It’s tough to stay healthy when traveling, especially when you’re on the road and away from your normal routine. But with a little planning, your traveling life can be (almost) as healthy as your day-to-day. Whether you’re flying solo or with family, follow these health tips while traveling for sneaking a little extra wellness into your days on the road.

Tips for frequent flyers

Stretch it out

The Guardian writer Simon Jenkins believes “we’re over the digital revolution,” and says, “This is the age of experience.” In a moment when records, print books, and knitting are making a comeback, so are traditional cameras. Many photographers—both hobby and professional—are ditching their digital cameras and re-embracing more traditional methods, like film and instant photography. If your airport doesn’t have a yoga room, you can still make do on your flight—even if you’re sandwiched in the back row. Simple moves like rolling your wrists and ankles or engaging your core by sitting up straight and drawing your belly button toward your spine can have huge benefits.

Dim the lights

If you’re not one of the lucky people who can sleep anytime, anywhere, then consider investing in some sleep aids. Try a combination eye mask and travel pillow designed to keep your head from bobbing while you snooze in your seat, or pack one of the inflatable options that fold away to practically nothing.

Tips for parents

Pack healthy, non-messy snacks

Nothing stops a toddler meltdown faster than a snack, but you don’t want to load your kids up on gas station candy bars. Bring individually packaged snacks like hummus and pretzels or string cheese. These finger foods involve little to no preparation and will fill your kids up with protein so they can make it through a whole day of sightseeing.

Plan some en-route exercise

If you have a long day of travel ahead, build in a couple of breaks so your kids can work out some of their energy. Rest stops are great opportunities to engage children in short, fun exercises like jumping jacks. Turn on your smart phone’s stopwatch and challenge them to a series of sprints. If you’re traveling through the airport, take a walk around the terminal—you might even find something fun, like a museum or a concert.

Tips for outdoor enthusiasts

Protect your skin

It’s easy to forget how quickly the sun can damage your skin—less than 10 minutes, in some cases. Download an app that helps you figure out your sunscreen needs for the day and reminds you when it’s time to reapply. Insect repellent, clothing that offers proper coverage and sunglasses are also a must.

Plan for the unexpected

You never know when you’re going to face a minor injury in the outdoors, so keep a small first-aid kit handy. You can find plenty of them online, or you can stock your own with supplies like gauze pads and antiseptic wipes.

Tips for Couples

GIVE IN TO PEER PRESSURE

Sometimes a little competition can motivate you to stay healthy. Before you leave, do some research to find a list of fitness classes available at your destination. Some studios even offer activities like partner yoga. Then sign up; you’ll hold each other accountable and lock in some together time.

Remember to relax

Being healthy isn’t all about exercise—it’s also about taking care of your body and knowing when you need a break. Sign up for a couple’s massage to help knead away the stress of a full day of traveling.

Tips for everyone

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate

There’s no faster way to feeling off your game than dehydration. Not only is it dangerous, but also almost always completely preventable. Carry along an insulated water bottle, which will keep your drink at the perfect temperature all day. This reusable, collapsible one is ideal for travelers with space concerns.

Clean, clean, clean

Germs are everywhere. We repeat: everywhere. But there’s no need to be overly alarmed, just aware. Stay healthy and protect yourself by washing your hands frequently. Toss a pack of anti-bacterial wipes into your carry-on. They’re perfect for wiping down tray tables and cleaning your hands after grabbing the subway railing.

Sleep, sleep, sleep

When your schedule is thrown into disarray, sleep is one of the first things to suffer, particularly if you’re traveling with children. Try your best to get on a sleep schedule that you can stick to for your entire trip.

Travelling is fun but it might turn into a disaster if you commit these five booking mistakes. Proper planning and research is the key to a successful holiday travel.

The whole point of travelling is to explore new things and see new places. When travelling and experiencing the unknown, it is normal to make a few casual mistakes. But occasionally, these errors can make your trip a letdown and a waste of money. Bookings are essential for a hassle-free trip, and thanks to technology, bookings can be made in a matter of seconds. It implies the process is substantially quicker for the majority of people. There will also be more erroneous bookings. Dates are the most typical inaccuracy.

It’s far too simple to glance at dates, overlook the day of the week, or choose the incorrect month when there isn’t an old-fashioned calendar available. The entire trip may then be cancelled. There is no way to prepare for every possible problem that can emerge while travelling, but there are actions you can take to make sure that frequent booking blunders don’t ruin your trip.

Travel and vacation planner and founder of Route me, Natalya, shared important booking mistakes to avoid for an amazing and hassle-free vacation.

1. Booking late for holiday seasons

Booking your travel dates late would mean higher prices. Most airlines would offer flight packages at low prices at first but it would gradually increase as the travel date nears.

2. Booking early for non-holiday seasons

There are some dates in the year which aren’t really peak seasons for travel. Booking too early for these dates isn’t really necessary because according to the Independent, prices would actually go down for these dates as departure nears.

3. Not buying travel packages

Travel packages offer a lot of benefits to travelers. It includes a lot of services like accommodations, hotel transportation and destination tours. It also provides security for travelers if delays and cancellations happen along the way. The service provider can rearrange transportation or compensate the clients if unwanted things happen.

4. Not compare prices

Don’t just settle for one travel offer that claims it has the lowest prices among others. Take down notes and list the prices of each deal that you’re interested in getting. You can also ask for advice from your friends, travel forums and travel websites.

5. Not having a backup plan

Virtual Tourist states that when worse comes to worst, make sure that you have a backup plan on hand. For example, if there are complications with your itinerary, it is best that you have an alternative plan for your travels so you won’t waste time, effort and money.

Planning a long-term trip? This is how you can plan well for the journey.

Planning long-term travel seems like a daunting task, and visitors are not always sure exactly where to draw the line when the usual short-term vacation changes everything and last many months or even a year. Regardless of how long one takes to experience new places, planning is key because tourists will need to know a lot about their priority destinations. Long-term travel is more than just how many days or months one spends on a trip. Vacationers’ mindsets also matter as well as lots of preparations before beginning the journey. This is how to plan long-term travel, along with tips that actually help.

Why A Long-Term Travel? Deciding If You Are Ready To Embark On A Long-Term Journey

The internet has brought so many things right at the touch of our fingertips, giving us exceptional freedom to choose from plenty of options. Traveling has gone through digital changes, and now the new generation of nomads and independent tourists have an incredible opportunity to not only make money online but also travel the world. We are seeing many people doing this full-time, and there is an increase in the number of long-term vacationers. But why long-term travel? How do you know when you are ready to adopt this lifestyle? Is it sustainable? Let’s find out.

Does Realism Match Your Optimism?

Traveling can be exciting and fun, but at the same time, it can be challenging and exhausting. Long-term traveling needs someone to be optimistic, but an equal amount of realism is even better because it involves a lot. Vacationers find it difficult to accept one fact: that every day isn’t going to be as fun and exciting. People are always enticed by Instagram’s breathtaking photos of destinations. But understanding that every day isn’t going to be beautiful is important when planning a long-term trip.

Leaving the comforts of one’s home to tour new places and interact with different cultures means letting go of the usual lifestyle and starting a new one. Behind every stunning Instagram picture is long period of planning and preparation. Things like the possibility of losing luggage, missing a train, or spending more than planned – are important to think about when preparing for this kind of lifestyle. Understanding that long-term travel has downsides and having the optimism to overcome those challenges will help vacationers decide if they are ready for the journey.

Have You Set Aside Enough Money?

Money matters a lot when it comes to long-term travel, as it is the major factor that determines most of the travel aspects, like transport means, accommodation, and meals. The number of months or weeks to spend on a long-term journey depends on the money allocated for the same. Money will also help travelers decide the countries they can visit because exploring some places can be expensive.

But enough money doesn’t have to be a six-digit saving. Traveling doesn’t have to be expensive, even if it’s a long-term trip, and it largely depends on the kind of travel one is planning. Plus, there are several budget options for accommodation, transport, and attractions. There are also tips to cut costs when visiting a destination. This allows travelers to spend less and make money on their long-term trips. If one is feeling comfortable with the amount of money they’ve set aside for a long-term journey, then they are ready to get started.

How Do You Handle The Fear Of Missing A Long-Term Travel Opportunity?

A lot of fears come with long-term travel planning – fear of leaving loved ones, losing a career, visiting certain countries, the fact that things might not go as planned, and having to get back home only after a short while. But the fear of failing on this long-term journey has to be greater than all these other fears. One is ready to embark on a long-term trip when they feel it’s a must to make the travel work, and they wouldn’t be satisfied if it doesn’t.

Tips For Getting Started On A Long-Term Trip

After deciding about readiness to embark on long-term travel, some tips for getting started should make the planning and the trip easy. Here are some to keep in mind:

Get Educated On The Priority Destinations

First of all, it is important to list the places one would like to visit and then set priorities. Travelers should then conduct some thorough research and educate themselves about the countries they’d wish to visit. And this is beyond just learning a few words like saying ‘hello’ or ‘thank you in a local language. It is important to have some ideas about the country’s culture and traditions, history, politics, and tourism status. This will smoothen the trip and make it easier to interact with the locals upon one’s arrival at the destination.

Get an idea of itineraries, public transportation means, visas, and their costs, backpacking prices, and things to experience in those destinations. There are a lot of online resources to use – travel blogs and social media (perhaps join a Facebook group!).

Know Which Countries To Avoid If Traveling On A Budget

Some countries are extremely expensive than others. It is not advisable to group destinations as a continent or a region to decide which countries to visit. Remember, some regions can be less expensive to visit, but the countries within them vary widely in price. For instance, getting accommodation in Singapore can cost three times more than in Hanoi, and the countries are both in Southeast Asia. Countries like Canada, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the USA can be pretty expensive, making them unsuitable for a long-term budget trip.

Consider Reviews When Searching For Accommodation Options

Reading other travelers’ reviews on sites like TripAdvisor is important. The type of search engine to use in research depends on which type of accommodation and country one is opting for. Travelers looking to stay in hostels should use hostelworld.com, but Airbnb is also a good resource. Couchsurfing is a crucial site for vacationers looking to embark on long-term budget travel. Booking.com is the best search engine for travelers planning to travel to North America.

Have Long-Term Travel Insurance Ready

To get started on a long-term journey, ensure long-term travel insurance is ready. The last thing one would want to experience is getting caught up in medical charges. When researching insurance companies, it is important to keep activities like high-altitude hiking and skiing into consideration so that all needs are covered.

Pack Everything You’ll Need, But Not Too Much

While travelers should have all the essentials, they must also pack light for long-term travel. Some things to pack include:

• Lightweight raincoats
• Long-term travel backpacks
• Portable charger
• A water bottle (a filter type is preferable)
• Sun protection items, like a hat and sunscreen
• Shirts (long-sleeved and short-sleeved), pants, jeans, leggings, underwear, and a hoodie

Where To Stay On A Long-Term Travel

Where one is going to stay is something crucial to consider when planning long-term travel. For vacationers who’ve never traveled long-term, wrapping their heads around which type of accommodation to opt for can be challenging. Consider these factors when deciding where to stay:

• Are you traveling solo or with family or friends?
• Would you mind sharing kitchens or rooms with other travelers if traveling solo?
• How much privacy do you need?
• Are you on a tight budget?

Answers to these questions will determine whether one will stay in a hostel, a hotel, or a vacation home.

Long-term travel has upsides and downsides – and understanding them is the best way to prepare and plan well for the journey.

Business travel can be a great way to improve productivity and performance, but it can also come at the expense of employee wellbeing.

A study conducted by Collison found that 35% of business travellers had concerns about the impact of travel on their mental health and admitted that they had at some point given a false reason to avoid having to travel for work.

Employees who frequently travel for work often face unique challenges that other workers do not, affecting their mental health.

They can feel isolated from their homes, family and regular routines. Changing time zones can also throw off their sleep patterns.

All of this negatively impacts employee productivity, negatively impacting your company’s bottom line.

Bonnie Smith, Corporate Traveller GM, said that employers should provide additional support to employees who travel for work to alleviate the stress associated with business travel and increase their desire to travel for business.

According to Smith, here are seven ways to improve employee mental health through updating travel policies.