The 1 Thing Travel Experts Always Do To Avoid Vacation Stress

Even the best-planned vacations almost always meet with at least a small dose of stress—it just comes with the territory. Whether it’s a delayed flight, a missing swimsuit, or the dreaded hotel lobby wait after a brutal overnight flight, unexpected hiccups are part of the travel experience.

But seasoned pros know that small habits can go a long way in making trips run more smoothly.

We asked travel advisors, frequent fliers, and industry insiders to share the one habit that keeps their own journeys from devolving into chaos. Their tried-and-true tricks range from clever packing hacks to money-saving strategies and simple mindset shifts. Consider adopting a few before your next trip for smoother sailing, flying, and driving.

Pack A Mini “Fix-It” Kit

Becca Santos, a travel advisor based in Washington, D.C., swears by keeping a tiny emergency kit in her personal bag. “Include safety pins, a few Band-Aids, a stain removal pen, a small sewing kit, and a travel-size pain reliever,” she suggests.

These little items have solved surprisingly common problems for her clients, like a broken strap, a small tear in clothing, or even a coffee spill mid-flight. “Having solutions at your fingertips prevents minor issues from becoming major stress points,” Santos explains.

Keep Essentials Ready To Go

Renee Dalo, a coach and speaker who logs about 100 travel days a year, says the secret is in her toiletry bag. “I never unpack my toiletry bag, which is saying a lot considering I like to travel with quite a bit,” she admits. By buying duplicates of her favorite products, she always has a kit packed and ready, avoiding the dreaded last-minute drugstore run.

Morgan Montgomery, co-owner of Paisley & Jade, a boutique events rental company that takes her all over the Southeast, takes a similar approach with clothing. She always tosses a bathing suit in her bag, no matter the destination. “Then, I never have to worry if I need one or not, because I always have it,” Montgomery says. And as an added bonus, she says, “A bikini top makes a great backup bra if you have a wardrobe malfunction mid-trip!”

Outwit Airline Glitches

Technology makes travel easier … until it doesn’t. That’s why Todd Burke, vice president of communications for Visit Greater Palm Springs, has a system to safeguard against app meltdowns. “I always screenshot my mobile boarding pass,” he explains. “There have been times when a seat magically disappears or the airline’s app is glitchy, and the image of the original boarding pass has literally saved the day.”

Burke also takes one extra precaution before heading through security: snapping a quick photo of his checked bag after the agent attaches the baggage tag. If it goes missing, he has proof of both the tag and the bag’s description.

Build Money-Saving Habits

For George Morgan-Grenville, founder of the luxury travel company Red Savannah, avoiding chaos often comes down to avoiding unnecessary fees. The Red Savannah CEO always carries a Revolut card when traveling internationally. “This enables one not only to withdraw, but also pay in local currency without the addition of foreign exchange fees,” he says. The card is easy to use, comes with an excellent app, and saves him “a small fortune” on the exorbitant charges that banks and credit card companies typically add.

Check The Conditions Twice

Kevin Jackson, co-founder of EXP Journeys, relies on his guiding background to keep trips smooth. He and his team always check the weather forecast two days in advance to prepare for potential storms or rain. “If so, I try to adjust what makes sense to avoid cancellations,” he explains. They also look for closures that might derail an itinerary, whether it’s a road washed out or a national park temporarily off-limits. “For example, if you were headed to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon this summer, you needed to reroute due to the fires in the area,” Jackson says.

Master The Packing List

Sometimes the simplest tool—like a packing list—can be the most powerful. Autumn Enoch, founder of Equinochs Consulting, has perfected her Notes app list over years of travel. She includes not just what to bring but also reminders of where to pack certain things (like putting a sleep mask in the carry-on) and separate sections for different trip types.

She even uses it to track souvenirs so nothing gets left behind in a hotel or Airbnb. And before heading out the door, she follows her own pre-travel checklist, which includes cleaning her house. “It makes coming home a treat and a breeze,” she says.

Enoch also recommends downloading all transit apps in advance, from airline apps to regional taxi services, and fully charging every device before leaving. And as a self-professed coffee lover, she insists on figuring out the coffee situation in any destination before arrival: “If you can’t live without coffee in the morning, and especially if you’ll be dealing with jetlag, knowing where you’ll get it means one less scramble on day one.”

Think Way Ahead

Bryan Lewis, founder of Tenon Tours and a seasoned European travel expert, offered a laundry list of small habits that collectively keep his trips calmer. Among them:

Ask locals where to eat. Their picks rarely fail.
Pack an empty tote bag. It’s a lightweight way to haul souvenirs home.
Slip in bubble wrap sheets. They protect fragile purchases without taking up much space.
Book a pre-night hotel stay after overnight flights. It beats spending six to eight exhausted hours in a lobby waiting for your room.
Arrange airport transfers in advance. “You’ll be tired, maybe disoriented, and having someone meet you at the airport is priceless,” Lewis says.

Above all, he emphasizes flexibility. “Travel, no matter how well planned, can be unpredictable. If you go in with a mindset to expect the unexpected, it just might go smoother,” he notes. Indeed, flexibility is key above all else. A little preparation can make a trip smoother, but the adaptability to roll with the punches may be the true secret to a less chaotic journey.

Read the original article on Southern Living