I once saved up for a year to spend a weekend at a beachside resort. But when I arrived, I found out that most rooms were booked for a wedding. I didn’t get much sleep that weekend, because late into the night, the wedding guests were doing a lusty singalong from the hot tub and throwing up in the bushes.
Now if I reserve a room at a smaller hotel or resort, I always ask if a wedding is scheduled during that time. If it is, I find another place to stay. Not all weddings are as rowdy as the one that kept me awake, but I also don’t want to feel like I’m an extra in someone else’s movie.
Some aspects of traveling are out of your control, like flight delays. But there are plenty of ways to ensure that your vacation is actually relaxing. I asked travel experts for their best advice.
Before your trip
If you have a job where you set an “out of office” email, consider adding one day to your return date, so you have a day to ease back into work, said Kellee Edwards, a travel expert and licensed pilot. Your co-workers will know you’re back, she said, but everyone else can wait.
And to head off the anxiety of coming home to an empty fridge, I like to make and freeze a meal ahead of time, such as soup, so that I have homemade food ready to heat when I return — a soothing “welcome home” gift to myself.
While you’re en route
When traveling with a friend or a partner, especially if it’s for the first time, hammer out some ground rules first so there are no misunderstandings or hurt feelings, Edwards said. If you need a few hours of alone time in the afternoon, for example, establish that beforehand.
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