by Yzzy Quarker

Created on: January 19, 2009

Preparation, a positive outlook, and a sense of humor are key ingredients to stress-free travel. Whether you are traveling for business or pleasure, there is genuine value in being prepared, expecting the best to happen, and going with the flow if things do not run smoothly. Some of the best vacation experiences have happened in spite of planning rather than because of it. Even so, plan. The secret is to know what you want from your time away from home; the trick is to make it happen.

Once you have decided where you will be going you will need information. With the goal of figuring out how to get the most from your vacation with the least amount of aggravation, ask yourself and your traveling companions some pertinent questions beginning with: How will you get there? Where will you stay? How will you get around? What will you want to see and do while there? Write it all down, refer to it often. With as much information in hand as possible you will be able to plan a stress-free vacation. Following the examples of Santa and Monk, I make a list and check it obsessively.

There are lots of little things that must be done to ensure a smoothly running vacation. For example, if you are not driving, how will you get to and from the airport/train/bus terminal? How many people in your group? How much luggage will you be dragging? Planning reliable transportation to and from the terminal is vital if you want to avoid the stress of being late for a departure and the anxiety of waiting for a ride home.

When you arrive at your destination do you want to be in a luxury hotel or a self-catering apartment with a kitchen, washer and dryer? Evaluate the needs of your group. I prefer an apartment where I have a refrigerator for leftovers, a coffeemaker so I can have coffee before I set out for the day and, most important of all, a key to my own front door so I truly feel like a local. My daughter prefers starred hotels with everything she needs close at hand, including shopping, restaurants, and swimming pools.

What will you do while there? What do your companions want to do? These are important questions. The answers, and how they are considered, can make or break a vacation. A born shopaholic and a museum browser may not want to vacation together without a clear understanding of how this difference will be handled; an understanding reached before a dime is paid toward the vacation.

Adults traveling together would be wise to discuss their expectations clearly with each other. Some

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