It seems that, more often than not, stress is an inevitable part of holiday preparations. We stress about the planning before going on a vacation and upon returning find ourselves stressing some more about finances and the pending work we have yet to complete. But, it needn’t be that way. The Week talked to a few travel enthusiasts to find out how they make their holidays relatively stress free and what they do to minimize the pre and post travel tension.  

Dipak Upadhyay
Try to travel with a friend because you will never know what might happen. If you aren’t, try to talk to someone while on the flight and have them as your emergency contact, just in case. Carry your own water bottle when you travel. This doesn’t only come handy at the airport, it will also help you save money while you are traveling. There are many places that will fill up your bottles for free. Carry some food with you at all times even if it is just a packet of biscuits. And don’t forget a good book or a magazine to read while on the road. Also, it would be a wise idea to put in a little extra effort and make sure you leave your house squeaky clean. There is something really relaxing about coming back to a clean house and not having to stress about cleaning it the minute you get back. Have some loose change stashed around the house and stock up on items that have a long shelf life so that you don’t have to rush to a supermarket the day you get back as well.            
 

Avash Shrestha
I have found that no amount of research can compensate for talking to people who live wherever you want to travel to. Try to get in touch with people from those places with apps like couch surfing. Even if you don’t intend to stay with them, you will still know a local and what a local person recommends you do while there. As I’m a student and live on a budget, I also recommend setting some cash aside for when you come back. Make sure it’s cash that you leave behind in your house or your hostel, which you will not have access to during your holidays. This way you are forced to stay within your budget during the holiday and won’t have regrets of overspending. If you are a student, make sure you are up to date with all your assignments when you leave. Right after you come back, you will still be in a holiday mood and you won’t want the harsh reality of pending assignments or projects to slap you in the face.        
 

Ila Upadhyay
Whenever I go on a trip, I make sure I plan my outfits ahead. If I’m traveling for ten days, I will make sure I know which clothes and shoes I’ll be wearing together and pack accordingly. I think this is an important thing to do because we tend to either over pack or under pack a lot when we travel. Sometimes I will also take a t-shirt or two less if people who have already been there tell me that there are quaint shopping areas. I think it is very important to talk to people who have already been to your holiday destination before. They have insights on many things, some that they should have done and some that they should have avoided. This makes it easier for you to plan out your trip and, along with some research of your own, you can make a travel itinerary that will include all the places you think you might be interested to visit and the food you want to try. A written itinerary will also act like a to-do list and make sure that you don’t miss out on anything while you are there. 
 

Prabha Timilsina
All the lessons I have learnt about traveling, I have learnt the hard way. Always carry your ATM card when you are traveling, whether you have money on it or not. When I went to Pokhara last year, I set all my money aside in a pouch and forgot the pouch, only carrying my almost empty wallet (from which I had removed my ATM card ‘incase it got lost’). I was traveling with a few friends I thought I would borrow from them, but they too were traveling on a budget. Thankfully one still had his card and my parents put some money in his account for me. Another thing I learnt is to never keep all your money in the same place when you travel and to be careful about your belongings. On a trip to Langtang, one of my friends was jumping on a ‘jhulunge pul’ and her wallet flew out of her bag and dropped into the river. Be organized and make sure your belongings are safe when you are traveling so that you don’t have to stress about unnecessary things when you are supposed to be having fun.
 

Ritesh Marwadi
I do a lot of homework before I go on a holiday. I usually plan a month or so ahead so I get my tickets as cheap as I can and even then, find tickets through websites like Ibibo.com which have discounts on airfare. I stay in cheap hostels to cut down on my lodging costs, but that doesn’t mean I don’t look for comfort. I have stayed in hostels as cheap as $10 which had very comfortable rooms, complete with a swimming pool. Air B&B and Hostel World are some apps that will help you find cheap places, with great people. This is even better if you travel alone because you end up making great friends. I would also recommend you download Uber and the metro or bus routes app if they have one. It will make it easier to get around town and will minimize the chances of you getting lost. Make sure you have a sim card that has active internet pack, you don’t want to be lost in a strange country with no internet to help you out. 
 

 
• holiday hacks
 
• vacation
 
• the week