The Trials of Travel – A Guide to Simplifying the Annoying Necessities of International Travel

International travel is a reality for many in the corporate workforce. Overseas business meetings are sometimes undertaken frequently.  Sending many people overseas, towing with them a bag they can fit a week-long wardrobe in, a pile of paperwork from their printouts, and a list of souvenir requests from relatives and friends.

Traveling internationally doesn’t have to be as tedious as it is, though, and many people don’t realise that you can avoid the problems associated with long plane flights, long layovers in strange airports, and time zone troubles.

Everything from getting your travel insurance online to adapting your internal clock can be made simple with some preparation and simple switches. In this article, we explore the ways to simplify the annoying necessities of international travel, in the hopes that it will make your next overseas business trip a little better.

 
Noise Cancelling Headphones
Noise cancelling headphones are a godsend in the world of international travel. They’re designed to hear background frequencies and create an opposite frequency to cancel out the original. This means that the time you spend on a jumbo jet flying over the ocean doesn’t have to sound like a low roar in the background for fifteen hours straight. Rather, it can sound like a quiet hum that you hardly even notice.

The beauty of this system is that it doesn’t account for one-off noises, so seatbelt fastening alerts will still filter through, and flight attendants are still able to speak normally to you. The cost might be a bit steep, but imagine being able to sleep normally on a plane for the first time in your life.

Sleep Masks
One of the many problems with international travel is the tendency to be stuck next to strangers for many, many hours at a time. These strangers have their own sleeping schedules and their own wants and needs as far as staying awake goes.

Maybe you want to sleep and they have their light on, shining down into your eyes and keeping you awake despite repeated requests from you to turn it off. Sleep masks are your friends in these situations, because no matter what time of day you’re trying to sleep, it’s dark.

Time-Zone Preparation Sleep
You know that when you travel internationally, you will be crossing and changing time zones, and this can be one of the more tedious aspects of the travel itself. Being tired for days on end in a new country and then again when you get home isn’t fun, so doing your best to prepare for your new time zone is a great idea.

Find out what time it is in the new time zone and get your sleeping mask on when you would be going to sleep there. The sun might be up and the plane might be bustling, but do your best to sleep. That way, you’ll find yourself awakening in a new city just as you would be waking up naturally there too. You’ll be groggy for one day, and then fine and dandy.

 
eBooks
Buy yourself a kindle or get yourself some eBooks on your digital device, because 90% of international travel is waiting, and you can burn through a small book faster than you might realise.

It’s unrealistic to carry 10 large, bulky books in your carry on luggage, but a lightweight eBook reader is very reasonable and can keep you entertained for days on end, if needed.

Hobby Work
Finally, if you’re someone who doesn’t enjoy reading and can’t appreciate movies on planes, you are in a good position to take up a hobby that can be done anywhere. Writing is a good example of this, and writing a plot outline for a book is interesting and can be done anywhere in the world.

It takes up more time than you might realise, as you get lost in the narrative and begin to really enjoy yourself. Hobby work tires you out mentally,lets you get some sleep, and helps you pass the time too.

These tips can help you to smash the boredom, waiting, and general unpleasantness of international travel to pieces with a few simple tools, and you are more than capable of putting together a wonderful travel kit within a short amount of time. Let nothing stop you from the most out of your travels. While travelling may not always be the most enjoyable thing in the world, hopefully, we’ve helped you on your way toward beating the bother!