pack your most valuable and needed items (e.g., medications, travel documents, money, IDs, expensive gear)  in your carry-on. That way if your luggage is delayed or lost, at least you’ll have all your essentials. 
• I f you suffer from a fear of flying, try to identify what it is about flying that you fear. For example common fears are crashing, being confined for such a long time, germs, something happening and not being able to get help, or a terrorist attack. Once you know the fear, you can research ways to get over it. There are several cognitive-behavioral and behavioral techniques out there that work for phobias. If the fear is preventing you from being able to fly, I’d consider seeking professional help. 

9. Concerns about Things Back at Home

Some people have a hard time letting go of worries back home. Will the neighbor remember to feed the cats everyday? Who is going to take my mom to her doctor’s appointment?   Did I unplug the kitchen appliances? What if X happens at work while I am gone? What if my daughter can’t reach me?

These are all normal concerns and thoughts to have, but if they are frequent and causing worry, then they are likely to negatively impact your travel experience. It is hard to enjoy time on the beach if all you can think about is stuff back home. To alleviate some of these concerns, make a plan and checklist to address what you can before you leave.

If concerns are about people back home, set up ways to stay in contact as needed when you are gone. But you also need to be able to disconnect and limit the amount of contact back home. Find a healthy balance.

Ways to Reduce Travel Stress related to Concerns Back Home:  

• Make a checklist of all the things you want to do before you leave. Try to make it as realistic as possible.
• Arrange a plan with someone at home who can check on anything you are worried about leaving such as your house/pets/mail/plants, etc.
• If security is a concern but you don’t have a security alarm system, consider setting up a security camera like the Netgear Arlo to track your home while you are gone. Most can send a feed that you can view online or over your phone. Can also be a good way to check on pets at home. 
• If you are worried about people at home (e.g., kids, parents), ask for a regular update and set up an easy way to communicate (here is a  guide to getting online while traveling ) to help alleviate your worry. Emails or text messages are easy ways to communicate without worries about time zones or finding a specific time. If you need to talk, set up a convenient time to talk or chat, and try to limit the conversation time to avoid spending large chunks of your vacation time on the phone or computer.
• Arrange for someone at your job to cover anything that may need to be handled during your absence. Make it clear that you don’t expect to be contacted about work matters while on vacation.
• Try to focus on the travel experiences and enjoy yourself. You’ll be back soon enough and in the meantime, enjoy the trip and try to limit the time you spend focused on things back home.

10. Navigating Unfamiliar Experiences and Situations

If you are traveling to a new place, you will likely experience a lot of new things such as new foods, customs, currency, styles of dress, and modes of transportation. While these can be exciting, they can also feel overwhelming or confusing at times. Language barriers can add to feelings of culture shock and may lead people to feel isolated or overwhelmed in a new place.

Whereas you can’t prepare for all the cultural differences, language barriers, and new situations you might encounter, you can do a lot to prepare. There are lots of books and online resources out there about every destination and culture, and reading up about a place can really make you feel more comfortable once you get there. Also the more you know, the more you can make the most of your trip. 

If you are traveling to a place with a different language, it is always a good idea to learn at least a few words and phrases so you can greet people, thank people, understand numbers, make purchases, and ask basic questions. Similarly, learning some of the local customs, gestures, and taboos can go a long way. 

Differences and changes can be scary or confusing, but in most cases they are just different from the things you are used to back home. One great thing about travel is that it gives you the opportunity to step outside your comfort zone and try new things. 

However, if something feels more unsafe than just different, leave the situation. Unfortunately, tourists are sometimes targeted for scams and theft, especially in large cities, so do be aware, use your common sense, and trust your gut. Scammers often prey on the fact that you don’t know the destination or customs.

Ways to Reduce Travel Stress related to Navigating Unfamiliar Situations:  

• Read about the destination beforehand. Learn a little about the history, culture, customs, food, common modes of transportation, etc. The more you know, the more you’ll get out of your travel experience.
• Learn about the local currency and  the best and safest way to obtain it. Also understand the currency exchange rates so that you can look at local prices to know what they roughly translate to in your own currency (e.g., multiply by 1.5 or divide by 5). Also check a guidebook or blog posts to understand the common costs for things like meals, drinks, tours, taxi cabs, etc. Too often people spend more than they should because they don’t understand the local currency or don’t take the time to do simple math.
• Learn at least a few words and phrases of the local language. A travel language guide or translator app can help you out along the way. Locals often respond more positively when you show at least some attempt to use the language (even if you butcher it!).
• Look up common scams at the destination, like the Marrakesh tannery scam and Paris friendship bracelet scam, so you can avoid them. Taxis can also be common place for scams to take place, either with fake meters or drivers giving the wrong change. Learn how you can avoid them.
• If a situation or place feels unsafe, leave and go somewhere you feel safe.
• Don’t be afraid to try new foods and activities! You won’t know if you like something until you try it.

11. Unexpected Changes, Events, & Obstacles

A big source of stress for many travelers comes from unexpected problems and issues that arise during travel, especially when traveling to or from a destination.These are things like traffic jams, flight delays or cancellations, severe weather, natural disasters, lost luggage, or misbooked reservations.

These might also include problems like unexpected closures of an attraction, getting scammed, losing an important travel document, becoming ill, or finding that the hotel you booked doesn’t have your reservations. 

You do of course have some control over some of these circumstances; however, you can’t 100% prevent any of these things from happening as they are not completely within your control. In fact, many of these you have little or no control over such as a delayed flight, a labor strike, the weather, or a natural disaster. Who can forget the travel nightmares people all over the world endured following the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland ?

For those things you do have some control over, take some precautions and do some planning to try to prevent them. Reconfirm your reservations before you travel so you are unlikely to get surprised by finding a tour company or hotel can’t find your reservation. Leave plenty of extra time in your plans to avoid missing a scheduled tours, trains, or flights. Take recommended preventative health measures to try to avoid illness (e.g., getting recommended health vaccinations, taking antimalarials, not drinking unsafe water).

You can’t 100% prevent any of these, but you can reduce their likelihood of happening.

You can also protect yourself from financial losses due to these unforeseen issues.  Before your trip, we recommend purchasing travel insurance or trip protection to protect yourself from financial losses that may result from unexpected events on your travels. If your flight is cancelled, you break a leg, or a flood leaves you stranded, there can be some expensive consequences for you. If you have good travel insurance, this will help alleviate the financial stressors and allow you to focus on more important things.

For those things over which you have little or no control, there are still ways to manage your stress associated with them. The first is to accept that they may happen and to be flexible. If your flight is delayed by 3 hours, worrying and complaining is unlikely to help. Do what you need to do in terms of planning (e.g., calling a friend to let them know, reschedule your connecting flight) and find something relaxing to do in the meantime (e.g., read, chat with your travel partner, grab dinner). Try to make the most out of your time and to not let it ruin your entire trip.

We also recommend using  relaxation techniques . Stress often makes you tense up, and the basic goal of relaxation techniques is that they get you to relax your muscles. You muscles can’t be both relaxed and tense at the same time, so they put you into a state of relaxation and can reduce your stress. These include techniques like deep breathing, visualization techniques, and progressive muscle relaxation. What works for one person, won’t necessarily work well for another.

If you don’t have a relaxation technique of choice, look up and start practicing some techniques to see which work best for you. They generally take a little practice to master, but once you do you can easily do them in the moment. Most can be used anywhere in just about any situation.

Ways to Reduce Travel Stress related to Unexpected Changes:  

• Buy travel insurance. Be sure to check the policy and read the fine print to make sure it covers the things you want it to cover (e.g., flight delays, covers your destination, trekking, winter activities, medical expensive, gear coverage). You may be able to purchase it from your existing insurance company in your home country or consider a company like World Nomads . 
• If an unexpected issue arises, try to stay calm, find out what you can, and focus on the things you can change. Try to accept the things you cannot change and find ways to make the most out of the situation.
• Learn a relaxation technique that you can do anywhere that works for you. Practice it so you can use it when it is needed.
• Don’t let one or two negative or unplanned experiences ruin your entire trip!

12. Worries about the Post-Travel Experience

Another thing that often causes stress for people during a trip is worries about things that will happen after the trip. How much work will be piled up? How am I going to pay the X bill? Will the kids have missed too much in school?   This types of concern can make it difficult to relax and enjoy a trip. For many people, it is these type of worries they wanted a break from in the first place. 

Do what you can to keep your mind on the present and your trip. Enjoy your travel experiences as they are happening and try to not dwell on the things that need to be done when you return home. There is nothing that you can do now and you’ll be able to handle them when you get home.

Remember research has found that the more relaxing the trip, the more post-trip benefits it can have for you. Try to immerse yourself into the trip and relax. Seek out relaxing experiences and consider relaxation techniques to help.  

Some people are able to enjoy a trip until the end and then are hit with a sense of dread about returning and what that will need to do once their vacation is over. Some end of trip and post trip blues are perfectly normal, after all something that you were excited about is now ending.

But if you find yourself really dreading returning home after every trip and feeling depressed once you are back, then you might want to further examine those feelings. They suggest that things may not be so well at home or work and might be signs of a deeper issue such as depression or anxiety.

Ways to Reduce Travel Stress related to Worries about the Post-Trip Experience:  

• Remind yourself of the goals of your trip and all the things you wanted to do and see.
• Realize that you can’t predict the future and there is nothing you can do about things that are going to happen when you get home. Worrying about things won’t make them better.
• Try to stay in the present during your trip, and try not to let your mind dwell on post-trip problems. If you are having difficulty being present, mindfulness techniques and practices, such as meditation , can be helpful in focusing one’s mind on the present.
• Seek support from your travel partner(s). A chat about your worries might help you see the worries in a different light. Your travel companion might also be able to help keep you distracted.
• Try to relax. If you are having difficulty relaxing after a day or so into your trip, try doing some relaxation techniques or seek out an experience that you normally find relaxing (e.g., go to a spa, have a massage, do yoga, relax with a magazine at a coffee shop).
• If you are really stressed during and/or after a trip and continue to feel depressed or anxious when you get home, try to do some self-assessment of those feelings. What are they connected to? What do you dread at home? What is specifically making you anxious? Consider seeking professional counseling if they don’t subside.

BONUS Travel Stressor: Traveling with Children

If you traveling with children, especially younger children, they tend to come with some added stress! Although we don’t have much personal experience on this, we hear all the time that traveling with kids can be more stressful. This bonus was added because of a reader comment which made me think, oh yes, this is one we missed since it is not something that normally comes up for us.

There are loads of things about travel with children that may be more stressful. There’s more luggage to pack (why do babies need so much stuff!). There’s handling the kids’ disrupted sleep and feeding schedules. There are the kids shouting from the backseat “are we there yet?”  every 10 minutes.

There are also safety concerns and needing to watch out for them. There’s balancing doing things the children want to do versus what the adults want to do. There’s also illnesses, tantrums, and handling tired kids. Someone was recently telling us a story how both her kids managed to vomit on a flight…so yeah, kids can definitely amp up the travel stress levels!

But there are also loads of joys of traveling together as a family, and most people probably have some wonderful family vacation memories. Similarly, most parents probably have some wonderful memories of traveling with their kids. These are often some of people’s most cherished memories. Seeing the excitement and wonder in a child’s eyes is priceless and can easily make you forget all the struggles. Even thought it might be more challenging to travel with children, it can also be more rewarding!

• Be organized. Make a checklist and packing list for the kids. Try to plan for the things that will help your kids travel comfortably. 
• If you have never traveled with your kids before, it might not be the best idea to start with a 2 week long international trip. Try doing a smaller trip first (perhaps a long weekend) to get them used to travel and for you to learn how to best help them travel better and more comfortably.
• Include the children in the vacation planning process. Make sure they get to do at least one or two things that they helped choose. 
• If they are old enough, give them small responsibilities they can handle, so they can feel more part of the process. This might include having them help you pack their suitcase, helping you put together part of the itinerary, or choosing the restaurant for lunch. This will help them gain the skills and confidence they need to travel independently themselves when they are older.
• We are NOT experts on family travel! For more family travel tips, I highly recommend checking out family travel blogs such as y Travel Blog run by Australian couple Caz & Craig who have been traveling around the world with their 2 young daughters and blogging about it since 2010! We have no idea how they do it, but they do it well!
• Take photos to capture the memories so you can share them as a family after the trip. But don’t get too focused on taking photos and videos! It is about the moments together, and getting too focused on technology and photos can really take away from that.
• When things are not going so well, remind yourself of the reasons you want to travel with your family and try to focus on the positive things about the trip. 

So that covers the big contributors to travel stress! We hope that these tips will help you better understand your own travel stress and find ways to prevent or reduce it.

Share this Post!

There are 98 comments on this post.

Please scroll to the end to leave a comment

anu bhambri Post author

October 22, 2023 at 11:06 pm

your tips in the part “Traveling with Children” were very informative as i have to travel sometimes with my lil niece so it is very useful for that time thank you for giving such an informative article

Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author

October 25, 2023 at 8:44 am

You’re very welcome, and wishing you and your niece some wonderful travels in the future!

Best, Jessica

Akshat Gupta Post author

October 21, 2023 at 11:37 pm

I liked the article “Tips for Reducing Travel Stress” very much. It was helpful. Traveling can be stressful, but the tips in this article can help you manage stress and enjoy your trip.

October 22, 2023 at 6:51 am

Glad you enjoyed our article and found it useful!

Charan Post author

September 2, 2023 at 1:43 pm

Hello Jessica and Laurence Norah ,

I found the article “Tips for Reducing Travel Stress” to be very insightful. Travelling can be a very stressful experience, but the tips in this article are really helpful in managing stress and making the most of my travel experiences.

Thank you for the valuable information.

September 2, 2023 at 4:16 pm

Thanks for taking the time to comment and letting us know that our article has helped you! If you have any tips of your own or things that you help you most to reduce anxiety or stress when traveling, feel free to share!

CH Post author

August 13, 2023 at 11:10 am

Great posts, great tips for helping to prevent or eliminate travel stress!

A couple of my extra thoughts from my own experiences and dealing with this issue:

One is the art of “slow travel.” Rather than racing through a whirlwind of destinations, embrace the philosophy of immersive exploration. Choose fewer destinations and allow yourself to delve deep into each one, savoring every nuance and creating meaningful connections. This approach not only reduces the logistical strain of constant movement but also encourages a profound engagement with the local culture and environment. By immersing yourself in the rhythm of a place, you not only alleviate the anxiety of tight schedules but also embark on a transformative journey of understanding and self-discovery.

Additionally, harness the power of mindfulness as an antidote to travel stress. Integrate mindful practices into your travel routine, whether it’s through meditation in serene settings or simply taking purposeful moments to breathe deeply and observe your surroundings. These mindful pauses can anchor you in the present moment, helping you navigate unexpected challenges with a calmer perspective. Cultivating gratitude for the experiences you encounter along the way also serves as a powerful stress-reduction tool, fostering a positive mindset that shifts the focus from stressors to the abundant blessings that travel offers. By embracing the principles of slow travel and mindfulness, you can transform your journey into an opportunity for rejuvenation and enrichment, ultimately making stress a distant companion on your adventures.

August 15, 2023 at 8:51 am

Glad you found our tips helpful, and thanks so much for addng some of your own tips for reducing travel stress when traveling. We definitely love to engage in slow travel when we can, spending a lot of time in one place is almost always a great idea rather than rushing through in a couple of days. And so many people benefit from mindfulness techniques and practices.

Emma Post author

May 11, 2023 at 10:42 pm

Thank you for sharing your valuable insights on Travel Stress. Your article provided excellent tips and strategies that are practical and easy to implement. As an international student who frequently travels for academic and personal purposes, I have often struggled to balance my health with my travels. However, after reading your post, I have gained new insights into how I can optimize my time and energy to study effectively while on the move. I appreciate the time and effort you put into creating such a valuable resource for international students like me.

May 16, 2023 at 8:55 am

Thanks for taking the time to comment and share you experiences as an international student. I am sure that being an international student can be more stress for international students. I am glad that you have found this article helpful.

Wishing you happy & stress-free future travels! Jessica

Eli Richardson Post author

September 8, 2022 at 11:28 am

Next month, we want to go on vacation, so my wife and I are interested in planning it with anticipation. It’s great that you suggested we compare booking prices before choosing our accommodation and transport, so we’ll definitely keep this in mind. Thanks for explaining how we’d get the most out of our next vacations without breaking the bank.

September 9, 2022 at 8:10 am

You are very welcome, and glad you found some of our tips helpful in planning your upcoming vacation. Wishing you a wonderful trip with your wife!

Julie Post author

June 7, 2022 at 10:48 pm

Money problems always make me feel stressful when I’m traveling. Another bigger problem for me is that I have a little kid and I will have to keep an eye on her no matter when. Thank you for sharing these tips to relieve stress so I can feel more relaxed next time.

June 10, 2022 at 3:52 am

Yes, money and keeping an eye on children can definitely add stress to a trip for sure! But hopefully you can take steps to prevent and reduce stress and still enjoy your travels!

Henry Killingsworth Post author

April 20, 2022 at 9:28 am

I like how you explained that it is a good idea to approach traveling by taking it in stages and parts. In addition to that, I would think that it could be a good idea to depend on a professional’s knowledge of an area rather than your own. For example, you could take some kind of tour one day so that you don’t have to stress yourself out about getting lost.

April 21, 2022 at 5:05 am

Yes, I agree, tours can be very helpful for people who don’t like the stress of planning and exploring on their own. Guided tours can make it very easy to plan a trip, especially those that include most of your transport, activities, accommodation, etc. But even a walking tour or day tour at a destination can make it easier to do sightseeing in a particular place for those traveling independently.

Dawn Sanchez Post author

November 17, 2021 at 4:12 am

Travel anxiety can be triggered just by leaving one’s home and familiar surroundings, especially if one suffers from panic episodes. Meeting new people or trying new foods can make you feel uneasy, and worrying about how you’ll react emotionally can make you feel anxious.

November 19, 2021 at 1:46 pm

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on travel anxiety, and yes it can be different for different people. It sounds like what you are describing may be someone with an anxiety disorder. And certainly people with anxiety disorders may experience more anxiety when traveling than someone without an anxiety disorder, but they can certainly take measures to try to prevent it and handle it when it happens.

It is recommended that those with disorders should talk to a doctor or therapist to work on ways to prevent and manage their anxiety.

Wishing you safe & fun future travels, Jessica

Shammy Peterson Post author

June 18, 2021 at 9:40 pm

It sure was nice when you pointed out that you could get the aid of a professional travel planning service if you find the planning really stressful and frustrating. This would be a good tip for me because I would like to plan a tour for me and my husband before the month ends. As much as I would like to have the bourbon tour set up by me, I am not knowledgeable about the place, and I could not find time to do it because of my work. I will consider a guided tour, instead.

June 20, 2021 at 5:54 am

Thanks for taking the time to comment and I hope you enjoy the bourbon focused tour you’ll be taking!!

Wishing you safe & happy travels, Jessica

Claire Masters Post author

June 17, 2021 at 1:43 pm

I liked your tip about not second-guessing myself when it comes to my trip itinerary since this may lead to anxiety. I’ve been thinking about taking a trip with my family this summer to a beach. I think it will best if I get a tour so we can enjoy the vacation without stressing over the itinerary.

June 18, 2021 at 7:21 am

Glad you found some of our tips helpful and taking a tour can definitely help relieve stress as it requires much less planning. I’d just pick a tour that includes all the places you want to go with an itinerary and activities that sound good to you and your family. Then you can let someone else take care of all the little details like transportation, attraction entry, and food.

Wishing you a wonderful summer trip! Jessica

Alice Post author

June 15, 2021 at 7:43 am

Thank You so much for sharing information about how to reduce travel stress. Keep Sharing

June 15, 2021 at 8:49 am

Thanks Alice, glad you found it helpful!

Wishing you stress-free & happy travels, Jessica

Lana Murpy Post author

April 19, 2021 at 5:36 am

Very useful tips! Thank you so much

April 19, 2021 at 5:52 am

Thanks Lana, glad you found it helpful!

Wishing you safe and happy future travels, Jessica

Mike Honeycutt Post author

September 10, 2020 at 5:42 pm

Excellent tips! One of the main reasons why many people travel is that they want to explore new things – new cultures, cuisines, activities, and more. Indeed, traveling often opens doors for exploration. It lets you discover new things and try out activities that you have not done before.

September 11, 2020 at 3:35 am

Yes, that is indeed true! Travel often brings a mix of excitement, anticipation, and anxiety as travelers are learning and trying so many new things.

January 8, 2021 at 2:56 pm

Hi Jessica, Not only that, forget about stress while traveling. If you want to learn more about yourself, then traveling is definitely something that you must do. Traveling is one of the best ways to learn about yourself and enhance your personal growth. Thank you.

January 9, 2021 at 6:51 am

I am not sure you can just “forget” about stress or anxiety, but travel does of course have many positive aspects and can lead to personal growth! I definitely think the benefits outweigh any negatives in most situations.

Thanks for taking the time to comment, Jessica

Troy Abraham Post author

April 8, 2020 at 6:35 am

I like Your post! I love the ideas that try to think about the big picture and focus on enjoying your time away!

April 8, 2020 at 1:31 pm

Hi Troy, Yes, sometimes focusing on the big picture rather than the minor things can definitely helpe when feeling stressed or anxious! Wishing you safe travels (when traveling is safe and possible to do again!). Best, Jessica

Karan Joshi Post author

March 31, 2020 at 12:05 am

I have a marketing job.so I have to travel every day. sometimes I am in stress about my work tension while traveling. Thanks for the awesome information to relieve travel stress. Nice article!!

March 31, 2020 at 6:17 am

Hi Karan, So glad that you found the article helpful, and yes traveling for work can definitely be more stressful than traveling for leisure. Glad you found some tips that have been helpful to relieve some of your travel stress. Best, Jessica

Derek McDoogle Post author

December 16, 2019 at 7:19 am

I like how you suggest that when going on vacation to check your finances and make a realistic budget. My wife and I would like to go on vacation but we haven’t decided where to go. I will ask her to help me look online for travel destinations so that we can start planning our trip as soon as possible.

December 19, 2019 at 6:14 am

Hi Derek, Yes, I think starting off with a realistic budget can then help you can better shape your trip when choosing a destination, type of transport, length of trip, type of accommodation, etc. You can still do lots with a small budget, but it is good to know your budget in advance to help plan so you don’t overspend. Good luck on your trip planning process 😉 Best, Jessica

Jerry Woods Post author

November 19, 2019 at 4:15 pm

I liked your tip of finding a travel agent that is knowledgeable about where you want to go. My wife and I are wanting to go on vacation soon and we were wondering how we could get some help with the destination we are picking. I’ll be sure to tell her that we should hire a travel agent to help us plan out our trip.

November 21, 2019 at 8:31 am

Hi Jerry, Yes, planning a trip can be time consuming and stressful, especially if it is not something you enjoy doing and you don’t have a lot of time. If you are looking for some assistance, finding a local travel agent might be a good idea. I’d start locally to see if you have any local agents as it is always good to have someone you can go talk to in person but you can also do it via phone or online. It is good to look for one that regularly helps with trips to the types of the destination you have in mind. Most travel agents do not charge a fee for their services, but they earn commissions on bookings. If you have friends or family who have used a travel agent, I’d ask to see if they have any recommendations. Best, Jessica

dave Post author

November 12, 2019 at 6:56 pm

Thanks for such a good article! I’ve had many unusual experiences travelling. Some of them really sad and tragic. Some really good. Some ho hum and could take or leave it. I live in Canada and my family in the U.K. and 3 times I’ve flown back there under tragic circumstances, 2 of my brothers died young and the other was my mum had cancer and died a few days after I got there. A couple more trips that come to mind are one I took after my mum died and went to S.E. Asia just a couple of months after she had died. I was still in a spin about my mum passing and my brother passing away 2 years before that. I’d been to Thailand for a month after my brother died and before my mum got sick and had a great time! It was if the dice had been rolled and come up 6’s… so after mum died I figured I’d go there again and I guess hope to lift my sad feelings… of course it didn’t and I felt awful being so far from home and travelling alone, I just ended up drinking a lot to try to numb out that excruciating pain I felt, and I was there for a month.. really I should have just come back early. That was 10 years ago and I’ve been on a couple of month long trips since then. They were OK, sometimes unless the trip is really good I find it hard to weigh up if it was worth all that had to go into the trip. The flight, the jet lag, flying anxiety, the amount of hours work to do in order to get the money to cover the costs… and on top of that I seem to have developed a sort of feeling of what I’d describe as ‘dread’ at the thought of leaving my home. I think at a pretty deep level part of me associates all that flying to places away from home etc.. with some dread. So I have to really sort of wrestle with these 2 opposing thoughts…. the one that wants to go on holiday! (the happy one) -v- the one that’s like.. hey no f’ that! Stay at home, it’s a certainty at home ( the cautious protecting one) And seeing as it takes some momentum to get the ‘go on a holiday’ train going with enough steam to actually go! I don’t go much and then the happy holiday part of me is pissed off, and round and around it goes.

November 13, 2019 at 4:30 am

I am really sorry to hear about your losses. It is very understandable how travel has become associated with negative feelings for you. Although difficult, it sounds like you do really enjoy travel. I would maybe consider starting off by planning a shorter holiday within Canada or maybe the U.S. Places that are not so foreign to you and that you’ve always wanted to do. Plan some things you enjoy doing that will keep you busy for your trip (e.g., food tour, walking tour, museum visit, etc.).

If loneliness is an issue, as it can be for many solo travelers, you might consider doing a trip with a friend. Or consider joining a group tour that goes somewhere you want to go.

I’d start taking small steps to get out of your house more and do things you enjoy. Maybe start with an overnight trip or weekend trip, one that requires minimal planning. Start to break the cycle of staying home all the time and just take it one step at a time. The longer you don’t travel, the harder it can become to leave your house.

Hope that helps! Jessica

Scott Post author

August 14, 2019 at 11:04 am

I definitely agree it’s important to be aware of the stress that often comes with taking time off from work. You’ve identified so many ways in which stress can enter the picture – your article is impressive! It’s easy to see how flying or visiting a foreign destination can bring out stress, but it may be surprising to many that planning a trip itinerary can also cause stress! Breaking down the causes and stages of stress is the first step to reducing it and truly enjoying taking memorable vacations every year.

On the financial side, booking hotels and rental cars and tours that can be cancelled is a smart way to reduce the stress of spending money on a big trip. Unfortunately most airline tickets are non-refundable, but it is possible to seek out fares that can be changed for a reasonable fee. Plus as you mentioned buying travel insurance to cover cancellation for stressful reasons like getting sick or injured or if you lose your bags for example.

Buying a printed travel guidebook is advice that I also give to people visiting a place for the first time. While you can’t anticipate everything in advance of leaving home, reading about where you are going can make you feel more confident and in control. In addition I recommend browsing travel forums such as on TripAdvisor or FlyerTalk or Fodors. They are immensely helpful for gathering advice from travelers who’ve been there and have had the same questions as we all do.

The one thing I disagree with is about not trying to plan the perfect trip. I think the perfect trip is the one you plan yourself for you and your family. It’s perfect because you took the time to decide where to go and what to do on vacation and didn’t let the stress of travel stop you 🙂

Thanks for covering this important travel topic. -Scott, Work-Life-Vacation Balance Blogger @ VacationCounts

August 14, 2019 at 12:41 pm

Glad you enjoyed our post on travel stress and anxiety. While travel is amazing, it can be stressful for some people and it is always good to be prepared.

Yes, the word “perfect” can be a problem for people and in my days as a psychologist, I was often helping people realize that no one or no experience is indeed “perfect” and accepting this. When you stop thinking about things needing to be perfect, things become a bit easier I think 😉

Brendan Shelton Post author

August 2, 2019 at 7:06 am

I appreciate you talking about the fact that most people have a more positive outlook on life after returning from a vacation trip. My wife and I are planning on a trip to Europe next summer because we have been working extremely hard for the last 10 months and can use a break. We will certainly reflect on the information in this article as we move forward in the planning of our trip.

August 3, 2019 at 5:44 am

Hi Brendan, Thanks for taking the time to comment, and wishing you and your wife a wonderful vacation next summer in Europe. It sounds like a very well-deserved break! Best, Jessica

Rajesh Sharma Post author

July 1, 2019 at 10:21 pm

It’s true that sometimes travelling may be stressful for many reasons like buying air tickets, sorting out hotels, bad weather, travel companions, and so on. You have shared some great tips to tackle these stress. I really like your tips as they are practical and can help almost anyone become a better and more organized traveller and reduce stress. Thank you for sharing this great information.

Tyler Johnson Post author

April 30, 2019 at 10:10 am

That’s a good idea to book everything in advance. I wouldn’t want to be stuck without transportation and then not be able to get to my event. Plus that way you could be sure to be able to have a spot in everything you would want to do.

April 30, 2019 at 11:35 am

Hi Tyler, Yes, booking transport in advance is always a good idea if you know your times in advance. Can help prevent later stress of not being able to get an ideal time or date for a bus, train, flight, etc. Of course, not all types of transport are possible to book ahead, but many are. Best, Jessica

Yoshiko Flora Post author

March 29, 2019 at 6:42 pm

I find it insightful how you mentioned that traveling with kids can make parents feel more stressed because they need to carry extra luggage. In my opinion, one way to handle this, especially when bringing other families with children in a spring break or summer vacation, is to rent a charter bus. That way, everyone can have extra space to store all their luggage while keeping them all in one safe place and protecting them while traveling at the same time.

March 29, 2019 at 8:13 pm

Hi Yoshiko, Yes, carrying all the extra luggage and gear that kids need can definitely make it more difficult and stressful for parents to travel. Chartering a bus or van definitely sounds like it could be a good idea for larger families or those traveling in a group. Thanks for sharing your experience and suggestion. Best, Jessica

Vijay Patel Post author

March 28, 2019 at 3:10 am

Hey! Such a great post. Really lots of helpful tips about reducing stress while traveling. This post will really help those who are planning for travel. Very informative and very unique blog. I really liked the 2 main solutions of the problem while traveling i.e. Financial Concerns and Safety Concerns. Thank you for sharing such wonderful tips. Keep Posting.

March 28, 2019 at 4:28 am

Hi Vijay, Thanks for taking the time to comment and glad you enjoyed the article. Do let us know if you have any questions related to traveling or travel stress. Happy travels, Jessica

rohit aggarwal Post author

February 10, 2019 at 10:12 pm

thanks for the helpful travel information

February 11, 2019 at 1:49 am

Hi Rohit, You’re very welcome. Happy travels, Jessica

Dominic Post author

January 22, 2019 at 2:18 am

For proper planning there are few things which you need to be follow to keep the stress free environment during the travelling you should always create a checklist of those which you need to keep during the travelling as this will help you a lot in making you travelling easily and stress free.

January 22, 2019 at 3:08 am

Thanks for those tips Dominic. A checklist may indeed be helpful for some people! Best, Jessica

John Post author

January 16, 2019 at 9:41 pm

Thanks for sharing this useful information with us. Travel stress is of different types and you discussed above so many of them. Stress can harm you properly without taking time.

January 16, 2019 at 11:17 pm

Hi John, Yes, indeed, stress can take many forms and affect everyone a bit differently! Glad you found our post useful. Best, Jessica

Tasha Post author

December 29, 2018 at 5:59 am

Oh well, Such a great post on preventing stress while travelling you have shared. I really enjoyed it as you have covered so much in this article. I am always finding the ways to get rid of stress. Meditation is one of my favorites.

December 29, 2018 at 6:30 am

Hi Tasha, Glad you enjoyed it and yes meditation is a great strategy for travel anxiety or stress as you can do it almost anywhere! Happy travels, Jessica

Zane Post author

December 7, 2018 at 4:42 pm

Great post! I can almost feel your love just by reading your post. This post has been written with love and passion. You really covered all the major things that most people tend to worry about when they travel. Thanks for sharing your amazing and honest tips!

December 7, 2018 at 5:33 pm

Hi Zane, Thanks for the kind words, we did try to be throughout on all the things worry about when they travel. Hope that you have found the article helpful 😉 Best, Jessica

Kit Hannigan Post author

November 30, 2018 at 4:15 pm

I like what you said about coming up with a realistic budget that you can feel comfortable spending across your trip. My son has been working really hard with his friends to launch their tech startup. I know he is in so much pressure already, so I will be sure to advise him to save enough money so that he can be really comfortable traveling abroad.

December 1, 2018 at 6:25 am

Hi Kit, Yes, I think setting a budget up front that you can afford and is realistic for where you are traveling (e.g., Iceland or NYC are much more expensive destination than Thailand or Ecuador) and what he wants to do (e.g., budget motels versus 5-star hotels). Wishing your son the best of luck on his trip abroad! Best, Jessica

Allison Post author

November 29, 2018 at 9:06 pm

Great post and you covered all the significant things that I tend to worry about when I travel. Recently I faced a new problem in my travel time. I am a new mom with my first baby, and I am not comfortable to move anywhere with my baby. Especially when I am traveling for a long time. Thanks for such an amazing write up! It gave me a few of insights.

Regards, Allison N.

November 30, 2018 at 12:52 am

Hi Allison, Thanks for taking the time to comment, and glad you found our article helpful. There are a lot of potential things that can be stressful when traveling, but I imagine traveling with a baby has to be one of the more stressful! A lot of families are probably faced with this very same issue around the holidays when a large number of people are traveling. Wishing you many happy travels. Best, Jessica

rakhi Post author

November 13, 2018 at 11:07 pm

This post is filled with love! I can feel it, traveling as a couple is based on romance. No man is an island a couple is way better than being a solo or group traveler. Solo is too much ‘alone’ and groups are high maintenance. You really enjoy being together and it seems everyday is a honeymoon. How better life can be? ????

November 14, 2018 at 2:41 am

Hi Rakhi, Thanks for your kind thoughts. Laurence and I do really enjoy traveling as a couple together but we know some people prefer to travel solo, with a group, or as a larger family. I think people just need to find the situation that fits their travel style best. Of course, sometimes it is good to try out different ways to travel. Best, Jessica

Sydney Post author

October 28, 2018 at 9:40 pm

I suffer from a lot of travel anxiety before I go on a trip. This is very helpful post for me! Thanks a lot for sharing this.

October 29, 2018 at 7:22 am

Hi Sydney, Thanks for taking the time to comment, and so happy you found this post helpful. I hope you are able to find ways to lower your travel anxiety before your next trip. Best, Jessica

Sariah Meagle Post author

September 5, 2018 at 4:28 pm

We will be attending my sister’s wedding in another state and my mom is usually stressed out when traveling. It was to explained her that to lessen the stress in traveling, she should lower her expectations. Furthermore, it’s recommended to see health professionals for an effective stress reduction program.

September 6, 2018 at 1:13 pm

I think that seeking professional help can definitely be a good idea, especially if your mother is particularly stressed out. However, there are lots of other ways she might try to reduce stress, sometimes it is just planning ahead, changing expectations, learning to do some breathing or relaxation exercises, or learning more about the travels.

I’d talk to your mother about her specific concerns (what specifically about the trip is making her anxious? what is she afraid will happen?) and then figure out what might be the best path to go!

Hope you and your family enjoy your trip to your sister’s wedding!

bernadette lance Post author

August 29, 2018 at 9:20 am

What do you think about coloring books while traveling? Mucklow says she sees the coloring craze as a wholesome way for confused-out multitaskers to tune out the larger world.

August 29, 2018 at 3:11 pm

Hi Bernadette, I am not sure coloring will solve problems, but I do think they can help someone let out some stress and also a good prevention against boredom. I think they are a great thing to do while waiting and traveling on planes, trains, sitting in airports, etc. I imagine they would serve a similar function as doing crossword puzzles, drawing, reading, knitting, or doing soduku and definitely something to try if they sound like a good option to you.

There are a lot of adult coloring books out there now (including travel themed and travel sized) and you can take a look at some options here !

Nadine Johnson Post author

August 13, 2018 at 10:56 pm

Hi, Great post and you covered all the significant things that I tend to worry about when I travel. Recently I faced a new problem in my travel time. I am a new mom with my first baby, and I am not comfortable to move anywhere with my baby. Especially when I am traveling for a long time. If you give me some advice how can I reduce this stress then it will be helpful for me. Thanks in advance for your suggestion.

Elizabeth Post author

June 20, 2018 at 8:05 am

This is a great post – the only thing I didn’t see that I stress about (which is probably a really odd thing to stress about) is how to handle the luggage situation, especially if going for a longer, multi-city trip. I’m always weirdly stressed out about how much luggage, and how best to handle it! Of all the things to be stressed about, it’s probably pretty silly, but the rest of them I tend to have nailed down pretty well.

June 20, 2018 at 10:30 am

Hi Elizabeth, I don’t think that is silly at all and probably fits under the travel planning category which is probably the most stressful part of traveling. Packing well is difficult and I always want to bring along more things than will fit in my suitcase!

I think one piece of advice is to get a luggage or backpack set that is a good size for you to handle, is durable, and fits well on planes. Then pack only what will fit in those. If you forget or run out of disposable things (e.g., shampoo, sunscreen), these are things you can buy in the airport or almost anywhere you are traveling. On long trips, we generally pack enough clothes for 1 to 2 weeks and do laundry on the road if we are traveling for a longer period of time and also rewear things more. Hope that helps! Jessica

Shama Perveen Post author

May 15, 2018 at 2:10 am

Oh my gosh, Great post and you really covered all the major things that i tend to worry about when I travel. In my experience sometimes you just have to let go and try to enjoy the trip. It’s hard for me as a control freak but whenever I manage to do it my travel adventures are awesome! Thanks for sharing your tips. I always end up getting stressed before travel and after travelling going back to your boring life is also a challenge. I always daydream about places that i have visited like – i was skiing at this time on that day of my vacation

May 15, 2018 at 11:28 am

Hi Shama, Thanks for taking the time to comment. Glad you enjoyed our post about travel stress and it can be difficult to let go when we all want to have control over our situations. I hope that you find some our tips helpful in reducing your own travel stress on your next vacation! Best, Jessica

Monica Post author

April 20, 2018 at 3:54 am

keeping the kids engaged is one of my biggest stress when our family is on a vacation, will be sure to remember these tips for the next big trip. thanks

April 22, 2018 at 12:21 am

Hi Monica, Glad you enjoyed the tips and best of luck on your next family trip! Best, Jessica

Schiro Ackermann Post author

April 13, 2018 at 9:22 pm

It sure was nice when you said that when it comes to traveling, it is best to set a specific budget so that the person does not overspend during their touring. I will be sure to mention this to my sister since we are to travel together to the grand canyon. This tip got my attention since she loves buying a lot of souvenirs. Thank you for sharing this tip.

April 15, 2018 at 6:04 am

Hi Schiro, Glad you found the budgeting tips helpful and yes it is easy to forget to account for the little extras (snacks, toiletries, drinks, souvenirs) in a travel budget. Wishing you and your family a wonderful trip to the Grand Canyon! Best, Jessica

darik hoffman Post author

April 12, 2018 at 3:52 am

Great tips. Will be sure to keep them in mind for the next trip with the family. thanks.

April 13, 2018 at 8:58 am

Hi Darik, Thanks for taking the time to comment. Glad you enjoyed our tips and hopefully they are helpful on your next family vacation! Best, Jessica

Stephanie Raffaele Post author

April 2, 2018 at 2:59 pm

Wow, great post on travel stress and ways to combat it! I’m not on the road that much anymore, but I wish I will be soon enough. Thanks for the tips, they will surely come in handy for many people!

April 3, 2018 at 11:02 am

Hi Stephanie, Thanks for taking the time to comment. Glad you enjoyed the post and hopefully it will be helpful in managing any travel stress you may have about your upcoming travels! Best, Jessica

David Hoyt Post author

March 20, 2018 at 9:35 am

Great post! I’ve definitely found that solo travel is the way to avoid the stress of dealing with others’ needs, but it can get lonely. A mix of both is probably best.

March 20, 2018 at 10:51 am

Hi David, Yes, traveling with others as well as traveling solo can both have their drawbacks and lead to travel stress. I think you just have to travel the way that fits best with your travel style and also it is great to mix it up. Even if you mainly enjoy solo travel, traveling with friends, family, or a partner can be a nice change. Best, Jessica

Mary Wiley Post author

March 20, 2018 at 6:51 am

Great post and you really covered all the major things that most people tend to worry about when they travel. In my experience sometimes you just have to let go and try to enjoy the trip. It’s hard for me as a control freak but whenever I manage to do it my travel adventures are awesome! Thanks for sharing your tips.

March 20, 2018 at 6:57 am

Hi Mary, Glad you found it helpful. Yes, I think travel stress can be a big issue for those who like to have a lot of control, but as you say, sometimes you just have to let go and enjoy a trip. You can’t control everything and if you try too hard, it can keep you from having a good experience. It is definitely a balance!! Best, Jessica

Kristin Post author

March 12, 2018 at 9:09 pm

Story of my life planning my last two big non-work trips—one wound up with us losing $10K (thanks to the Istanbul airport bombing, a failed coup and Expedia refusing to refund our money/let us reroute) and the other probably consumed 100 hours of my life. It’s funny you spend all this time stressing out over something that’s supposed to de-stress you, right?

March 13, 2018 at 4:00 am

Hi Kristin, It certainly is ironic, isn’t it! But, wow, sounds like in terms of unexpected events and financial stressors, you’ve had some really big ones recently! It is really hard to plan again a bombing or military coup, especially if the destination was considered stable when you booked your trip. It is a bit sad that the company would not reroute you or allow you to change your itinerary. I guess the only thing you could have done differently is to have good travel insurance coverage which would have covered the lost expenses and parts of your trip you weren’t able to take. Wishing you much smoother and less eventful travels this year! 😉 Best, Jessica

Amanda Post author

March 8, 2018 at 5:40 am

You’ve definitely covered all the major travel stressors here and offered lots of great tips! Sometimes you also just have to let go and make peace with the fact that you’ll never feel totally prepared but that things always seem to have a way of working themselves out. 🙂

March 8, 2018 at 7:41 am

Hi Amanda, Yes, indeed, like most things in life you just have to be prepared as you can and then go into the situation! Things generally have a way of working themselves out. I think the mindset is important, if you think things will work out OK, they normally do. Jessica

Jan Post author

March 6, 2018 at 8:30 pm

#6 and #9 are the stress points for me. I travel with my partner and we have similar ideas about travel so that is not an issue for me. I shy away from travelling with other people because the very thought of it is scary. We once went on a trip to Sydney to see a play with an extended group of friends and it took us forever to decide on what to do. In the future I would either go with insisting on a fully pre-planned itinerary or agree to just go our own way apart from the actual event we have come to do together.

#9 is a worry because I have an aged parent. While he is being cared for in a home I worry about him feeling abandoned or getting ill while i’m gone. This is just a personal issue that has no right or wrong solution. I love the thorough way you have addressed all the issues and offered solutions.

March 7, 2018 at 1:30 pm

Yes, I don’t travel well with bigger groups either. It can be hard enough if you just have two people who don’t agree or have a difficult time making decisions. Decision making time can really eat up time, especially if there are a lot of people involved. I think for group travel you need to decide on a plan head of time like you say, travel together but then do things on your own, or just accept that things will take awhile to decide and “go along with the flow”.

Some things you can’t change like an aging parent. There are things you can do to try to help alleviate worries and find ways to refocus or relax in these cases, but there is nothing you can do to change the circumstances. And chances are it will still be on your mind time to time throughout your trip.

Thanks for taking the time to comment and share a bit about your own travel stressors and thoughts!! Jessica

Seana Turner Post author

March 6, 2018 at 6:08 am

#8 and #9 are the biggest for me. Air travel just always seems to be difficult these days, especially because we have to fly out of LaGuardia, which is frankly a mess. You have to get there so early, and then flights are delayed. I always laugh when they say, “Call your carrier” when there is bad weather. Rarely does a carrier say, “You will be delayed, so come in 3 hours.” #9 is tough because I am the family member responsible for the home. My husband travels all the time, but I’m here to to take care of things. If anything happens while I’m traveling (e.g. a tree falls on the house), it will be up to me to fix it when I get back. Your tips are helpful… I do think some people travel more easily than others. Not to mention, if you are traveling with small children, pretty much everything is harder.

March 6, 2018 at 2:33 pm

I think air travel in particular is stressful just because there is almost always some unpleasant part of that we have little control over, whether it is the lines, the security, the tight places, the delays, etc. I used to have to fly through O’Hare fairly often, and at least then, you could almost always count on a 1 to 2 hour delay on any flight, sounds like you have a similar experience there.

Yes, that can be hard if you are responsible for everything at home. Do you have a trusted neighbor, friend, or family member who can help check on and manage home stuff for you while you are traveling?

Yep, I agree traveling with children, especially young children, can be challenging! We mention kids but not very much. I am going to go add that as a bonus travel stressor as I think you raise a really good point!!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Notify me of replies to my comment (just replies to your comment, no other e-mails, we promise!)

Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter where we share our latest travel news and tips

We only ask for your e-mail so we can verify you are human and if requested notify you of a reply. To do this, we store the data as outlined in our privacy policy . Your e-mail will not be published or used for any other reason other than those outlined above.

The Travel Runner

What is travel fatigue and how to avoid it.

This post was last updated on

Learn what travel fatigue is and how to avoid it! These tips will help you stay energized to avoid jet lag from a long flight and enjoy your trip!

As a seasoned traveler, I’m all too familiar with travel fatigue.

It happens to the best of us, and I’ve had several trips ruined by the sudden lack of motivation and exhaustion that comes with it.

And that’s why I created this post — for others who experience the same thing. So, in this post, I’ll explain what traveler’s fatigue is, how it’s caused, and how to avoid it.

With this information, you can plan your amazing trip without the worry of travel fatigue setting in.

Let’s get to it.

What is travel fatigue?

Symptoms of travel fatigue, causes of travel fatigue, how to avoid suffering from travel fatigue or recover from it.

Travel fatigue is the exhaustion or lack of motivation you feel when traveling a lot.

The feeling of being “on” the entire time you travel wears on you, showing itself through tiredness and a lack of enjoyment from things you’d otherwise find exciting. This can be visiting a museum, seeing a major attraction, or even wandering around a neighborhood.

Once travel fatigue sets in, it’s difficult to overcome, and it’s often a signal from your body telling you to slow down.

The symptoms of travel fatigue can vary, ranging from mild to severe, depending on the person.

The most common symptoms include:

• Sleep difficulty
• Lack of appetite
• Irritability and anxiety
• Lack of concentration
• Feelings of lethargy
• Physical symptoms like headaches/body aches, nausea, dizziness, and more

As you can see, it’s almost like you’ve had an illness! So, as you’re traveling and crossing time zones, it’s essential to recognize the symptoms when they arrive and then take the proper steps to combat them (which we’ll get to below). But if you take the proper steps, you can ward off travel fatigue and enjoy your trip to the fullest!

Pointing to one reason would be easy, but many contribute. For example, here are the most common causes.

1. Changes to our routine

Humans are creatures of habit.

And when you travel, you throw those habits and routines out the window, which takes your body some time to adjust.

Whether it’s a change in meal times, sleeping schedule, or simply unfamiliarity with your surroundings, it all slowly contributes to your fatigue. Your mind and body are constantly scanning and adjusting while you travel, which is taxing over time.

2. Crossing multiple time zones

We’ve all heard how important getting a regular circadian rhythm is.

But travelers take that and throw it out the window as we jet across the world through different time zones, accumulating travel fatigue and jet lag like souvenirs.

When you end up in a new place and time zone, your body’s internal clock still runs off where you were before. And that takes some time and effort as your body needs to adjust to the time zone of your destination, which means you’ll suffer from tiredness, grogginess, or even burnout.

So, give yourself time and be patient. Your body and mind will thank you.

A quick tip: Your direction of travel can affect your fatigue levels. It’s far more likely your body will feel sluggish on an eastward flight than on a westward flight. And that’s because traveling west has less effect on your body’s natural “home time” and your sleep-wake schedule that comes with it. 

So, if you’re traveling east, give yourself an extra day to promote a regular change in your circadian rhythm.

3. Long-haul flights or excessive sitting

Sitting on a flight for extended periods isn’t fun.

The ache in your legs and back cause significant discomfort, especially as the person in front of us drops their seat back onto your legs, and you feel ready to break. Not to mention the change in cabin air pressure and how it affects your body with the altitude.

This leads to stiffness and overall exhaustion as your body struggles to be comfortable.

Whether it’s a long flight, train, car, or bus, getting up and stretching when you can is essential.

4. Changes in climate and weather

Your body is used to the environment you live in most of the time.

It’s taken time and effort to adjust to it so you can live optimally. Travel comes in and flips all of that on its head.

New weather, humidity levels, and even sounds and sights make you more tired. But it’s hard to recognize because it’s happening at a subconscious level.

So take it slow the first few days in a new place.

Whether it’s planning the trip, traveling, or arriving in a new place — your stress level is naturally higher when you travel.

The process of juggling your responsibilities for a big trip raises your stress levels. Then, going through airports and travel queues continues to pile it on. Finally, you arrive at your destination and figure out how things work there.

Each of these slowly stacks more stress on you, like you’re building a giant stress hamburger (hold the pickles), and your body has to work to get back to normal post-travel.

Lucky for you, you can do a few simple things to help avoid suffering from travel fatigue!

Here are are few common things to help:

1. Stay hydrated

Staying hydrated is crucial to daily life, let alone avoiding travel fatigue.

And that’s because it can cause tiredness, headaches, and general bodily discomfort, which makes it hard to enjoy your trip.

So, aim to keep your body hydrated. And avoid alcohol, which will cause dehydration. Instead, choose water, tea, or similar electrolyte drinks to energize you.

It’s all about meeting your body’s needs, and this is especially true for traveling athletes.

2. Get enough sleep

Shocking news here: sleep is essential to reduce the risk and severity of jet lag.

We already knew this, but it’s even more true as you travel. Your body needs time to recover from the long trip, and sleep is a big part.

Take a nap to help get some extra rest. This will allow you to adjust to the time at your destination.

3. Take breaks

Whether during the day or your entire trip, you need time to step back and do nothing.

It sounds opposite to what you do on an exciting vacation. But your body needs it from time to time.

So, if you know you’ll be traveling long term, add some breaks to help your body recoup and de-stress.  Many people find a small break perfect for assisting them in preparing to return to their travel plans.

4. Do enough physical activity

Seems counter to the last two tips, but exercise is a big part of your health and healthy habits.

And if you can be active — no matter how you do it — it’ll go a long way in helping your body stay or get back to normal.

If you’re traveling for months, this is even more important.

5. Get exposure to natural light, not artificial light

This last one is simple but fantastic.

Many travelers love going out for a stroll to get natural light exposure on their skin in the days after arrival.

It gives them something to look forward to each day as they enjoy the sights and sounds, and it helps them overcome the symptoms of jet lag.

This also starts to get your body into the local time after a number of time zones crossed on a trip.

Are you ready to avoid travel fatigue on your next long flight?

Recognizing when you feel travel fatigue setting in becomes second nature.

As you travel from place to place , you’ll get better at handling the symptoms, and you realize how essential to listen to your body.

So, these tips helped you prepare to prevent jet lag and made it easy for you to recognize the factors that sometimes make travel difficult.

If you want more tips and tricks for travel, follow me on Instagram , YouTube , and TikTok !

Related Posts:

2 responses to “What is Travel Fatigue and How to Avoid It”

I can relate to trying to do too much in too little of time. That’s why I like taking at least a couple of weeks to stay in a place if possible! It’s nice to be semi-retired / retired and be able to live this kind of lifestyle. Keep posting Kyle, you have really good content!

I applaud you for still traveling as hard as you do, Jay! I’m hoping I still have the enthusiasm and energy that you do when I’m older. Looking forward to meeting up with you again somewhere in the world.

Thanks for the comment and nice words!

Frequent travel is damaging to health and wellbeing, according to new study

Researchers from the University of Surrey and Lund University (Sweden) investigated how frequent, long-distance travel is represented in mass and social media. They found that the images portrayed do not take into account the damaging side effects of frequent travel such as jet-lag, deep vein thrombosis, radiation exposure, stress, loneliness and distance from community and family networks.

Instead, the study found that those with 'hypermobile' lifestyles were often seen as having a higher social status. By assessing how first-class flights, 'must-see' destinations and frequent-flyer programmes are represented, glamorising hypermobility as exciting, appealing and exclusive, the study shows how the 'dark side' of travel is ignored.

"A man in a sharp suit, reclining in a leather chair, laptop open in front of him, a smiley stewardess serving a scotch and soda. This is often the image of travel, particularly business travel portrayed in TV ads and glossy magazines. But there is a dark side to this 'glamorised' hypermobile lifestyle that the media, and society ignores," explains lead author Dr Scott Cohen from the University of Surrey.

"The level of physiological, physical and societal stress that frequent travels places upon individuals has potentially serious and long-term negative effects that range from the breaking down of family relationships, to changes in our genes due to lack of sleep.

"It is not only traditional media that perpetuates this image. Social media encourages competition between travellers to 'check-in' and share content from far-flung destinations. The reality is that most people who are required to engage in frequent travel suffer high levels of stress, loneliness and long-term health problems. There are also wider implications for the environment and sustainability. In this context, hypermobility seems far from glamourous."

The researchers call for more discussion on the adverse effects of hypermobility, to realistically reflect the negative impact of frequent and long-haul travel.

"Society needs to recognise that the jet-set lifestyle is not all it's made out to be. By striving to travel far, wide and frequently we are damaging the environment, ourselves and potentially our closest loved ones," said Dr Cohen.

• Chronic Illness
• Staying Healthy
• Workplace Health
• Social Psychology
• Relationships
• Intelligence
• Popular Culture
• Travel and Recreation
• Media and Entertainment
• Adventure travel
• Hyperglycemia
• Aerobic exercise
• Psychopharmacology
• Malignant melanoma

Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Surrey . Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference :

• Cohen, S.A. & Gössling, S. A darker side of hypermobility . Environment and Planning A , 2015 (in press)

Cite This Page :

Explore More

• Humans and Earth's Deep Subsurface Fluid Flow
• Holographic Displays: An Immersive Future
• Harvesting Energy Where River Meets Sea
• Making Diamonds at Ambient Pressure
• Eruption of Mega-Magnetic Star
• Clean Fuel Generation With Simple Twist
• Bioluminescence in Animals 540 Million Years Ago
• Fossil Frogs Share Their Skincare Secrets
• Fussy Eater? Most Parents Play Short Order Cook
• Precise Time Measurement: Superradiant Atoms

Trending Topics

Strange & offbeat.

Should You Stop-Out for Travel?

The pros and cons of taking an extended trip (when the covid risk subsides)..

Posted March 4, 2021

Imagine that you were asked, “If you had six months to live, what would you do?” The most common answer is “travel.”

Yet a clear-eyed look at extended travel's pros and cons will give some people pause. So as you contemplate the wisdom of stopping-out for extended travel when the COVID risk declines acceptably, consider the following:

The anticipation. In the weeks before the trip, excitement replaces your life’s mundanity.

Confidence . Many travel lovers, especially younger adults, feel they’ve gained the confidence that they can handle new situations.

Exposure. Especially if you venture beyond the chain hotels and tourist traps and have substantive conversations, and especially if you live with locals, you will have been exposed to a new culture in a way unobtainable by watching travel videos.

Career enhancement. Often, you can meet with your peers in other countries that can inform your work back home. A bonus: That would make the business part of the trip tax-deductible.

Romance. If you’re looking for a romantic fling or even marriage , travel often makes that easier. Introduce yourself to that intriguing person sitting next to you on the plane, gondola, tour bus, or in that quaint café. If you’re traveling with your romantic partner, travel can reinvigorate the romance or at least allow you to share a special experience together.

Restoration. Travel may impose challenges but they’re often less daunting than your job's workload and its technical and people problems.

Fun. It's fun to experience something new, conquering doable challenges, having eating and shopping adventures, and seeing venerable beauty, such as cathedrals and ancient ruins, up close and personal.

Memories. Long after you’re back home, you’ll have memories that will last, maybe even a lifetime.

Career gap. Of course, that minus doesn't refer to the brief vacation but only to the topic of this post: the extended stop-out. If you’re unemployed, it can be hard to convince an employer that you’re as motivated to work as are your competing applicants who didn’t take six months to travel.

Disappointing reality. Too often, the reality doesn’t match the anticipation. For example, you may have pictured gliding on Venice’s romantic canals only to find that it’s dirty, smelly, and crowded. You may not have been able to summon up that you're “one with history” as you stand at the Pantheon—your dominant feeling may be, “It’s a bunch of rocks. Let’s find a good pizza place.” One client said, after visiting Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, “You know, you’ve seen one church, you’ve seen ‘em all.” You had pictured enjoyable, even rewarding, extended cultural exchanges with friendly locals only to find they weren’t interested in you.

Mishaps. How many stories have we all heard of travelers who got lost, robbed, or whose four-star hotel barely deserved two—and that’s not counting the iffy plumbing nor the noisy construction that kept you from sleeping . And if you get sick, you face the challenge of getting good health care there.

The question

Consider this thought experiment: Assume that a law said you couldn’t travel for more than a weekend. You had been planning a three-month trip and had budgeted $15,000. What would you do with the time and money? Would that be better or worse than the trip you were planning?

I read this aloud on YouTube.

Marty Nemko, Ph.D ., is a career and personal coach based in Oakland, California, and the author of 10 books.

• Find a Therapist
• Find a Treatment Center
• Find a Psychiatrist
• Find a Support Group
• Find Teletherapy
• United States
• Brooklyn, NY
• Chicago, IL
• Houston, TX
• Los Angeles, CA
• New York, NY
• Portland, OR
• San Diego, CA
• San Francisco, CA
• Seattle, WA
• Washington, DC
• Asperger's
• Bipolar Disorder
• Chronic Pain
• Eating Disorders
• Passive Aggression
• Personality
• Goal Setting
• Positive Psychology
• Stopping Smoking
• Low Sexual Desire
• Relationships
• Child Development
• Therapy Center NEW
• Diagnosis Dictionary
• Types of Therapy

Understanding what emotional intelligence looks like and the steps needed to improve it could light a path to a more emotionally adept world.

• Coronavirus Disease 2019
• Affective Forecasting
• Neuroscience

• COVID-19 travel advice

Considering travel during the pandemic? Take precautions to protect yourself from COVID-19.

A coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine can prevent you from getting COVID-19 or from becoming seriously ill due to COVID-19 . But even if you're vaccinated, it's still a good idea to take precautions to protect yourself and others while traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you've had all recommended COVID-19 vaccine doses, including boosters, you're less likely to become seriously ill or spread COVID-19 . You can then travel more safely within the U.S. and internationally. But international travel can still increase your risk of getting new COVID-19 variants.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you should avoid travel until you've had all recommended COVID-19 vaccine and booster doses.

Before you travel

As you think about making travel plans, consider these questions:

• Have you been vaccinated against COVID-19 ? If you haven't, get vaccinated. If the vaccine requires two doses, wait two weeks after getting your second vaccine dose to travel. If the vaccine requires one dose, wait two weeks after getting the vaccine to travel. It takes time for your body to build protection after any vaccination.
• Have you had any booster doses? Having all recommended COVID-19 vaccine doses, including boosters, increases your protection from serious illness.
• Are you at increased risk for severe illness? Anyone can get COVID-19 . But older adults and people of any age with certain medical conditions are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 .
• Do you live with someone who's at increased risk for severe illness? If you get infected while traveling, you can spread the COVID-19 virus to the people you live with when you return, even if you don't have symptoms.
• Does your home or destination have requirements or restrictions for travelers? Even if you've had all recommended vaccine doses, you must follow local, state and federal testing and travel rules.

Check local requirements, restrictions and situations

Some state, local and territorial governments have requirements, such as requiring people to wear masks, get tested, be vaccinated or stay isolated for a period of time after arrival. Before you go, check for requirements at your destination and anywhere you might stop along the way.

Keep in mind these can change often and quickly depending on local conditions. It's also important to understand that the COVID-19 situation, such as the level of spread and presence of variants, varies in each country. Check back for updates as your trip gets closer.

Travel and testing

For vaccinated people.

If you have been fully vaccinated, the CDC states that you don't need to get tested before or after your trip within the U.S. or stay home (quarantine) after you return.

If you're planning to travel internationally outside the U.S., the CDC states you don't need to get tested before your trip unless it's required at your destination. Before arriving to the U.S., you need a negative test within the last day before your arrival or a record of recovery from COVID-19 in the last three months.

After you arrive in the U.S., the CDC recommends getting tested with a viral test 3 to 5 days after your trip. If you're traveling to the U.S. and you aren't a citizen, you need to be fully vaccinated and have proof of vaccination.

You don't need to quarantine when you arrive in the U.S. But check for any symptoms. Stay at home if you develop symptoms.

For unvaccinated people

Testing before and after travel can lower the risk of spreading the virus that causes COVID-19 . If you haven't been vaccinated, the CDC recommends getting a viral test within three days before your trip. Delay travel if you're waiting for test results. Keep a copy of your results with you when you travel.

Repeat the test 3 to 5 days after your trip. Stay home for five days after travel.

If at any point you test positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 , stay home. Stay at home and away from others if you develop symptoms. Follow public health recommendations.

Stay safe when you travel

In the U.S., you must wear a face mask on planes, buses, trains and other forms of public transportation. The mask must fit snugly and cover both your mouth and nose.

Follow these steps to protect yourself and others when you travel:

• Get vaccinated.
• Keep distance between yourself and others (within about 6 feet, or 2 meters) when you're in indoor public spaces if you're not fully vaccinated. This is especially important if you have a higher risk of serious illness.
• Avoid contact with anyone who is sick or has symptoms.
• Avoid crowds and indoor places that have poor air flow (ventilation).
• Don't touch frequently touched surfaces, such as handrails, elevator buttons and kiosks. If you must touch these surfaces, use hand sanitizer or wash your hands afterward.
• Wear a face mask in indoor public spaces. The CDC recommends wearing the most protective mask possible that you'll wear regularly and that fits. If you are in an area with a high number of new COVID-19 cases, wear a mask in indoor public places and outdoors in crowded areas or when you're in close contact with people who aren't vaccinated.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Cover coughs and sneezes.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• If soap and water aren't available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub your hands together until they feel dry.
• Don't eat or drink on public transportation. That way you can keep your mask on the whole time.

Because of the high air flow and air filter efficiency on airplanes, most viruses such as the COVID-19 virus don't spread easily on flights. Wearing masks on planes has likely helped lower the risk of getting the COVID-19 virus on flights too.

However, air travel involves spending time in security lines and airport terminals, which can bring you in close contact with other people. Getting vaccinated and wearing a mask when traveling can help protect you from COVID-19 while traveling.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has increased cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces and equipment, including bins, at screening checkpoints. TSA has also made changes to the screening process:

• Travelers must wear masks during screening. However, TSA employees may ask travelers to adjust masks for identification purposes.
• Travelers should keep a distance of 6 feet apart from other travelers when possible.
• Instead of handing boarding passes to TSA officers, travelers should place passes (paper or electronic) directly on the scanner and then hold them up for inspection.
• Each traveler may have one container of hand sanitizer up to 12 ounces (about 350 milliliters) in a carry-on bag. These containers will need to be taken out for screening.
• Personal items such as keys, wallets and phones should be placed in carry-on bags instead of bins. This reduces the handling of these items during screening.
• Food items should be carried in a plastic bag and placed in a bin for screening. Separating food from carry-on bags lessens the likelihood that screeners will need to open bags for inspection.

Be sure to wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds directly before and after going through screening.

Public transportation

If you travel by bus or train and you aren't vaccinated, be aware that sitting or standing within 6 feet (2 meters) of others for a long period can put you at higher risk of getting or spreading COVID-19 . Follow the precautions described above for protecting yourself during travel.

Even if you fly, you may need transportation once you arrive at your destination. You can search car rental options and their cleaning policies on the internet. If you plan to stay at a hotel, check into shuttle service availability.

If you'll be using public transportation and you aren't vaccinated, continue physical distancing and wearing a mask after reaching your destination.

Hotels and other lodging

The hotel industry knows that travelers are concerned about COVID-19 and safety. Check any major hotel's website for information about how it's protecting guests and staff. Some best practices include:

• Enhanced cleaning procedures
• Physical distancing recommendations indoors for people who aren't vaccinated
• Mask-wearing and regular hand-washing by staff
• Mask-wearing indoors for guests in public places in areas that have high cases of COVID-19
• Vaccine recommendations for staff
• Isolation and testing guidelines for staff who've been exposed to COVID-19
• Contactless payment
• Set of rules in case a guest becomes ill, such as closing the room for cleaning and disinfecting
• Indoor air quality measures, such as regular system and air filter maintenance, and suggestions to add air cleaners that can filter viruses and bacteria from the air

Vacation rentals, too, are enhancing their cleaning procedures. They're committed to following public health guidelines, such as using masks and gloves when cleaning, and building in a waiting period between guests.

Make a packing list

When it's time to pack for your trip, grab any medications you may need on your trip and these essential safe-travel supplies:

• Alcohol-based hand sanitizer (at least 60% alcohol)
• Disinfectant wipes (at least 70% alcohol)
• Thermometer

Considerations for people at increased risk

Anyone can get very ill from the virus that causes COVID-19 . But older adults and people of any age with certain medical conditions are at increased risk for severe illness. This may include people with cancer, serious heart problems and a weakened immune system. Getting the recommended COVID-19 vaccine and booster doses can help lower your risk of being severely ill from COVID-19 .

Travel increases your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19 . If you're unvaccinated, staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 . If you must travel and aren't vaccinated, talk with your health care provider and ask about any additional precautions you may need to take.

Remember safety first

Even the most detailed and organized plans may need to be set aside when someone gets ill. Stay home if you or any of your travel companions:

• Have signs or symptoms, are sick or think you have COVID-19
• Are waiting for results of a COVID-19 test
• Have been diagnosed with COVID-19
• Have had close contact with someone with COVID-19 in the past five days and you're not up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines

If you've had close contact with someone with COVID-19 , get tested after at least five days. Wait to travel until you have a negative test. Wear a mask if you travel up to 10 days after you've had close contact with someone with COVID-19 .

• How to protect yourself and others. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html. Accessed Feb. 4, 2022.
• Domestic travel during COVID-19. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/travel-during-covid19.html. Accessed Feb. 4, 2022.
• Requirement for face masks on public transportation conveyances and at transportation hubs. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/face-masks-public-transportation.html. Accessed Feb. 4, 2022.
• International travel. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/international-travel/index.html. Accessed Feb. 4, 2022.
• U.S citizens, U.S. nationals, U.S. lawful permanent residents, and immigrants: Travel to and from the United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/international-travel-during-covid19.html. Accessed Feb. 4, 2022.
• Non-US. citizen, non-U.S. immigrants: Air travel to the United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/noncitizens-US-air-travel.html. Accessed Feb. 4, 2022.
• People with certain medical conditions. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html. Accessed Feb. 4, 2022.
• Stay up to date with your vaccines. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html. Accessed Feb. 4, 2022.
• Pack smart. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/pack-smart. Accessed Feb. 4, 2022.
• Travel: Frequently asked questions. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/faqs.html. Accessed Feb. 7, 2022.
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) information. Transportation Security Administration. https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus. Accessed Feb. 7, 2022.
• WHO advice for international traffic in relation to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant (B.1.1.529). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/articles-detail/who-advice-for-international-traffic-in-relation-to-the-sars-cov-2-omicron-variant. Accessed Feb. 7, 2022.
• VRHP/VRMA Cleaning guidelines for COVID-19. Vacation Rental Management Association. https://www.vrma.org/page/vrhp/vrma-cleaning-guidelines-for-covid-19. Accessed Feb. 7, 2022.
• Safe stay. American Hotel & Lodging Association. https://www.ahla.com/safestay. Accessed Feb. 7, 2022.
• Khatib AN, et al. COVID-19 transmission and the safety of air travel during the pandemic: A scoping review. Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases. 2021; doi:10.1097/QCO.0000000000000771.

Products and Services

• A Book: Endemic - A Post-Pandemic Playbook
• Begin Exploring Women's Health Solutions at Mayo Clinic Store
• A Book: Future Care
• Antibiotics: Are you misusing them?
• COVID-19 and vitamin D
• Convalescent plasma therapy
• Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
• COVID-19: How can I protect myself?
• Herd immunity and coronavirus
• COVID-19 and pets
• COVID-19 and your mental health
• COVID-19 antibody testing
• COVID-19, cold, allergies and the flu
• COVID-19 drugs: Are there any that work?
• Long-term effects of COVID-19
• COVID-19 tests
• COVID-19 in babies and children
• Coronavirus infection by race
• COVID-19 vaccine: Should I reschedule my mammogram?
• COVID-19 vaccines for kids: What you need to know
• COVID-19 vaccines
• COVID-19 variant
• COVID-19 vs. flu: Similarities and differences
• COVID-19: Who's at higher risk of serious symptoms?
• Debunking coronavirus myths
• Different COVID-19 vaccines
• Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)
• Fever: First aid
• Fever treatment: Quick guide to treating a fever
• Fight coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission at home
• Honey: An effective cough remedy?
• How do COVID-19 antibody tests differ from diagnostic tests?
• How to measure your respiratory rate
• How to take your pulse
• How to take your temperature
• How well do face masks protect against COVID-19?
• Is hydroxychloroquine a treatment for COVID-19?
• Loss of smell
• Mayo Clinic Minute: You're washing your hands all wrong
• Mayo Clinic Minute: How dirty are common surfaces?
• Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C)
• Nausea and vomiting
• Pregnancy and COVID-19
• Safe outdoor activities during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Safety tips for attending school during COVID-19
• Sex and COVID-19
• Shortness of breath
• Thermometers: Understand the options
• Treating COVID-19 at home
• Unusual symptoms of coronavirus
• Vaccine guidance from Mayo Clinic
• Watery eyes

U.S. travel resources

• Check CDC recommendations for travel within the U.S.
• Review testing requirements for travel to the U.S.
• Look up restrictions at your destination .
• Review airport security measures .

Related resources

Make twice the impact.

Your gift can go twice as far to advance cancer research and care!

National Geographic content straight to your inbox—sign up for our popular newsletters here

• THE BIG IDEA

Why travel should be considered an essential human activity

Travel is not rational, but it’s in our genes. Here’s why you should start planning a trip now.

In 1961, legendary National Geographic photographer Volkmar Wentzel captured two women gazing at the surf off Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia. This and all the other images in this story come from the National Geographic image collection.

I’ve been putting my passport to good use lately. I use it as a coaster and to level wobbly table legs. It makes an excellent cat toy.

Welcome to the pandemic of disappointments. Canceled trips, or ones never planned lest they be canceled. Family reunions, study-abroad years, lazy beach vacations. Poof. Gone. Obliterated by a tiny virus, and the long list of countries where United States passports are not welcome.

Only a third of Americans say they have traveled overnight for leisure since March, and only slightly more, 38 percent, say they are likely to do so by the end of the year, according to one report. Only a quarter of us plan on leaving home for Thanksgiving, typically the busiest travel time. The numbers paint a grim picture of our stilled lives.

It is not natural for us to be this sedentary. Travel is in our genes. For most of the time our species has existed, “we’ve lived as nomadic hunter-gatherers moving about in small bands of 150 or fewer people,” writes Christopher Ryan in Civilized to Death . This nomadic life was no accident. It was useful. “Moving to a neighboring band is always an option to avoid brewing conflict or just for a change in social scenery,” says Ryan. Robert Louis Stevenson put it more succinctly: “The great affair is to move.”

What if we can’t move, though? What if we’re unable to hunt or gather? What’s a traveler to do? There are many ways to answer that question. “Despair,” though, is not one of them.

In this aerial view from 1967, wall-to-wall seaside sunbathers relax under umbrellas or on beach towels in Ocean City, Maryland .

A 1967 fall festival in Guadalajara, Mexico , starred traditionally costumed musicians and dancers.

We are an adaptive species. We can tolerate brief periods of forced sedentariness. A dash of self-delusion helps. We’re not grounded, we tell ourselves. We’re merely between trips, like the unemployed salesman in between opportunities. We pass the days thumbing though old travel journals and Instagram feeds. We gaze at souvenirs. All this helps. For a while.

We put on brave faces. “Staycation Nation,” the cover of the current issue of Canadian Traveller magazine declares cheerfully, as if it were a choice, not a consolation.

Today, the U.S. Travel Association, the industry trade organization, is launching a national recovery campaign called “ Let’s Go There .” Backed by a coalition of businesses related to tourism—hotels, convention and visitor bureaus, airlines—the initiative’s goal is to encourage Americans to turn idle wanderlust into actual itineraries.

The travel industry is hurting. So are travelers. “I dwelled so much on my disappointment that it almost physically hurt,” Paris -based journalist Joelle Diderich told me recently, after canceling five trips last spring.

(Related: How hard has the coronavirus hit the travel industry? These charts tell us.)

My friend James Hopkins is a Buddhist living in Kathmandu . You’d think he’d thrive during the lockdown, a sort-of mandatory meditation retreat. For a while he did.

But during a recent Skype call, James looked haggard and dejected. He was growing restless, he confessed, and longed “for the old 10-countries-a-year schedule.” Nothing seemed to help, he told me. “No matter how many candles I lit, or how much incense I burned, and in spite of living in one of the most sacred places in South Asia, I just couldn’t change my habits.”

When we ended our call, I felt relieved, my grumpiness validated. It’s not me; it’s the pandemic. But I also worried. If a Buddhist in Kathmandu is going nuts, what hope do the rest of us stilled souls have?

I think hope lies in the very nature of travel. Travel entails wishful thinking. It demands a leap of faith, and of imagination, to board a plane for some faraway land, hoping, wishing, for a taste of the ineffable. Travel is one of the few activities we engage in not knowing the outcome and reveling in that uncertainty. Nothing is more forgettable than the trip that goes exactly as planned.

Related: Vintage photos of the glamour of travel

Travel is not a rational activity. It makes no sense to squeeze yourself into an alleged seat only to be hurled at frightening speed to a distant place where you don’t speak the language or know the customs. All at great expense. If we stopped to do the cost-benefit analysis, we’d never go anywhere. Yet we do.

That’s one reason why I’m bullish on travel’s future. In fact, I’d argue travel is an essential industry, an essential activity. It’s not essential the way hospitals and grocery stores are essential. Travel is essential the way books and hugs are essential. Food for the soul. Right now, we’re between courses, savoring where we’ve been, anticipating where we’ll go. Maybe it’s Zanzibar and maybe it’s the campground down the road that you’ve always wanted to visit.

(Related: Going camping this fall? Here’s how to get started.)

James Oglethorpe, a seasoned traveler, is happy to sit still for a while, and gaze at “the slow change of light and clouds on the Blue Ridge Mountains” in Virginia, where he lives. “My mind can take me the rest of the way around this world and beyond it.”

It’s not the place that is special but what we bring to it and, crucially, how we interact with it. Travel is not about the destination, or the journey. It is about stumbling across “a new way of looking at things,” as writer Henry Miller observed. We need not travel far to gain a fresh perspective.

No one knew this better than Henry David Thoreau , who lived nearly all of his too-short life in Concord, Massachusetts. There he observed Walden Pond from every conceivable vantage point: from a hilltop, on its shores, underwater. Sometimes he’d even bend over and peer through his legs, marveling at the inverted world. “From the right point of view, every storm and every drop in it is a rainbow,” he wrote.

Thoreau never tired of gazing at his beloved pond, nor have we outgrown the quiet beauty of our frumpy, analog world. If anything, the pandemic has rekindled our affection for it. We’ve seen what an atomized, digital existence looks like, and we (most of us anyway) don’t care for it. The bleachers at Chicago ’s Wrigley Field; the orchestra section at New York City ’s Lincoln Center; the alleyways of Tokyo . We miss these places. We are creatures of place, and always will be.

After the attacks of September 11, many predicted the end of air travel, or at least a dramatic reduction. Yet the airlines rebounded steadily and by 2017 flew a record four billion passengers. Briefly deprived of the miracle of flight, we appreciated it more and today tolerate the inconvenience of body scans and pat-downs for the privilege of transporting our flesh-and-bone selves to far-flung locations, where we break bread with other incarnate beings.

Landscape architects work in their Rio de Janeiro, Brazil , studio in 1955.

A tourist photographs a towering century plant in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, in 1956.

In our rush to return to the world, we should be mindful of the impact of mass tourism on the planet. Now is the time to embrace the fundamental values of sustainable tourism and let them guide your future journeys. Go off the beaten path. Linger longer in destinations. Travel in the off-season. Connect with communities and spend your money in ways that support locals. Consider purchasing carbon offsets. And remember that the whole point of getting out there is to embrace the differences that make the world so colorful.

“One of the great benefits of travel is meeting new people and coming into contact with different points of view,” says Pauline Frommer, travel expert and radio host.

So go ahead and plan that trip. It’s good for you, scientists say . Plotting a trip is nearly as enjoyable as actually taking one. Merely thinking about a pleasurable experience is itself pleasurable. Anticipation is its own reward.

I’ve witnessed first-hand the frisson of anticipatory travel. My wife, not usually a fan of travel photography, now spends hours on Instagram, gazing longingly at photos of Alpine lodges and Balinese rice fields. “What’s going on?” I asked one day. “They’re just absolutely captivating,” she replied. “They make me remember that there is a big, beautiful world out there.”

Many of us, myself included, have taken travel for granted. We grew lazy and entitled, and that is never good. Tom Swick, a friend and travel writer, tells me he used to view travel as a given. Now, he says, “I look forward to experiencing it as a gift.”

Related Topics

• TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY
• VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPHY

You May Also Like

Don’t rely on social media: Here’s why you should keep a travel journal

How to take perfect portrait photos

Free bonus issue.

What's new in London's museums ahead of King Charles III's Coronation

Explore 6 of history’s most infamous scams and hoaxes

We swapped baths for showers—but which one is better for you?

An antique process helps this photographer capture coastlines bound by Celtic soul

Humans really can have superpowers—scientists are studying them

• Environment
• Perpetual Planet
• History & Culture

History & Culture

• History Magazine
• Mind, Body, Wonder
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Your US State Privacy Rights
• Children's Online Privacy Policy
• Interest-Based Ads
• About Nielsen Measurement
• Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
• Nat Geo Home
• Attend a Live Event
• Book a Trip
• Inspire Your Kids
• Shop Nat Geo
• Visit the D.C. Museum
• Learn About Our Impact
• Support Our Mission
• Advertise With Us
• Customer Service
• Renew Subscription
• Manage Your Subscription
• Work at Nat Geo
• Sign Up for Our Newsletters
• Contribute to Protect the Planet

Copyright © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society Copyright © 2015-2024 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved

The science behind why people have missed traveling

Adam Johnson used part of his enforced free time over the last year to scroll wistfully through photos and social media posts about his pre-pandemic travels, join a Boston travel Meetup group, and dream about future trips.

The son of schoolteachers who swapped houses in the summers with people in other countries, Johnson, a museum art educator who lives in Dorchester, spent much of his childhood traveling. “They instilled the travel bug in me really early on,” he said.

To this day, travel “is kind of a cornerstone of our lives,” said Johnson. He and his husband “are happy not living in the fashionable neighborhood. We’re happy having a car we’re going to drive until it breaks down. We’re going to spend any cash we have seeing the world.”

Advertisement

Consumed though people are about where they’ll travel and when they’ll travel as COVID-19 pandemic restrictions lift, the disruption has made many think more deeply than they ever have about another question: why they travel.

“This year has deeply reinforced that travel is not a luxury. It is a necessity, for lives and livelihoods, for families, as well as for economic and mental health,” said Gavin Tollman, CEO of the global guided tour company Trafalgar. “Never again should we forget that travel is truly one of the greatest gifts for so many reasons beyond just a vacation.”

You don’t have to take it from a travel industry executive. There’s science behind why people missed travel so much and are returning to it so eagerly.

Travel forces the brain to do such things as navigate unfamiliar places or communicate in other languages, for example, which research shows can bolster creativity and focus. It disrupts routine and exposes people to new things, activating the naturally occurring “feel-good” neurochemical dopamine, which boosts mood and motivation.

“On a basic level, travel helps us to experience life in a more vibrant, vital way — a change of pace from your everyday existence,” said Jean Kim, a psychiatrist and travel lover. “For some people it’s just an important part of feeling fulfilled.”

Another effect is also underestimated, Kim said: that even after people come home, their memories of travel can create a “zen space” to which they can retreat when seeking an escape from the anxiety of daily life.

There’s some anxiety in traveling, too, of course, which can involve making complex transportation connections and understanding cultural differences. But these are different than the daily stresses people face, said Ken Yeager, director of the Stress, Trauma and Resilience Program at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center. Life would be “totally boring” without them, Yeager said.

Travel, he said, “has become one of the few times that we totally unplug, and that’s really important. Vacations get you off the Internet and away from your e-mail, away from your TV. It really does reboot your brain.”

Even before the pandemic, people started after the last financial crisis to prioritize experiences over material possessions, a phenomenon accelerated by social media, said Jason Guggenheim, senior partner and global leader of travel and tourism at Boston Consulting Group.

“You saw a shift away from accumulating things to accumulating memories,” Guggenheim said.

People can accumulate memories in their own backyards. But “the ability to make memories with different cultures, different foods, different art — those happen less often for us,” he said. Travel memories “are more rare. They’re more unique.”

Which is among the reasons travel is among the things that people missed so much in the pandemic, isolated as they generally were within the same four walls and away from extended family and friends.

“People travel to see places, but also to see people,” Guggenheim said. “That underpins part of the reason why why we miss it.”

Many simply crave a change of scenery — a mountain view, for instance, or a waterside escape. Asked during the pandemic about vacationing near an ocean, lake, or river, 77 percent of people said it gave them a boost in happiness and 69 percent said it provided a reduction in stress, according to a survey by the river cruise and scuba company Aggressor Adventures.

It’s “more than a fun pastime,” said Wayne Brown, the company’s CEO. “It is a natural way to rest and recharge.”

Seventy percent of 5,000 travelers surveyed by Trafalgar said they plan to finally take their dream trip as soon as they can travel again. But how much people missed travel is coming into sharper definition from another, more surprising trend: Unlike before the pandemic, many are less interested in where they go than that they just go somewhere.

Two-thirds of respondents said they would book a “mystery ticket” to go anywhere, according to a separate survey by the travel company Contiki.

These days, customers aren’t calling about some destination they’ve already decided on, said Tollman, the Trafalgar CEO; they’re calling to ask, “Where can I go?”

Even the anticipation of traveling can trigger happiness, said Alicia Walf, a neuroscientist at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Walf doesn’t need surveys or research studies to see how much people are doing that. She hears it in conversations with her friends and sees it on their social media.

And she gets it. When people travel, especially for pleasure, Walf said, it reduces their stress. A laid-back beach trip means “staying at a hotel, going to restaurants, no need to clean. When we travel, especially for pleasure, we are momentarily away from our daily hassles and stressors right in front of us, like a huge pile of laundry to be folded.”

Even business travelers who in normal times complained of long lines and uncomfortable flights have discovered that it was really all about the destination.

Alan Weiss, an author, speaker, and consultant from East Greenwich, R.I., calls this the threshold principle.

“If you have a toothache, you go to the dentist knowing it’s going to be painful. But you’re doing it because, after you pass that threshold, it’s not going to hurt anymore,” said Weiss.

By the same token, after slogging through security and sitting on long flights in cramped seats, “you schlep to the hotel and the next day you’re going to be tired. But you’re over the threshold. It’s not like you’re going to be in meetings for eight hours a day. You’re on an expense account. And the client is going to take you to a really great restaurant.”

Fifty-nine percent of business travelers are looking forward to getting back in the air, according to a survey by the business management company SAP Concur. Jaded though you’d think they’d be, a third say they’re excited to travel. And as a practical matter, 92 percent said being unable to meet customers in person has hurt business.

“Human-to-human connections can never be replaced by a Zoom call,” said Virginia Messina, senior vice president for advocacy at the World Travel & Tourism Council, speaking from a long-delayed in-person international industry conference in Cancun. (The closing party on the beach under a big full moon “just felt so good,” Messina said.)

There seem to be as many other reasons people value travel as there are places in the world to go.

Weiss, one of whose degrees is in psychology, cites “existential angst. People are realizing how mortal they are and how short life is.”

As for Johnson, back in Dorchester, he’s waiting impatiently for his first flight since the start of the pandemic — to California, to visit family — and planning a trip to Ireland.

While travel was on hold, he said, “there was a real sense of loss.” The pandemic “has been so much about uncertainty, and lack of control. Travel is the positive flip side of that. You may not know what’s coming around the corner but you know that what’s coming around the corner is going to be good.”

Jon Marcus can be reached at [email protected] .

How I traveled to 50+ Countries…and how you can too!

When people find out I’ve already traveled to more than 50 countries, they often ask, “how do you travel so much?” And, “how do you find the time to visit so many places?” I’ll tell you the secret to travel more here! I’ll share how I traveled to 50+ countries, and how you can too!

We’ll cover how to save up for travel, how to get free flights, how to maximize vacation days, and how to save money on travel.

“How can you afford to travel so much?”

“ Are you rich? ” Not yet.

“ Do you make a living off of Visit50.com? ” Not yet!

“ Does your job / career send you on a plane to all of these places? ” Nope! My first passport stamp ever was from my first job (to Australia!). I assumed that I’d be traveling for business throughout my career but my work is all local in the U.S.

“ What do you do for a living? ” My career is in advertising, but that’s not related to my travel. Much of my travel was done before I was even successful in my career, and with very limited funds.

“ What’s the secret? ” Fortunately it’s not a secret. In this post I’ll share how I travel so much and how I travel so often.

How to travel more often

This post will cover what I recommend in detail. In the meantime, here’s 5 strategies to help you travel more often:

• Choose destinations that aren’t expensive, especially for your first trips. This helps you stretch your budget further.
• Consider spending less money on lodging so you can travel more often. Take advantage of signup bonuses for free flights.
• Research your spending habits to save money for traveling wherever you can.
• Combine your vacation days with days you already have off, to maximize your vacay days.
• Consider pausing your career to take a multi-month trip.

I’ll go through each in more detail below.

How to find the time to travel more

I actually don’t travel that often – only about 1-2 international trips per year. I’ve twice paused my career to go travel, including a half year through Asia (yes seriously! I’ll explain below).

Want to know more on how I travel so often? Here we go!

Prioritize travel to travel more

After catching the travel bug, I decided to prioritize travel. Prioritizing it in every aspect is what will help you travel more often. That means so many different things to different people, so I’ll elaborate.

Save money everyday

Save money in your everyday life. Yes, you’ve heard this before, but find the aspect that helps you most.

When I first graduated from my university, that meant saving money wherever I could. That’s on both big and little things. There were times that I could barely afford my apartment rent (thanks to a commission-only job. Eek!). As you get raises, resist the urge to increase your spending significantly.

Live below your means, instead of “paycheck to paycheck” if at all possible. When you get a raise, resist upgrading your apartment to a higher rent immediately. And remember that little decisions add up.

Some people find it helpful to make a dedicated vacation fund that they contribute to every paycheck.

Research your spending habits.

Save whenever you can. It all adds up. Think about how much you spend on coffee, or every time you go to the bar and how often you go. Prices here in New York are crazy, and that some adjustments might help you find much more budget for travel. For example, a weekend out in New York can be a flight to my next destination.

For some that means cooking at home instead of going out, going to the bar less often, canceling cable and using Netflix/Hulu/Amazon Prime, limiting, reducing your Starbucks visits, reducing cigarette smoking (bonus, it’ll save your life too!), and more. Take a look at where your money actually goes. Everybody’s budget is different. Prioritize travel.

Planning the trip: Be flexible!

Are you ready to plan a trip? The number one recommendation is to be flexible wherever you can. That means considering flight/lodging costs before finalizing your destination. With flexibility, the laws of supply and demand can offer you savings to help you afford to travel more often.

Choosing your destinations

Once you have a travel budget, that’s when it gets fun. Think about where you’d like to go. Then realize that there’s so many amazing places in this world, and not all destinations are equally priced. If you’re on a tight budget, I’d encourage you to consider the less expensive places first.

Try not to commit yourself in to just one destination that you must find the best deal for. There might be a similarly appealing destination that’s dropping prices to attract visitors just like you!

Stay with friends!

My friends have moved all around the world. While that means you’ll see them less often, it also means you can visit each other! Thus, another way to save money on travel is to stay with friends. And host friends too!

I’ve also been lucky to meet some amazing people on my trips, some of which have become friends. What happens after you ask each other to keep in touch? Don’t just write catch up notes. Actually visit each other! Seeing countries from a local perspective is much different. I met Jesper and Louise while diving in Borneo, and later visited them in Copenhagen. They showed me why they loved it there, and soon I did too!

After my friend Jared moved to Tokyo, I stayed with him in Shibuya on my brief visit. Heather and I met in Laos and have connected in multiple cities around the world since, including my first San Francisco trip. I visited my friend Gabby in Sweden, after last seeing her when we were swimming with whale sharks . Raymond and I met in the Philippines and he’s since visited me in the US.

Save with less expensive destinations

If you’re used to Europe prices, Southeast Asia is ridiculously affordable (details in a future post). Within Europe, the Baltics will cost much less than Vienna or Oslo or Paris.

Avoid Cities

Avoid cities – they tend to cost more than non-city destinations. I live in New York, so I’m typically looking to avoid cities anyway.

Consider less popular countries

Dreaming of the Caribbean? Realize it’ll often cost much less to go to Central America for similar weather and potentially more interesting experiences. There’s so many underrated destinations.

Destinations are not priced based on how amazing they are. They’re priced based on supply vs demand, and you might not have the precise same interests as everyone else.

Be flexible on which country

If you’re going to the Caribbean, don’t lock in a specific island. See which islands have low demand. Assuming it’s not because of a hurricane or rain season, some might have the same weather and much less expensive flights or lodging.

Be open to new destinations

There’s so many interesting destinations in the world – I started this travel blog to inspire people to explore new destinations that they hadn’t considered. Choosing less expensive destinations is how you’ll travel more often.

The 2 biggest costs are flights and accommodations, and I don’t finalize my destination until researching these. Next we’ll go over how to save on flights and lodging.

Save on Accommodations

Within a trip, accommodations is easily the place where I save money compared with most people. I don’t need 5-star accommodations. The stars aren’t even all for things I care about. I don’t need luxury shopping.

You might be picturing a hostel dorm with dozens of people sleeping in the same room, and while that exists, it hasn’t typically been the direction for me. There are plenty of ways to save money on your private room.

(and yes, if you wanted to, in Southeast Asia you can find less than $5 per day for hostels)

Lodging priorities

If I’m traveling solo or with a friend, I find lodging that’s safe/secure, clean, and somewhat near where I need to be. Most other elements are negotiable. Have I missed anything major?

These days Wifi is a requirement. In warm places, air conditioning too. But it’s a fairly short list of needs.

Hotels aren’t your only option.

There’s all kinds of lodging options – hotels, Bed and Breakfast, Airbnb, and more.

Hostels are often less expensive if you’re open to it, and are often much more social. Some hostels have private rooms for more money, giving you the privacy of your own room, along with the benefits of the social aspect.

If you’re comfortable with it, check out Couchsurfing. It’s not just for literally staying on someone’s couch. You might connect with new travel friends.

As I’ve advanced in my career, my budget and minimums for lodging have risen, but it’s certainly possible to keep it basic yet comfortable.

Negotiate for lodging deals

Did you know that you can sometimes negotiate lodging? In most of Southeast Asia this is actually common. The price listed is not always the lowest price they can offer. This is especially true for smaller privately owned hotels. Prices are set by supply and demand, just as much as perceived quality.

For AirBNB, for last minute bookings, some travelers kindly ask for a slightly lower price. If it’s nearly that day and the owner might not fill it, they may be inclined to offer you a discount. If their alternative is $0 for an empty room, a discount off their typical price might be enticing.

Consider booking upon arrival

This might make you nervous. It did for me! When you’re backpacking and have time, walk in to hotels and ask.

For example, when I was in Mui Ne in Vietnam I realized this new hotel by the beach was mostly empty. I negotiated ~60% off. They also added in breakfast.

It’s a risk/reward judgement. Assuming you’re not traveling in peak season, you can always book later.

For your first time, just booking your first night or two upon. You’ll have a hotel upon arrival, and then you can choose an area you want. That’s what I did in Bali. I realized other travelers were spending much less on lodging for similar quality. I found a more affordable hotel, and then got a 30% off discount with minimal effort, just for asking for the lower price.

Save on flights to travel more often

The most expensive part of my trips is usually getting there. I use every trick and travel hack to save money on flights. I explore multiple meta searches, use flexible dates (rather than guessing where the best deals are), activate incognito mode, shop from the local airline sites, skip lag, creative itineraries, take an extended layover, take budget airlines, avoid checking bags, use email newsletters with limited flight deals, all of it. Let me know if you’d like me to share them all in detail in another post.

Miles = free flights!

Let’s start with free flights! I’ve taken so many flights for $0 (plus airport taxes)! Assuming you’re already paying your credit card bill on time, why not let your spending work for you. Pay attention to the sign-up bonus; most cards aren’t as valuable after that. You might even want to make the sign-up bonus miles your top factor for choosing a priority. I’ll dedicate a whole post to this, but many offer you thousands of free miles over a few months. I’ve taken so many trips from this.

My roundtrip flights to Asia for my half year trip was free on air miles. I used a credit card that offered 40k miles for spending $3k over 3 months. That gave me a big boost! It had a $100 annual fee, but I planned to cancel before then. They offered to remove the fee for year 2 so that I wouldn’t cancel.

There are some fantastic deals out there. Note that the one that’s best for you really does depend on your spending habits. I’ll do a full writeup eventually. In the meantime, my last few were the Chase Sapphire Reserve, Capital One Venture. Also, look consider cards that give bonus miles to a specific airline. I’ve used the United Explorer and American Airlines AAvantage.

Assuming you’re paying your bill in full, look to see which purchases can be done on your credit card instead of cash. This also assumes there’s no extra fee to use a card. That would defeat the purpose of using it.

This all assumes you’re paying your bill in full. If not, disregard the bonus and this entire strategy. This isn’t for you.

Cycling new cards does hurt your credit rating a tiny bit, but not significantly. If there’s no annual fee, keep it open indefinitely.

Meta search to find travel deals

Assuming you can’t get your flight for free, let’s look at how to save money on your flight. Consider the tools from meta search like Google Flights or Kayak. You can look at where’s cheap at any given time. You can look at when are the cheapest months or cheapest days to travel. They’ll also use historical data to tell you if the flight price is high or low, and if it’s likely to rise or fall by waiting. This is super helpful. That brings us to the value of flexibility and timing.

Book months in advance to save on flight prices

Do those searches well before you’re ready to travel. Booking in advance can really save money. Take a look at the indicators to see if it’s a good price or not. Airlines often reward you for booking ahead.

How early to book in advance?

The stats cited are between three weeks and four months in advance. The average number cited is 70 days.

Why booking ahead of time saves you money

The logic is simple. They have wide open inventory 8 months out. If you first book a month out, you’ll suffer from price spikes from more projected demand than supply.

Occasionally booking late can offer savings, but it’s risky. It’s typically better to book ahead. Note, location flexibility will still save you more here.

Save $$ on flights and lodging based on seasonality and day of the week

There’s a huge difference in prices from Peak versus off-peak for a given destination. If you have flexible timing, avoid peak months when everybody else wants to travel.

If you have flexibility on days, consider going on a Tuesday or Wednesday, to see if prices drop. So many people have a really tight schedule that demands it being a weekend trip. If you have flexibility to travel in the middle of the week, explore it.

But how to find enough the vacation time?

For most of my adult life I’ve received just 2 weeks vacation (10 business days), plus holidays. That’s it. And you typically can’t use them together for a 2-week trip. If you take a week off for a trip, that means you can’t go very far in any one trip, so it’s crucial to maximize your days.

Typically that means most of my trips are about 9 days long (5 weekdays plus 2 weekends) these days.

How to maximize your vacation days

To maximize these precious vacay days, I typically combine my trips with holidays that we already get off. If you get a day off combine it with holidays and stretch it further. Thus the math changes – now 4 vacay days can mean a 9-day trip.

For example, in the US that means you can take a trip in late May during the week that has Memorial Day off, use 4 vacation days, and you have 9-day trip. I like this timing because it’s just before summer price hikes. This is how I did my trips to Peru, Barcelona and Copenhagen.

Or even better, if you’re not with family during the two days off in the winter (Thanksgiving or Christmas in the US), then just 3 vacation days means a 9-day trip. That’s less than a third of your total! Many of my trips took advantage of this – Cartagena, Tulum, Turks & Caicos, Nicaragua, and more.

If you’re thinking that sounds crafty, but still inadequate, you’re not alone. You can’t go very far in a week, meaning most of the world is off-limits. How can you travel for much longer?

Save for long-term travel. It’s amazing!

When you’re in between jobs, take a multi-month trip. Travel longer than you’ve ever traveled. Save up for that moment. It might be the best time of your life!

My philosophy: there’s no rush to get a new job immediately. Save for a rainy day, and use the time you’re in between jobs as an opportunity.

Don’t let the amount of vacation days you get limit how many days you travel. Your time in between jobs can be when you finally get to go to that country on the other side of the world.

My two-month trip Europe backpacking trip included a bunch of these strategies. I used discount airlines to get there, spent lots of time in the Baltics which it costs less, and then visited the Greek Islands during down season. Loved it!

Best half year trip ever!

All of this saving can be for little annual trips, but you can only go so far in a week. Twice I’ve paused my career to travel for multiple months at a time. Sometimes you need to prioritize life (over career), and it was important to me to save enough to do that when I was ready.

I started this Visit50 travel blog when I traveled for nearly a half year through mostly Southeast Asia (plus the Middle East). Loved it! Most posts on this blog are from that half year, and there’s so much that I still need to share. This was a huge decision for me, and I’ll share more about it in a later post.

I then worked for 3.5 years, and after leaving that company, I took another few months to travel, this time through eastern and central Europe (see my Eurotrip post).

Long-term travel isn’t for everyone but I loved it!

Think of it like a career sabbatical – use the time to get new experiences that will impact you for the rest of your life!

Did you find any of these ideas helpful? Does this all sound crazy? You can do it!

What to do next

Subscribe to this blog on the top left.

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook , and book your next trip!

Have you tried any of these strategies? Please let me know in the comments below!

Share this Visit50 post:

87 thoughts on “how i traveled to 50+ countries…and how you can too”.

GREAT READ! working on educating myself on the points game. 😉

Ditto, waiting for that free miles post @visit50

it’s coming! 🙂

So great to hear you found it helpful! I’m planning a fuller post on the point game soon!

Great tips and read!

Amazing blog! It’s really helpful and full of nice tips!

Thanks Vanessa!

This was great! Thank you

Awesome blog, Todd! Thanks for all the wonderful tips and suggestions, too.

Love your blog. I think it’s informative for people to understand how to be able to travel and get the most out of it.

Agree with most points. I avoid cities too and save on accommodations. Waiting to figure out flying cheap bit 😉

Great read! What’s the impact on the travel industry due to COVID-19?

Thanks Victor! I think it’s going to take a long while, but it’ll eventually bounce back. I’m hoping it forces some innovation and attention to germ issues too.

Really enjoyed reading your blog! Many tips that I learned from this blog. Thanks a lot for sharing it with us. I’m impressed and really love your blog! Keep it up

I totally agree! Once you catch the bug it’s definitely possible and you shared my favorite strategies!

Awesome full of some great tips ☺️

That’s a great article and tips on traveling! Glad to see this new post from you!

These are amazing tips, saving really is the greatest way!

Fantastic!! Thank you so much for sharing your tips! Very inspiring and now I can’t wait until we can travel again to explore the world Very nice blog! I want to know more and more

Great tips! Thank you for sharing them! I think we have to prioritize the projects in our lives and have a balance. I also believe that traveling is a personal thing, I love to explore the cities, to admire the architecture for instance. Other people love the exotic beaches and having fun in casinos… so it all comes to what you want most and go working for it!

I also aim to avoid big cities when I travel Great post!

Fantastic tips on how to travel for less.

What a great informative article! Thank you for sharing those invaluable tips! I am especially interested in how to sign up for free airfare. Though I travel a lot (and loving it) I was never able to get any benefit from that.

This is fantastic! So many good tips! And thank you for reading my tips about being cost conscious about your travels too!! 🙂

Great piece! I practice a lot of these too. They’re definitely the best ways to travel as much as possible. Whenever I’ve gotten the questions you include in the beginning my answer is also ‘priorities’. I hardly go out or eat out on my day to day so that I can travel instead, it’s crazy the amount of money you can save like that. I need to practice more searching for cheaper destinations though..

Amazing!!! Loved the way you had written little details and tips for travel junkies with minimal budget

I love this post. Full of awesome tips!

These are such great tips, every day spending habits can really add up and if saved, can lead to a great trip!

Great post Todd. Specially the point on – Pausing one’s career for a multi country travel. I did the same. I took a 3 month career break and it was the best time of my life.

Awesome! It’s not for everyone, but I loved it!

Money well-spent!! 🙂

Great tips, Todd. Love the idea of trips between jobs.

Thanks! I’ve done it twice and love it

Amazing journey man!

Great tips and amazing journey

i actually get a real kick out of budgeting and following how much I spend. I’ve now got to the point where I put it into a spread sheet every day. Sounds silly I know

that’s amazing! I used to save all receipts for exactly that purpose, but haven’t assembled into a post just yet

I love your journey and tips! It encourages me as a traveler myself to think of other angles when planning so I can stay and explore longer.

Cool. I didn’t know that on google flight you can get info on if the price of a flight might increase or drop. Very useful

Yes – it says if prices are currently high or low for that destination.

Great blog! Love the way you’ve written it I felt the enthusiasm in your words

I certainly try to convey my excitement, thanks so much!

Wow great tips. I will try to watch my spending on shopping so I can save more money to travel

Great blog and good tips.

Thanks Iris! Hope it helps!

Fascinating! Fun to read and so well written! Looking forward to reading all past posts and keeping up with future !

Fantastic! Would love to hear your thoughts on the others too!

GreAt job I agree with all the points

I wish we had the mileage system here that you guys have in the States! It doesn’t even compare. But it’s all about making travel a priority! Exactly. Thank you for sharing!

Which country are you in Sibu?

This is some great information! We can’t wait to travel again!

Funny to see how we think alike. Reminds me of a blog post I posted a while ago. Great read! Michelle

thanks Michelle! Note, your blog URL isn’t loading

Great article! I actually do most of what you recommend. Thanks for sharing.

you’re a pro Gladys! 🙂

Thanks for the tips 🙂 this was very helpful!

Great post! I can really relate to the things you wrote about as I travel in a very similar way! Keep it up! This looks awesome!

Todd, this is a great list!! My husband and I have done some of the things mentioned. In fact, theres also a site where if you watch someones pet, theyll let you stay at their place for free. My brother visited Bulgaria for a whole month this way!

Great tips in here mate

Very well written, detailed and informative…good to understand from your perspective as you have done so much travel

Fantastic blog, easy to read with many great tips for travelling around the world. Very helpful thank you

I’m so glad it helped you!

Great list! I’m always finding new ways to make travel more sustainable for me in the future and I love your take on all these tips. Thanks for sharing!

Loved the article. Very informative! Thanks for taking the time to write it and share it with us. Give us a shout when you get to Amsterdam 🙂

Amazing! So much fantastic information, I’ll take a lot of this on board! Great experiences you’ve had, thanks for sharing!

Thankyou for sharing such awesome tips! really helpful.

Great read, and super helpful tips about budgeting!

I travel a lot and I read this article very carefully. I found out it very interesting. Many of the things you write are already part of my way to organize a trip. There are also many useful tips and I thank you for those ❤️

you’re welcome Annalisa! So glad to hear you found it valuable!

Great blog post! I completely agree on needing to rethink every day spending and saving $. -Alena

Awesome tips – we’re very similar in our approach to travel!

I’m so glad to run into your blog! The photos and adventures are awesome and a wonderful trip

Thanks so much for sharing your experiences and tricks!

Amazing blog post! Definitely agree with a lot of these things. Starting in Eastern Europe is always a good shout! Keep up the good work!

It was great to read your post. Thank you for sharing!

Great blog post Todd! You’ve really broken it down well, this kind of comprehensive, straightforward information is hard to find. We travel a lot and I can relate to so many if the things you’ve mentioned, prioritizing is key and flexibility too. We often choose destinations because of a deal and miles and points have been fabulous over the years. One thing I’d add (I’m sure you do it already) is to pay attention to exchange rates, we’ve often picked or avoided places based on the strength or weakness of the currency. Europe is much more fun for Americans when the euro is lower ;).

These are great tips! We used AirBnB and spent only $325 total for all 10 of our nights in Central America last year. I haven’t yet considered booking on the same day and bargaining. Truthfully, I didn’t even know that was a thing! So thanks! I learned something new! Can’t wait for travel to resume! I’m nowhere near 50 countries, as I started traveling later in life due to having my son. More like 13 or 14 countries. This is inspiring!

Deals! So many travelers overlook those options. Nicely done!

Thanks for the tips they’re great will definitely be looking back at these once we’re able to travel again…

My pleasure – hope it helps you!

These tips are amazing! I never thought about negotiating hotels and airbnb stays! Can’t wait to read more blog posts

Awesome post with a lot of great tips and information! I’m going to take some of these tips and try to travel more!

Loads of great information here! Making travel a priority is so true

Hi Todd! Amazing information, thank you for sharing your awesome tips!

Thanks for this post.

I’m 42 years old and also shooting for 50 countries by age 50. I’ve visited 37 so far. My new goal is once i get to 46 or 47 countries to book an antarctic expedition for my 50th birthday which should cover 4-5 countries at once!

Amazing Isaac! You’re so close!

Great article!

What do you think? Join the convo, and add your comments here :) Cancel reply

Visit 50 countries by age 50.

Free shipping over $75 USD

Get the most effective travel essentials here.

Learn about our story and our products.

• Try FLIGHTFŪD We're currently experiencing turbulence

Your carry on baggage

Free US Shipping on Orders $39+

Before you take off, we think you may also love this.

Water Bottle

• Try FLIGHTFŪD
• Travel Fatigue Explained: Signs, Symptoms & Causes

You know that feeling when you’ve been traveling and you just feel exhausted? Even if you were traveling for fun, and enjoyed every moment of your trip, you somehow crave stability, routine, and rest. 

This could be a sign of travel fatigue . 

Although travel fatigue doesn’t get as much press as jet lag, this temporary exhaustion drains your energy and can feel like burnout. Travel fatigue, unlike jet-lag, doesn’t even have to involve air travel. 

In fact, it can be caused by any form of transport: planes, trains, boats, and road trips.

Article Guide

Travel fatigue on road-trips, travel fatigue on flights.

• WHAT CAUSES TRAVEL FATIGUE
• SYMPTOMS OF TRAVEL FATIGUE
• COPING WITH TRAVEL FATIGUE
• TRAVEL FATIGUE IS NOT JET LAG
• RESTORE THE EXCITEMENT OF YOUR TRIP WITH THESE TIPS

What Causes Travel Fatigue?

There are a few main causes of traveler’s fatigue. We’ll get into the details, but before we move on to the causes, symptoms, and remedies of travel fatigue, let’s break it down to the different types of travel.

You’re more likely to feel travel fatigue on a road trip compared to, for example, a train. Not that many of us travel by train these days (perhaps that’s a bad thing!). 

This is because when you are traveling on a road, your car or bus accelerates and decelerates frequently, because of the natural flow of traffic. The vehicle also takes various turns that sway your body from one side to another, causing bodily stress. 

That’s why you feel so sore and stiff after a long day in the car! 

The condition of your vehicle, its seats, and even the quality of the roads also determine the level of comfort that you experience. 

You might not realize but all these factors can provide exhaustion not only to your body but also your mind. Your brain stays active and keeps the concerned muscles engaged to account for these movements and to maintain your posture properly. All these movements make your muscles work continuously and leave you tired. 

Flights do not provide relief when it comes to experiencing fatigue. You might argue that since airplanes do not change their speeds and directions as frequently as cars do, they shouldn’t impact you quite as much.

This is far from reality. 

Flights have different factors that make you feel tired. Altitude is one such factor. Your body needs to adjust to altitudes that are unnatural for humans. Although the cabin pressure helps you in adjusting to the altitude changes, the environment inside an aircraft doesn’t mimic your “ normal”. 

Aside from altitude, there are many health effects that happen to your body when you fly . These contribute to travel fatigue. 

For example, the following things are almost inevitable on flights:

• Dehydration. To maintain the required temperature inside the cabin, most airlines regulate the air pressure inside by changing the composition of the air. Did you know that the air inside the cabin is 15% drier than ground air? This is why you feel dehydrated and your skin dries up while flying.  Read more here:  Does Flying Dehydrate You? Your Guide to Air Travel Hydration
• Impaired circulation . Sitting for long periods and the altitude of the plane impairs your circulation which fatigues the body and causes other unfavorable effects. Learn more:  Swelling When Traveling? Here’s Why It Happens + What to Do
• Bloating and indigestion . Your body has to work hard to keep the blood circulating throughout your limbs, deal with dehydration and fight off airborne viruses and the excess of bacteria that compromises your immune system when you’re flying. It re-routes many of those resources from digestion, causing bloating and gas. Read more:  Bloating After Flying: What Causes Jet Belly & How to Prevent it

Let’s not forget the plane movements which further add to the fatigue. Turbulence, noise, rolling, and shuddering that you experience during a flight are not normal. 

Your body understands this and tries hard to stabilize itself which reflects in the form of exhaustion.

What Causes Travel Fatigue

In addition to the mode of transport, there could be various causes that you might be feeling travel fatigue:

#1. Hectic Travel Schedules

When you’re eager to make the most of your trip, you might over schedule yourself. Monasteries, climb mountains, sampling local foods, hitting the beaches, enjoying the nightlife and visiting important landmarks tend to make it onto most travel schedules… sometimes all in one day.

If you’re guilty of this, you may experience travel fatigue. Rightly so! You’re not letting your body relax.

Try to slow down, take proper breaks, and plan things in line with your body’s needs. 

#2. Jet Lag & Sleep Deprivation 

If you fly to your destination, you may be experiencing jet lag . This could be the case even if you landed in a place just a couple of hours ahead or behind the time zone you’re used to. . 

If you took a red-eye flight , this will almost certainly be the case. 

Jet lag comes with a host of health impacts, and if you experience jet lag enough, travel fatigue could be one of them. It is essential to listen to your body and determine what it needs. Even if you’re excited to explore, take a nap, get plenty of rest and try to mitigate the impacts of jet lag.

If you start your day at 4 am in the timezone you came from, make sure that you hit the hay by 9 pm to catch up on sleep. If you’re busy exploring the nightlife, try to sleep in. If needed, take a day off and give yourself time to adjust!

#3. Disorganization 

When it comes to traveling, there are two kinds of people: 

•  The ones who do everything at the last minute
• The ones who keep it well-organized and stick to a well laid-out plan.

If you belong to the first category, it is likely that you will experience travel fatigue sooner. Packing your bags at the last minute, stressing about missing your flight or train, and making travel arrangements in the nick of the time are only going to give you unwanted stress. This will later reflect itself in the form of travel fatigue. 

The Symptoms of Travel Fatigue

If you experience any of these symptoms, the chances are high that you are suffering from travel fatigue:

#1. Exhaustion 

That fatigue that you feel when you want to collapse in bed after a long travel day… even if you’ve been sitting in a car or on a plane all day? 

That’s exhaustion. 

Sometimes, the exhaustion doesn’t go away after a long sleep. If it sticks around for weeks after your trip (if you even have that much time between trips!) then it’s probably travel fatigue. 

To help with this symptom, try to exercise and get your blood moving. Eat healthfully and, of course, get plenty of REM sleep. 

#2. A Suppressed Immune System

Travel in itself can compromise your immune system. Have you ever noticed that you’re far more likely to get sick after traveling than you are if you had just stayed home? 100x more likely, in fact . 

That’s a function of jet lag, the physical act of travel, and exposure to bacteria and viruses your body has not been exposed to (and therefore hasn’t built antibodies to fight). 

A suppressed immune system is a common symptom of travel fatigue. Do what you can to boost your immune system. Take a travel supplement high in immune-boosting vitamins and minerals, like Flight Elixir , before and during your trip.

We added vitamin C, glutathione, Pycnogenol, elderberry and astragalus into Flight Elixir to help support your immune system. 

Rest up, drink plenty of fluids, and wash your hands to reduce the duration and likelihood of contracting an illness. 

#3. Feelings of Stress or Burnout

Back-to-back flights, early morning wake ups, and traveling too often can catch up to you. 

If you’ve been traveling a lot and are experiencing stress, anxiety, insomnia, or difficulty focusing, you may be experiencing travel fatigue. 

The best way to deal is to take a break. If you’re traveling, consider extending your trip to an extra day or two. If not, try to slip back into your normal routine. Whether you’re at home or away, exercise! It releases endorphins in the body which act as mood-lifter. 

#4. Poor Nutrition & Excessive Alcohol Consumption

Exploring the local food of a place you are traveling to is important. After all, it helps you connect to the place and culture at a deeper level. Plus, food is one of life’s pleasures! 

But if you find yourself overeating, you may be experiencing travel fatigue. 

Excessive alcohol consumption is another common symptom of travel fatigue. This one could be a bit tough to recognize as traveling and drinking can go hand in hand. But if you find yourself drinking to excess, you may be attempting to self-soothe your travel fatigue. 

Coping with Travel Fatigue

#1. be prepared to meet your body’s needs.

During your trip, make sure that you are listening to your body’s needs. Eat healthy by packing healthy snacks like carrots, apples, and nuts. Keep your body hydrated by drinking lots of water and avoiding alcohol and coffee. 

If you are flying, make sure that you adjust your body’s internal clock by sleeping in accordance to the time zone of your destination. However, if you are really fatigued, having short naps of 15-20 minutes are fine.

#2. Feel ‘Back Home’

Often, traveling could be all about socializing. You meet new friends, network, and share thoughts with like-minded people. 

However, if you are not liking being on top of your social game and are feeling tired, the best way out here will be to talk with your best friend, mother, partner or dog – whoever tends to relax you. 

Watch some cooking videos, or listen to the voices of your favorite people on the earth – either way, remember that traveling could be fun and all, but oftentimes, it is best to disconnect and experience life at slow. 

#3. Disconnect

Waking up at the crack of dawn, catching flights and trains, exploring your destination – all this takes a toll on your energy and makes you feel empty. 

While running could be a great way to de-stress yourself, travel fatigue sucks the inspiration out of you. If you feel like this, all you need to do is stay in your bed, watch movies, sleep – whatever works for you. Don’t feel guilty for taking some down time. Your body needs it. 

#4. Plan in Advance

You can avoid travel fatigue to a large extent by planning your travel well in advance. Book your hotel in advance and ask them about food availability. Research local food and shops online. You can also have a look at TripAdvisor and ask your friends and family for references. 

To further lessen your fatigue, make sure that you have packed all the travel sleep essentials with you including eye mask, earplugs, immune-boosting travel supplements , protein shake sachets, snacks, The Travel Water Bottle , and so on. 

Also, have a closer look at your itinerary and see what all you are going to cover. This will help you in planning your days properly, and will also help you remember your goals.

Travel Fatigue is Not Jet Lag

Often used interchangeably, there is a significant difference between travel fatigue and jet lag. While travel fatigue could be caused by any mode of transport, jet lag is related to aircraft and timezones. 

Also known as time zone change syndrome, jet lag is when people travel across different time zones and end up disrupting their sleep cycle. This condition is seen related to circadian rhythm disorder and can lead to irritability, insomnia, and headaches. 

Restore the Excitement of Your Trip With These Tips

Traveling soon? Make it comfortable and enjoyable with these strategies. Follow the tricks we discussed above, and have a comfortable trip.

Sarah Peterson

Sarah Peterson is the co-founder and head of marketing at FLIGHTFŪD. She's a travel health expert and after having visited 20+ countries as a digital nomad and flying every 4-6 weeks for business, she became passionate about empowering others to protect their bodies on the go.

I feel better knowing this is probably not COVID.

Great article, best piece on the subject. Prior to Covid I travelled on business too much and experienced all of the above. The distincion of travel fatigue vs jetlag is very insightful. Interestingly short flights take a greater toll vs America-Asia flight. Spoke to an airline CEO once, he explained that older planes are harder on passengers (pressurize less effectively, dryer environment and oxigen levels lower)

I am so pleased to have found your piece. About 2x a month, I make a 4-6 road trip and I find every time after the drive, I am completely exhausted for at least a day and sometimes 2 days after the driving and now I know why!! Thank you!!!

Leave a comment

Explore more.

• Healthy Travel
• things to do
• Travel Destinations
• travel essentials
• Where to eat
• where to stay

Popular posts

Featured product

FLIGHT CHECK IN

Check into the VIP News Room. Stay up to date on all flight changes.

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

Just How Bad Is Business Travel for Your Health? Here’s the Data.

• Andrew Rundle

It can increase your risk of anxiety, depression, obesity, and alcohol dependence.

How does frequent business travel effect workers’ health? Research shows a strong correlation between the frequency of business travel and a wide range of physical and behavioral health risks. Compared to those who spent one to six nights a month away from home for business travel, for example, those who spent 14 or more nights away from home per month had significantly higher body mass index scores and were significantly more likely to report the following: poor self-rated health; clinical symptoms of anxiety, depression and alcohol dependence; no physical activity or exercise; smoking; and trouble sleeping. The odds of being obese were 92% higher for those who traveled 21 or more nights per month compared to those who traveled only one to six nights per month, and this ultra-traveling group also had higher diastolic blood pressure and lower high density lipoprotein (the good cholesterol).

Checking into a hotel for a conference several years ago, I asked the receptionist where I could get some dinner. There was no restaurant in the hotel, I was told; my only options were ordering delivery from a fast-casual chain or a pizza joint. I went with the pizza, but my lack of choices was annoying — so much so that, when I got home, I started looking into the data on health and travel for work.

• AR Andrew Rundle is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology in the Mailman School of Public Health. His research focuses on the risks for, and consequences of, sedentary lifestyles and obesity.

Partner Center

5 Easy Tips to Make Travel More Sustainable

Here’s how to tread gently on the planet while roaming the world.

Katherine Martinko is an expert in sustainable living. She holds a degree in English Literature and History from the University of Toronto.

• University of Toronto

• Harvard University Extension School

cdwheatley / Getty Images

• Green Living
• Pest Control
• Natural Cleaning
• Thrift & Minimalism
• Sustainable Eating

In this edition of Small Acts, Big Impact we look at some simple ways to rethink travel with a lighter footstep in mind.

Exploring the world is a natural human instinct. For all of history, we have pushed the boundaries of home, walking and sailing to far-off places to see how people in other locations live. That urge has not disappeared, despite increasing awareness of the carbon footprint associated with travel. Nor should it—even here at Treehugger, we believe there are tremendous benefits to be had from seeing the broader world and exposing oneself to different cultures. Fortunately, some aspects of travel can be done in ways that are gentler to the planet. Consider the following tips to lessen your impact when traveling, especially as more people venture out in the coming months. Small efforts add up when practiced by many individuals.

Small Act: Travel Off-Peak

Traveling off-peak or during shoulder seasons is one of the greatest travel hacks you can ever learn. Not only does it save money, but travelers will avoid lines and crowds. Locals may be happier to interact with and assist visitors in the off-season, and money spent will go toward supporting businesses that may struggle to stay afloat during the low season. The climate benefit is real, too.

Weekdays offer better options for direct flights, which are more fuel-efficient.   Planes burn up to 25% of their fuel supply when taking off and climbing to altitude, so fewer stopovers means less fuel used to get you from point A to point B.   As Treehugger reported , "Connecting flights are often cheaper money-wise, but they're more expensive in terms of carbon count because of the multiple takeoffs."

Small Act: Pack a "Capsule Travel Wardrobe"

The heavier a plane is, the more fuel it requires to fly, so packing lightly is one simple way to reduce your personal impact. Choose items that mix and match well with each other, which makes it easier to get dressed each day and look consistently stylish. Select garments that can be washed by hand in a bathroom sink and will dry quickly.

If you don't think a capsule wardrobe makes a difference, consider this statistic from Aviation Benefits Beyond Borders : "Finnair has calculated that if each passenger were to cut down the weight of their luggage by 5 kilograms (11 pounds), the total reduction—with the airline’s current amount of traffic—could save almost 17,000 tons of CO2 emissions—the equivalent of 400 round trips from Helsinki to Paris."

Small Act: Rethink Your Toiletries

Bring your own lightweight, solid toiletries that spare you from having to use mini plastic ones. Shampoo and conditioner bars, solid moisturizers, bars of soap, and toothpaste tabs are great options. Multipurpose items—such as a lotion bar that can be used as conditioner, facial moisturizer, shaving cream, and body lotion all in one—can cut down on weight and packaging.

Explore new waterless formulations, such as powdered shampoo, crushable cleansers, and soap swatches that lather up under water. Consider filling your own containers with products from home; specially-designed reusable carriers like Cadence and Palette make this easy.

Hundreds of millions of mini toiletries are given to hotel guests every year. This results in enormous amounts of waste—not only of the contents, which most travelers do not use up, but also of the plastic containers themselves that are usually non-recyclable because they're so small. Several major hotel groups, including InterContinental and Marriott, have promised to eliminate mini toiletries in coming years, as has the state of California . Marriott said that "eliminating 500 million small bottles a year will save 1.7 million pounds of plastic." 

Small Act: Bring Your Zero Waste Essentials

A zero waste routine—in which you create as little waste as possible—is just as important when you’re away as it is at home. Too often, though, people use travel as an excuse to let their waste-reduction efforts slide—a fact that's deeply unfair to the locals of whatever place you're visiting.

Carry a refillable water bottle (along with a filtration method) and an insulated mug. (You can buy handy collapsible ones that take up very little space.) Keep a fold-up shopping tote for any purchases you make. Depending on space, it's helpful to have a basic zero waste food kit with reusable utensils, food storage container, and cloth napkin. This can be used for any takeout or street food you may buy, and for carrying leftovers back to your accommodations.

Research has found that, during peak tourist season, marine litter throughout the Mediterranean region increases by up to 40%. There's also good chance your travels will take you to a coastal region, which is where 80% of the world's travel occurs. These areas are particularly sensitive to plastic pollution, so please do what you can to minimize it.  

Small Impact: Don't Forget Your Home

Your home does not need to be doing business as usual when it’s empty. Adjust the thermostat to avoid heating or cooling an uninhabited house. Pull blinds and curtains to block sunlight coming in or to help insulate in colder months. Consider turning down the water heater to the lowest setting. Be sure to cancel any newspaper or magazine subscriptions that could pile up unread while you're away.

Turn off TVs, computers, and other devices, or ensure that sleep mode is on. Vampire power and network power are both energy hogs ; the latter is a growing problem and refers to "smart home" items that require power for an ongoing Internet connection. Many things from security systems to smoke alarms to lighting, heating, and appliances use this, so be sure to buy efficient products, unplug whenever possible, or schedule usage in advance.

Small increments do add up. As Paul Greenberg, author of "The Climate Diet," writes, "Turning down the thermostat by just a single degree can save a household in a northern climate around 40 kilograms of carbon emissions every year."

For more from our Small Acts, Big Impact series, see:

Zheng, Sola, and Dan Rutherford. " Variation in Aviation Emissions by Itinerary: The Case for Emissions Disclosure ." The International Council on Clean Transportation , 2021.

" Four Ways to Fly More Sustainably ." Aviation Benefits Beyond Borders , 2019.

" Tourism's Plastic Pollution Problem ." One Planet Network.

• Spacious Tiny House is Home to Educator and 3 Dogs
• Earth Month Challenge: 30 Easy Actions for Every Day of April
• 3 Products You Didn't Know You Could Buy Plastic-Free
• 22 Sustainable Swaps to Make at Home
• How to Be a Sustainable Traveler: 18 Tips
• 15 Things You Can Do at Home to Help Solve Climate Change
• Lush Shampoo Bars Are a Wonder for My Hair
• The 9 Best Conditioner Bars
• The 9 Best Eco-Friendly Dish Soaps of 2024
• Free the Ocean's 'Gifts Under $10' Has Affordable Plastic-Free Options for All
• How to Make Travel More Sustainable
• 10 Ways to Be an Eco-Conscious Tourist
• Removing Water Is a Simple Solution to Plastic Packaging Waste
• A Beginner's Guide to Plastic-Free Living

Monsoon Sale : Get 25% off on Self drive cars for July month travel. Use code : MYC25 Flat 10% off on rentals above INR 10000. Use code : FLAT10 Monsoon Sale : Get Rs.1000 on your subscription booking. Use code : NEW1000. Flat 10% off on Self drive cars for August month travel. Use Code : EARLY10 Monsoon Sale : Get Rs.1000 on your subscription booking. Use code : NEW1000.

• 95 1234 1234

• Download MYCHOIZE APP

• DAILY RENTALS
• SUBSCRIPTION

How Traveling too much can Impact Your Health

Traveling is definitely good for your health, no matter someone convinces you otherwise, unless you do too much of it. There has to be a limit for traveling in a year because overdoing it may impact your health severely. The full-time travelers rarely admit that they have health issues just because they don’t have a stable home. However, the truth is something else:

Overeating and insufficient eating

Eating too much and eating too less is often a common scenario when you travel too much. When you buy the all-inclusive deals in the resorts, you tend to eat too much. And when you are on budget, you tend to eat cheap food and unhealthy snacks even during your meal time. Almost everything that you eat during the road trips and vacations is not good for your health. Just a casual vacation once or twice in a year is fine, but being on the go all the time multiplies those unhealthy effects. Also, eating unhealthy foods may lead to stomach infections. You gain weight and catch several health issues that you have to bear for a lifetime.

Traveling in an airplane

If you take a flight every time you have to go for a vacation, you expose yourself to millions of bacteria and virus from the people from different countries. If you are born in India, for example, your body maybe immune to several pathogens but not all the ones from different regions of the world. You may fall sick easily in an airplane than you would do at home. Moreover, you have to sit in one place for several hours in an airplane unlike the car that you can stop anywhere you want and stretch your body. An airplane is not at all healthy for frequent fliers, which is why, you may use a Car Rental Service or a cab for a road trip rather than flying in an airplane.

Doing adventurous activities

Sure there are several adventurous activities that you would love to try, but they may prove dangerous if you don’t know the limits of your body. You can do bungee jumping or snorkeling, for example, under the guidance of the experts. Well-guided adventurous activities are for the newbies. However, activities like mountain biking or walking on a rope are not for the fresher. You must know how much risk you can handle and never go beyond that without preparation. Otherwise, you may expose your body to unnecessary risk and regret it later.

Stress of travel

Work-related travel is especially stressful as you have to worry about not missing your flight, ironing your clothes every time before a meeting, and meet your work goals. And for full-time travelers, the situation is no less worse. They have to worry about their income, the source of their next meal, and logistic issues every time they shift from one place to the other.

Traveling in excess is indeed unhealthy for your body and mind. You must know when to stop and where to stop before you overdo globe-trotting without listening to your body.

Latest Facebook feeds

MyChoize Self Drive Cars

Latest Tweets

Can you be too old to travel? Age isn't as important as your mental, physical fitness level

Can you be too old to travel? Only you can know the right answer but consider these factors:

Slowing down was the last thing on Elaine Schaefer's mind when she turned 70 last year. She'd enjoyed an ambitious travel schedule for the previous decade, which included a 10-day horseback safari in Botswana and a snorkeling tour of Bora Bora. She didn't feel too old to travel.

Then the pandemic hit. Suddenly, with the exception of a cautious staycation or two, she was confined to her home. Being in a high-risk group didn't help. But she says that's not going to stop her.  

"Ability to travel is not a function of age," says Schaefer, who writes a blog about senior travel . "It's determined by your physical and mental fitness."

And yet many people are asking that slightly indelicate question now: Can you be too old to travel? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the risk of getting severely ill with COVID-19 increases with age. Eight out of 10 COVID-19-related deaths reported in the United States have been among adults aged 65 years and older, according to the CDC.

Learn more: Best travel insurance

There's another reason this question is now relevant. The U.S. Census Bureau says over the past 10 years, the population 65 and over increased 34% to 50.9 million. The government projects there will be 94.7 million senior citizens by 2060 .

In one way, the travel industry has already responded. Try renting a car in Europe, for example. In Croatia, Schaefer wouldn't be able to this year, because the maximum age is 70, according to AutoEurope.com . Other European countries will cut you off at 75 (Greece), 80 (Portugal), or 97 (Finland). Insurance companies impose higher rates; tour operators restrict certain activities. That feels like a "no" for many aspiring travelers.

And this is one of those rare times when I agree with the travel industry. Yes, you can be too old to travel. But maybe not in the way travel companies say.

Yes, some people absolutely should stay home. But it's not necessarily age-related. It's more a question of self-assessment (see the checklist at the end of this story) and booking the right trip. If you do that, you can travel as long as you like.

Who is too old to travel?

Some folks should think twice before traveling, but not solely based on their age. It's their level of fitness, says Kirsten Veldman, a former tour guide who now edits a retirement blog . 

She recalls a 93-year-old on one of her Caribbean tours who was disabled, incontinent and traveling solo. 

"You can't expect to ask a tour leader to nurse you as well," she says. "And be there for you 24/7 for medical care. Tour guides don't have the time, skills, and knowledge for it. So, in this case, my advice is: he shouldn't have traveled with us in this capacity."

But there's a workaround: Some tour operators cater to older travelers. For example, Grand Circle Travel started in 1958 to serve AARP members. Today, both Grand Circle Travel and Grand Circle Cruise Line cater specifically to older travelers.

"We have travelers into their 80s and even 90s. Some travel as a couple and some alone," says company spokeswoman Ann Shannon. "We have no age limit."

Are you too old to travel? It's your call

If you ask travel experts, they'll repeat that old cliché – age is just a number. It's a question of physical, and to a certain extent, mental ability.

"Many of our travelers are retired, focused on maintaining their good health, and are experienced travelers who have a good idea of what to expect," says Sara Baer-Sinnott, president of Oldways , a food and nutrition nonprofit that operates tours. "Someone in their 40's may struggle more than someone in their 80s."

You may have to adjust your activity level to match your physical condition. That's what Luanne Mattson did when she took her mother to Ireland last year on the 83-year-old's first trip out of the country. She decided to slow down the pace and to take cabs instead of walking. Mostly, she worried – about jet lag, deep vein thrombosis, or her mother running out of energy. 

It turns out she had nothing to be concerned about. Her mother arrived in Dublin healthy and full of energy.

"She was so excited that she forced me to get out the first night and go on Dublin's literary pub crawl," recalls Mattson, who works for a tourism bureau in Jeffersonville, Indiana. "It turned out to be her favorite part of the trip. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat!"

What's the maximum age for travel?

Is there an absolute cutoff age? No, says Judy Gaman, author of 'Love, Life, and Lucille,' a memoir about how a friendship with a centenarian changed Gaman's life. Gaman even took Lucille on a cross-country book tour with her.

"At 102, Lucille was able to handle the flight, car rides, and even the grueling media appearances," she recalls. "I just had to allow a little extra time between events, but that was the only change from my usual tour schedule."

Bottom line: You're never too old to travel.

How do you know if you're too old to go?

What does your doctor say? If your doctor tells you that you're medically unfit to travel, you will have to reconsider your vacation plans. That's what happened to Rick Patterson's mother. "When her doctor had told her that he would not grant a medical clearance for her travels, then that was it," says Patterson, who runs a product review blog .

Is it practical? Would your travel needs put too much of a burden on the tour operator or cruise line? On Malys Yore's recent European cruise, one passenger in her group moved slowly and needed medical oxygen. "He was struggling badly," says Yore, a 60-plus travel blogger . Someone like that probably should have chosen a different tour or stayed home.

What are the benefits? My late grandmother, Louise, took a final trip from Southern California to her ancestral home in North Carolina when she was 89. The benefits of that trip far outweighed the inconveniences. Yes, the airline lost her luggage. And yes, she needed a wheelchair. But she also got to see her relatives one last time.

Ask the Captain:    Can I fly with medical oxygen? Do airlines provide it or do I bring my own?

IELTS Speaking Part 1 – Topic : Places & Travelling

Free ielts correction service.

Topic : Places & Travelling

• Do you like travelling?
• What place do you most like to visit?
• How often do you visit this place?
• Why do you like it so much?
• Is it popular with many other people?
• Has it changed very much since you first went there? In what way?
• How do you usually travel to work or college? Why?
• Have you always travelled to work/college in the same way? Why? Why not?
• What do you like about travelling to work/college this way?
• What changes would improve the way you travel to work/college? Why?
• What are some benefits of travelling? Why?
• How often do you travel?
• Where have you travelled too lately?
• What kind of places do you like to visit?
• What is the first thing you will do when you arrive at the new place?
• Do you like to travel alone or with your friends?
• Why do so many people like travelling nowadays?
• How can you make sure you get the most from your travels?

Question and Answers :

Yes, I like travelling very much. In fact, travelling is my hobby and I also prefer travelling by all modes of vehicles. I love to explore new places and travelling let me broaden my horizon of experience and learning new things.

I like visiting wide open places filled with trees and sands, and accordingly, the sea beaches are the best places that attract me. Besides, places with natural beauty are always on my priority list.  My second preference is the places with historical significance.

Umm…. Usually, I try to visit the place twice in a year. But if I cannot always manage time, I try paying the visit at least once a year.

I like it because I love nature. Observing the natural scenes from a hill, hearing the sea waves, gazing at trees, enjoying the moonlit night on the wide sea beaches etc. are the most favourite activities of mine. They are a kind of addiction for me. Besides this, the historical places are great to visit in terms of witnessing the past history and learning new things.

Well, I don’t think that this popular among many people. In fact, the number of people who want to go close to the nature is very limited. Though many people visit the beach, I think few of them enjoy the scenic beauties.

Yes, the place has changed greatly since my first visit. Earlier, the beach was less crowded as it was located in a corner but with the modernization, the number of tourists has increased and thus it remains crowded always even at the night time. Apart from that, the transportation facility has improved and the number of resorts and tourists’ activities has also increased significantly.

I usually ride on buses on the way to work. The bus is one of the most convenient transport modes in India and economic as well. Moreover, riding a bus takes less time to reach the destination.

No, a few years back I owned a private motorbike and used the bike all the time to reach my office. Nowadays my choice of transportation to reach office actually depends on my mood and urgency to work. On regular working days, if there are no unusual workloads, I ride a bus. But if it is a hefty working day and I need to reach office before the usual hour, I ride the bike to save time.

The bus is economical and maintains a schedule. Being on a bus gives me time to read, listen to music and enjoy the side views. These are the great things I enjoy about riding a bus.

When I am on my motorbike, I can reach office early and do not need to wait for the buses in the waiting line. Moreover, I can reach using several routes whereas a bus cannot avoid its preset directions.

I think the number of buses should be increased and the traffic system should be made more efficient with the use of technology. In some of the streets and intersection, the traffic police members control the traffic manually and it should be developed or replaced with electronic systems like the western countries. This would be a great way to reduce the traffic jam and would make the journey more enjoyable.

There are a large number of benefits of travelling including it widen your knowledge and helps to get familiar with the unknown. Travelling makes your knowledge practical and you can compare the bookish knowledge and the real-life issues. The experience we get from travelling is helpful in our life and this is an excellent way of learning about diverse cultures, people and their customs. Finally, travelling also helps reduce our stress and refresh us.

Travelling is a part of my life and I frequently travel from place to place. But some of the travels are of short distance while some others are long. Usually, I go for a long trip several times in a year.

I have travelled to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal, recently. I had not been there earlier as that is located far away from my place. This was an excellent experience and I am happy that I travelled there.

Places with natural charm and scenic beauty are on my preference list. Sometimes I like to visit places surrounded by hills, river or filled with natural beauties. Usually, the natural beauties are eye soothing and wear a great look at night times. Historical places are in the second preference for visiting.

It’s an important question. At first, I will check in a comfortable hotel or motel and then collect a local map and get familiar with the local street networks so that I don’t get lost in the area when I’m out.

I like travelling with friends. Travelling with friends is advantageous and the fun and excitements are acuter than travelling alone.

Due to the mechanised nature of the living styles, people easily get bored. The seek ways to get relief and travelling is one of the best ways for relaxation. Apart from that digital media let people know about the places they should visit. Finally, the cheap and easy air flights attract more people to visit new places.

When I go for a travel, I try visiting all the available places on the spot. I like to eat the traditional foods from the adjacent eateries, get some local collectables or souvenirs, take snaps of notable places and relics, and participate in special activities. Thus I make sure that I get the most from the travel.

Audio Part 1:

Audio part 2:.

• Describe an important journey that was delayed. | IELTS Cue Card |
• IELTS Speaking Part 1 – Topic : Smile
• Describe a difficult decision that you once made
• Describe when someone gave you something you really wanted /a gift your received | IELTS Speaking Cue Card
• Describe a water sport you would like to try in the future | IELTS Cue Card 2020 |
• Describe a successful small business that you know | IELTS Cue Card |

You may also like

Describe a place you visited where the air..., describe an activity that made you feel tired, describe a drawing/painting that you like, describe an actor or actress whom you admire., describe your experience when you changed your school/college, describe a new store/shop that has recently opened..., describe the game you enjoyed playing when you..., describe a beautiful city, describe a park or a garden in your..., describe a difficult task that you completed at....

IELTS Speaking Part 1 – Topic :Tradition & Custom

Ielts speaking part 1 – topic : clothes.

We work hard to make sure our content is delivered as quickly as possible and at a speed of lightening to your fingertips.

©2023 Labotrees , All Right Reserved – Designed and Developed by  Labotrees

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Read More

Unlock Your Potential

Ielts correction service.

Harvey Weinstein's NY judge shouldn't have allowed 'prejudicial' testimony from women who said they, too, had been abused: appeals court

• New York's top court overturned the 2020 sex crimes conviction against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.
• The court said the trial made an error by allowing accusers who weren't a part of the complaint to testify.
• The Manhattan district attorney's office indicated it wants to retry the case.

Harvey Weinstein's sex crimes conviction was overturned Thursday by the New York Court of Appeals, which found that he hadn't gotten a fair trial.

In its 4-3 decision, the appeals court found Weinstein's trial judge had erred in allowing accusers who were not listed as a part of the criminal charges against him to testify about their own experiences.

"We conclude that the trial court erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts against persons other than the complainants," the appeals court said in part, calling the testimony in question "irrelevant, prejudicial, and untested allegations of prior bad acts."

Related stories

It will be up to the Office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, which brought the flash point #MeToo case against Weinstein, to retry the case. If that happens, the sexual assault survivors involved will have to relive the experience of testifying at trial.

"We will do everything in our power to retry this case, and remain steadfast in our commitment to survivors of sexual assault," a spokesperson from the district attorney's office said.

Weinstein's lawyer, Arthur Aidala, who represented the ex-movie mogul in his New York appeal, did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Business Insider.

Following his conviction in New York, a Los Angeles court in 2023 sentenced Weinstein to an additional 16 years in prison — which he continues to face despite his successful appeal in New York.

He had been found guilty there of three counts of sexual assault and rape.

Weinstein's lengthy list of accusers included Hollywood household names like Gwyneth Paltrow , Angelina Jolie , Ashley Judd , Lupita Nyong'o , and Rose McGowan .

This is a developing story.

Watch: Trump fights back as fraud trial begins

• Main content

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

• Your Health
• Treatments & Tests
• Health Inc.
• Public Health

The Science of Siblings

Gay people often have older brothers. why and does it matter.

Selena Simmons-Duffin

Credit: Lily Padula for NPR

The Science of Siblings is a new series exploring the ways our siblings can influence us, from our money and our mental health all the way down to our very molecules. We'll be sharing these stories over the next several weeks.

This is something I learned years ago through gay bar chatter: Gay people are often the youngest kids in their families. I liked the idea right away — as a gay youngest sibling, it made me feel like there was a statistical order to things and I fit neatly into that order.

When I started to report on the science behind it, I learned it's true: There is a well-documented correlation between having older siblings (older brothers, specifically) and a person's chance of being gay. But parts of the story also struck me as strange and dark. I thought of We the Animals , Justin Torres' haunting semi-autobiographical novel about three brothers — the youngest of whom is queer — growing up in New York state. So I called Torres to get his take on the idea.

Torres' first reaction was to find it considerably less appealing than I did. This makes sense — his latest novel, Blackouts , won a National Book Award last year, and it grapples with the sinister history of how scientists have studied sexuality. "My novel is interested in the pre-Kinsey sexology studies, specifically this one called Sex Variants ," he told me. "It's really informed by eugenics. They were looking for the cause of homosexuality in the body in order to treat it or cure it or get rid of it."

That's why, when he saw my inquiry about a statistical finding that connects sexuality and birth order, he was wary. "To be frank, I find these kinds of studies that're looking for something rooted in the body to explain sexuality to be kind of bunk. I think they rely on a really binary understanding of sexuality itself," he said.

"That's fair," I conceded. But this connection between queerness and older brothers has been found so many times in so many places that one researcher told me it's "a kind of truth" in the science of sexuality.

Rooted in a dark past

The first research on this topic did indeed begin in the 1940s and '50s, during that era of investigations into what causes homosexuality, to be able to cure it. At the time, the queer people whom scientists were studying were living in a world where this facet of their identity was dangerous. Plus, the studies themselves didn't find much, says Jan Kabátek , a senior research fellow at the University of Melbourne.

"Most of it fell flat," he told me. "But there is an exception to this, and that is the finding that men, specifically, who exhibit attraction to the same sex are likely to have more older brothers than other types of siblings."

In the 1990s, this was dubbed the "fraternal birth order effect." In the years since, it has been found again and again, all over the world.

"This pattern has been documented around Canada and the United States, but it goes well beyond that," says Scott Semenyna , a psychology professor at Stetson University. "There's been now many confirmations that this pattern exists in countries like Samoa. It exists in southern Mexico. It exists in places like Turkey and Brazil."

Huge study, consistent findings

An impressive recent study established that this pattern held up in an analysis of a huge sample — over 9 million people from the Netherlands. It confirmed all those earlier studies and added a twist.

"Interestingly enough — and this is quite different from what has been done before — we also showed that the same association manifests for women," explains Kabátek, one of the study's authors. Women who were in same-sex marriages were also more likely to have older brothers than other types of siblings.

At baseline, the chance that someone will be gay is pretty small. "Somewhere around 2 to 3% — we can call it 2% just for the sake of simplicity," Semenyna says. "The fraternal birth order effect shows that you're going to run into about a 33% increase in the probability of, like, male same-sex attraction for every older brother that you have."

The effect is cumulative: The more older brothers someone has, the bigger it is. If you have one older brother, your probability of being gay nudges up to about 2.6%. "And then that probability would increase another 33% if there was a second older brother, to about 3.5%," Semenyna says.

If you have five older brothers, your chance of being gay is about 8% — so, four times the baseline probability.

The author, Selena Simmons-Duffin, at age 3, with her brother, David Simmons-Duffin, at age 5. The Simmons-Duffin family hide caption

The author, Selena Simmons-Duffin, at age 3, with her brother, David Simmons-Duffin, at age 5.

Still, even 8% is pretty small. "The vast majority of people who have a lot of older brothers are still going to come out opposite-sex attracted," Semenyna says. Also, plenty of gay people have no brothers at all, or they're the oldest in their families. Having older brothers is definitely not the only influence on a person's sexuality.

"But just the fact that we are observing effects that are so strong, relatively speaking, implies that there's a good chance that there is, at least partially, some biological mechanism that is driving these associations," Kabátek says.

A hypothesis, but no definitive mechanism

For decades, the leading candidate for that biological mechanism has been the "maternal immune hypothesis," Semenyna explains. "The basic version of this hypothesis is that when a male fetus is developing, the Y chromosome of the male produces proteins that are going to be recognized as foreign by the mother's immune system and it forms somewhat of an immune response to those proteins."

That immune response has some effect on the development of subsequent male fetuses, Semenyna says. The plausibility of this hypothesis was bolstered by a 2017 study that found "that mothers of gay sons have more of these antibodies that target these male-specific proteins than mothers of sons who are not gay or mothers who have no sons whatsoever," he says.

But now that Kabátek's study of the Dutch population has found that this pattern was present among women in same-sex marriages as well, there are new questions about whether this hypothesis is correct.

"One option is that the immune hypothesis works for both men and women," Kabátek says. "Of course, there can be also other explanations. It's for prospective research to make this clearer."

Fun to think about, but concerning too

In a way, I tell Justin Torres, this effect seems simple and fun to me. It's a concrete statistical finding, documented all over the world, and there's an intriguing hypothesis about why it may happen biologically. But darker undercurrents in all of it worry me, like raising a dangerous idea that becoming gay in the womb is the only version of gayness that is real — or a repackaged version of the old idea that mothers are to "blame."

"It is the undercurrents that worry me immensely," he responds. "I remember when I was a kid — I have this memory of watching daytime television. I must have been staying home from school sick in the late '80s or early '90s. The host polled the audience and said, 'If there was a test [during pregnancy] and you could know if your child was gay, would you abort?' I remember being so horrified and disturbed watching all those hands go up in the audience — just feeling so hated. At that young age, I knew this thing about myself, even if I wasn't ready to admit it."

Even if tolerance for queer people in American society has grown a lot since then, he says, "I think that tolerance waxes and wanes, and I worry about that line of thinking."

At the same time, he agrees that the idea of a connection with gay people being the youngest kids in their families is kind of hilarious. "One thing that pops into my mind is, like, maybe if you're just surrounded by a lot of men, you either choose or don't choose men, right?" he laughs.

Essentially, in his view, it's fun to think about, but probably not deeper than that.

"As a humanist, I just don't know why we need to look for explanations for something as complex and joyous and weird as sexuality," Torres says.

Then again, scientists are unlikely to be able to resist that mysterious, weird complexity. Even if the joy and self-expression and community and so many other parts of queerness and sexuality will always be more than statistics can explain.

More from the Science of Siblings series:

• A gunman stole his twin from him. This is what he's learned about grieving a sibling
• In the womb, a brother's hormones can shape a sister's future
• These identical twins both grew up with autism, but took very different paths
• Science of Siblings
• queer community
• homosexuality

Advertisement

Supported by

Dubai’s Extraordinary Flooding: Here’s What to Know

Images of a saturated desert metropolis startled the world, prompting talk of cloud seeding, climate change and designing cities for intensified weather.

• Share full article

By Raymond Zhong

Scenes of flood-ravaged neighborhoods in one of the planet’s driest regions have stunned the world this week. Heavy rains in the United Arab Emirates and Oman submerged cars, clogged highways and killed at least 21 people. Flights out of Dubai’s airport, a major global hub, were severely disrupted.

The downpours weren’t a freak event — forecasters anticipated the storms several days out and issued warnings. But they were certainly unusual. Here’s what to know.

Heavy rain there is rare, but not unheard-of.

On average, the Arabian Peninsula receives a scant few inches of rain a year, although scientists have found that a sizable chunk of that precipitation falls in infrequent but severe bursts, not as periodic showers.

U.A.E. officials said the 24-hour rain total on Tuesday was the country’s largest since records there began in 1949 . But parts of the nation had experienced an earlier round of thunderstorms just last month.

Oman, with its coastline on the Arabian Sea, is also vulnerable to tropical cyclones. Past storms there have brought torrential rain, powerful winds and mudslides, causing extensive damage.

Global warming is projected to intensify downpours.

Stronger storms are a key consequence of human-caused global warming. As the atmosphere gets hotter, it can hold more moisture, which can eventually make its way down to the earth as rain or snow.

But that doesn’t mean rainfall patterns are changing in precisely the same way across every corner of the globe.

In their latest assessment of climate research , scientists convened by the United Nations found there wasn’t enough data to have firm conclusions about rainfall trends in the Arabian Peninsula and how climate change was affecting them. The researchers said, however, that if global warming were to be allowed to continue worsening in the coming decades, extreme downpours in the region would quite likely become more intense and more frequent.

The role of cloud seeding isn’t clear.

The U.A.E. has for decades worked to increase rainfall and boost water supplies by seeding clouds. Essentially, this involves shooting particles into clouds to encourage the moisture to gather into larger, heavier droplets, ones that are more likely to fall as rain or snow.

Cloud seeding and other rain-enhancement methods have been tried across the world, including in Australia, China, India, Israel, South Africa and the United States. Studies have found that these operations can, at best, affect precipitation modestly — enough to turn a downpour into a bigger downpour, but probably not a drizzle into a deluge.

Still, experts said pinning down how much seeding might have contributed to this week’s storms would require detailed study.

“In general, it is quite a challenge to assess the impact of seeding,” said Luca Delle Monache, a climate scientist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, Calif. Dr. Delle Monache has been leading efforts to use artificial intelligence to improve the U.A.E.’s rain-enhancement program.

An official with the U.A.E.’s National Center of Meteorology, Omar Al Yazeedi, told news outlets this week that the agency didn’t conduct any seeding during the latest storms. His statements didn’t make clear, however, whether that was also true in the hours or days before.

Mr. Al Yazeedi didn’t respond to emailed questions from The New York Times on Thursday, and Adel Kamal, a spokesman for the center, didn’t immediately have further comment.

Cities in dry places just aren’t designed for floods.

Wherever it happens, flooding isn’t just a matter of how much rain comes down. It’s also about what happens to all that water once it’s on the ground — most critically, in the places people live.

Cities in arid regions often aren’t designed to drain very effectively. In these areas, paved surfaces block rain from seeping into the earth below, forcing it into drainage systems that can easily become overwhelmed.

One recent study of Sharjah , the capital of the third-largest emirate in the U.A.E., found that the city’s rapid growth over the past half century had made it vulnerable to flooding at far lower levels of rain than before.

Omnia Al Desoukie contributed reporting.

Raymond Zhong reports on climate and environmental issues for The Times. More about Raymond Zhong

Rooftop solar panels are flooding California’s grid. That’s a problem.

As electricity prices go negative, the golden state is struggling to offload a glut of solar power.

In sunny California, solar panels are everywhere. They sit in dry, desert landscapes in the Central Valley and are scattered over rooftops in Los Angeles’s urban center. By last count, the state had nearly 47 gigawatts of solar power installed — enough to power 13.9 million homes and provide over a quarter of the Golden State’s electricity.

But now, the state and its grid operator are grappling with a strange reality: There is so much solar on the grid that, on sunny spring days when there’s not as much demand, electricity prices go negative. Gigawatts of solar are “curtailed” — essentially, thrown away.

In response, California has cut back incentives for rooftop solar and slowed the pace of installing panels. But the diminishing economic returns may slow the development of solar in a state that has tried to move to renewable energy . And as other states build more and more solar plants of their own, they may soon face the same problems.

“These are not insurmountable challenges,” said Michelle Davis, head of global solar at the energy research and consulting firm Wood Mackenzie Power and Renewables. “But they are challenges that a lot of grid operators have never had to deal with.”

Solar power has many wonderful properties — once built, it costs almost nothing to run; it produces no air pollution and generates energy without burning fossil fuels. But it also has one major, obvious drawback: The sun doesn’t shine all the time.

Over 15 years ago, researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory were in the midst of modeling a future with widespread solar power when they noticed something strange. With lots of solar power on a given electricity grid, the net load — or the demand for electricity minus the renewable energy — would take on a “U” shape. Sky-high demand in the morning would be replaced by almost zero demand in the middle of the day, when solar power could generate virtually all electricity people needed. Then as the sun set, demand surged up again.

California’s grid operator, known as CAISO, later dubbed this effect the “ duck curve .” (If you squint, you can imagine the curve as the belly of a duck.) It’s most prominent in the spring months, when solar panels get plenty of sunshine but there is less demand for heating and cooling.

In recent years in California, the duck curve has become a massive, deep canyon — and solar power is going unused. In 2022, the state wasted 2.4 million megawatt-hours of electricity, 95 percent of which was solar. (That’s roughly 1 percent of the state’s overall power generation in a year, or 5 percent of its solar generation.) Last year, the state did that in just the first eight months.

Clyde Loutan, principal for renewable energy integration at CAISO, says that the state has long been prepared for more solar on the grid. But, he added, “We drastically underestimated the speed at which residential solar was going to come in.”

Curtailing solar isn’t technically difficult — according to Paul Denholm, senior research fellow at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, it’s equivalent to flipping a switch for grid operators. But throwing away free power raises electricity prices.

It has also undercut the benefits of installing rooftop solar. Since the 1990s, California has been paying owners of rooftop solar panels when they export their energy to the grid. That meant that rooftop solar owners got $0.20 to $0.30 for each kilowatt-hour of electricity that they dispatched.

But a year ago, the state changed this system, known as “net-metering,” and now only compensates new solar panel owners for how much their power is worth to the grid. In the spring, when the duck curve is deepest, that number can dip close to zero. Customers can get more money back if they install batteries and provide power to the grid in the early evening or morning.

The change has sparked a huge backlash from Californians and rooftop solar companies, which say that their businesses are flagging. Indeed, Wood Mackenzie predicts that California residential solar installations in 2024 will fall by around 40 percent. Some state politicians are now trying to reverse the rule.

“Under the CPUC’s leadership California is responsible for the largest loss of solar jobs in our nation’s history,” Bernadette del Chiaro, the executive director of the California Solar and Storage Association, said in a statement referring to California’s public utility commission.

But experts say that it reflects how the economics of solar are changing in a state that has gone all-in on the technology.

“You don’t want the utility or the grid operator to be overpaying for power when they don’t have to,” Davis said.

Other states, which have been slower to adopt solar, are starting to experience the same thing. Nevada, which generates 23 percent of its power from solar, has also seen deepening duck curves. Hawaii, which has thousands of homes with rooftop solar, has cut down on the payments those households get from the grid.

Beyond the sunny West, many states are still trying to ramp up rooftop solar power and extend its reach beyond affluent households. The Biden administration announced $7 billion in grants this week to provide rooftop solar to 900,000 low-income households.

California grid operators hope that their experience will teach other states what to expect as renewables grow. “The problem we’re seeing out West — nobody else has seen this,” Loutan said.

Solar can still grow in California. In the summer, when high air conditioning use strains the grid, solar can be useful even in the middle of the day. Denholm says that as solar continues to drop in price, installing solar that is curtailed regularly can still be cost-effective. “Throwing away some amount of renewable energy can absolutely make economic sense,” he said.

But California’s grid operator still hopes to avoid it if at all possible. Loutan called it “one of the last things we want to do.”

To cope, CAISO is selling some excess power to nearby states; California is also planning to install additional storage and batteries to hold solar power until later in the afternoon. Transmission lines that can carry electricity to nearby regions will also help — some of the lost power comes from regions where there simply aren’t enough power lines to carry a sudden burst of solar.

Denholm says the state is starting to take the steps needed to deal with the glut. “There are fundamental limits to how much solar we can put on the grid before you start needing a lot of storage,” Denholm said. “You can’t just sit around and do nothing.”

More on climate change

Understanding our climate: Global warming is a real phenomenon , and weather disasters are undeniably linked to it . As temperatures rise, heat waves are more often sweeping the globe — and parts of the world are becoming too hot to survive .

What can be done? The Post is tracking a variety of climate solutions , as well as the Biden administration’s actions on environmental issues . It can feel overwhelming facing the impacts of climate change, but there are ways to cope with climate anxiety .

Inventive solutions: Some people have built off-the-grid homes from trash to stand up to a changing climate. As seas rise, others are exploring how to harness marine energy .

What about your role in climate change? Our climate coach Michael J. Coren is answering questions about environmental choices in our everyday lives. Submit yours here. You can also sign up for our Climate Coach newsletter .

• Pollution fueling a sex imbalance among endangered green sea turtles November 26, 2023 Pollution fueling a sex imbalance among endangered green sea turtles November 26, 2023
• This Fox News host gives climate skeptics airtime but went solar at home October 25, 2023 This Fox News host gives climate skeptics airtime but went solar at home October 25, 2023
• How humans have altered the Earth enough to start a new chapter of geologic time June 20, 2023 How humans have altered the Earth enough to start a new chapter of geologic time June 20, 2023