How to have a stress free holiday

Travelling in general can be a stress-filled experience, but holidaying with youngsters or in groups can be almost double the amount of stress. Discounted parking at Heathrow, or a concierge service in Stansted can all make a difference to your travels, so we’ve decided to gather some of the best ways to minimise the stress of holidaying.

Book a room at the airport

If you’re travelling with small children or know that you are notoriously bad for getting up early in time for an early morning flight, consider getting a room at the airport if you live a distance away. Getting a room next to the airport could get you another hour or so in bed, even when you have to be at the airport two hours earlier, and it can cut out stressful travelling with small children and heavy bags. If you start looking for deals about two weeks or so before your flight, you’ll find plenty of deals for single nights in a hotel that won’t cost you a small fortune.

Plan your holiday

Planning everything from how you’re going to get to and from the airport, and what you’ll do when you arrive in your destination, and what activities you intend to do once you’re there. Working out this kind of information will save the frustration of having to try and search online on your mobile for taxi phone numbers, or which number bus goes to your hotel. Having even a small idea of what you want to do during your holiday can save you the same trouble, and help you make the most of your time.

Check in online

Most airlines offer the opportunity for online check-in, though it’s important to time it right. If you leave it too late, you could find yourself split from your family around the plane if your flight hasn’t allowed you to book a seat prior to your journey. Checking in early can mean that you get the better seats on the plane if they assign one for you.

Coping with Travelling

Whether it’s the wait at the airport, or the flight itself, you can find yourself spending a lot of time just sitting around, and with children that can be the most stressful part of your entire trip. Most airports offer you the chance to buy a pass into one of their lounges, which can offer you free drink, snacks, and sometimes entertainment and play facilities for children. However, this can be quite expensive, so it could be worth simply finding a restaurant and getting a meal instead.

On the flight, consider bringing colouring, Play-Doh or other crafty items for children, as recent research by British Airways has found that children are more likely to stay entertained by being provided with those kind of items compared to a Gameboy or an iPad – at least, in kids aged 2-5.

Dealing with complaints

When we travel, our emotions can be at an all-time high. We’ve excited to go, nervous about what we’ll find, but ultimately overjoyed to finally be getting a break. This can all add to overreacting when you come across an issue at your hotel. Stop. Breathe. Look at the problem again. Is it something that is going to ruin your entire holiday? Is it something that isn’t really a problem at all? If the problem is an actual, legitimate concern, then making a complaint so the problem can be fixed is just as important as not overreacting.