i hate travel

19 Things People Who Seriously Hate Traveling Can Relate To

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1. Not knowing how to gently tell your friends that, no, you don’t want to go on a two month backpacking trip through Europe. In fact, you’d rather pluck out all your own eyelashes and glue them to paper like macaroni art.

2. Getting stuck going somewhere because you couldn’t bring yourself to be the Debbier Downer who said, “No, count me out because that sounds terrible.”

3. People asking if you have travel plans after graduation and 100% sincerely saying, “Yeah, over to my couch. I’m exhausted.”

4. Finding a place you feel comfortable and love, and never wanting to leave.

5. Like, ever.

6. Gagging whenever you see the word wanderlust .

7. Hardcore wishing teleportation was a feasible option. Way less hassle.

8. Quietly smiling in the corner when all your friends obsess over all the cities they can’t wait to visit.

9. Not having a prepared answer for when people ask where you’d most like to go.

10. Or, alternatively, having a prepared answer that isn’t necessarily reflective of how you feel. Just something to say because it’s easier than explaining you’re the freak who doesn’t care about travel.

11. Cringing at the Plague-like germ count on airplanes.

12. No, seriously. It’s disgusting.

13. Needing a Trip Survival Kit, and not like, for first aid purposes. But with things to help you simply survive the stress. Like sweatpants. Oh man, so many sweatpants.

14. Having suuuuper cute panic attacks when flying.

15. Occasionally getting the urge to look at Airbnbs in far off locations, but after perusing them for a few minutes quickly deciding, “Lol, naahhhhhh.”

16. Getting your fix to see the world by watching travel programs.

17. Wondering if people who are always on the road know there’s this extraordinary thing called Netflix.

18. Enjoying solo trips.

Ari Eastman

✨ real(ly not) chill. poet. writer. mental health activist. mama shark. ✨

Keep up with Ari on Instagram and Amazon

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I'm a 24-year-old who's never been out of North America — and I don't plan on changing that any time soon

• I'm 24 and I have never been out of North America.
• This is for a lot of reasons, including my fear of flying and my financial situation. 
• I'm not planning on changing this anytime soon, and I wish people would stop judging each other for their choices. 

It's no secret that, as a whole, society is obsessed with traveling. From the Instagram accounts dedicated to dream-like destinations to news stories about  people who  quit their jobs to spend all of their money on traveling , we love to romanticize the hell out of navigating the globe. 

It makes complete sense. Traveling can open you up to new experiences, friendships, perspectives, and life goals. But it's just not for me. 

There are a million articles online about how great it is to travel (see all of the wonderful content on INSIDER's  Travel section ), but there aren't as many that speak to my experience: a 24-year-old who has never traveled out of North America and has no desire to. 

Let me explain myself. 

I am terrified of flying, to the point of panic attacks. 

Being nervous about air travel is not exactly uncommon. In fact, the Federal Aviation Administration estimates that about  1 in 3 adults have some qualms about flying . But my fear of flying is intense. So much so, that my last plane trip resulted in me hyperventilating and being mocked by an entire baseball team. 

I haven't flown commercial in about 12 years and haven't flown at all in about eight. After my last flight, which was through a thunderstorm, I quite literally kissed the ground at the Pittsburgh International Airport and vowed to never put myself through that again. 

I know that with some work I could get over this fear, but right now, it's not exactly a priority for me. 

I suffer from anxiety, which makes traveling more terrifying.  

Traveling can stress out even the most "normal" people. Now throw in the fact that I have high anxiety, and it's a recipe for disaster.

Itineraries stress me out, and I spiral at the thought of plans not lining up perfectly. Being in a new place overwhelms me, as there are a lot of unknowns and I easily lose control of the situation. Something as simple as a taxi driver getting lost can make tears run down my face, which is just plain embarrassing. 

It's not that I avoid trips because of my anxiety. I still travel, thanks to Amtrak, but it takes a lot out of me. This makes traveling a lot less fun, though I try to enjoy myself. 

I've never really been able to afford to travel. 

Anxiety aside, money is the biggest factor that stops me, and many others, from traveling. We act like it's so easy to just stop buying cups of coffee and afford a trip to Italy, but it's not that simple. 

Related stories

I have massive amounts of student debt. I have a cat. I live in one of the most expensive cities in the world. But even when I lived in a smaller city in the Midwest, keeping food on the table was what weighed on my mind, not traveling. 

According to the Huffington Post, the average cost of a flight to Europe from New York is $832:  That doesn't even begin to cover food, activities, and lodging. Not to mention care for my cat, and the fact that I'd still have to pay rent that month. If you looked at my savings account, you would know that it's just not possible for me right now. 

People who didn't grow up well-off might find themselves in a similar mindset. Some fight it off and put any disposable income into traveling. For me, if I'm not using my money towards something tangible, it  feels like money wasted. 

We tend to shame people who choose not to travel and call them materialistic. But just because some people can save for a while and eventually afford a ticket doesn't mean it's possible for everyone. Some of us don't have that money to scrape to begin with and, if we do, we use it in a different way — and that's OK. 

I never thought traveling was an option. 

For those who grew up in a metropolitan city or with parents who traveled often, my resistance to travel may seem absurd. But you have to understand that, for me, traveling is not a natural thing. 

No one in my immediate or extended family has ever been to Europe (besides those who were born there and don't remember it). Only one has been to Asia, and that was for work. Trips outside of the US were pretty unheard of in my town. 

Of course, this has changed some. As I've gotten older, more of my friends have studied abroad and traveled on their own. Hell, my friend who didn't step on a plane until she was 17 is now a flight attendant seeing the world. 

It still blows my mind that my boyfriend often just drives to an airport and gets on a plane. It's just not something that seems like a "normal" occurrence for someone like me. 

I've never said I wasn't stubborn, so it may just take a while for me to adjust to the fact that I could get on a plane right now if I wanted to. But until recently, it never even crossed my mind. 

I've had life experiences that were just as beneficial as traveling. 

So many people I know value travel experiences above anything else in life. They frequently tell me how much my life would change if I drank wine in Paris or hiked in Thailand. And maybe they're right. 

But I also think that I've had life experiences that have benefited me in ways people who travel to every country in the world wouldn't get. 

As a journalist, I've spoken to animal trainers, ghost whisperers, survivors of unimaginable violence, architects, and pop stars. I've been to dozens of US states, and even parts of Canada. I've camped high in the mountains and rested on beaches. I've lived next to a farm and in a high-rise. I would not call my life insignificant just because I don't have a full passport. 

I consider myself a well-rounded person, though I'm sure others would not. And as I get older and (hopefully) more financially stable, I may also have an enviable Instagram. 

But for right now, I'd like us all to stop shaming people for their informed life choices. What's right for you may not be right for me, and that's OK. 

And if you see someone crying from fear on a plane, maybe try offering them your hand to squeeze, rather than pointing and laughing. It may just be me. 

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Watch: From the launch of Airbnb to the rise of travel influencers, here are the biggest ways we changed the way we travel this decade

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The Case Against Travel

By Agnes Callard

What is the most uninformative statement that people are inclined to make? My nominee would be “I love to travel.” This tells you very little about a person, because nearly everyone likes to travel; and yet people say it, because, for some reason, they pride themselves both on having travelled and on the fact that they look forward to doing so.

The opposition team is small but articulate. G. K. Chesterton wrote that “travel narrows the mind.” Ralph Waldo Emerson called travel “a fool’s paradise.” Socrates and Immanuel Kant—arguably the two greatest philosophers of all time—voted with their feet, rarely leaving their respective home towns of Athens and Königsberg. But the greatest hater of travel, ever, was the Portuguese writer Fernando Pessoa , whose wonderful “ Book of Disquiet ” crackles with outrage:

I abhor new ways of life and unfamiliar places. . . . The idea of travelling nauseates me. . . . Ah, let those who don’t exist travel! . . . Travel is for those who cannot feel. . . . Only extreme poverty of the imagination justifies having to move around to feel.

If you are inclined to dismiss this as contrarian posturing, try shifting the object of your thought from your own travel to that of others. At home or abroad, one tends to avoid “touristy” activities. “Tourism” is what we call travelling when other people are doing it. And, although people like to talk about their travels, few of us like to listen to them. Such talk resembles academic writing and reports of dreams: forms of communication driven more by the needs of the producer than the consumer.

One common argument for travel is that it lifts us into an enlightened state, educating us about the world and connecting us to its denizens. Even Samuel Johnson , a skeptic—“What I gained by being in France was, learning to be better satisfied with my own country,” he once said—conceded that travel had a certain cachet. Advising his beloved Boswell, Johnson recommended a trip to China, for the sake of Boswell’s children: “There would be a lustre reflected upon them. . . . They would be at all times regarded as the children of a man who had gone to view the wall of China.”

Travel gets branded as an achievement: see interesting places, have interesting experiences, become interesting people. Is that what it really is?

Pessoa, Emerson, and Chesterton believed that travel, far from putting us in touch with humanity, divorced us from it. Travel turns us into the worst version of ourselves while convincing us that we’re at our best. Call this the traveller’s delusion.

To explore it, let’s start with what we mean by “travel.” Socrates went abroad when he was called to fight in the Peloponnesian War; even so, he was no traveller. Emerson is explicit about steering his critique away from a person who travels when his “necessities” or “duties” demand it. He has no objection to traversing great distances “for the purpose of art, of study, and benevolence.” One sign that you have a reason to be somewhere is that you have nothing to prove, and therefore no drive to collect souvenirs, photos, or stories to prove it. Let’s define “tourism” as the kind of travel that aims at the interesting—and, if Emerson and company are right, misses.

“A tourist is a temporarily leisured person who voluntarily visits a place away from home for the purpose of experiencing a change.” This definition is taken from the opening of “ Hosts and Guests ,” the classic academic volume on the anthropology of tourism. The last phrase is crucial: touristic travel exists for the sake of change. But what, exactly, gets changed? Here is a telling observation from the concluding chapter of the same book: “Tourists are less likely to borrow from their hosts than their hosts are from them, thus precipitating a chain of change in the host community.” We go to experience a change, but end up inflicting change on others.

For example, a decade ago, when I was in Abu Dhabi, I went on a guided tour of a falcon hospital. I took a photo with a falcon on my arm. I have no interest in falconry or falcons, and a generalized dislike of encounters with nonhuman animals. But the falcon hospital was one of the answers to the question, “What does one do in Abu Dhabi?” So I went. I suspect that everything about the falcon hospital, from its layout to its mission statement, is and will continue to be shaped by the visits of people like me—we unchanged changers, we tourists. (On the wall of the foyer, I recall seeing a series of “excellence in tourism” awards. Keep in mind that this is an animal hospital.)

Why might it be bad for a place to be shaped by the people who travel there, voluntarily, for the purpose of experiencing a change? The answer is that such people not only do not know what they are doing but are not even trying to learn. Consider me. It would be one thing to have such a deep passion for falconry that one is willing to fly to Abu Dhabi to pursue it, and it would be another thing to approach the visit in an aspirational spirit, with the hope of developing my life in a new direction. I was in neither position. I entered the hospital knowing that my post-Abu Dhabi life would contain exactly as much falconry as my pre-Abu Dhabi life—which is to say, zero falconry. If you are going to see something you neither value nor aspire to value, you are not doing much of anything besides locomoting.

Tourism is marked by its locomotive character. “I went to France.” O.K., but what did you do there? “I went to the Louvre.” O.K., but what did you do there? “I went to see the ‘Mona Lisa.’ ” That is, before quickly moving on: apparently, many people spend just fifteen seconds looking at the “Mona Lisa.” It’s locomotion all the way down.

The peculiar rationality of tourists allows them to be moved both by a desire to do what they are supposed to do in a place and a desire to avoid precisely what they are supposed to do. This is how it came to pass that, on my first trip to Paris, I avoided both the “Mona Lisa” and the Louvre. I did not, however, avoid locomotion. I walked from one end of the city to the other, over and over again, in a straight line; if you plotted my walks on a map, they would have formed a giant asterisk. In the many great cities I have actually lived and worked in, I would never consider spending whole days walking. When you travel, you suspend your usual standards for what counts as a valuable use of time. You suspend other standards as well, unwilling to be constrained by your taste in food, art, or recreational activities. After all, you say to yourself, the whole point of travelling is to break out of the confines of everyday life. But, if you usually avoid museums, and suddenly seek them out for the purpose of experiencing a change, what are you going to make of the paintings? You might as well be in a room full of falcons.

Let’s delve a bit deeper into how, exactly, the tourist’s project is self-undermining. I’ll illustrate with two examples from “The Loss of the Creature,” an essay by the writer Walker Percy.

First, a sightseer arriving at the Grand Canyon. Before his trip, an idea of the canyon—a “symbolic complex”—had formed in his mind. He is delighted if the canyon resembles the pictures and postcards he has seen; he might even describe it as “every bit as beautiful as a picture postcard!” But, if the lighting is different, the colors and shadows not those which he expects, he feels cheated: he has arrived on a bad day. Unable to gaze directly at the canyon, forced to judge merely whether it matches an image, the sightseer “may simply be bored; or he may be conscious of the difficulty: that the great thing yawning at his feet somehow eludes him.”

Second, a couple from Iowa driving around Mexico. They are enjoying the trip, but are a bit dissatisfied by the usual sights. They get lost, drive for hours on a rocky mountain road, and eventually, “in a tiny valley not even marked on the map,” stumble upon a village celebrating a religious festival. Watching the villagers dance, the tourists finally have “an authentic sight, a sight which is charming, quaint, picturesque, unspoiled.” Yet they still feel some dissatisfaction. Back home in Iowa, they gush about the experience to an ethnologist friend: You should have been there! You must come back with us! When the ethnologist does, in fact, return with them, “the couple do not watch the goings-on; instead they watch the ethnologist! Their highest hope is that their friend should find the dance interesting.” They need him to “certify their experience as genuine.”

The tourist is a deferential character. He outsources the vindication of his experiences to the ethnologist, to postcards, to conventional wisdom about what you are or are not supposed to do in a place. This deference, this “openness to experience,” is exactly what renders the tourist incapable of experience. Emerson confessed, “I seek the Vatican, and the palaces. I affect to be intoxicated with sights and suggestions, but I am not intoxicated.” He speaks for every tourist who has stood before a monument, or a painting, or a falcon, and demanded herself to feel something. Emerson and Percy help us understand why this demand is unreasonable: to be a tourist is to have already decided that it is not one’s own feelings that count. Whether an experience is authentically X is precisely what you, as a non-X, cannot judge.

A similar argument applies to the tourist’s impulse to honor the grand sea of humanity. Whereas Percy and Emerson focus on the aesthetic, showing us how hard it is for travellers to have the sensory experiences that they seek, Pessoa and Chesterton are interested in the ethical. They study why travellers can’t truly connect to other human beings. During my Paris wanderings, I would stare at people, intently inspecting their clothing, their demeanor, their interactions. I was trying to see the Frenchness in the French people around me. This is not a way to make friends.

Pessoa said that he knew only one “real traveller with soul”: an office boy who obsessively collected brochures, tore maps out of newspapers, and memorized train schedules between far-flung destinations. The boy could recount sailing routes around the world, but he had never left Lisbon. Chesterton also approved of such stationary travellers. He wrote that there was “something touching and even tragic” about “the thoughtless tourist, who might have stayed at home loving Laplanders, embracing Chinamen, and clasping Patagonians to his heart in Hampstead or Surbiton, but for his blind and suicidal impulse to go and see what they looked like.”

The problem was not with other places, or with the man wanting to see them, but with travel’s dehumanizing effect, which thrust him among people to whom he was forced to relate as a spectator. Chesterton believed that loving what is distant in the proper fashion—namely, from a distance—enabled a more universal connection. When the man in Hampstead thought of foreigners “in the abstract . . . as those who labour and love their children and die, he was thinking the fundamental truth about them.” “The human bond that he feels at home is not an illusion,” Chesterton wrote. “It is rather an inner reality.” Travel prevents us from feeling the presence of those we have travelled such great distances to be near.

The single most important fact about tourism is this: we already know what we will be like when we return. A vacation is not like immigrating to a foreign country, or matriculating at a university, or starting a new job, or falling in love. We embark on those pursuits with the trepidation of one who enters a tunnel not knowing who she will be when she walks out. The traveller departs confident that she will come back with the same basic interests, political beliefs, and living arrangements. Travel is a boomerang. It drops you right where you started.

If you think that this doesn’t apply to you—that your own travels are magical and profound, with effects that deepen your values, expand your horizons, render you a true citizen of the globe, and so on—note that this phenomenon can’t be assessed first-personally. Pessoa, Chesterton, Percy, and Emerson were all aware that travellers tell themselves they’ve changed, but you can’t rely on introspection to detect a delusion. So cast your mind, instead, to any friends who are soon to set off on summer adventures. In what condition do you expect to find them when they return? They may speak of their travel as though it were transformative, a “once in a lifetime” experience, but will you be able to notice a difference in their behavior, their beliefs, their moral compass? Will there be any difference at all?

Travel is fun, so it is not mysterious that we like it. What is mysterious is why we imbue it with a vast significance, an aura of virtue. If a vacation is merely the pursuit of unchanging change, an embrace of nothing, why insist on its meaning?

One is forced to conclude that maybe it isn’t so easy to do nothing—and this suggests a solution to the puzzle. Imagine how your life would look if you discovered that you would never again travel. If you aren’t planning a major life change, the prospect looms, terrifyingly, as “More and more of this , and then I die.” Travel splits this expanse of time into the chunk that happens before the trip, and the chunk that happens after it, obscuring from view the certainty of annihilation. And it does so in the cleverest possible way: by giving you a foretaste of it. You don’t like to think about the fact that someday you will do nothing and be nobody. You will only allow yourself to preview this experience when you can disguise it in a narrative about how you are doing many exciting and edifying things: you are experiencing, you are connecting, you are being transformed, and you have the trinkets and photos to prove it.

Socrates said that philosophy is a preparation for death. For everyone else, there’s travel. ♦

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By Katy Waldman

By Deborah Treisman

By James Wood

By Willing Davidson

Travel annoyances abound in the air and on the ground. Here's how to fix a few of them

What do you hate about travel? And is there any way to fix the problem, besides staying home? 

For Brett Manders, the answer to "what drives you crazy?" is simple. "The carousel cozy-uppers," he says. You know, the folks who crowd around the baggage carousel after a flight lands. 

"I'm 100% certain that your bags will not come out any quicker the closer you are to the baggage carousel," says Manders, an international airline pilot who wrote the book "Behind the Flight Deck Door."

The solution – at least to this problem – is simple, too. Some airports draw a line around the carousel and tell everyone to stand back until their luggage arrives. 

As the busy holiday travel season begins, let's talk about our travel annoyances and how to fix them. There are no reliable surveys that examine the entire travel experience, from planning to arrival. But you already know what grates against your nerves, right?

Hate to plan? Here's the fix

Travelers love to hate vacation planning, for example. Rey Alton, a travel advisor with Travel Leaders in Houston, says your anger is justified.

When air travelers go all DIY, they often purchase tickets they don't understand. "I see this issue arise more and more," he says. "Basic economy fares don't allow you to choose a seat, and to upgrade to a confirmed seat assignment can be pricey."

I think the fix for this problem is pretty straightforward: Make these stripped-down "basic" fares illegal. I mean, who doesn't fly with a bag or need a seat assignment? Whose plans never change? Not mine! 

Meantime, people like Alton – professional vacation planners – are the solution. A travel pro will keep you far, far away from these absurd airline tickets.

Travelers hate lines, too

How about long lines? Do those annoy you? Sure they do. I spoke with dozens of frequent travelers who loathe lines more than anything. "One of my least favorite things about traveling is waiting in line for TSA checks," says John Linden, a furniture designer from Los Angeles. "I understand that it's for our safety. Ultimately, that's a good thing. But no one wants to stand in line for 45 minutes."

Airports with the worst TSA lines:   These are the days and times you'll want to avoid

The solution: Hire more agents and add them at the busiest times. But the government moves even slower than those TSA lines, so good luck with that one.

In the meantime, passengers like Linden are applying for known traveler programs like TSA PreCheck , Global Entry  and CLEAR . That should move things along.

Interested in TSA PreCheck?  It might soon be cheaper and easier to sign up

Renewing or applying for airport fast pass Global Entry?  Brace for lengthy delays

Travelers can't stand travel industry deception

Travelers want the unvarnished truth. Consider what happened to Lauren Wolfe, an attorney in Washington, when she tried to book a hotel in Florida a few years ago. She discovered that after she selected the hotel online, it added a mandatory $25 per night charge. "I said to myself, 'This has got to be illegal,'" she told me. 

The hotels say it is legal. " Resort fees ," which cover extras like the use of a gym and "free" Wi-Fi, are common in the hotel business. Wolfe started a site called Killresortfees.com and made it her mission to destroy the fees. And that's the long-term solution to these unwanted extras. There ought to be a law.

Congress takes on 'hidden fees' at hotels and resorts:   Here's what it could mean for travelers

Keep an eye out:   These are the most ridiculous travel fees to look out for

The new norm in Las Vegas resort fees?   $50 a night at top hotels

No wonder we arrive exhausted when we're on vacation

Is it any wonder that travelers arrive at their destination exhausted? It's the indignities we suffer in transit. That's what you hate about travel. 

The travel industry thinks suffering is a normal part of the travel experience. So it doesn't hesitate to sell you an airline ticket with stupid restrictions or a hotel room with an outrageous fee. It doesn't care if you have to wait in a long line. Or if you can't figure out how to plan your trip online without losing your shirt.

None of this should happen. The travel industry ought to set the standard for customer service. But until they do, at least we know we're in this together.

How to handle the hate

Take a deep breath.   That's the advice of Christine Scott-Hudson, a licensed psychotherapist. "Your deep, long breaths stimulate your vagus nerve," she says. That, in turn, promotes feelings of general well-being and safety. 

Take inventory of your situation.  Put your problem into perspective. Your trip will eventually end. You'll be home, far away from the stress of holiday travel. Might as well take another deep breath while you're at it. That's right. Breathe in. Breathe out. There you go.

Take action.  If you experienced something that made you hate to travel, try to eliminate it from your trip. Whether you're starting a site to protest resort fees, or just avoiding an airline or hotel in the future – do something.

Nomadic Matt's Travel Site

Travel Better, Cheaper, Longer

Why Pretentious Travelers Fill Me With Hate

Nothing irks me more than people disparaging people’s travel choices. I don’t get why people do it. The whole “traveler vs. tourist” argument, talking about what makes someone a “real traveler,” and making fun of people’s routes — people waste so much energy trying to lift themselves up above others.

Isn’t travel supposed to make you open-minded?

I do this for me. This is all my journey. I’m not in a race for the most countries visited, street stalls eaten at, or festivals attended. I do what makes me happy, even if it’s some “touristy” destination .

There isn’t a single “authentic” version of travel. Getting off the beaten path, finding some hidden island, or living with some guy in a yurt in Mongolia don’t make someone a better traveler than anyone else. It just means your itinerary and experience were different.

I’ve been riled up about this for quite some time and decided to make a video about this subject. Here’s how I really feel and what I think you should do when you meet a pretentious, judgmental traveler:

At the end of the day, travel is not a competition. It’s not a contest. Yes, it’s awesome to travel to far-flung destinations and get off the beaten path. But that doesn’t mean you’re a “better traveler” than someone else. You’re just a different traveler.

We all travel our own way because travel is a personal experience.

I travel the way I want and go to the place I want to see. I don’t have anything to prove; I’m just traveling the way I want to. It’s my life, after all!

As I’ve learned after ten years of traveling the world , there are always going to be people out there who try to get you down. Just ignore them. They just want to belittle your experience to make themselves feel better.

Don’t waste your time on them. There are tons of other awesome travelers you can chat with instead!

So, go where you want.

Do what you want.

See what you want .

Eat where you want.

Maybe I’ll disagree, maybe I’ll try to get you to do something else, but, as Sheryl Crow said, if it makes you happy, it can’t be that bad — and at the end of the day, I’m just happy you left the house. That’s all I care about.

The next time someone starts harping on your travel choices or giving you grief, turn the conversation around on them. Tell them part of being a traveler is being open-minded and if they can’t respect your choice, the conversation is over. Call them out on their crap.

And then walk away.

It’s your trip. Don’t let people ruin it.  

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner . It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld . If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

• SafetyWing (best for everyone)
• Insure My Trip (for those 70 and over)
• Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage)

Want to Travel for Free? Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Check out my guide to picking the right card and my current favorites to get started and see the latest best deals.

Need Help Finding Activities for Your Trip? Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can find cool walking tours, fun excursions, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more.

Ready to Book Your Trip? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use when I travel. They are the best in class and you can’t go wrong using them on your trip.

Got a comment on this article? Join the conversation on Facebook , Instagram , or Twitter and share your thoughts!

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I recommend only products and companies I use and the income goes to keeping the site community supported and ad free.

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The Real Reason for Travel Anxiety

10 anxiety hacks to lower your travel stress..

Posted September 19, 2022 | Reviewed by Gary Drevitch

• What Is Anxiety?
• Find a therapist to overcome anxiety
• Now more than ever, air travel has become an anxious mindscape.
• Airlines profit from creating customer anxiety.
• There are tactics you can employ to preserve your mental well-being in transit.

The airport is an unruly place. It’s opposite world. People who otherwise rarely move are seen sprinting to Cinnabon. High fashion is Birkenstocks and yoga pants. Happy hour starts at 7:00 am. Stepping over sleeping adults in fetal positions is expected. And all purchases are made within a 400% inflationary market.

The Boarding Process: Humanity Has Left the Building

In few other affairs is your life status so publicly displayed than during the airline boarding process. This is by design. Airlines publicly grade us by airport megaphone. It’s a grandstand to reward or humble customers based on how much money those individuals have we spend with them. The airline credo? “If you want to travel humanely, you’re going to pay.”

All airlines do the same thing: They move people from one place to another via the troposphere. The way in which they begin their process, however, can greatly vary, with the differences most evident during onboarding.

As soon as the gate attendant blows into a hot mic, people leap to their feet into pole position, blocking all pathways to the jetway ready to blitz the ticket scanner. There are notable reasons we act like stressed Billy goats during the boarding process, including the following:

• Mob Mentality. A study found that as few as five people can influence a crowd of 100 to follow suit. 1 At the gate we leave our common sense to follow these Pied Pipers to a closed, retractable belt barrier 12 feet away, where we wait for the next gate announcement.
• Competition . We want to be the first on and the first off the plane. It's why people jockey for the airplane aisle as soon as the seatbelt sign dings off. God forbid if a senior citizen or toddler tries to disembark first. It often becomes every passenger for him/herself, as if airports and planes are vacuums of courtesies.

Impatience . People crowd the gate under the illusion that it will get them to their destination faster. A superior use of time would be to find nearby space and do some birthing squats and jumping jacks to avoid the onset of DVT.

Baggage space . Planes almost always have enough overhead bin space for every passenger. In fact, newer planes have increased bin space. 2 Yet people will still drop their bags on unsuspecting heads.

California-based clinical psychologist Tom McDonagh says, “There has been a measurable uptick in clients who divulge anxiety about travel. Oftentimes clients will express worrisome thoughts about what could go wrong on their flight." These types of cognitive distortions are "future tripping" thoughts. "Get into the habit of seeing anxious thoughts as a symptom, and not reality, to help alleviate your stress," adds McDonagh.

Why Can’t the Airlines Lose My Emotional Baggage?

The airlines employ the art of anxiety seed-planting so you’ll pay a little more to check your bags or opt for earlier boarding. In their defense, airline margins are small and they depend on such fees to remain profitable. In 2021, airlines in the U.S. made an estimated $4.3 billion in baggage fees alone. The scariest thing about flying today are those fees. Which begs the question: "Is that a bag you’re checking, or a griefcase?"

To maximize profits, airlines create the illusion of grossly limited bin space, while continuing to splice boarding groups into ever-thinner stratifications. Consider the many tiers of the boarding processes to understand the psychological game you’ve entered. United boards in six groups, American has nine, and Delta has 10. You board according to your value to the airline.

I ride “basic economy” — the airborne proletariat class. We roll onto the jet bridge like the end credits of a sad movie. Airline personnel avoid making eye contact with us, knowing we barely chipped in for gas. Our shame is palpable. In the future, airlines could operate under any array of boarding and seating procedures, such as including bleachers or removing the seats and tethering each of us to a standing pole. But rest easy, Marco Polo, there are strategies to quell your travel angst.

10 Tactics to Less Stressful, if Not Stress-Free Travel

• Counter the murmuring lies of anxiety . "Some people are struggling intensely with 'contamination anxiety.' They're worried about catching Covid on a plane," McDonagh says. "We try to help these clients by discussing possibility versus probability. When it comes to fear , we often overassume but just because something is possible, does not mean it's probable."
• Practice makes progress . Build up your safe-risk tolerance prior to travel day to develop resiliency for the unfamiliar. Think overnight or weekend daytrip, not Burning Man. The goal is to not make your upcoming trip the first big, new experience since Covid and Zoom.
• Bring a “bug-out” bag . Include all the travel-soothing accoutrements you need for your mental and physical well-being. These might include books, electronics, snacks, medications, that silly neck pillow, and the contact information of those in your support circle.
• Consider avoiding caffeine and alcohol . Both can leave you feeling dehydrated in a desiccating fuselage. Moreover, they can both increase anxiety. Anxiety kicks in with caffeine, booze, and no control over the window shade.

Normalize feeling abnormal . Remind yourself that it is 100% normal to have worries or stress related to travel. While this skill might seem overly simplistic, it’s incredibly powerful. Telling yourself, “It makes sense that I feel this way given the situation,” is often the reassurance your brain needs. Normalize and nama-stay who you are.

Name it to tame it . Labeling emotions is a proven way to reduce their intensity. This process uses your prefrontal cortex, which brings your more reasonable, thoughtful self back online. It can downregulate the anxiety center of the brain that contributes to stress. Do this by asking yourself, “At this moment, how am I feeling given this situation?” Talking to yourself is a sign of higher intelligence — especially when referring to yourself in the third person. 3 But use a sock puppet if you want to make a statement.

Breathing . An effective way to flip from fight-or-flight response to the rest-and-digest state is by doing the physiological sigh. 4 Take a short inhale through your nose, pause for a moment, and then inhale through your nose again. Then slowly exhale through your mouth. It’s a process our bodies do naturally when soothing from an emotional experience. Imagine a young child or politician at the end of a crying fit and you can see the double intake that naturally happens. Take 5-10 physiological sighs as needed.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) . Muscle tension contributes to stress. To reduce muscle tension, intentionally constrict your muscles for 30-60 seconds. This constriction causes the muscle to be less tense after the constriction period. Try to focus on one muscle group at a time while seated, such as your feet/lower legs and work your way up the body. Flying Frankie says relax.

Acceptance . Acceptance does not mean approval. Simply acknowledge things as they are in the moment. Boarding delays, limited leg space, and lavatory lines will likely be part of the experience. Acceptance removes unnecessary suffering. Acceptance challenge accepted!

Don’t fall asleep before the snack cart reaches your row.

If anyone is Christmas shopping for me, I’m a size “window seat.”

University of Leeds. 2008, February 16. Sheep In Human Clothing: Scientists Reveal Our Flock Mentality. ScienceDaily

McCartney, Scott - "Travelers, Welcome to the Revolution in Overhead Bin Size," The Wall Street Journal, October 13, 2021

Kross, E., Bruehlman-Senecal, E., Park, J., Burson, A., Dougherty, A., Shablack, H., Bremner, R., Moser, J., & Ayduk, O. (2014). Self-talk as a regulatory mechanism: How you do it matters. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 106(2), 304–324

Ramirez J. M. (2014). The integrative role of the sigh in psychology, physiology, pathology, and neurobiology. Progress in brain research, 209, 91–129.

Jon Patrick Hatcher, M.A., is the author of 101 Ways to Conquer Teen Anxiety and Anxiety Hacks for an Uncertain World.

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8 Top Tips to Avoid Saying: I HATE Travel!

by Gail Turner Brown | Feb 11, 2022 | Global | 1 comment

Once upon a time, all you needed was a desire to go away, you book your travel plans, grab your passport, money and throw a few clothes in a bag and off you go. Simple, right? Now, travel has become complicated, confusing, exhausting and unpleasant.

My last trip had me convinced: I hate travel. But we can take measures to lower our travel hate barometer…

I Hate Travel Because of Extreme Measures

You –

• Get a COVID-19 test (ouch!)
• Strip (more strangers have seen me naked than a having seen an actual stripper)
• Have strangers rummage through your belongings and then items like water, hand sanitizer, hand cream, even toothpaste get tossed out if not the proper size
• Get packed into a plane like sardines, with no room to breathe or move
• Only get a drink and pretzels, no matter what class you’re traveling, because of COVID

Dang;  come on, people!

Hate Travel: Business Class for Nought

I recently returned to Colombia from the U.S. and I was in for a shock! I made sure to book a business class ticket because I thought I’d have a better experience. WRONG!

The only thing different was, I got to board the plane in the first group, and the seats were larger and had more space. But that’s it!… (sigh)

As a result, I decided to find ways to reduce the agony of air travel as much as possible and here is what I found:

Hate Travel: Mitigate the Pain

Don’t hate travel tip #1: get to the airport earlier than you think you need.

Even though I arrived for my flight 2 1/2 hours before departure, the airline was experiencing all kinds of issues. Reduced staff, computer issues, and long lines. Result? I missed my flight, and it took me over 18 hours to get to my destination. Whew, chile, that was a long day!

Don’t Hate Travel Tip #2: Apply for  TSA pre-clearance

When you apply for  TSA-pre-check  membership, you can bypass all the taking off of shoes, belts, pulling out your laptop, etc and zoom through security. No more stripping down.

The only downfall, it’s a 5-year membership which costs $120. However, if you are traveling a lot, it’s well worth the investment. You can’t get that time back and your travel will be a lot less hassle.

Don’t Hate Travel Tip #3: Get Your COVID-19 Test and Documents

Some countries are still requiring a PCR test to enter the country. The U.S. has such a requirement when entering. Find your location, get your test (yes, it’s a pain in the nose) and have your test results handy. It will speed things up at immigration and check-in.

Don’t Hate Travel Tip #4: What Not to Put in Carry-On

One of my biggest frustrations is the inconsistency of airlines and TSA agents to let you know what you can and cannot take in your carry-on bag.

Some items are common sense and are posted at security checkpoints. Things such as guns, knives, explosives, are no-brainers and common sense. But then it comes to items that are subjective only to the agent.

I recently had my skin cream that was prescribed by my doctor taken when going through security in Colombia. My son had his toothpaste taken on another flight. I almost caused an international incident!

Before you require diplomatic immunity, it’s best to know what is prohibited. Here is a list provided by American Airlines .

Then, if you want to keep your stuff, DON’T TAKE IT IN YOUR CARRY-ON! If you can’t get a miniature version of your shampoo, lotions, hand creams, sanitizers, and the likes, just don’t bring it.

Don’t Hate Travel Tip #5: Luggage and Fees

This is a WHOLE revenue scheme, I mean stream, to be sure. Checking luggage can cost you anywhere from $30 – $200 and can really add up if you are traveling with family and kids.

One thing I noticed on all my flights, the airlines asked for volunteers to check their luggage at the gate for FREE! I got to a point I deliberately didn’t check some of my bags, knowing I could do it for free at the gate. To be fair, I don’t know if this is the case for all international airlines, but it could be worth checking out. This could save you a ton of money!

Don’t Hate Travel Tip #6: PYOS – Pack Your Own Snacks

If you don’t want to pass out or be concerned about getting something healthy to eat on your flight, you’d better pack your own food! I thought I would faint from hunger by the time I got to my first layover. After dining in luxury on my first class leg on water and chips, I was looking for ANYTHING to eat.

Be careful what you wish for! Several airport restaurants were closed, and the one I found near my departing gate was full, of course. The food was not good and overpriced, geesh!

So my advice, do as your mom did when you were a kid. Take a little lunch bag with healthy snacks, a sandwich or some diced fruit. Your stomach, wallet and attitude will thank you.

Don’t Hate Travel Tip #7: Be Comfortable

If you don’t have TSA pre-check and have to start your striptease, wear slip-on shoes, take off jewelry that may set off the metal detector. Ladies, check those under-wire bras, or you may be in for a surprise pat-down.

Note: DOUBLE CHECK you’ve collected your small items! So many cell phones, watches, wallets passengers forget at the security check. This can really be a travel downer.

Don’t Hate Travel Tip #8: Bring ALL of Your Patience

Because of large numbers of people traveling due to cabin fever for over a year, going through customs and immigration at a snail’s pace, watching people screaming about their freedom while they fight or harass flight attendants about wearing a mask, you need to have the patience of Job.

But it can be done, and it will allow you to have a much better experience during your travel

***********  WEAR A MASK, IT’S THE LAW ! ***********

Anything we can do to make airline travel less stressful and more enjoyable, the better and the more excited we will be about traveling.

These were my top-of-mind tips. I’m sure you have some to share as well. Let us hear about them. Where will you land?

by: Gail Turner Brown

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I Hate Traveling Solo—And I’m Totally Okay With That

By Candice Rainey

A couple of years ago, when I was the executive editor of Condé Nast Traveler , I copped to loathing solo travel in the middle of a meeting with several other travel editors, most of them women. This was post Women’s March, pre #metoo, and the collective reaction could only be described as “stunned.”

I get it. After all, this was a time when we were exerting independence in every facet of our lives. Moving confidently through the world felt urgent. Necessary , even. So when I admitted I wasn’t a fan of traveling by myself despite being an independent 40-year-old woman, and a travel editor no less, it came off as if I was actively dodging empowerment. Or worse, that I didn't know how to be alone. That’s not my problem. Like most writers, I require pockets of time by myself and have no trouble filling hours alone. Organizing my closet and blowing through the entire Haim catalogue on Spotify is my high church.

But for me, traveling solo has never been empowering, much less restorative. If anything it feels like painful work—like therapy that’s not going well. When I’m in an unfamiliar place by myself for a stretch, I’m hilariously incapable of exuding worldly swagger. I’ll research my brains out and make plans to experience whatever city I am in—locking in the of-the-moment restaurant reservation, figuring out what museum to hit, where to get that afternoon macchiato in that burgeoning, cool-kids neighborhood—and then promptly second guess all of those plans, with nobody to talk me out of bailing on them, and retreat to my room early to polish off a few mini bottles from the hotel mini bar and binge-watch Netflix on my iPhone.

Once, when I was in London on assignment, I decided last minute to head to Somerset by train (which is saying a lot since cracking train travel has never been my strong suit). The plan was to stay one night at a pretty country-estate hotel surrounded by seemingly endless fields of tall grass and hulking majestic trees that looked more like hyperrealistic drawings. It was all painfully beautiful and it was a privilege to be there, but no matter what I did—drank a pint by myself in the bar, read a book on an overstuffed lawn chair, swam in the indoor/outdoor infinity pool—I couldn’t...settle. I kept thinking about what it would be like to come back here with my daughter and husband, and dedicated way too much headspace to what my dog was doing (sleeping on my side of the bed most likely, not thinking about me). I skipped dinner, holed up in my room, and stayed up far too late watching a bad movie before leaving early the next morning, not even giving the claw-foot soaking tub a whirl.

It hasn’t gone like that on every trip—sometimes I’ll go somewhere alone, muscle through, and come back feeling wrung out, in a good way, because I was able to take care of myself and all of my appendages, including my iPhone. Feeling capable is utterly satisfying. But I’ve also not taken assignments, like gorilla trekking in Rwanda , because the thought of preparing for and experiencing that kind of herculean adventure by my lonesome fills me with paralyzing, mood-killing dread. Whereas if I have someone to share the anticipation and fear with—and stoke my Gorilla-loving fires—well, go ahead and count me in.

As the number of female solo travelers continues to rise (in 2018 British Airways found that more than 50 percent of the 9,000 women surveyed had taken a solo vacation, with 75 percent planning solo trips in the near future) it’s embarrassing to admit you’re a reluctant solo traveler in a time when other women seem to be ticking off their bucket list destinations on their own—and with a palpable fervor. But I don’t apologize anymore for it. What I realized is that I love to travel because it imprints you in a way that a million hot yoga classes, or juice cleanses, or work or whatever else we are organizing our lives around at the moment never can. And for me, to really sink into a place and come back changed, jolted even, I need someone to share it with. If that makes me less of a badass explorer, I can live with that.

In fact, I’ve given myself permission to never have to travel solo again if I don’t want to. Which is exactly why, when I landed a dream assignment to drive 1,200 miles around Portugal —in an Alfa Romeo, no less—I did what any respectable, independent woman would do. I called my mom.

My mom and I drank too much Port and held our breaths as we inched our way down medieval cobblestone streets in a very expensive rental, where we definitely left pastry crumbs behind. That’s a trip I’ll remember for the rest of my life. And isn’t that the whole point of going anywhere? To remember it not solely for the anxiety or loneliness you felt awash in, but for the connection you made to other humans. One that would have never happened had you not been some other place than home.

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I Hate to Travel – The Reluctant Traveller

• June 2, 2018
• 45 Comments

This post has been written by Ankur Bhatia (aka The Filmy Fool ). Equal parts crazy & passionate, h e  loves to write about films & entertainment, likes to read fantasy fiction and is a fan of Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere. He relaxes by listening to classic rock and is an extremely Reluctant Traveller.

It may be hard to believe but it’s true, I am an extremely reluctant traveller and I plan to share some of my travel ordeals under the  Reluctant Traveller series  starting with this post.

Travel for me is not relaxation or meditation, rather it is the exact opposite. Be it travel for work or vacation, it is accompanied by major stress and anxiety. I guess there are 2  major reasons for this; 1) The intense planning before the travel (being on your toes even during the travel to make sure all goes according to plan) and 2) I simply am not comfortable leaving my space (my bed, my pillows, my washroom etc.) and my routine. There are other reasons as well which I will talk about a little later. I understand that the second reason is a bit on the side of OCD and I try to overlook it as much as possible. However, the planning required for a trip gives me panic attacks.

"A friend once told me that planning is the most fun part of the vacation, at times even better than the vacation itself. I honestly didn't know how to respond to that."

Most vacations that I have been to have been planned by my wife and I know she has not had a lot of fun doing it. After planning one too many, she put her hands up. So I had no choice but to dive into the dark abyss that is vacation planning .

I had never really planned a trip before...ok to be honest I did plan a trip to Goa with my family and it bombed (details in another post). Honestly, I almost felt like Zayed Khan from ‘Main Hoon Na’ who steps into the library for the first time and there are temple bells ringing etc. Seriously, In films, they never show the ugly parts of a vacation. I mean how the hell did Hrithik Roshan plan his dare in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara when he was so busy? I keep hoping that my vacation plans don’t end up like the plans of Kirsten Wiig from Bridesmaid. Anyway, the planning starts and the next thing I know I have lost one month of my life.

And this is the story with every vacation because there are so many variables and the added pressure of missing out on something fantastic. You know how you always find people who start playing Oh My God! And they have only 1 rule, they can never lose. It goes like this, "Hey you went to this country right? Did you see THAT?", "Yes I did, it was so...” (Abruptly stopped) "Oh but did you see THAT?", "Yeah I did but honestly...” (Cut, we are moving on) "Oh the best was THAT, did you go THERE?" "No!", "OH MY GOD, how could you miss THAT, I can't believe you went all the way and did not see THAT".

"I am happy to see the waves go by with a book in my hand and jazz/classic rock playing in the background. "

So you obviously ignore such people but then there is the dreadful Internet. Filled with choices that last for pages and pages. From "all-inclusive packaged tours" to "the terrain less travelled" and from "we will do everything for you and just take your life savings" to "Do everything on your own, we will just take a small amount for....umm...you know...motivating you to go on this trip" (else you would have stayed home, watched Netflix, ordered food and relaxed).

I understand that one should not get bogged by social pressure and do what they want, within the budget they can afford. Well, I don't know what kind of vacation I want, or what kind of a traveler I am. Do I want to visit the beaten down, clichéd tourist spots? Or do I want to take the path less traveled and explore the unexplored, blah blah...discovering myself ...blah blah....you get the idea. I honestly don't know. Sometimes I want everything done for me and sometimes I don't want to do anything.

Another crazy variable is traveling with another person. Wife, friend, family no matter who you are planning to travel with, each one brings their own dynamics, do's and don'ts, preferences, and a bucket list.

"What do you call a vacation that keeps everyone happy? A Dream! "

With so much to think of and so many things to balance, who has the wherewithal to have fun? Not me. I know people who start planning their next vacation as soon as they get back from one. I feel like every time I plan a vacation, I am in need of 2 vacations. One, where I plan everything and somehow manage to hold it together during the entire thing. And two, a follow-up vacation, which helps me get over the craziness of the first one. 

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i too can be a reluctant traveler, although I have different things that make me reluctant. I LOVE the planning part, so that’s never it, but I have a pretty decent fear of flying that always stresses me out, so I can relate!

As I am a travel lover, I cannot relate to Ankur so much. As for travel planning, he can take planned customized tours to keep away that homework. Even these services take care of visa services too. But many people love their comforts of home and have the different perspective. Loved to read about theories of reluctant traveller.

Medha Verma

I find it hard to believe that someone can hate the actual travel part. The planning and organising – sure. But being in a new country, exploring something new – that’s my favourite part of travel!

I’m the opposite— I find it hard to believe anyone can find travel enjoyable. Stumbling around strange places, trying not to get hit by cars, every meal an agonizing search and negotiation, and no sleep. All that to see a building or a mountain. No thanks!

I get so anxious purchasing my airfare! I research everything there is to do for weeks before committing to my flight times and no matter how much I research or how many days I add for padding, I’m always short on time. So frustrating!

Good to see a different point of view although I don’t relate to it. I think for me the most stressful thing used to be going to office every day and waiting for the day to end. he he… which is why I left that life behind. But everyone has different preferences…

An interesting perspective. I can relate to aspects of it. I hate the planning, the anxiety and unknown factors around it, and the act of going from point A to point B, but once I arrive, all that goes out the door and I can relax. I use to plan every detail of my trips (which is why I probably hate the planning process!), but now I only just have rough plans and figure it out as I go. This has gone a long way in making it more enjoyable!

I personally love the planning part. But over a period of time, I’ve learned to keep some flexibility in the plan 🙂

If you hate to travel, why do it? If it’s stressful and not enjoyable, it seems to me the better thing to do would be just to stay home.

I used to read this one blog where the couple really just seemed to hate travel. They complained about everything in every place. I really could never understand why they even bothered to go when they were clearly going to be miserable.

Well, I guess sometimes when you’re a couple, one does it because the other person really likes to!

Shruti Prabhu

I like to mix it up. A bit or rest and a bit of adventures. I love planning vacations but it is the visa process that causes anxiety. Both me and my husband like to roughly plan the outline and then just play it by ear. We love the flexibility rather than sticking to a rigid itinerary.

I find the visa thing a big hassle too!

Alexander Popkov

Well, I can hardly call my trips rest.. carrying backpack and going to mountains doesn’t sound like… But I stil love it. I have enough of comfortable chairs in the office, I look for freedom.

Fair enough 🙂

We used to plan a lot. Now, we just book our 16 weeks of timeshare and go to the places they tell us to when we get there!

Such an honest post and happy he talked about how he really feels about planning trips and the actual trips but It’s funny that some people can really immerse themselves into planning (some enjoy the planning more than the trip) and there are others like Ankur who absolutely hate planning. I guess from the things I’ve learned over the years planning isn’t really a stressful procedure for me, I have my go-to sites to check the basics out and get ideas of costs and a rough idea of what to see and do.

I agree, while some people think it’s stressful, others like me enjoy it almost as much as the actual trip 🙂

A stroll around the world

I am among those who enjoy planning a lot! I truly love researching about destinations, studying the local history and learning about the culture.

I really enjoy planning for trips – researching where to stay, places to visit and where to eat. However, I do understand that there is so much information out there you feel you don’t want to miss out on any sights. We like to take out time travelling and if you don’t have time to fit everything in, just do it next time when you return. I do all the planning and researching … I think my husband finds it stressful though so he can relate to Ankur!

I understand your point of view on travel (I am the opposite). For you, that is why cruise ships are great and organized travel groups – they do everything for you. Not my choice, but I have lots of friends who prefer to let the planning and worry to someone else.

I started my blog because I do such a great job at planning and people love to take my advice on travel. I also share how to be cost efficient. We visit both well-traveled and less traveled areas.

I am one of those who starts thinking about the next place as soon as I get home – and why not if it allows us to be in the moment, making the most of it while traveling. I wish you great travel experiences!

Kavita Favelle

This is definitely an interesting perspective for me, as I’m the opposite of your poster Ankur. I get immense pleasure from researching and planning a trip, it’s not something I find at all stressful! I’m also very lucky that my husband is my ideal, and totally compatible travel partner.

It’s the same with me, I love planning and research, it’s kind of the most important part because it builds up anticipation 😉 I found Ankur’s perspective quite interesting as well, mainly because it’s the complete opposite of mine!

Love that Ankur was so honest about this! Not everyone loves planning, and not everyone would love to leave their routines.

I used to LOVE planning so much, but lately, I’m like eh – maybe because I was feeling stress with graduate school, work and internship that it was just simply overwhelming for me to even make a plan. Now, I’m getting back into it since I’m done with grad school, work, and internship. Anyways, this post is really enjoyable and made me smile 🙂 Pretty much thought of myself and my boyfriend, even with my friend who I travel sometimes with.

Thanks for this very honest blog post. I totally understand the stress that comes with travel planning. My husband and I usually share the planning. And then the blame when something doesn’t quite work out as planned. We have tried tour vacations where someone else does all the planning. But find we usually have more fun when we plan it ourself.

I definitely relate to this, the planning can definitely be very stressful sometimes. It’s always worth it though – I’ve never regretted going somewhere!

Loved reading the post. We travel to escape from our mundane corporate life…. no self-discovery or exploring the less trodden path for us too 😉 But, we love travel planning and all the excitement that comes with travel.

Haha I can relate to this to some degree, but you still go? Have you ever been on package holidays where you allowed someone else to do all the planning? I totally know what you mean by loads of these points, but I am SUCH a travel addict I can’t pretend I’m not that person who is already planning their next holiday before they are back from their last. It drives my husband mad!

Hahaha, My husband could totally relate to your dilemma. While I love travelling and planning our vacations, he just gives up the minute we decide on vacation. But yes, the option on things to do in a place boggles me most of the time, and the OMGs as well hahah.

I know, right. For some people, it becomes all about checking the boxes and no matter how amazing an adventure you’ve embarked upon, as long as you’ve not done the ‘key’ things, your vacation just wasn’t complete, according to them 🙂

Haha this is so funny! OMG-person, I have meet many during my trips! It doesnt matter if you tell them that you have seen a pink elephant flying and they could still go “What! You havent been there??”…

I totally respect Ankur! And my husband is the same because this way I have all the control and the power to decide where to go and what to see. He just comes along and be the greatest travel partner ever!

I think it’s perfect when the two partners are complete opposites – one loves to plan and the other doesn’t. It gives the planner total freedom and the other peace of mind to just sit back and enjoy the vacation which has been perfectly planned already 😉

Oh god this is so sad. I cannot imagine feeling this way about travelling as I love the planning and the actual trip. I know people who hate the planning though. Maybe one way to overcome this is to not plan and just turn up at the airport and book something on the spot

My partner isn’t the best traveller, but loves it when we arrive. I actually like the planning stage; it’s where you get to see the best things to do and see in a new destination! Travel is definitely what you make of it; just be sure to come home with good memories than bad ones!

I guess some people just need everything to be laid out on a platter so that all they need to do is land up and enjoy the destination 😉

Lois Alter Mark

I am so with you on planning! I never understood how people thought that was fun. Although I love travel and do it often, I always find the planning stage very stressful.

Amy @ Family Globetrotters

Hahah! I am the complete OPPOSITE! I love to travel and the planning part is just as exciting as the actual experience. For the planning part creates the anticipation which is all part and parcel of the travel process. And I love to travel with my partner and daughter. Whilst I’m sure we are polar opposites, I can empathise. Maybe next time pay someone to do all the planning and you just get on the plane!

I hear you, Amy! I love the planning part of travel as well, almost as much as I love travelling 🙂 But I can understand my guest writer’s point of view, not everyone sees ‘planning’ as anticipation, for some, it can be quite stressful!

richa tandon

Ankur this is so so relatable, ’cause I share the OCD syndrome ? with you… and to top it my travels include a teenager boy and a little princess, I can moan about the issues for hours …. but in the end I do like holidays ? So as long as everyone promises to be happy with what we get and not compare it to the internet DREAM HOLIDAYS… it can work out…?

A good read and a realistic view to travelling ?? looking forward o the next one !!!!

It’s an interesting read. Looking forward to the complete series

Ankur Bhatia

So relieved to know that there are others like me and not everyone is a travel enthusiast 🙂

Dakota Wolf

I so appreciate reading your blog Ankur. While friends plan out of country travel with enthusiasm I feel so guilty for saying no thank you to their invitation to join them. The stress of planning minimal local jaunts is all I can handle. Home, books, pets…. I look forward to your future posts.

Deepak Verma

Fantastic. Too good. Finally someone like me. A courageous confession indeed and very hilarious one to read. Looking forward to more.

I don’t think this is you at all! You love your excel sheets and print outs 😉

I refer to the packing/unpacking and the disturbance it causes in my smooth daily schedule. Waiting at airports for hours and flight delays make me feel I have lost control over my schedules.

Ashwini Menon (@Ashwini_Menon)

Hi Ankur. I am grinning from ear to ear as I read this!! I could relate to everything you said. The anxiety behind the planning gets to me too. And so like I delegated all the planning to my husband. I am so bad that I dont even plan the weekend stuff. He checks out the movie listings and books for them too. While I kind of enjoy myself when I am at a nice resort, getting there is stress-filled. And of course, since I do none of the planning, if anything goes wrong, I blame my husband!! :(:( To add to it all, I often pack only the night before and we have also missed our flight once (didnt check the time on the ticket properly)!

Looking forward to your series fellow reluctant traveller…esp the Goa trip! 🙂

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The Middle of Somewhere: Why I Hate to Travel

It’s a little early to call it a phenomenon or a syndrome or even a drift, but when i admit, sign up for our daily newsletter.

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Ten years ago, disliking travel branded you under some dullard’s version of Megan’s Law. The admission hot-wired people’s nervous systems: eyes zoomed in and dollied out on you; delete buttons fired in whatever part of the brain controls dinner-party invitations; body language suddenly spoke fluent English: You hate travel? You hate travel? You hate travel ?

Yes and yes and yes but … times are changing. People seem more tolerant of the hunkered down. They’ve gained an empathy for inertia freaks. Some have even slouched toward the “staycation,” a handy detour around the shame of parochialism. Not long ago at a super-high-thread-count dinner party in Martha’s Vineyard (O.K., I went to Martha’s Vineyard—I’ll explain later), a woman said to me, “I still like travelling but sometimes it’s like marriage … not all it’s cracked up to be.” I half-jokingly, or three-eighths jokingly, said I didn’t know that either were cracked up to be much and … she smiled. No really, I’m pretty sure she smiled.

At first knee-jerk, reasons for a travel backlash are splashing everywhere: recession, 9/11, gas, brawny euros, scrawny dollars, malaria, aisle seat fees, security-gate shoe-removal. “ One wacko booby-traps his Nikes and we have to remove our shoes for eternity? It’s sick. ” Yes, getting there is half the agony. Being there is the other half.

Popular bothers aside, my travel problem is more internal: I just don’t like going anywhere. As an aspiring agoraphobic, I like being home. The sweet habit of home holds life’s potential. Preferring to be available to my own life, I’m pretty sure news about an optioned screenplay won’t reach me in Tuscany. It doesn’t reach me at home, either, but at least here, self-delusion makes some sense. Other people may like being in the middle of nowhere. Not me. And my atlas shows maybe four places in the world that aren’t in the middle of nowhere.

And yet, people continue to ask, what about daring adventure? Well, when wars break out, I do envy those action-junkie photojournalists snapping away through sniper fire then hurdling headlong into desperate combat romances, but those aren’t the adventures we’re discussing here. We’re on the level of an Antarctic eco-tour, which is just running away from oneself for two weeks of life on gelid hold. And anyway, as Eudora Welty said, “… all serious daring starts from within.” Granted, just because Eudora Welty said it doesn’t mean it’s true, but in this case, I really think she was on to something.

People then ask about the oxymoronic concept of a pleasure trip (and I’m not so sure of the oxy part). Here, the implications are twofold: Home lacks pleasure, a dreary scenario only exacerbated by resorts with better amenities than your own home; and that a change of scenery does a person good. In Normandy (O.K., I went to Normandy), I learned that the French refer to such travel as a way to “ change les idées ”—change your ideas. Granted, just because the French say it doesn’t mean it’s wrong, but in this case, I really think they’re wrong.

Case in point, a few years ago, yoga freaks everywhere seemed to be lugging their purple mats to India precisely to “change les idées.” I was asked along on several such trips but declined. India is no doubt fascinating and the people sound very nice over the phone but … thanks for asking and godspeed. As it turned out, the only changes in ideas I heard from returning travelers dealt with multiplying the recommended dosage of Imodium. The best idea was an advanced formula called Explodium.

On the upside, I learned enough about India to close my eyes and convince myself I went there and never needed to go back. One imagined trip was enough. Really, it’s staggering how much you can learn about the world by avoiding it. Without moving a muscle, I know St. Bart’s is “so restful,” Machu Picchu “so transcendent” and the Masai “so cheerful.” I don’t see why I have to confirm it all firsthand. You’ve rated the hotels, reviewed the meals, described the felonious cab drivers … why see the movie? Which exposes another dimly lit truth: The high point of any trip is when it’s over . People like travel but they love saying, “I just got back from Uruguay.” With open access to exotic locales, travel has become a seedy form of exhibitionism, more something to recount than experience. I know this because I’m as guilty as anyone.

A few years ago I went on what others referred to as “a vacation” to Vietnam. (O.K., I also went to Vietnam.) Back home, everyone got a dose of “I just got back from Vietnam.” They’d ask how I enjoyed the trip and I’d say, “Actually, I don’t know what all those Vietnam veterans were whining about…I had a great time.”

• SEE ALSO : Don’t Just Retire; Rewire

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Why I Hate Travel

I'm a girl with messy hair & a thirsty heart who likes to be anywhere but home. I travel between dashing & daring and love Nemo!

I wanted to title this post "Why travel is bullshit," but then I thought bullshit was a rude word, I shouldn't use in a headline and so I changed it. But really, it is bullshit. You would think that I couldn't dislike something that makes me so unbelievably happy, gives me butterflies like no guy ever has, and turns me into a better version of myself with each step I take out into the world. But I do.

Oh, how I wish I could have been content with what I had when I was little, alas I wasn't. I always wanted something, I was always curious, and had parents who supported me, eventually lovingly pushed me out of my nest, making me go and explore the world.

Yes, of course, I am grateful, but sometimes I wish I would have stayed home.

Now I have the daily dilemma of wanting more. More to see, to explore, more new, more same same but different, less ordinary and more ordinary away from home. I hate it, but I can't help it.

My mind doesn't stand still and quite frankly it is exhausting. I dream of Bangkok when I'm in Cape Town and wish I was in Marrakech, oh no, rather Essaouira when in Florence. I get a plate of Pad Thai and I want Japanese, I find a great Mexican restaurant at home and wish I was back in New York for Venezuelan arepas. It's not about the grass always being greener elsewhere, I don't care for the grass, but it is about the sky being bluer, the horizon wider, and the smells more exotic.

When I lived in New York, I lived close to a mosque and the sound of the Adhan mixed with a warm breeze in summer was irresistible to me. It was stronger than any siren song, asking me to go, leave, come -- welcome to the world! With that irresistible pull came excitement and misery to equal extends. Always moving, always searching, sometimes arriving, but already planning ahead for the next step which could be just that or a plane ride or a country away. I am always somewhere, but am I ever here?

Yes, you will say, but don't I like to broaden my horizon that comes with travel? Of course, I do, but sometimes it's hard. Not to fall into a trot of familiarity even if nothing is familiar. We are creatures of habit and it doesn't show more than when on holiday. I have eaten at the same Japanese restaurant for the past four days for lunch. Not breaking out of my comfort zone makes me feel even worse when I'm traveling, because shouldn't exactly this be the time to do it? Talk about enjoying a little guilt trip.

I have friends in many places and I love them. I don't love that they are in many different places, because the reality is, I never get to see them enough. I constantly miss one or the other. My heart always breaks a little when I leave somewhere because I leave someone I love behind. That doesn't change just because I am going somewhere to hang out with someone else I love.

I see your ocean and I raise you another and all bets are off, the urge won't go away when I go.

So no, this traveling business is not for the fainthearted and while I'm not fainthearted, I don't like it very much. However just like my chubby toes and my impatience, it is part of me and I have made peace with it over time. I still hate it, but that is no reason not to love it too.

The post was originally posted on Annika's blog The Midnight Blue Elephant . You can also find her on Twitter and Instagram .

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Hate bus tours? These 7 unique guided tours were made for you

W hether I'm vacationing with my family or traveling solo , I love having a guide when I'm exploring a new destination. But guided tours that consist of riding on a bus for days on end are just not for me. If you're like that too, I have good news, because it turns out there are plenty of other ways to travel with the benefit of a guide. 

If you want active family travel adventures or simply an alternative to the classic coach tour , there are options around the globe for you to hit the road without hitting the (actual) road. Here are my top non-bus tour picks, which include hiking, biking, trekking, and kayaking tours; expedition and river cruises; and a train journey for the ages. 

WORLD'S BEST: 15 best guided tour operators for trips around the world

Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.

1. A Hiking Tour

Norway Fjord Trekking with G Adventures

Plan to move more and see plenty as you hike through the land of the Vikings. G Adventures offers a range of adventure tours, and trekking the fjords of Norway is a great way to take advantage of one of the company's areas of expertise: hiking. 

After a ferry journey from Bergen, you'll settle into basic accommodations in Odda, your home base for five days of trekking at moderate and high altitude. Highlights of those treks include walking across the blue ice of the Folgefonna Glacier, taking in the views across the Hardangerfjord, and hiking the Oddadalen Valley.

WOMEN TRAVELING TOGETHER: 9 best tour companies for women’s-only tours

G Adventures prides itself on taking care of the adventure and activities, so you have experienced guides and spend your days touring the dramatic landscape. Since it's a budget-minded adventure tour, the itinerary includes basic accommodations such as the Trolltunga Hotel. With a lounge and bar and basic rooms, you’ll have everything you need, including a lakeside location at the end of your active days.

• Starting price: $2,465
• Length: 7 days, 6 nights
• Activity level: Challenging ("Some high-altitude hikes or more strenuous activities, but accessible to most healthy travelers.")

2. An Expedition Cruise

Indonesia and Papua New Guinea itineraries with Lindblad Expeditions

Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic have teamed up to offer some of the most incredible cruise opportunities on the seven seas. Pairing the sophistication and quality of Lindblad Expeditions and the knowledgebase of Nat Geo, these opportunities are the go-to for small-ship educational and elegant cruising. With 28 destinations , you have your choice, but I recommend the opportunity to get up close and personal with the islands of Southeast Asia, many of which are uninhabited and otherwise impossible to get to.

TOUR REVIEW: National Geographic Expeditions’ Costa Rica Wildlife and Conservation Tour walks on the wild side 

Lindblad-National Geo’s five itineraries in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea range from 11 to 20 days. On the Bali and Beyond trip, guests visit three national parks, including Komodo, a UNESCO Heritage site. And on the Journey through Southeast Asia sailing, guests see both the urban beauty of Singapore and the reefs on the islands of the Andaman Sea.

Though much of what there is to see and do is in the water and on land, you’ll have an experience on board as well. With no assigned seat dining and casual attire, you’ll feel right at home in the dining room, and a central lounge brings people together to share photos, stories, and experiences. 

"Onboard, I loved hanging out in the lounge, where there was always good snacks and drinks, good conversations, and often an informative and interactive talk from one of the onboard experts," says TourScoop's Christine Sarkis, who sailed with Lindblad on its seasonal Baja California offering Among the Great Whales . 

• Starting price: $9,800
• Length: 11-20 days
• Activity level: Easy to Moderate

3. A Train Tour

Vancouver to Lake Louise, Canada, aboard the Rocky Mountaineer

Traveling on the Rocky Mountaineer is an unrivaled experience in train travel. This unique journey through Western Canada is worth every penny, whether you choose the Silver or Gold-Leaf experience . The journey along rivers, valleys, and mountaintops is truly one of a kind, as the local roadways cannot access this route. 

"I took this trip a few years back and still think of it at least once a month. The views, the food, and the comfort were so exceptional that it really stands out," says TourScoop's Christine Sarkis.

TRAIN TRIPS: 12 best Amtrak vacations and scenic train rides in North America

The six-day adventure on the First Passage experience starts with your arrival day plus one in Vancouver; that's time enough to explore the Stanley Park Seawall, stroll through historic Gastown, or take the ferry to Granville Island. 

Your first of two days on the train will take you to Kamloops; as you go, river canyons, green fields, and lush forests surround you as you wind along the Thompson River to Kamloops. Unique to the Rocky Mountaineer, you actually spend your evenings on terra firma , enjoying comfortable lodging in Vancouver, Kamloops, and majestic Lake Louise. On the second day, experience high mountain passes, ranch land, and snow-capped peaks as you wind your way to your final destination at Lake Louise.

The Rocky Mountaineer’s glass-domed train cars are why you’ll book this trip, but you'll have the added reward of knowledgeable hosts, delicious locally-inspired breakfast and lunch options, and comfortable and spacious reclining seats with plenty of legroom. 

• Starting price: $2,653
• Length: 6 days, 5 nights
• Activity level: Easy

4. A kayak tour

San Juan Islands, Washington, with Anacortes Kayak Tours 

There are plenty of ways to see Washington state's San Juan Islands , but there's nothing better than staying close to the water to experience the thrill of wildlife both in and above the water. 

If you're up for a little bit of challenge and want to get a sense of the islands, a multi-day kayak tour is the way to go, and Anacortes Kayak Tours provides the perfect intro and enough options to adapt to all sorts of budgets and interests. With two- to five- day overnights (and options for both all-inclusive and self-catered), this family owned company offers what we all look for in a tour: flexibility.

BRING THE KIDS: 50 family vacation ideas for the best trip ever  

Anacortes Kayak Tours is a family-owned business born out of Megan and Erik Schorr’s love of the water. You’ll feel that love permeates through every aspect of your experience with this company, from the super friendly booking staff (though you can book online) and passionate and deeply knowledgeable guides to the high-quality gear. 

When I went with my family, our guide was kind and funny, and engaged our kids beautifully (both a teen and a child), helped us find and identify birds, plants, tidal changes, and sea life, and always put safety first. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience.

Three-day options can give you a peak at the Cypress Island Reserve or Stuart, Jones, or Sucia Islands. Longer trips might take you as far as the Canadian border or the Wasp Islands. And, if you’d like to plan your own tour as a family-owned business, Anacortes is ready and willing to create a custom itinerary for your group of six or more, including all meals and glamping-like accommodations. 

• Starting price: $499 and up with options to self-cater or have all-inclusive meals
• Length: 2-5 nights or custom
• Activity level: Moderate to Challenging

5. A riverboat tour

Pharaohs and pyramids: Cairo, Egypt, with Viking River Tours

On the 12-day Pharaohs and Pyramids tour from Viking Rivers Cruises , guests go deep on the wonders of the Nile. These well-appointed ships are designed particularly for Nile River cruising, and set you up to have a 360-degree view of the river from the sundeck, pool deck, lounge area, and restaurant. 

ULTIMATE GUIDE: Everything you need to know about river cruises in the U.S.  

Spend your first three checking out Cairo, Giza, the pyramids and museums; on day four, fly to Luxor to see the Temple obelisks and pick up your ship. There's plenty onboard as well, including a lounge and bar, pool and two jacuzzis, and a range of sleeping options—including almost 300 square foot suites. During the river portion of the trip, you'll see the Aswan High Dam, ride in a felucca sailing ship, and see temples that demonstrate the incredible feats of ancient Egyptian engineering.

• Starting price: $5,999
• Length: 12 days, 11 nights

6. A walking tour

Walking the Portuguese Camino with Intrepid Travel 

Travelers can count on Intrepid Travel for a variety of adventures and for staying true to its mission of “creating positive change through the joy of travel.” A certified B Corp with a commitment to climate action, empowering and supporting local communities, and sustainable development, Intrepid is a trusted name in group travel.

WALK THE WORLD: 9 best companies for walking, trekking, and hiking tours

The Santiago de Compostela is a bucket-list hike for many. But with seemingly infinite ways to do it, it's nice to let Intrepid do the heavy lifting of coordinating, and take this alternative route along what is known as the Portuguese Camino , which follows the Portuguese coast from Porto to the Camino. 

There are fewer pilgrims on this lesser-known trail, so you’ll enjoy unencumbered vistas paired with lunch stops and a dedicated rest day in Vigo. One part of your walk includes local wineries and the hot springs of the Caldas de Rei region. With all of that walking, you’ll appreciate that Intrepid transfers your luggage between your accommodations, so you can bring what you need but only need to carry a day pack.

• Starting price: $2,390
• Length: 10 days, 9 nights
• Activity level: Moderate (long walking days, sometimes carrying all bags for up to 30 minutes)

7. A bike tour

A cycling trip in Chile with Backroads

No need for a custom trip if you're going to ride with Backroads . Known in the industry for its knowledgeable guides, community-building approach, and detailed planning, Backroads trips feel personalized. And with backpacking, hiking, snow-adventure, cruising, culinary, and multi-adventure trips, Backroads covers a lot of different adventures.

FROM THE VINE: 9 best European wine tours to take this year  

There's a lot to love about Backroads’ seven-day adventure through the lakes and volcanoes of Chile , which is geared to sporty adult families. Starting in Puerto Varas, you’ll wind your way through Chile’s Ring of Fire with stunning views of remote lakes and valleys. Along the way, you’ll have an opportunity to sample local foods, explore the intersection of cultures in colonial villages, and learn from local indigenous leaders. 

This Backroads trip offers premium lodging (other trips might offer either premium or casual), which means you’ll stay in elegant hotels with exceptional views, plus perks like pools and spas. All meals, beverages, and snacks are included as well. 

This particular bike tour includes Backroads’ standard titanium bikes, helmets, and accessories, and given the distance it covers, also includes shuttling to make sure your biking experience covers the most special views—fear not, the views from the shuttle aren't too shabby either.

• Starting price: $7,299

Hate bus tours? These 7 unique guided tours were made for you originally appeared on TourScoop.com .

More from TourScoop:

• 9 best tour companies for culinary tours
• How to choose the best walking shoes for travel
• 8 best senior travel tour companies

The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY. FamilyVacationist.com and TourScoop.com are owned and operated by Vacationist Media LLC. Using the FamilyVacationist travel recommendation methodology , we review and select family vacation ideas , family vacation spots , all-inclusive family resorts , and classic family vacations for all ages. TourScoop covers guided group tours and tour operators , tour operator reviews , tour itinerary reviews and travel gear recommendations .

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hate bus tours? These 7 unique guided tours were made for you

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Frugal Traveler

Standby Cruising: A New Option for Bargain Seekers

Are you a flexible traveler? Holland America’s standby cruises may be for you. The cost: $49 a day, excluding fees, taxes and extras. The catch: It might be a hair-raising, last-minute scramble.

By Elaine Glusac

Elaine Glusac is the Frugal Traveler columnist, focusing on budget-friendly tips and journeys.

In February, Barb McGowan took a seven-day cruise on Holland America Line, visiting the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, and the Dominican Republic for just $343, or $49 a day, excluding taxes, port fees and extras. By comparison, Holland America currently lists a seven-day Caribbean itinerary in October from about $700.

The catch: She had just 48 hours’ notice.

Ms. McGown, a 64-year-old from Naples, Fla., who runs a restaurant franchise, took one of the line’s new standby cruises , which are aimed at travelers who live near departure ports and intended to fill ship vacancies.

“I look for deals, and this was an especially good experience,” Ms. McGowan said, praising the food and entertainment. “I was impressed enough to put down a deposit on a future cruise.”

A way to keep ships full

Holland America introduced its standby program last August to maximize ship occupancy, knowing that cancellations are inevitable. So far, the rest of the cruise industry has not followed its lead.

“If cancellations are within a week or two of sailing, it’s difficult to resell that space in the open market,” said Dan Rough, the vice president of revenue management at Holland America.

In the same way that airlines oversell seats, cruise lines may compensate for cancellations by overselling staterooms. Filling in with standbys, however, reduces Holland America’s reliance on overselling, which runs the risk of bumping passengers to distant departures or potentially offering generous cash incentives to coax volunteers to cancel.

Though the company does not heavily promote the new practice, it has attracted a following among the thrifty by dangling a bargain rate — $49 a person, whether sharing a cabin or traveling solo, before taxes and fees — on a web page that lists available departure dates to attract flexible travelers. Standbys should expect an inside cabin, according to the company, though ocean-view and veranda cabins have been assigned. (The company declined to say how many standby cabins it has offered.)

“Forty-nine dollars per person, per day is pretty exceptional,” said Colleen McDaniel, the editor of CruiseCritic.com , a website that reviews cruises, noting that the price covers all meals and entertainment. “You can’t find a cheaper rate at a land resort for what’s included.” (In 2023, the average nightly rate for a hotel room in the United States was nearly $156, according to STR, a data analytics firm that monitors the hospitality industry.)

To participate, travelers choose an itinerary from the standby list on the website — current embarkation ports include Boston; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Montreal; Quebec City; San Diego; Seattle; Vancouver, British Columbia; and Whittier, Alaska — and pay for the trip in advance by calling Holland America or booking through a travel adviser.

There are no refunds for standby cruisers who want to back out. However, if the gamble fails to pay off, and the cruise line cannot offer a cabin to someone on the standby list, it issues a refund.

The company says standby offerings are added on a rolling basis and usually lists itineraries within two to three months of departure. Current offerings include seven-day sailings in Alaska’s Inside Passage from April through September and seven-to-11-day trips cruising the coast of New England and Canada’s Maritime Provinces between May and October.

Proximity is a bonus

Standby cruisers don’t learn of their acceptance or denial until a week to two days before departure, complicating transportation arrangements.

“Last-minute airfare could offset the savings on a cruise,” wrote Crystal Seaton, the owner of Road to Relaxation Travel , a travel agency based in Raleigh, N.C., in an email. Though she has not booked a client on a standby sailing yet, she surmised that it is intended for travelers who can drive to a port.

“We were lucky; we found out Tuesday we were going on a Friday 3 p.m. sailing,” said Sheila Valloney, 66, of Clermont, Fla., who with her husband spent nine days aboard a Holland America ship in the southern Caribbean in February by going standby.

Before being cleared, she reserved a parking spot near the ship dock in Fort Lauderdale, which would have set her back about $6 if she canceled. She also kept their vacation clothes ready to go at the last minute for the three-and-a-half-hour drive to port.

Booking a refundable airline ticket — or at least one that guarantees a credit in loyalty points or cash in the event of cancellation — is one way travelers who must fly can take advantage of the deal.

For her standby sailing, Ms. McGowan drove 90 minutes from her home to the ship in Fort Lauderdale. But her travel companion was coming from Indiana, so when she joined the standby list a few months before the departure date, she booked her friend a Southwest Airlines flight using frequent flier points that would be refunded if the last-minute cruise didn’t come through.

Avoiding extra charges

Once on board, charges for extras like cabin upgrades, Wi-Fi, alcohol and shore excursions can inflate the bill, though the thriftiest travelers try to avoid them.

Ms. McGowan sprang for the $17.50-a-day charge for an upgraded drink package (basic nonalcoholic drinks are included in the cruise) and took one shore excursion, focused on coffee growing, which she deemed a good value at $89.

On their Caribbean cruise, the Valloneys asked around for recommendations for good beaches, where they went to relax on port days, and waited until they were on land to check emails, in order to avoid paying for Wi-Fi on the ship.

“We didn’t miss it at all,” Ms. Valloney said. “For beverages, we would wait until happy hour, when it was buy one, get one free.”

Will other companies follow suit?

To date, no other cruise lines have adopted standby programs.

Princess Cruises said it did not plan to offer cabins on a standby basis, but noted that it already offers last-minute deals , which tend to run about $50 to $60 per passenger per day. For example, a seven-day Alaska sailing from Vancouver to Anchorage departing on May 8 is listed at $399 a person in a double-occupancy cabin.

Several other major cruise lines did not respond to inquiries about potentially adopting standby programs, though operators like Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line also offer last-minute deals on their websites.

“We would be surprised to see many mainstream cruise lines begin to adopt a similar model” to the standby system, wrote Kimberly Coyne, the head of sales and content strategy for Cruiseline.com , a cruise review site, in an email. She said the standby fares might be financially unsustainable for cruise lines and cited the potential that travelers might become too accustomed to late-booking deals.

More ways to save

With the recent surge in cruise bookings, companies are discounting less, said Ms. McDaniel of CruiseCritic.com.

She identified more reliable ways to get a deal compared with going standby, such as booking during “ wave season ,” a sales period that generally runs January through March, or taking a repositioning cruise, in which a ship relocates from one region to another seasonally. A repositioning itinerary might sail in the fall from Alaska to the Caribbean via the Panama Canal.

“It’s not unusual to see a repositioning cruise at less than $75 per night,” Ms. McDaniel, said, noting that other expenses such as an airline itinerary into one city and returning from another may cost more than a standard round-trip ticket.

Repositioning cruises tend to stop at fewer ports and add more shipboard enrichment programs, such as lectures and activities like cake decorating classes and craft spirits tastings.

“For a lot of people the ship is the destination and this is the perfect activity for people who like to be on the ship,” she said.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

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After Eclipse: Nature's next big show — cicada double emergence

The neighboring emergence is a once-in-a-lifetime event, entomologists said.

The sight and sound of trillions of cicadas surfacing across much of America, a massive invasion of two separate groups called broods emerging at the same time, has scientists buzzing.

For the first time in more than 200 years, two broods -- Brood XIX, known as the "Great Southern Brood," and Brood XIII, known as the "Northern Illinois Brood" -- will emerge from the ground simultaneously.

While there is not extensive overlap between the two broods, some regions, especially in America's heartland, will experience a double-whammy of cicada occupation, experts told ABC News.

Cicadas will be everywhere -- their nymphs and exoskeletons will litter the ground and adults will be seen on trees and nearby plants throughout suburban areas as well as flying around in the air, Evan Lampert, a professor in the Department of Biology at the University of North Georgia, told ABC News.

It will be an "amazing experience" to witness the insects come out of the ground to mate and lay their eggs before they disappear back into the ground, Tamra Reall, an entomologist at the University of Missouri, told ABC News.

"It's magical, and that's part of their name," she said. "Their genus name is magicicada, and it's because it's a magical experience."

Scientists like Reall believe the solar eclipse will serve to amplify the excitement surrounding this experience. She observed that both events coming so close together will give the public "a chance to see science in action, nature in action, and see them working together.”

Here's what to expect from this year's historic cicada event:

A once-in-a-lifetime cicada emergence

Some broods of cicadas emerge every year, which is why residents in regions that experience regular emergences may not immediately understand the significance of this year's event, according to entomologists.

The mass emergence that comes when these two broods dig up from beneath the ground will be a far cry from the annual occurrences, David Althoff, a professor at Syracuse University's Department of Biology, told ABC News. Residents in about a dozen states from Maryland to Oklahoma, and from Illinois to as far south as Alabama and Georgia, can expect to see cicadas from these periodical broods, according to the University of Connecticut's Periodical Cicada Information Pages .

Brood XIX, the largest geographic extent of all periodical broods, surfaces every 13 years, while Brood XIII emerges every 17 years. The last time these two broods emerged together was in 1803 -- when Thomas Jefferson was president of the U.S. -- and the next time they will co-emerge is not expected for another 221 years, until about 2245, forecasts show.

When multiple periodical broods surface at once, it's typically in different parts of the country, Keith Clay, a professor at Tulane University's Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, told ABC News. An adjacent emergence of two large broods is rare.

"It's just a statistical anomaly, like Halley's Comet," Clay said.

Central Illinois will be one of the few regions that will experience the double brood emergence, entomologists predict. The greatest likelihood of contact between the two broods is near Springfield, researchers predict.

"I've been looking forward to this for many years," Catherine Dana, an entomologist at the Illinois Natural History Survey, told ABC News.

MORE: How the solar eclipse will impact plants and animals

When are the cicadas expected to emerge.

By mid-April, many residents will begin to see holes appear in their yard as the nymphs come closer to the surface.

Entomologists expect cicadas to begin popping out of the ground later in the month, they told ABC News.

The slow buildup will continue into May, and people can expect to hear them once the adults begin to surface in synchronicity, Althoff said.

"Once they come, they come fast," Lampert said.

Cicadas spend the majority of their lifespan underground, where they feed on tree roots. Therefore, they will mostly congregate on or around trees when they come up, the researchers said.

A few weeks after the unmistakable noise of the male cicadas' call begins, the adults will fall to the ground and the nymphs disappear into the soil once again.

MORE: How scientists are tracking mosquitoes that could be carrying deadly diseases

Why cicadas emerge in mass numbers.

Scientists believe the cyclical emergence of the periodical cicadas is a survival mechanism for a species that has no defenses and a high mortality rate.

Surfacing only after such long gaps and doing so in such vast numbers ensures that although they are easily preyed upon by other animals, plenty will survive to spawn a new population to return underground for the next 13 or 17 years.

Animals such as birds, mice and squirrels eat the cicadas but often get "sick" of them because they eat so many during the feeding frenzy, Althoff added. Ants and wasps sometime eat them as well, Lampert said.

Entomologists estimate that the dual emergence could bring trillions of cicadas above ground by late May, at the peak of their periodical breeding time of four to six weeks.

"This is a natural wonder of the world. Like there is no other organism, at least, that I know of in North America, that has this sheer amount of biomass," Dana said.

The periodical nature of the surfacing events could also be a way to prevent hybridization among species, Althoff said.

MORE: CDC confirms case of blood-sucking 'kissing bug' confirmed in Delaware

Why cicadas are so loud.

Cicada populations are an omnipresent source of sound during their time above ground.

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The flying variety that emerge each summer in many areas provide a familiar buzzing symphony. The high-pitch call of the males can be described as a cross between a rattling sound and the buzzing of bees, Althoff said.

But the collective concert of these periodical cicadas, mating calls actually, rising next to one another will be a louder, haunting mix of sizzling noise, buzz-click sounds, and droning that, according to John Cooley, an entomologist at the University of Connecticut, "can be pushing 120 decibels if you're right inside that chorus." He adds, "that's sort of like getting too close to a jet engine."

The male cicada anatomy includes a specialized washboard-like structure under their forelegs called a tymbal that they strum with their legs, Clay said.

MORE: Cicada invasion: After 17 years underground, billions to emerge this spring

How temperatures affect cicada emergence events.

The general rule of thumb entomologists use for predicting when cicadas will begin to surface is once the topsoil in a region reaches about 64 degrees Fahrenheit, Lampert said.

Therefore, the southernmost states experiencing the warmest temperatures will experience the first cicada sightings, Lampert said.

Warming global temperatures also present the opportunity for cicadas to emerge sooner in a season, but that remains to be seen, the experts said.

The volume of the cicada calls is also affected by atmospheric temperatures, Clay said. The warmer it is, the more vocal the cicadas are.

"If the temperature goes below 75 [degrees], you can immediately hear a drop in the sound level of the adult male cicadas singing," he said.

Can you eat the cicadas?

The sudden, mass emergence of cicadas offers up opportunities for sustainable sustenance, according to experts.

Like many bugs, cicadas are packed with protein, and "They feed everybody, including fish, snakes, small mammals, large mammals, birds," Dana said. "I like to think of this event as potentially buffering some of the losses that we've seen in our wildlife [populations]."

Humans can also enjoy this bug buffet. "They are indeed edible," Reall confirms.

"There's always some adventurous people who get together and have a cicada potluck," said Clay, who has seen cicadas put in soups, bread and brownies. He said they taste "like asparagus."

Menus for cicada dishes and cocktails emerge with each emergence of periodical cicadas, evident in the online cookbook devoted to cicada cuisine published by the University of Maryland in 2021 called "Cicada-licious."

During another mass emergence several years ago, Sparky's Ice Cream in Columbia, Missouri, featured cicada ice cream. Boiled and candied, the bugs were made into a cold concoction "basically like a butter pecan flavor," manager Tony Layson told ABC News.

But the shop pulled it from the menu after only 90 minutes when the state's health department nixed its sale, Layson said.

Insectivores interested in trying cicadas should be cautious about where they harvest their meal, avoiding cicadas gathered near where insecticides or other chemicals have been used. They should be properly cooked and devoured before their exoskeleton hardens, "when they are still soft and squishy," Dana said.

MORE: 'Super' mosquitoes have now mutated to withstand insecticides, scientists say

What humans need to know about dealing with cicadas.

People who hate bugs will not be able to escape the presence of cicadas, Althoff said.

"They'll be noticeable," he said. "There's no doubt you're gonna see them."

Cicadas are not poisonous, and they do not bite or sting. Althoff reminds his students at Syracuse to remain calm when the events occur and watch where they're walking, he said.

"They really don't do anything to kind of harm humans," Althoff said. "I mean, it might be an annoyance, but people don't have to be afraid in terms of like getting bitten."

People may start to see dead branches on trees from where the cicadas fed on the sap, Lampert said.

But any harm cicadas cause to plants at the surface is temporary and outweighed by the benefits they provide, experts said.

They provide a feast for other species while on the surface. Once the multitudes die and fall to the ground, their decay releases nutrients back into the soil.

Lampert advised people to prepare themselves for the "deafening noise," especially if they have never experienced a cicada emergence before.

How to help cicada researchers

Researchers will be relying heavily on citizen science in their quest to study these periodical cicada broods.

Lampert suggested scientific organizations such as Cicada Safari and iNaturalist for people to submit photographs and sightings of the cicadas.

The event will be a good reminder to people about the kinds of insects that exist, especially since cicadas aren't always visible, Althoff said.

"Most of the time we think about them as being kind of annoying and something that we don't want to interact with and we tend to we tend to ignore them," he said. "But it's pretty fantastic to see this many insects that have been hidden in the ground that emerge all at once."

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