Last Updated on March 31, 2020 by Candy Wafford

We all want to have awesome travel experiences and enjoy travel, right? But sometimes that doesn’t always happen. Read on for some of my best travel tips to truly enjoy travel!

Plan, Plan, Plan

One of the best ways to have a safe trip and enjoy your vacation is to plan, plan, plan. Knowing what to expect, where to go, what to do and not do will help decrease any travel anxiety and increase your confidence. You can over plan and I try to apply a just-right approach to trip planning.

Planning doesn’t have to mean creating a minute-by-minute itinerary. It can also include research so that you are prepared to hit the ground running when you reach your destination. Knowing how to get to and from the airport, how trains operate, how to use public transportation, local customs, etc. will help improve your travel experience.

When planning a trip, I use a variety of sources to prepare including travel blogs, travel sites, and friends recommendations. I find that vacation rental sites and owners are a great resource for information about getting around and what to do.

Enjoy Your Trip – Let Someone Else Plan the Logistics

Enjoying traveling can be much easier if you let someone else do the planning. I love to plan and organize our vacations. I truly enjoy planning and DIY vacations. But one of the best vacations we took was one where I used a travel agent in Costa Rica.

To enjoy vacation, sometimes it’s better to let an experienced travel agent plan the basics of your travel experience. Our agent planned our transportation to and from Costa Rica and our travel within the country. She also booked our hotels and our excursions. We still had opportunities to do our own thing, selecting where we would eat, etc. But the entire travel experience was so relaxed with us not having to worry if we were at the right place. And being picked up and dropped off at our hotels was a wonderful luxury.

Enjoy Travel – Do What You Want to Do

This is your vacation! Build your travel itinerary around your interests.  Most destinations will have a list of must-dos and must-sees. But don’t think you have to see and do all the “musts” in a location. 

When I visited Florence, I was told that I had to visit the Uffizi Gallery. I spent the biggest part of a day waiting in line and then viewing beautiful art. But it wasn’t the type of art I enjoy. I would have much rather been wandering the narrow streets of the city than doing something I didn’t really want to but felt I ‘had’ to.

After years of traveling, I’ve learned what types of activities I enjoy most. One of my favorite things to do when traveling is to try new foods. So I book a food tour on most trips. For you, you may enjoy spending most of your time outdoors. Whatever it is you enjoy, make sure that’s what you do and not what you think you should do.

The best way to enjoy your travels? Spend time doing the things that you want to do.

Be Open-Minded

I find the best travel experiences are the ones that I wasn’t expecting. Being open-minded to new people, foods, and activities will allow you to enjoy travel that much more. Letting go of what you expect a trip to look like and enjoying travel for the unexpected things it brings will improve your experience exponentially.

I wasn’t expecting to see so much wildlife on a trip to Costa Rica. Looking back on this incredible trip, my favorite things were watching birds while eating breakfast outside and stopping to watch families of monkeys scamper from tree to tree.

Naples, Italy can be overwhelming with all of the chaos that often defines this crowded and bustling city. But I found that by embracing the chaos I felt like I truly experienced the city. Again, going with the flow will help you enjoy traveling and have an awesome trip.

Take a Little Bit of Home With You

One simple way to enjoy travel more is to take a little piece of home with you. This can be a small candle in a favorite scent, your favorite PJs, or a small photo or item that reminds you of home. Bringing any medications you may need will also provide peace of mind in case you find yourself having an upset stomach or a case of the sniffles.

Many people struggle to enjoy vacation because they may be afraid they won’t find foods they like to eat. While I advocate for packing light as much as possible, packing some favorite snacks can provide peace of mind that you won’t starve.

Bring the Positive Vibes

Nothing can prevent you from enjoying a trip more quickly than be surrounded by negative energy. To truly enjoy travel stay away from negative energy as much as possible!

Traveling often brings out the worst in people and I find it’s usually a result of feeling anxious. Have a clear itinerary either on your phone or on old-school paper and share it with everyone in your group. Knowing what to expect can help settle travel jitters and improve the travel experience for everyone in your group.

Pack Smart

How to travel and enjoy your trip all starts at home. Packing smart starts your feet. There’s nothing worse than walking in uncomfortable shoes or worse, walking on blisters from wearing ill-fitting or inappropriate footwear. I recommend bringing two pairs of comfortable shoes that are appropriate for the activities you have planned. This will ensure that your attention is on the scenery around you and not on achy feet!

What other tips do you have for enjoying travel?

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