Holiday should be that time of the year when we feel no stress at all. Either you are up to an exciting holiday or a relaxing one, stress and anxiety should be out of the package. Still, we know so well that isn't always the case.
It's actually quite common among travelers to feel uncomfortable during the holidays. Travel is not so easy, it means to carry your whole life in another place for a short period of time, and the pitfalls are around every corner.
For this reason, we decided to write a short list to help you to avoid most common problems.
1. Check for tickets online in advance
Do you know we live in the 3rd millennium, right? Many activities in our life can be done on the internet, and some of them should be done. This is true for tedious bureaucracy paperwork and for museums and attractions as well. Of course, usually places of interests have standard box office to buy tickets, but you can end up paying different prices, making poor choices about the kind of tour you like and even not find a slot for yourself.
Doing the research in advance on the internet, where you are home or in the hotel, can save you a lot of time and discomfort.
2. Study airport guidelines
Here we are, the terror of many travelers: the airport and its unforgiving rules!
Nowadays airports are strictly organized due to security reasons and it's easy to become a victim of this or that rule. Be prepared, study on the internet the guidelines of the airport, paying particular attention to the time schedule, the dimension of hand luggage and what you can carry over the plane, like liquids and sharp objects.
This will save you from nasty last-minute surprises.
3. Learn how to pack efficiently
Packing is an art, and we all should learn it. There are a lot of tricks to save space and pack your things most rationally. Check some video on youtube to draw inspiration! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua0MfyjtZxw)
Clearly, make a list of all things you need and check two times before leaving. But, if you missed something, don't allow this little inconvenience to ruin your mood. A phone charger, a toothbrush, a shampoo: the common things-you-are-going-to-forget are cheap and easy to find once you arrived at your destination.
Take the high road and don't think about it again.
4. Collect information on the city, studying maps and routes
Yeah, "have an adventure" is exciting and if you are one who likes to get lost and walk a lot, you can skip this point. But everyone else should be prepared to the new place they are going to live in. There are so many little mistakes you can do moving around in a new town, like take the metro or the bus when your destination is in a walking distance or get fooled by some cab driver who goes by the longest route.
Once again, luckily we live 3rd millennium, so it's simple to gather this kind of information. Google maps and similar apps can show you precisely where you are and the best route to take. Besides, remember to ask for tips to your hotel front desk and other info sources (and if you know or get to know a local, you are airtight!
5. Look for skip-the-line tickets
Do you know about this ultimate utility? It's not a cheat! Many free museums, place of interests and tourist attractions, in general, have this little secret: two different lines, the regular one, long and exhausting, and another one, short and fast. How did those people end up in the right one?
They bought something like an audio guide tour on the internet! Usually, for a really reasonable price, you can kill two birds with one stone: get a well-informed tour and jump the terrible queue.
Yes, free-of-charge monuments and museum are a blessing, we don't say anything about it. But, some of them come with really discouraging lines: 10€ or so can avoid you to waste half-day waiting and teach you a lot!