I am a nervous traveler, but I don’t let it stop me from having adventures. I’ve put together a list of nervous traveler tips that you can try if travel also gives you anxiety. Hopefully, these things will help lower your stress level when traveling!
1. Get a Seatbelt Extender – Nervous Traveler Tips
You can buy your own seat belt extender! If you’re someone that hates asking for one or just likes to be prepared and check things off of your list, just buy your own and bring it with you on the plane. Keep in mind that this extender may not work on an planes and all airlines. If a flight attendant asks you to switch to one of their seat belt extenders, please do so!
2. Take Photos of Things You’ll Worry About
I love this tip! Instead of constantly worrying if you turned the oven off, blew that candle out, or locked the door, just take a photo of all of those things after doing them. That way, when you start to worry you can just pull out your phone and double-check.
3. Buy a Pet Cam
Leaving your fur babies behind can be so stressful even if you’re leaving them with someone. If you’re leaving your babies with a friend or family, consider buying a pet cam that connects the video feed to your phone so that you can check in on them whenever you want.
4. Pack a Travel Charger – Nervous Traveler Tips
Just knowing that I have a travel charger on me eases my nerves. I keep mine in a little pouch in my purse with all of the charger cords I’ll need for the devices I’m bringing.
5. Dramamine and Melatonin
I have horrible motion sickness and don’t like flying very much, so I always have Dramamine (for motion sickness) and Melatonin gummies in my bag so that I can sleep through the flight easier.
6. Take a Flat Lay Photo of Your Luggage Contents
Take a flat lay photo of everything you’re packing before you load it into your bag or suitcase. This way you can check and make sure that everything you brought gets repacked when you leave. I always worry that I will leave something at a hotel or Airbnb and this has helped so much!
7. Make Restaurant Reservations
When I’m traveling, I often don’t realize that I’m hungry until it’s at hangry levels. I also heavily research the restaurants in the area I’m visiting and have specific places that I want to visit. I always make any reservations that I can to make sure that I won’t have to wait to be seated and don’t have to think or argue about where to eat when I’m hangry. You can always change or cancel reservations, so no worries if something doesn’t work out.
8. Create an Itinerary – Nervous Traveler Tips
I love having an itinerary! This helps with my travel anxiety so much. Having a loose plan makes me feel way more in control of my time and I know that I’ve made enough time for everything that I want to do during my trip. I try to keep my options open and remember that I can move things around and pick and choose if I want to drop something off of the schedule, and that’s so much easier to do when it’s all laid out for me.
9. Check Google Maps/Earth
Need to make sure there is parking? Want to check out the neighborhood where your Airbnb is? Want to know what’s near your hotel or within walking distance? Google Maps and Google Earth is my best friend! Being able to see what the streets and building faces look like is super helpful for me, especially when traveling. If I’m going to a museum or restaurant, I love being able to see what the building looks like and where the parking lot is before I go.
10. Take Screenshots of Important Documents
Take screenshots and photos of any tickets, boarding passes, etc. that you might need. I hate trying to pull up a ticket or QR code on my phone only to find that there’s no service or internet access. You can always pull up your photos app, so you don’t have to worry.
I hope these tips help calm your nervous travel energy!
XO Court