The holidays are all about food, friends and family. But if you’re hitting the road or hopping on a long flight, your back may not be celebrating.

“Traveling puts your body in positions it wasn’t designed for — long periods of sitting still with awkward posture,” says Mark Hornyak, MD, spine surgeon with Hartford HealthCare’s Ayer Neuroscience Institute. “That combination can really aggravate your neck and back if you’re not careful.”

Whether you’re flying across the country or driving to Grandma’s, try these tips to avoid back pain while traveling and keep your spine happy through the holidays.

1. Pack light

We’ve all been there – packing six outfits for each day of your trip, just to be safe. But dragging overstuffed luggage through airports is a recipe for disaster.

“Use rolling suitcases when you can, distribute weight evenly between bags and avoid carrying anything too heavy on just one side,” says Dr. Hornyak. “If you do need to lift, bend at your knees, not your waist.”

Planning ahead, like shipping gifts directly instead of cramming them into your suitcase, can do wonders for your spine – not to mention your headache.

2. Find supportive seating

Cars and planes are notoriously bad for your back, but bringing your own pillow can be a game changer.

“Bring a small pillow, travel cushion or even just a rolled-up sweater to support your lower back,” Dr. Hornyak suggests. “Always try to maintain your spine’s natural curve.”

Adjust your seat angle too — a slightly reclined position often feels better for long rides than sitting upright.

3. Don’t forget to stretchv

Think of travel like a workout for your spine — it needs a warm-up and cool-down. Skipping those steps makes it easier for stiffness to settle in.

“Take a few minutes to stretch your hamstrings, hips and back before you go, and again when you arrive,” says Dr. Hornyak. “These large muscle groups tend to tighten up when you’re sitting for a long time.”

Gentle yoga poses, like child’s pose or a seated twist, can help release tension.

4. Take movement breaks

Sitting for hours is one of the worst things for your back.

“On long drives, stop every hour or two to get out, walk around and stretch. On planes, stand in the aisle and move around when it’s safe,” Dr. Hornyak suggests.

If getting up isn’t possible, try seated exercises: roll your shoulders, flex and point your feet, or rotate your ankles to keep blood flowing. This can help prevent stiffness, reduce back pain while traveling, and make the rest of your journey more comfortable.

5. Watch your posture

Slouching might feel good, but it adds strain on your lower back and neck. Screens make this even worse – especially if you’re hunched over your phone to watch Netflix on a flight.

“Keep your shoulders back, feet flat and avoid craning your neck forward,” says Dr. Hornyak. “If you’re using a screen, hold it at eye level instead of looking down.”

Even making small adjustments — like shifting positions every so often — is one of the simplest ways to prevent back pain while traveling.

6. Stay hydrated

Water might be the last thing you think to pack for a long trip, but proper hydration makes a big difference.

“Dehydration can stiffen muscles and joints, making back pain worse,” Dr. Hornyak notes. “It also increases your risk of blood clots on long flights.”

Pack a refillable water bottle, and don’t rely on coffee or soda for hydration.

7. Get moving

Collapsing on the couch as soon as you arrive might be tempting — but it won’t help your spine.

“Stretch, walk around or do some light movement before you settle in,” says Dr. Hornyak. “Your body needs to shake off the stiffness from hours of sitting.”

Even five to ten minutes of activity can help reset your muscles and prevent soreness from lingering into the next day.

4 travel hacks for a happier spine

The holidays are stressful enough without back pain tagging along. Follow these easy steps to make your trip a little more comfortable.

1. Pack strategically. Instead of one heavy bag, split your belongings into two smaller, lighter ones.
2. Change your posture often. Don’t lock into one position — shift your weight, adjust your seat angle, and avoid crossing your legs for too long.
3. Choose the right snacks. Salty, processed snacks can lead to bloating and inflammation, which may make back pain worse. Bring fruit, nuts, or cut veggies instead.
4. Unwind when you land. A gentle walk or a few yoga stretches can help your spine recover from hours of sitting.

With a little planning, your trip can leave you with happy memories instead of an aching back.

Remember, small changes — like better posture, regular movement and light packing — go a long way to prevent back pain while traveling this holiday season.

Which country has the most islands in the world? Sweden leads with over 221,800 islands. Keep reading more about the largest islands in Sweden and the largest island on Earth.

Country With the most islands: Sweden has the most islands in the world, with more than 221,800 islands recorded. This is the highest number for any country on Earth. Most of these islands are uninhabited, but they shape Sweden’s coastline, tourism economy, and natural environment.

Country With Most Islands in the World

Sweden has 221,800+ islands, confirmed through detailed national mapping surveys. These include rocky islets, forest-covered islands, and long coastal chains. Sweden’s island distribution stretches from the Gulf of Bothnia to the Baltic Sea. The country’s archipelagos support fishing, transport routes, conservation zones, and recreational boating.

Why Does Sweden Have So Many Islands?

The islands formed due to glacial retreat at the end of the Ice Age. As glaciers melted, they carved the land into thousands of small fragments. Sweden’s long, indented coastline created natural archipelagos. Shallow coastal waters allowed even tiny islets to be counted. This geological history makes Sweden distinct in global island geography.

Stockholm Archipelago

The Stockholm Archipelago contains around 30,000 islands and is one of Europe’s largest archipelagos. The west coast features the Gothenburg Archipelago, known for fishing communities and marine reserves. Northern regions have rugged island clusters shaped by colder climates. These archipelagos are key travel destinations, wildlife habitats, and cultural zones.

Countries With High Island Counts

Finland ranks second with over 188,000 islands across coastal and lake regions. Norway has thousands of fjord islands created by dramatic glacial erosion. Canada features Arctic islands, lake islands, and large landmasses such as Baffin Island. These nations share similar cold-region glacial landscapes that produce extensive island systems.

Largest Islands in Sweden

Gotland is Sweden’s largest island, known for limestone formations, medieval sites, and agriculture. Öland comes next, linked to the mainland by a bridge and known for grasslands and UNESCO sites. Orust is another major island, supporting fishing industries and small towns. These islands have permanent populations and strong regional economies.

Interesting Facts About Islands

1. Sweden Has the Highest Island Count

Sweden’s 221,800+ islands make it the global leader. Data comes from precise geographic surveys that map even tiny landforms. These islands form natural barriers, tourist spots, and protected marine areas.

2. Most Swedish Islands Are Uninhabited

Fewer than 1,000 islands have residents. The rest remain natural landscapes with forests, rocks, and wildlife. This creates vast untouched coastlines that attract eco-tourism and research.

3. Finland Follows Closely in Island Numbers

Finland has more than 188,000 islands spread across lakes, rivers, and coastal waters. This makes it the second-highest country globally. Many islands lie in the Finnish Lakeland, a region with thousands of waterbodies.

4. Glaciers Created Most Northern Hemisphere Islands

Cold-region islands in Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Canada formed due to glacial erosion. This process shaped coastlines into narrow channels, bays, and island clusters. These glacial landscapes remain stable but constantly change with rising sea levels.

5. Largest Island on Earth

Greenland is the world’s largest island. It is surrounded by the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans. Its ice sheet influences global climate systems, ocean currents, and sea-level patterns. Greenland is larger than most countries and remains sparsely populated.

Sweden has the most islands in the world, with more than 221,800 islands identified. These islands developed through glacial processes, forming one of the world’s richest archipelago systems. Keep reading for more topics like this.

Discover the world’s most beautiful heritage towns built along rivers — from Hoi An and Porto to Varanasi and Strasbourg. Explore lantern-lit streets, canals, temples, and timeless riverside charm.

There’s a certain spell that river towns cast — a soft, unhurried charm that makes you slow down and look closer. Something about the way water glints against old stone bridges, the way history lingers in the mist at sunrise, and the way life clusters around the banks makes these places feel timeless. Across continents, some heritage towns have perfected this magic. They shimmer with lanterns at dusk, echo with centuries of trade and tradition, and carry stories along their currents. These are the riverside towns where heritage isn’t simply preserved — it lives, breathes, and flows.

1. Varanasi, India — Where the Ganges Becomes a Stage of Life

Few river towns feel as alive as Varanasi. Along the Ganges, life unfolds in rituals: bells ringing, lamps drifting on the water, chants filling the air. The ghats are an eternal theatre where centuries of devotion, culture, and human stories converge — raw, powerful, and unforgettable.

2. Hoi An, Vietnam — Lanterns, River Breezes & Timeless Romance

Every evening, the Thu Bon River turns Hoi An into a glowing dreamscape. Lantern-lit boats glide past ochre shopfronts, Japanese bridges cast soft silhouettes, and the air fills with old-world charm. Once a bustling port between the 15th and 19th centuries, this UNESCO town wears its riverside legacy with quiet pride — and irresistible beauty.

3. Porto, Portugal — Wine-Lined Shores of the Douro

Porto rises steeply from the Douro in a wash of terracotta rooftops and sunlit tiles. The iconic Dom Luís I Bridge arcs gracefully above riverside wine cellars and bustling quays, where port wine, street music, and gentle Atlantic breezes mingle. It’s a city that moves at its own soulful rhythm.

4. Český Krumlov, Czech Republic — A Fairytale in the Vltava’s Embrace

Curving almost completely around the medieval old town, the Vltava River is Český Krumlov’s best storyteller. With its 13th-century castle, frescoed facades, and cobblestone lanes, the UNESCO town looks like it tumbled out of a painter’s imagination — red roofs reflected in a perfect watery loop.

5. Fenghuang, China — Ancient Beauty on the Tuojiang River

Fenghuang is China at its most cinematic. Stilted wooden houses lean over jade-green waters, lanterns shimmer at dusk, and stone bridges wind through a maze of ancient streets. Rooted deeply in Miao culture, this riverside town feels suspended between dynasties, its stories drifting softly along the Tuojiang.

6. Luang Prabang, Laos — Temples Wrapped in Mekong Mist

At the meeting point of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers sits Luang Prabang, a heritage town that glows with spiritual serenity. Saffron-robed monks, French-colonial villas, and golden temples create a landscape so beautifully preserved that UNESCO calls it a model of cultural fusion. The rivers here don’t just frame the town — they define its calm, dreamy rhythm.

7. Bath, England — Classical Elegance Beside the Avon

Bath has always been a city of grace. Honey-coloured Georgian terraces line the hillside, Roman baths whisper ancient tales, and the River Avon curves through it all with quiet composure. A UNESCO city famed for its architecture, Bath’s riverside walks feel like stepping into a beautifully written novel.

8. Uji, Japan — Matcha Trails and Riverside Calm

Best known for its matcha and its gentle beauty, Uji sits gracefully along the river that shares its name. Tea houses, vermilion bridges, and the exquisite Byodoin Temple (a UNESCO site) create a town steeped in history and stillness. In cherry blossom season, Uji feels like a pastel-coloured poem.

9. Strasbourg, France — Timbered Fairytales Along the Ill

Strasbourg’s Petite France neighbourhood is almost impossibly charming — half-timbered houses, flower-filled windows, and canals that glimmer under Alsatian sunlight. The River Ill winds through the UNESCO-designated Grande-Île, creating a storybook setting where French elegance meets German craftsmanship in perfect harmony.

Travel to these stunning locations to live out your Disney dreams.

Disney movies take you to a whole new world filled with princesses and princes who live in glorious castles. But what if you could visit a Disney princess castle in real life? Start making a list now because there are many across the globe worth traveling to.

Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany

It may be hard to pronounce, but it’s easy to compare to a Disney castle as soon as you see a picture of the fairy tale home built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria in 1868. The castle, which is the most visited in the world, features towers and other Gothic-style architecture that you might easily recognize as looking very similar to Cinderella’s castle at Disney amusement parks. You can visit the castle today in the Bavarian hills of Germany, but visitors are restricted to guided tours only.

Alcázar of Segovia, Spain

Segovia serves as the home to the Alcázar of Segovia, which you might recognize if you remember the Evil Queen’s castle in Snow White. However, Alcázar didn’t start out as a castle, beginning its life in the 12th century as a fort before becoming a home for kings, then a prison and a military academy.

Eilean Donan Castle, Scotland

The Scottish Highlands are home to Eilean Donan Castle, which could serve as the perfect home for a Scottish princess like the one in Disney’s Brave. The castle was built in the 13th century but was abandoned and fell into disrepair before the island the castle sits on was bought in the early 1900s and restored to its former glory. The fourth generation of the MacRae family still owns the castle today.

Château de Chambord, France

Beware, as you may find a beast in the Château de Chambord in France, which was part of the inspiration for Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. The chateau in the French countryside was originally used as a hunting lodge for King Francis I and features a unique double helix staircase for visitors to check out when they visit Chambord.

Fans of art history may also find the chateau interesting, as it has been home to hidden works of art, including the Mona Lisa, during World War II, when staff from the Louvre hid pieces from the collection in the French countryside for protection.

Château de Chillon, Switzerland

The Château de Chillon in Switzerland sits on the banks of Lake Geneva, which may be one reason why it inspired the castle on the water that belonged to Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid. The chateau was built nearly four centuries ago to serve not only as a residence for nobility but also as a toll station to earn profits for the Counts of Savoy. Today, the castle makes money from visitors, or you can reserve rooms for banquets or other events.

Hohenzollern Castle, Germany

Hohenzollern Castle offers another dramatic castle option in Germany on a mountain above the countryside. Most of the castle is relatively new in castle terms, with parts of the building completed in the 19th century, while the fortress origins of the castle date to the 13th century. It served as the ancestral home of the Prussian royal family and today is owned by the Hohenzollern family, which also owns nearby Sigmaringen Castle.

Windsor Castle, England

Windsor Castle in England is the oldest occupied castle in the world, with King Charles as its current resident. The castle began under the rule of William the Conqueror in the 11th century and has been home to 40 monarchs, including Queen Elizabeth II. If you visit Windsor Castle, make sure you take a tour of the state rooms, watch the Changing of the Guard, or visit St. George’s Chapel, where several famous royals have been married.

Kilkenny Castle, Ireland

Kilkenny Castle was originally built in southern Ireland as a defensive fortress in the 13th century and underwent a major remodeling to resemble a Victorian castle that tourists now visit regularly. In addition to the castle, which was founded during the Norman conquest of Ireland, the grounds also feature woodlands, a man-made lake, and a formal terraced rose garden.

Bojnice Castle, Slovakia

Considered the most romantic castle in Slovakia, Bojnice Castle’s history dates back to the 12th century, with a renovation in the 19th century that gave it the romantic style that attracts visitors every year. Today it serves as the Slovak National Museum. Visitors can also see a natural travertine cave under the castle’s courtyard.