How To have Stress-Free Travel during a pandemic
Pack the night before, wake up early and have breakfast, so you don’t feel hungry while on the road.
Take a smaller suitcase to avoid hassles at the airport security checkpoints. Flying with anxiety can be especially difficult if your carry-on is too heavy.
Look for flights scheduled near dawn or just after sunset to reduce exposure time with other passengers.
This also means it will take less time to fly, making arriving more manageable than when airports are jam-packed due to increased demand on departures (primarily international) for fear of arrival in affected areas. Busy airports may promote infection rates as flight delays may lead to undue stress, fuelling panic about exposure to COVID infection.
Stress-free travel by train
Stress-free travel by train sounds like a pipe dream, but it’s possible! The key is to avoid packing everything you own in your suitcase. Instead of bringing enough clothes for an extended stay, bring only what will fit comfortably into one or two carry-on suitcases.
It may seem inconvenient at first, but this strategy saves you time and money traveling by train because baggage fees can be pricey if checked luggage doesn’t make the trip with you.
Another way to reduce stress while traveling via rail? Stay up on current events that could affect train service across Europe and North America so that any delays won’t come as such a surprise when they happen.
The stress of getting on and off a train in Europe or the United States doesn’t have to be excessive. Millions of people travel by train each year, so you’re bound to run into delays or experience a change in plans at some point.
You can stress-proof your time spent on the rails by learning as much as possible about the train you intend to ride. Before leaving for a trip, learn about the route that your train travels, including when it stops and how long these stops typically last. If your journey includes a change of trains along the way, learn what types of delays might happen during this transfer.
What factors cause congestion at stations? Are there any crowded times of the year when trains might get backed up along the route? Train companies often don’t predict delays or cancellations, so you may need to stress-proof your trip by finding out everything you can about the train service along your route.