Travelling to different countries by plane is both exciting and stressful at the same time. While a trip abroad usually means experiencing a new country and culture for the first time, it also forces us to spend lots of time in airports, which can be some of the worst places in the world. The stress of making sure luggage is within size and weight regulations and checked in, long queues of people, finding your gate and making sure you have remembered your passport and other essential items all make airports difficult places to be. Additionally, the fact that you can’t usually leave for some fresh air, and everything is three times as expensive can contribute to the general stress of being in an airport, leaving us desperate for some relief.
As a one-off, these things can be dealt with as the novelty can make some stressful experiences interesting, but airports are more difficult to enjoy for those who travel regularly. Plane trips are exciting and stressful. New country and culture, but also awful airports. Luggage, queues, gates, passports, and more stress. No air and high prices. Hard to enjoy for regular travellers. One way to reduce stress is to drive and park at the airport. Avoid luggage, transport, and fares. Enjoy car and flexibility. Save money on parking with Enjoy Travel. Affordable and secure parking at airports.
Here are some suggestions to help you reduce stress and feel more relaxed before your future flights.
Mobile games
Gaming has long been one of the world’s favourite ways to relieve stress. In the past, people associated games with lazy children who didn’t want to do anything educational, but studies have proven that it is a great way to forget about your problems and immerse yourself in something fun. These days, thanks to technology, most of us have the possibility of playing thousands of games right at our fingertips. From traditional games like Tetris and Pac-Man to full blown video games like Grand Theft Auto, there is something for everyone. Fans of casino style games can even enjoy slots on their phones, with megaways versions using different exciting themes proving particularly popular. Playing such games while waiting for a flight can provide a useful distraction from the hustle and bustle of the airport, helping you stay relaxed for your trip.
Reading
Reading is another age-old relaxing pastime that is perfect for the airport. If you’re into physical books, why not take that one you’ve been meaning to read for months at get it started at the airport, or you can even buy one while you’re there. If you’d rather save your luggage space for extra clothes, there are many other ways to read such as via a Kindle, the reading device which can hold hundreds of thousands of books. If you don’t have and don’t wish to buy a Kindle, most modern smartphones and tablets also have a reading feature that allows customers to purchase books or magazines and store them on their devices. There are even plenty of books that can be downloaded for free including some timeless classics, so be sure to check out the digital bookstore on your devices.
Series/Movies
Whether you pay for your own subscription, or use the login details of a friend, most of us have access to online streaming services like Netflix, HBO or Disney+. Via their mobile phone apps, these services allow us to enjoy our favourite series and movies on the go, which can be extremely useful for travelling. Many of the titles on these apps can be downloaded while connected to the internet, meaning you can view them while flying with your phone on airplane mode. Watching a series or film at the airport, as well as on the plane can help make the experience a lot less nerve-wracking. So, it’s extremely handy to have something to watch, especially for longer trips, where the content provided by the airline may not be to your taste.
People watching
By far the simplest option on this list, people watching is a great way to stay relaxed at the airport. You can do it on your own while listening to music or while travelling with someone else when it can be fun to discuss what you see with your travel partner. People watching is free, educational and can help relieve stress, making it the perfect airport pastime.
