When I think about travel, it is something that causes a flood of amazing memories to wash over me. I have spent an average of three months a year traveling for well over a decade now, and I am aware that my views on travel are influenced by the amount of time on the road. I am not an anxious traveler, and so I understand that I may not relate well to the person that is going on their international “Trip of A Lifetime” that feels anxious and nervous. So here are my best “stress-buster” travel hacks to reduce stress…

1. Get Global Entry. I have had a ton of conversations with people that are confused about the two different programs: TSA Precheck and Global Entry. TSA Precheck allows you expedited airport security at 160 airports in the United States. This is the best way to drastically reduce your stress with domestic U.S. travel. The cost is $85 for five years. Here is the deal though; for $15 more you can instead apply for Global Entry which includes TSA Precheck and also expedited entry back into the USA through immigration and customs. If you only do one international trip in five years, it is worth it to go for Global Entry because it will save you so much time, especially in major airports where waits to get through Immigration can be 45 minutes or more. You can apply for Global Entry here. You will be prompted to set up an interview to compete your application process for Global Entry once your application is “Conditionally Approved,” but also realize that, depending on what airport you enter back into the US, you may be able to complete your application interview on arrival in select US airports.
2. Get the TripIt App. I consider myself a seasoned traveler, but I had avoided using an app to help manage my travel. A friend of mine recommended TripIt to me and so I decided to give it a whirl…it was free! I love the fact that I can simply create an account and then forward my travel emails to it and it creates a trip plan for me with all my reservations in one place. But what caused me to make the jump to paying the annual fee for the Pro version ($48.99 for the year) was when it comes to flight monitoring and also point-to-point directions for connections. It may not be a big deal in the USA, but some of the major international airports can be stressful to navigate and this app will literally walk you step by step to where you need to go! Take a look at TripIt Here.
3. Get An International Phone Plan. I get it…you want to save money. Just understand that not having a plan will hurt you in the long run because some of your key travel apps need connection to the interwebs to use (Uber just to name one). T-Mobile gives you basic international coverage while you travel (although they are not my favorite provider). AT&T has a great product called International Passport that you can add to a phone line for $60 for 30 days, which includes 1 GB of data (not a lot, but I manage it by turning off my cellular data on my phone when I am not using any apps or web browser that needs data). I also travel with a great product called Skyroam which is a portable WiFi hotspot that you simple pay per day for 24 hours of use. It works in a host of countries and you can check out Skyroam here.

These three quick travel tips won’t fix everything related to travel stress, but they can go a long way to helping aspects of your travel feel exponentially less stressful. If I could add a fourth travel hack, it would be getting yourself into an Airport Lounge. But that may be a separate blog all to itself…