Let’s talk about travel anxiety. This isn’t a widely-discussed topic, but one of my goals with Lucy On Locale is to talk about all aspects of travel, not just the glamorous parts.

When you travel, you encounter unfamiliar situations, you have to interact with people, and you have to be outside of your comfort zone constantly. For some people, this is part of the fun of travel. For others, this is a source of travel anxiety that can prevent them from traveling or from enjoying their trips. 

Fear of flying, separation anxiety, culture shock, and feeling guilty about traveling when others can’t are some of the most common causes of travel anxiety, but you could be triggered by almost any aspect of travel. 

You should never be ashamed or embarrassed about travel anxiety because you’re not alone. Many people (including me!) experience travel anxiety in one form or another.

Here’s how to overcome your travel anxiety!

Identify Your Triggers and Coping Mechanisms

Almost anything could cause you to have travel anxiety. My most common triggers are getting too hungry and not getting enough sleep. So I always have snacks with me, and I always make sure I get a good night’s sleep, even if that means skipping a late night or early morning activity.

You need to identify your travel anxiety triggers, and then you need to pre-plan for how you’re going to keep from being triggered. 

If you have food allergies and the thought of finding restaurants with specific food stresses you out, then make a list before your trip of every restaurant in your destination you could eat at. This way, when the time comes to pick a restaurant, you pull out your list and choose the closest one.

Do crowds cause you to have panic attacks? Then you need to visit popular museums, sites, and landmarks early in the morning to arrive before most of your fellow tourists.

List out every possible cause of your travel anxiety, and then figure out how you can preemptively keep from being triggered or how you’ll deal with a trigger if it happens.

Remind Yourself Why You Want To Travel

“Why do you want to travel?” Your answers could be anything – there are no right or wrong reasons to travel!

Maybe you want to learn a new language, or you want to visit your ancestors’ homeland. Perhaps you’re traveling to a friend’s wedding or to volunteer with a non-profit. You might want to travel with friends, or you might want to check an experience off your bucket list.

Whatever your reasons for wanting to travel, make sure you can always list them out for yourself. This way, when you find yourself considering canceling or cutting a trip short, you can remind yourself of all the reasons why you want to travel and why traveling is the best decision for you.

Thoroughly Research Your Destination

Two common triggers of travel anxiety are: feeling unprepared and not having all the information you need.

So thoroughly research your destination – customs, culture, religions, dress, currency, emergency phone number, phone service, infrastructure, and any other information you can find. Browse photos of the airport and familiarize yourself with terminal maps. Figure out public transportation and pre-download subway maps.

Thoroughly vet your accommodations, transportation, and excursions. Read every review you can find and compare prices and reviews between multiple booking sites.

And do anything else (even if you think it’s excessive or you might not need to know it) that will make you feel as prepared and informed as possible. Knowing your destination inside and out will give you confidence and peace of mind before and during your trip.

Play To Your Strengths

Traveling naturally pushes you outside your comfort zone. But this can cause travel anxiety, so there’s no need to push yourself outside your comfort zone more than is necessary.

If you don’t like the cold, then don’t go igloo glamping in Finland. If you don’t like trekking, then don’t do the multi-day hike to Machu Picchu. These types of travel choices would almost certainly ensure that you’d never enjoy your trip because of travel anxiety.

Think about what you like to do, and plan a trip that lets you do your favorite things. If you love wine, then visit a wine region. If you love sailing, then go on a catamaran cruise. Doing things (at least for most of your trip) that you know you’ll enjoy will make you more comfortable and less prone to anxiety.

Plan and Book Ahead of Time

Travel anxiety can often stem from a feeling that you’re not in control, so be in control of your trip as much as possible.

Pre-book your accommodation, guided activities, and transportation to and from the airport, train, or bus station and your hotel or Airbnb. You don’t want to be figuring these logistics out en-route or when you arrive.

Write up a trip itinerary, and always have a printed and electronic copy with you. A physical, written-out itinerary is my compass when I travel. It’s my touchstone and reference point for every step of my trip. Even if the itinerary has to change because an excursion gets canceled or an activity is rained out, having your itinerary on hand can help you adjust your plans more easily.

Plan at least 75% of your trip before you arrive. You will need to make A LOT of decisions when you travel. And even if you’re a naturally decisive person, continually making decisions can be overwhelming and stressful. So do yourself a favor by making as many decisions ahead of time as possible.

Find a Community

There are dozens of websites out there for anxiety sufferers. My favorites are No More Panic and Beyond Blue.

These forums let you post whenever you’re struggling, and community members will help and support you. Join a community like this before you leave for your trip. This way, when you encounter anxiety on the road, you won’t feel like you’re alone.

It’s also important to stay in contact with your friends and family at home. Schedule regular phone or FaceTime calls with your loved ones throughout your trip. This can make you feel connected to your loved ones and prevent homesickness, which is a common trigger for travel anxiety.

For a Fear of Flying

If you’re scared of flying, these tips can help you manage your anxiety:

Travel with a friend or family member who is an experienced flyer. And make sure your companion understands your fears and knows what you need. For example, if you don’t like to be touched, they should be told they shouldn’t try to hold your hand because this could increase your anxiety.

Avoid alcohol, which can alter the way your brain reacts and may increase your travel anxiety.

Book an aisle seat towards the front of the plane so you don’t feel as claustrophobic, or like you’re in a tunnel. 

Exercise before you fly. The endorphins from exercise are calming and can help dissipate your nervous energy. Even just walking around your terminal until it’s time to board (instead of just sitting at your gate) can help to distract yourself and to keep your muscles loose, which helps reduces travel anxiety.

Use the SOAR fear of flying app, which has reassuring features like a built-in G-force meter that reads your plane’s current turbulence so you’ll know the jet can sustain it. This app also lets you download videos that walk you through each step of the flight process so you know what’s happening in the cockpit and on the plane.

Buy Travel Insurance

Getting travel insurance is one of the best investments you can make for your peace of mind. Travel insurance usually only costs 4-10% of your trip budget, and this insurance can save you lots of money, time, and stress if your trip is canceled or delayed, you need medical assistance, your luggage is lost, or you need emergency transportation home.

Create a Familiar and Healthy Daily Routine

Just because you’re traveling doesn’t mean you can’t still structure your days the way you do at home. If you go for a run every morning at home, then still go for a morning run on your trip. If you usually eat a small breakfast, big lunch, and small dinner, then stick to these same meal sizes when you travel.

Integrating your habits and familiar routines into your trip days will help reduce your travel anxiety. 

Traveling takes a physical toll on us, which can cause travel anxiety, so be very conscious of your health on the road. Get enough sleep every night, stay hydrated, don’t skip meals, double your vitamins, and pace yourself.

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Do you have other ways to overcome your travel anxiety? If so, share with us in the comments!

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This is not a sponsored post, and, as always, the thoughts and opinions expressed in this post about how to overcome your travel anxiety are entirely my own. Some of the links in this article about how to overcome your travel anxiety are affiliate links, and, at no cost to you, I may earn a small commission.