What If You Don't Even Like the Travel Part of Travel?

People love to say that the journey is more important than the destination. That might be the case with life, but not when you have to suffer through long flights and tedious layovers. Wanting to skip this part is perfectly understandable. However, until teleportation becomes a real-life thing, you’ll have to make do with making the actual travel part of the trip bearable.

It might not be possible to make 12-hour flights and the accompanying logistics fun, but you can definitely make them less stressful, more predictable, and comfortable. Here’s how!

Flights Are Uncomfortable and Exhausting

Flying is an exercise in endurance and how much abuse your body can handle, especially when traveling long-distance. Everything from the very air in the cabin to cramped conditions can make you more tired when you land than you were when taking off, even if you’ve slept on the flight.

The trick is to expect and plan for discomfort. For example, wear layered clothing so you can add or take away layers depending on how close you are to the AC. Also, noise-canceling headphones or earplugs and an eye mask will be invaluable for catching some Zs on your own terms.

Don’t forget to regularly get up and walk the aisle, and do some in-seat exercises to keep your blood flowing. You don’t want to rely on the airline’s meal schedule, either. Have some protein bars or other snacks at hand to keep your stomach from protesting too much.

You’re Trapped with Little to Do

Few things make a stressful flight worse than the horror of realizing you’ll be stuck staring at the back of a seat for 8+ hours without distractions. Since in-flight entertainment options can be flaky, it’s a good idea to put together a “distraction kit.”

Bring a paperback you’ve always wanted to tackle, update your music library with albums you ordinarily don’t have time to listen to, or load up some movies and TV shows to catch up with. Some may even want to take advantage of the flight’s free Wi-Fi, and figure out how to watch the English Premier League while traveling, since free streams aren’t always available in every location. You can technically do all of it over the onboard connection, given that the connection is decent enough.

Layovers are Energy Vampires

Layovers suck no matter how you slice it. Long ones can feel like wasted time, while short ones turn into mad scrambles for the next boarding gate more often than not. If you know how long the layover will last, you can make plans that make the most of it.

Short layovers leave no time for shopping or wandering the concourse. It’s best to head to your gate straight away and make yourself comfortable.

Treating long layovers like mini-vacations is the trick to making them fly by. Some airports are worth exploring on their own, and you might even have time to tour the city. Take some time to unwind and mentally prepare, even if you don’t feel like leaving the airport. A lounge day pass will give you access to a quiet place to shower, have a meal, relax, or work. This lets you recharge and tackle the next leg of the journey feeling refreshed.

It’s Easy for Transfers to Go Wrong

Getting from one plane to another or from the airport to your hotel involves a surprising number of moving parts. The uncertainty this breeds is enough to make anyone nervous, let alone someone whose job or hard-earned vacation time depends on making a connection.

Research lets you prevent anxiety and take control. Before traveling, check exactly which terminals you’ll be arriving at and departing from, whether you’ll undergo extra security and immigration checks, and if you need to re-check your luggage. Try to make the tightest connection but plan for delays.

You Land with No Reliable Internet in Sight

The moment you set foot inside your destination airport is arguably when you need good internet the most. You have to sort transportation out, download local maps, and let everyone back home know you arrived safely, all while navigating a giant, unfamiliar space with luggage in tow.

Say you’re planning a Euro trip, then getting an eSIM for Europe is your best bet — and will make you forget about any connectivity worries you’ve ever had. The plan kicks in as soon as you land, and the eSIM uses local mobile networks, so you don’t need to track down or risk using Wi-Fi. eSIMs are even more convenient if your trip involves touring several countries since you can just select a regional plan and remain connected as you travel.

You’re Expected to Function as Soon as You Land

Similarly, touching down puts you on the spot and into decision-making mode. How can you reach your hotel? What should you eat and where? What documents or reservations will you need access to first?

While you can’t address every small decision that will inevitably crop up, you can make many of them before departure. Take notes, arrange your belongings so that the most useful ones are easiest to reach, and make as many necessary arrangements as possible beforehand. Don’t forget to account for jet lag; keep activities on arrival day to a minimum and try to stay awake until evening to sync your internal rhythm with your destination’s time faster.