Travel can be stressful, or it can be very simple and enjoyable. I travel frequently for work and pleasure (usually both combined) and have learned that when I have less to worry about, I have a much better trip.
That includes less stuff in my suitcase and fewer items on my calendar.
This guide to simple travel will help you see the world with less stress, and more love.
Identify the stress.
Before you get caught up in worry or anxiety about traveling, clearly identify what’s stressing you out. If you are worried about oversleeping and missing your flight, or arriving to your destination without the right shoes, write it down. From serious to silly fears, seeing your stressors clearly listed on paper removes the drama and mystery. If you feel anxious before a trip, instead of thinking “travel makes me nervous or anxious,” you can see what’s really bothering you and address it.
Simplify your itinerary.
If you feel compelled to see and do everything when you travel, consider seeing and doing less. When your travel schedule is more hectic than your regular schedule, you don’t get a chance to really enjoy your destination.
Build in blocks of time to rest each day and choose activities that inspire and interest you over the things you think you should do.
Simplify your suitcase.
One time, I went to Mexico for a week and brought at least 5 pairs of shoes. I wore flip-flops every single day. If you tend to over pack, experiment and …
- only pack for 1/2 the trip: If you are traveling for a week, pack for 3 or 4 days. If you are concerned about having clean clothes, you can hand wash and dry items as you go, or find a local laundromat. No one will notice you are wearing the same things.
- create a travel capsule wardrobe: stick with similar colors, and instead of an aspirational wardrobe, pack clothes you will actually wear. I roll my clothes so they all fit nicely in a carry-on without getting too wrinkled.
- only bring what you can comfortably carry: save time, money, and mental energy by only bringing what you can carry. Don’t check bags, or fill every available space you have with stuff. Think about moving lightly through the world.
Unless you are traveling to a remote destination, if you really need something, you can probably buy or borrow it. You’ll likely discover you need much less than you think.
Live like a local.
Instead of a pricy hotel, find an apartment through Airbnb. I’ve stayed in Airbnb rentals in Paris, Sydney, Arezzo, Austin, and NYC. While I usually rent an entire home, I have done some house sharing too. I’ve always had a great experience and love having a kitchen and staying in a neighborhood I like. It feels more like a home away from home.
If you sign up for Airbnb using this link, or any of the ones above, we both earn credits towards a future stay. Airbnb offers a great selection of unique homes and lovely locations.
Extend your trip.
This might not always be possible, but if you can extend your trip for one day, do it. Don’t make plans on the extra day, but instead just see what happens. You’ll head home feeling more relaxed, and may be surprised by simply letting the day unfold.
Connect with a local.
Locals enjoy showing you what they love about their cities and they also appreciate a chance to see it through your eyes. If you don’t know someone, ask other locals you interact with what they love about where they live.
Capture your experience.
By the end of a trip, it can be hard to remember what you loved best. Keep a daily journal and jot down the places you visit, favorite new foods, and other things to remind you about what made you smile. Taking pictures will help too, but writing down stories about your adventures is a great way to reflect on the day and encourage even more adventure in your life.
Use public transportation.
If you visit a place with public transportation, give it a try. Skip a rental car, and walk, or take a bus or train.
Take care of yourself.
It’s easy to over-do it while traveling. Prioritize your health and well-being by getting plenty of rest. Carry water and snacks for exploring, and maintain some of your healthy habits, even if you don’t stick to a regular routine. Feeling good makes everything simpler.
With the Tiny Wardrobe Tour, and plans to travel with my family this year, I’ll be visiting somewhere new almost every month. The best way to ensure I don’t feel rundown or overwhelmed from traveling so much is to keep things really simple.
I’d rather enjoy a few memorable experiences than check off a list of things I am supposed to do or see when I travel. If that means no museums or extensive sightseeing in exchange for finding my wings or being surrounded by love, I’ll make that trade every time.
Hi, Courtney!
You have great ideas listed. One thing that I would add would be to spend some time each day reflecting on what happened that day. Some trips, I took along those hard-covered composition books. Not only would I write, I would tape in receipts and other small items. Now that I have a blog, I take photos and make notes about what I want to include when I get a chance to write. It’s a way of reliving and evaluating what I’ve experienced.
Great tips and photos! I also like to recommend connecting with locals. It’s something I try to do when traveling. Locals know the best places to be and it’s usually in less touristy areas, which can be nice if looking for something low key.
My husband and I have made it a family goal to travel all 50 states before our children graduate high school (they are 6 and 10). Two years ago we took a road trip visiting 14 states in 18 days. We kept a journal, only chose a few key spots to visit, ate at local restaurants and took our time despite a 5,600 mile road trip. This summer we plan to travel to 12 states in the Mid-west with only 1 small luggage for each of us. I look forward to part 2 of your travel guide.
Don’t miss OKC! Come visit me at Life.Church central offices in Edmond and I’ll tell you where all the great restaurants and parks are. My family is shooting for all 50 too. Checked of Alaska last year!
Good timing. I’m heading out for a two-week stay in a cabin on Lake Huron next month. Fellow knitters and crocheters, hurrah! I chose the extended option so I could have a truly relaxing holiday. But I have been stressing out on things like how am I going to grocery shop for my share of the food since I’m flying. And, surprisingly, I’ve been stressing over clothes and stuff to pack. Reading your post helped me take a breath and focus on the purpose of this trip and the joy I’ll have spending time with fellow yarn enthusiasts- not on worrying that three shirts won’t be enough. Thank you.
Great tips! We traveled across Europe with our two teenage daughters last year and did many of these things. Traveling light made such a difference. I really had to convince my girls but they were so happy they did during our trip.
We went on a three week road trip to the U.S. last year, and we made it a point to pack for only one week. We each took a small bag and one carry-on, it was sheer delight to “haul” the clothes into and out of motel rooms, and we had great fun visiting laundromats in CA and OR.
Great ideas, planning 3-4mont excursion NW,W then down CA coast…always pack too much, will try your suggestions!
Great tips, Courtney. I especially like where you talked about simplifying your itinerary and suitcase. We have a tendency to pack too much in our schedule and suitcase, which causes us to work more on our vacations and enjoy them less.
As a minimalist who is currently in the middle of a 7 month round the world trip – I can say this post is definitely spot on! I’m travelling carry on only and I can’t even imagine how difficult it would be to have more luggage. You definitely think differently about your stuff when you are always CARRYING IT! The tips about slowing down, taking care of yourself, and using Airbnb are some of my biggest tips as well. Thanks for sharing 🙂
When we went to London for two weeks and were met at the plane by a guy with an electric cart is was fun to see him respond to us not needing to go to baggage claim. He’s asked us if we were American. He asked us how long we were there for. He asked agin didn’t we need to go to baggage claim. That was the trip where I discovered laundromats are a good place to meet the locals because neither of you is leaving until the clothes are done.
Love this! I take a notecard for each day I’ll be gone and write down about my day. I agree – taking much less & not checking a bag lets me focus more on our adventures.
Another great thing about Air BnB is that you usually have access to a washing machine. We have moved to travelling with carry on only, even for trips as long as 6 weeks. The first thing I pack is my elastic travel clothesline. I can always find two points to stretch it between, and it allows me to take far fewer clothes. I would never go back to checking in a bag. Love your work, Courtney.
Perfect timing! I leave next week for a 2 week transatlantic cruise, and I’ve told family I’m carrying only a backpack & small carry-on. They don’t believe me, but thanks to your articles & my new “living with less” mantra, I know I can do it & it will be very liberating!
When planning my itinerary, I like to look at my ‘must-see’ vs ‘want to see’ as far as sites and then plan the length of my stay based on that. I hate to visit a place and feel like I don’t have enough time to see everything that’s really important to me. I’ve been doing this for awhile and I always have enough time to fit everything in without feeling stressed about time.
I just got back from a trip to Southern California to visit my daughter. My goal was to be able to pack just a carry on type bag. This caused me some stress leading up to the vacation because I never before brought a small suitcase when I traveled. But it worked. It really worked. And I was actually proud of myself. I CAN travel lighter!!! Now I will focus on the other items on the list, with a little song in my step!
When we first got married, almost 48 years ago, our goal was to visit every National Park in the USA. There are about 56 parks and we have seen 49 of them. Each trip we pack less stuff and take fewer suitcases. We now each have one carry on bag and one camera bag. It is so freeing! Keeping track of luggage used to be a big hassle, as I was always afraid we would lose something vital. Now we are stress free.
I love these ideas – and I’m packing for a trip to Europe tonight, so thank you for the encouragement to bring fewer things & know it will be okay. One thing I’d add is – do normal stuff while you’re gone! Hitting up a grocery for snacks, brewing your own coffee – these take the pressure off to be constantly on the go and help me feel more at home on the road.