Make Travel Easier (14 moves for smoother sails)
Long lines, large heavy bags, security…that smell of jet lag after hours on an airplane. I love the adventure – but it can be a chore too. Luckily, there are ways to make travel easier.
This means making things as smooth and hiccup-free as possible.
Because while some things are totally out of your hands (like flight delays), there are some things you can do to take back control.
Easy travel is smart travel. And these are my top moves.
Now let’s get to it!
1. Make Check-In + Security A Breeze
Airports rarely feel simple. But making check-in and security as smooth as possible helps.
So this is where easy traveling starts – at the gates.
Here are my top moves to make check-in and going through security as seamless as possible:
Show up to the airport early
I’d rather wait around bored than rush around stressed
Aim for at least three hours early
Dress smart
Dress comfortably (loose clothes, good travel shoes, etc.)
Avoid jewelry or things you’ll need to take off at security
Pack your carry-on smart
Make electronics/computers easy to take out
Don’t pack anything that’ll cause extra investigation
Check in early on your phone
Consider applying for TSA PreCheck
Double check your international travel essentials
Wake up slow — opt for later flights
2. Ship Your Bags Beforehand
Let’s take the lug out of luggage.
Shipping your bags before you travel is a pro move and makes travel way easier. This means less hauling around heavy suitcases, sweating and sore shoulders.
One company that offers this service is Send My Bag.
With 4.6 out of 5 stars on TrustPilot (from nearly 20,000 reviews), they’re a trustworthy way to make your trip easier.
Alternatively, airports often have a concierge counter offering luggage delivery. This way, you can have your bags shipped directly to your hotel after arriving at your destination.
I’ve done this in Japan before and it definitely made things easier on me.
3. Travel Lighter + Simpler
Traveling lighter and simpler is the art of becoming a minimalist traveler.
And it’s a great way to make things easier.
The less stuff you bring, the less stuff you have to carry around and worry about. It’s just easier.
It also makes planning and packing easier (both before you leave and coming back home).
And if you’re a digital nomad, being able to pick up and go with the least amount of stuff possible is even more important.
So take stock of what you have and be brutally honest about what you actually need and don’t.
Besides, having extra space is good for souvenirs too.
Recommended: My Minimalist Travel Strategy
4. Avoid the Boredom of Long Flights + Layovers
Easy traveling means limiting those long-haul bouts of boredom.
This means having things to do to pass the time.
For example, I always have a creative travel project to work on while adventuring abroad. I tinker around on these projects at airports, on planes and while visiting my actual destinations.
They’re fun and add creativity and purpose to my traveling. But they also make long flights and layovers a lot easier.
Here are a few examples of things you can do during long flights or layovers:
Read
Journal or write
Binge-watch movies or shows
Do things that put you in flow to pass the time quicker
Recommended: What to Do During A Long Layover
5. Over-Budget for Your Trip
Running out of money is a surefire way to turn an easygoing trip into a stressful one.
That’s why I like to over-budget.
This means having more than enough money to cover all my expenses, including flights, food, accommodations and shopping or experiences.
And if you’re traveling full-time or for longer durations, having an exit plan is smart too. Usually, I like to have enough money to at least cover a flight back home.
So if I’m ever in a pinch, I know I’ve got a way out.
Also, it’s smart to carry some cash with you while traveling. Because things happen, ATMs break and it’s always best to have a backup payment option.
Being able to relax and enjoy your time while traveling will make your trip easier.
And love it or hate it, money is an important piece of that puzzle.
Recommended: Run Out of Money Abroad? (what to do)
6. Travel Slow + Don’t Overschedule
Trying to cram every experience into a small time frame isn’t fun.
That’s why I recommend slow traveling and keeping a flexible schedule.
Slow travel is mindful traveling that lets you connect with cultures and yourself more deeply. It’s more patient and relaxed. And traveling should be relaxing!
It’s also helpful to simply do easier things and stuff you actually enjoy doing.
Alternatively, if you can swing it, try to take longer (or more) trips. This gives you more time to take things slow, do what you want and actually settle in and relax.
But if nothing else, take things slow, do easier things and keep your schedule loose.
Recommended: How I Travel Slow
7. Choose the Most Convenient Airport
This isn’t always a problem, but sometimes larger cities will have multiple airports you can fly into.
In these cases, it’s (obviously) best to choose the one that’s closest to the city and/or your hotel.
For example, Tokyo has two main airports you can fly into – Haneda and Narita.
Haneda is way closer to central Tokyo and more convenient for most travelers (around 30 minutes by bus or train). But Narita takes ~1 hour by bus or 2+ hours by train to get to Tokyo station.
So do some digging before you buy your tickets. Sometimes there’s a cost difference, but it’s always worth exploring.
You can learn more about how to choose between two airports here.
8. Choose Convenient Accommodations
Even if all your other easy-traveling ducks are in a row, if your accommodations aren’t up to snuff, then it’ll make things harder.
So it’s smart to spend some time researching this part.
Ideally, for good accommodations, I like to check all of these boxes:
In a convenient and safe location
Has good reviews
Offers solid privacy
Has a decent price
If I’m staying somewhere for one month or more, I’ll usually grab a share house.
Otherwise, nearby hotels and AirBnBs work too.
9. Go To Travel-Friendly Places
Unless you’re an adventure traveler seeking epic discomfort or taking deep dives into cultural experiences (both of which are indeed awesome), easy traveling means choosing destinations that are more travel-friendly.
Travel-friendly locations are places and cultures with infrastructure that make it easy and safe for visitors to explore and get around.
Put another way, they’re tourist-friendly.
For example, countries with plenty of English signs, convenient transportation and safety are all signals of a tourist-friendly place.
This is why I like visiting Japan so much. It’s safe and incredibly easy to get around with their convenient train systems.
10. Avoid Travel Stressors
Sometimes, travel blunders are unavoidable. But often, you can avoid some of the more common “wrenches”.
Travel stressors are personal things that cause you stress while traveling, and they’re bottlenecks to easy traveling.
Also, your points of stress are probably totally different from someone else’s.
For example, I do great without much planning. I can embrace spontaneity and sort of just go with the flow. I actually prefer this type of travel.
But for someone else, this might create a lot of stress.
So you’ll need to do some self reflection to identify what your personal travel stressors are. Then, you can create custom workarounds or solutions for them (or ways to avoid them altogether).
Recommended: How I Keep Travel Stress-Free
11. Avoid Crowds (travel during shoulder season)
Shoulder season is the non-peak travel season for a destination.
And it’s a smart way to make travel easier.
Generally, traveling during shoulder season means less crowds, better deals and less competition for popular reservations.
While you’ll want to double check the weather and if certain attractions are closed during the off-season, it’s still a solid way to make your traveling less hectic and way easier.
12. Get Internet for Your Destination
Having access to the internet is crucial for easier travel (overseas).
Without the internet, you may not have access to things like Google Maps, translation apps and ways to hire a driver or check for train times and routes.
It’s so much easier to travel abroad with the internet. Luckily, it’s simple and just requires a little bit of planning.
I usually order an international SIM card online a couple weeks before I leave. But you can also just pick one up at most airports once you arrive at your destination (I’d double check the airport website where you’re flying in to be sure though).
Alternatively, you can call your phone carrier to see if they have an international coverage plan you can upgrade to (this is something I’ve done recently and it’s definitely more convenient).
But of course, both options work fine.
13. Plan Ahead for Individual Circumstances
If you have special circumstances (like traveling with pets or small children), then planning ahead will go a long way to make travel easier.
For example, needing extra legroom, requiring longer seat belts or getting priority seating so you can secure an overhead bin for your carry-on guitar all require a little extra care.
It never hurts to reach out to your airline with specific questions.
Half of making travel easy is planning ahead and knowing what special circumstances you may have.
14. Stay Open + Flexible
Staying flexible and learning how to go with the flow makes life easier. So naturally, this works for travel too.
Travel (like life) likes to throw curve balls. And staying adaptable means you won’t stress as much when surprises do pop up.
This makes things easier.
So here are a few quick tips for staying more flexible while you travel:
Practice being more chill
Leave room for spontaneity
Limit your expectations
Be happy with whatever the weather is doing
Also, getting travel insurance is another way to protect yourself from serious surprises. Luckily, there are plenty of affordable and flexible plans you can sign up for.
You can read my top picks (and what I use) for travel insurance here!
And that’s a wrap – easy travels out there!
Later ✌️
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