by Gordon Hamilton

Created on: May 11, 2009

Travel can on occasion be a long and stressful experience. If we are ill-prepared for travel or simply extremely unlucky, we can therefore arrive at our destination overly tired, irritable and certainly not in the mood to immediately begin enjoying what may well be a pleasure trip. There are many aspects of travel which we can have no control over in this respect but a little forward planning can ensure that we eliminate many of the risks in order to make travelling as easy as possible.

The first step in preparing for travel is to ensure that we have everything with us which we require and that we carry it in the correct fashion. All documentation such as tickets and passport, for example, should be carried securely on our person at all times and never packed away in what is to become hold luggage. We should carry it in such as an internal zipped pocket or even a money belt around our waist, to ensure easy access for ourselves but eliminate as far as possible theft or simple loss.

We should plan to set out in plenty of time for our journey when travelling. We must take in to account such as potential traffic problems on the way to the airport, problems at check-in, security being extra vigilant and therefore busy. All of these factors and more can leave us pressed for time and cause us undue stress and difficulty which earlier arrival at the airport would have eliminated.

We should dress sensibly when travelling. It is all very well to wish to look our best at all times but we have to be practical in this respect. One example of this would be sensible shoes for ladies as opposed to stiletto heels when perhaps facing a long and brisk walk through an airport terminal. Another example may be high, lace-up boots which will be required to be removed when passing through security. A little bit of thought here can make travelling so much easier.

In order to make travelling a little bit easier on the pocket, we may wish to take such as sandwiches to the airport with us. Airport prices can of course be extortionate and frequently for - at best - sub-standard food and drink. We should be conscious of the fact that we may not be able to take food or particularly drink through security with us but taking supplies to feed a family of four prior to passing through this stage could conceivably present a significant saving.

The best way of all, however, to make travelling easier is to consider what has caused us problems in the past. Where have we experienced difficulty that may have been eliminated had we prepared differently. By considering this factor and all of the above, we can hopefully come up with an action plan for making our own travel that much easier on the next occasion.

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