Preparing for a vacation can be a very stressful process. It’s easy to spend more time preparing for a trip than you actually spend on the holiday itself and that’s not including the stress of flying.

For millions of people each year flying tops their list of most stressful situations. There’s so many things that can go wrong from worrying about getting to the airport to stressing about delayed flights, missed connections and poor hotel choices.

It’s easy to see why things can soon get out of control but with a few simple tricks it’s possible to take back control of your vacation and turn it into the fun and exciting trip that it’s supposed to be.

So roll up your sleeves, grab a pen and paper and take note of these travel trips that can reduce the stress of air travel.

Things to Do Before you Leave on Vacation:

1. Start your Packing Early

Make sure that your bags are packed well before you leave for the airport. There’s nothing more stressful than throwing all your clothes and gear in your suitcase just as your about to leave home only to find that you’ve misplaced your favorite jacket or dress.

Unfortunately, I’m often found packing my bags at the last minute and then making a mad dash to the front door just as the taxi pulls up outside. You’d think I’d learn after years of flying but I’m just stubborn I guess.

On the odd occasion that I have prepared my suitcases the night before I travel I’ve found that it puts me in a much happier and more relaxed mood. I’m not rushing around all sweaty, there’s time to say proper goodbyes and I’m less likely to forget things.

It’s also a good idea to weigh your baggage as well. Airlines have limits for both carry-on and check-in bags so it’s a good idea to weigh everything before you leave to avoid extra costs and delays at the airport. Portable digital luggage scales can be bought for under $10 and I always bring one with me on long trips to to make sure.

Leave your packed baggage by the front door ready to go and you’ll feel much better for it.

2. Preparing your Paperwork

Make sure that your passport is still in date with at least 6 months validity remaining and organize and necessary visas for your trip. Print out you travel documents, hotel reservations and photocopy the main pages of your passport as a backup.

I actually like to make sure that I have photos or downloads of all my documents on my smartphone just in case I leave something behind or it gets lost or stolen while I’m away.

3. Create a Home Checklist

If you’re going to be leaving your home empty for any length of time then you’re going to want to make a checklist of all the things you need to do to secure and prepare your home so that it’s still in tip top shop when you return and not a heap of burning rubble.

You’ve probably got a good idea of what to do already but take a walk around your home and make a list of the things that need to be taken care of in each room. The list will be different for everyone but make sure that it covers the basics at least such as secure the windows, turn off the gas and set the security system.

You may want to empty your fridge, turn off the water, leave some security lights on, water the plants or remind a neighbor to check in every now and again, it’s your choice.

Prepare the list well before you travel and then go through it item by item on the day that you’re due to leave home and check everything off. There’s nothing worse that waking up in a cold sweat during the flight worrying that you left the stove on.

4. Take Care of your Pets

It’s important to make sure your pets are taken care of. Friends and neighbors may be able to help out but if not then organize any kennel reservations well in advance of your trip to be sure you have a place reserved at a kennel you trust.

5. Plan your Travel to the Airport

It’s always best to arrive at the airport early if you want to avoid stress. Turn up 30 minutes before take-off and you may find yourself left behind.

Most international flights recommend you arrive at least three hours before flight time. Domestic flights may only need two hours for check-in. Either way it’s best to plan for any eventuality and get their early. It’s better to be waiting at the airport than stuck in traffic as your plane leaves the tarmac.

You might want to call the airport the day before the flight to see of they expect delays for any reason. National holidays, local attractions or even road works can delay you getting to the airport.

If you’re driving yourself then you may want to check to see if there are any parking restrictions you should be aware of. With the threat of terrorism ever present there may be car searches on your way in if there is a heightened threat level.

It’s not unusual for the check-in desks to close one hour before departure, something I learned the hard way when my two hour taxi ride turned into a five hour nightmare due to a national holiday, so I know firsthand about leaving home early.

6. Check-in Online to Save Time

It’s always nice to arrive at the airport with your boarding pass in hand knowing that your seat is booked and you’re not going to be sat opposite the busiest toilet on the plane.

Thanks to the Internet it’s now possible to check-in before you even leave your house, so long as you have access to a printer. Many airlines now allow you to activate your reservation and print out your ticket at home even if you have baggage that you need to check-in once you get to the airport.

Online check-in times vary between airlines and routes but most allow it 24-48 hours before departure. If can be a great time saver if you only have carry on luggage as you can go straight through to the departure areas. If you still have bags to check in it can save some time, as you’ll still need to take your bags through to the online check in desk but at least your seat will be reserved.

Travel Day Stress Busters

7. Leave Home Early

It goes without saying that if you want to reduce stress on travel day then you should plan to leave home early. There are so many things that are out of your control when you start to travel that the best way to overcome them is simply to leave your house with plenty of time to spare.

Personally I would rather be checked in and waiting around at the airport than be stressing about missing my flight due to some delay on the way to the airport. It’s happened to me many times over the years that it’s not funny any more. I’ve had trains canceled, been stuck in horrendous congestion and even had airports temporarily closed due to bomb scares and fire.

It’s never nice to miss a flight and one of the best ways to avoid it is by leaving home with plenty of time to spare.

8. Be Prepared for some Delays at the Airport

There’s always some sort of delay at an airport and over the past several years they seem to just get worse rather than better. Airport security is now more thorough. With tighter baggage checks and body searches this inevitably leads to delays in getting through the various checkpoints. If you’re traveling internationally then you’ll also need to pass through immigration as well.

Some airports have long distances between gates which involve a substantial walk. You’ll normally find signs telling you how long you can expect these journeys to be. So before you head off to the shops make sure you have enough time to actually get to your gate first.

Making yourself angry and stressed out when you encounter a long line isn’t going to get you through it any quicker. The best way to deal with these situations is just to accept it and be prepared. The easiest way is to arrive to the airport early, check-in then head over to departures as soon as possible. Don’t just check-in then go to the bar or a restaurant to waste time. Get yourself through immigration and the luggage checks as soon as possible.

You’ll makes things easier for yourself if you follow the rules and remove any banned substances from your bags, including bottles of water. Have your remaining liquids bagged up and ready to be inspected.

The way you dress can also have an impact on how quick you pass through the system. When it comes to the metal detector is quite common to have to remove any belts and even shoes before passing through. Save yourself some stress by traveling comfortably. Try to avoid using a belt and wear shoes that can be removed easily such as slip-ons. Put coins and jewelry in your carry on before you get to the scanners.

9. Check your Carry On

Make sure that your “carry on” baggage really is carry on. There are size and weight restrictions for this type of baggage and it does vary between airlines. Some are more strict with enforcing these rules than others and low-cost airlines tend to be the worst.

Even if you’ve made it through to the departures gate it’s not too late for the airline to make you go back and check in a piece of luggage so be prepared and make sure that your hand bags are within the limits.

10. When Boarding Time Arrives

You’ll normally be called by seat numbers when it’s time to board your flight. There’s normally a mad dash to get to the plane and a long line soon appears. Rushing to get in line doesn’t always mean that you’ll get on board the plane any quicker and sometimes it’s best to just hold off a little and wait for the line to subside before calming walking through.

Once on board you’ll need to locate your seat and get out of everybody’s way as quick as possible. Some people feel it a necessity to stand around in the isles chatting and fussing while all the time blocking people from passing and delaying the departure. Don;t be one of those people.

The easiest way to accomplish this is to be prepared. Before board split up your bags. Separate all the things that you’ll need for the flight such as books, electronic devices, headphones, snacks and toiletries into one bag (or your pockets) so that you can easily secure your unwanted items in the overhead locker then sit down quickly.

11. Coping with Connections and Stop-Overs

It’s not uncommon to have connecting flights on your journey. It’s best if you know that before hand so read your ticket details thoroughly and plan ahead.

Some stops may just be to take on extra passengers, fuel or just to change out the crew so you may not even need to leave the plane. If you need to catch a connecting flight then it’s good to know ahead of time how long it’s going to take.

Some connecting flights make require you to change terminals which could involve a long walk or even a bus ride. Things can get stressful quite quickly if you have no idea where you’re supposed to be heading. On long haul flights you may find that you left so early that your connecting ticket doesn’t even have a gate number on it.

Most airlines will give out information on connecting flights before you land but if you missed it of didn’t fully understand where you need to go then ask the flight attendant for confirmation and advice on how to reach your new gate more quickly.

12. What to Expect when you Finally Arrive

The plane arrives at it’s destination and everyone jumps out of their seats before it even comes to a stop. Don’t be one of these people!

I see this every time I fly. There’s always one or two people that try to get get out of their seats before the plane even touches down and the other 90% as soon as the wheels touch the ground. This is arguably the worst part of the flight. Everyone is eager to get off the plane and start their holiday but the reality is that it doesn’t make much difference if you’re the first or last person off the plane as you’ll all end up waiting for your baggage at the same time.

All those people standing up in the isle are going to be there for a while, getting sweaty and angry as they’re squeezed into each other. It’s best to stay in your seat and enjoy your book for a little longer. There’s going to be a short taxi until the plane actually reached the departures gate, then it’s going to take some time to actually get the doors open before anybody even leaves and then there are the inevitable delays.

It’s better to enjoy your seat and leave the rush to thin out before departing the plane. If you were handed a landing card on the flight then this is a good time to make sure that it’s completed.

13. Almost Done: But what about Immigrations and Baggage

If you’re on a domestic flight then you’re almost done but if you traveled internationally then there’s an extra step to complete first, immigration.

If your passport and visa are ready then you should be good to go. If a landing card is required then make sure it’s completed before you get to the immigration desk.

If you only have carry on baggage, you have successfully completed a pretty stress free flight. If you have checked-in baggage there is one more step – waiting for the luggage. Just pick a place around the conveyor belt and wait. Expect your bag to be the very last one to come out and be pleasantly surprised when it comes out early.

Fantastic!! You’ve reached your destination. Just following these simple recommendations can definitely reduce your travel rage and turn a stressful crisis into an enjoyable trip. You’ve successfully managed to remove most of the stress of air travel and are ready to start your vacation.