6 ways to reduce stress when booking a holiday.

Holidays are supposed to be fun, but booking them can be far from enjoyable. You’ve got to sort out travel, accommodation, packing, currency and so on. To minimise the stress of such tasks, read our top tips:

1. Do your research.

As the saying goes, fail to prepare and prepare to fail. The best way of reducing stress is to do plenty of research on where you want to stay. When you’ve narrowed down a few options, some of the details you might want to find out include:
• Average temperatures for the month you’re travelling;
• Best local restaurants;
• How far you’ll have to travel for attractions;
• What local amenities there are– e.g. a pharmacy.

2. Book transfers to your accommodation.

When you arrive on holiday, you typically don’t know a lot about the country you’re in. As the Secret Traveller says, “the flight was long, you’re tired, and there’s a manic scrum of touts and drivers in the arrivals hall, all yelling for your custom.” You don’t even know how much a cab should cost you. To avoid such stress, pre-book a transfer to your accommodation and get the welcome you deserve.

3. Check your wardrobe.

Start thinking about your destination and what you’ll need early on. If you’re going somewhere warm, have you got beach towels and a swimming costume that fits? If you’re going skiing, are you going to take your own equipment or hire some when you’re out there? Knowing what you need ahead of time means you can spread the stress of shopping out, rather than doing it in a last-minute rush.

4. Manage your money.

As sudden changes in your account activity can cause banks to freeze your account, always give them a call and let them know where you’re travelling. Also, make a note of the number that you can call from overseas in case your card is lost or stolen.

Need cash abroad? Making a withdrawal from an ATM is generally the easiest and cheapest way to get cash abroad – before you do, read what the Independent Traveller says about ATMs.

5. Remember to take care of yourself.

The last thing you want is to fall ill before a holiday. Getting yourself all stressed is a sure way of increasing the changes of that happening. It’s important to stick to a healthy diet and not make any alternations before your trip, as well as giving yourself plenty of time to relax to ensure you’re feeling 100%.

6. Buy a local guidebook.

If you’ve done all your preparation and you’re still finding it hard to relax, why not treat yourself to a guide? Not only will you give yourself a chance to get in the mood for your holiday, it will be something to read whilst you’re waiting for your flight. It’s one of Hello magazine’s tips for reducing the stress of going on holiday – check out the others here.

How do you keep calm when booking a holiday? Share your recommendations with us.