How to take the stress out of travelling

Going on holiday is always an exciting and (hopefully) relaxing time. While you are away you can unwind, do what you want to do and destress … 

But usually, whether it starts with the packing or travelling beforehand, there’s always a few things that seems to unravel before you even start your trip.

“The journey getting to your destination is not always an easy one. Something unexpected is always likely to happen. And, the saying, “the journey is part of the experience”, often falls flat when the journey starts feeling longer than it should and problems keep arising,” says Matthew Dees, senior brand manager for Jacobs coffee.

One rule to remember is that packing for a holiday shouldn’t be complicated. Planning is always advisable, but not everyone has the time to do this. Before your trip, everyday life is continuing and other elements such as homes, pets and work need to be taken care of before any packing even starts.

“Holidays are looked forward to by the whole family, and it shouldn’t start with stress and unhappiness. Remembering these small tips can help make packing and travelling a little simpler and a less ‘traumatic’ experience,” suggests Dees:

1. If you are travelling by plane or crossing the border by car, make sure that you have all the documentation you need handy and easily accessible – tickets, passports, birth certificates, travel insurance etc. This way you won’t spend time unpacking everything in your travel bag while becoming more frustrated.
2. Only pack what you need for the holiday. Most of the time we tend to pack what we think we may want to wear and end up with too many clothes. This only takes up unnecessary space, and you will be dragging a bag bigger than you need from place to place. Plus, there will be less space in the car with a bigger bag.
3. When travelling by car, snacks and fresh coffee is a great way to keep everyone happy. Jacobs 3-in-1 coffee sachets gives you the option of having your favourite coffee while on the road. The 3-in-1 sachets include Jacobs quality coffee with creamer and sugar so there is no need to take anything other than water and the sachet in the car – easy packing.
4. If travelling by plane, especially overseas, there is no need to pay extra for a good cup of coffee when the small, easy to pack Jacobs cappuccino sachets can fit perfectly in your suitcase. You don’t even need to work out the Rand exchange while enjoying it.
5. To make sure that you get to your destination without any issues, when travelling by car it is important to have the tyres checked and pumped and the tank filled the day before so that you can get up and go. If travelling by plane, make sure that your transport is booked early enough so that should there be traffic on route you will be fine, and that there will be no panic when you get to the airport.
6. Research the way you are going to travel and see if you can find out about road works, potholes and anything else that could delay you. This way, if possible, you can avoid these routes, or be prepared for a longer journey.

Simple choices, simple decisions and simple options, like Jacobs ready to enjoy 3-in-1 and cappuccino sachets, can make holiday packing and travelling much easier, plus you will arrive fresh, happy and ready to start relaxing.