Any homebody will know just how dizzying it can be to go out of your comfort zone. Perhaps you’re quite happy going to and from your local workplace, your friend’s houses, even heading out for a good night on the town, or visiting relatives who live further out.

But intensive travel can sometimes be hard on those who prefer staying with what they know. Not only is it quite disorienting for literally every single thing around you to be new and familiar, but travel itself is quite an intensive experience for anyone.

For this reason, much of the travel advice online, written for people who love heading to pastures unknown and who make any excuse to do so, is simply not fit for purpose. Perhaps you’re not the kind of person who can shrug off a twelve-hour journey like it’s nothing, or maybe you prefer to plan your trips out with a little more care than being free like the wind.

Now, travel has a wonderful habit of opening us up to the world and feeling less enclosed within our own comfort zone. So don’t worry, this isn’t a guide to remaining in a bubble, as most of those new perspectives will come to you anyway, and it’s why travel often broadens the mind and helps us feel more open, accepting, or at least wiser regarding the strange floating blue planet we find ourselves on.

With that in mind, please consider these next few points.

A Homebody’s Guide To World Travel

Chart Incremental Journeys, Then Increase The Distance

It’s fine if you decide to just start small and build up your travel confidence. Maybe begin with a weekend trip to a nearby city you’ve never visited, and you can get back into the comfort of travel that way. Don’t worry, most people had to do something like this after the pandemic, where all of a sudden jet-setting around the world seemed quite intensive compared to how it used to feel.

So, next time, try somewhere a bit further out that needs a short flight. This helps you learn what you need to feel comfortable while traveling without throwing yourself into the deep end. Some of your best trips will start as simple overnight stays that get you used to sleeping in new places. You’ll quickly figure out your own rhythm and what makes you comfortable away from home.

Bring A Toiletries Bag Filled With Essentials

Your own soap and shampoo might seem like a small thing, but familiar scents and products help you feel at home anywhere. It’s why people bring their teddy bears with them, sometimes even well into their adult years. Pack travel sizes of everything you use daily including deodorant, toothpaste, face wash, and whatever helps you feel like a human being after a long flight is usually a good option.

Many people say that hotel products never quite feel right, and so hunting down a specific brand in a foreign country is more stress than you need. At least this way your skin won’t have to adjust to new products while you’re already adjusting to everything else. We’d also recommend daily conveniences you can use without necessary access to a bathroom, such as dry shampoos to keep your hair feeling clean and nourished.

Travel Pillow & Sleeping

Sleep makes or breaks a trip, as we all know. Everyone gets grouchy when they’re overtired, but what about when you’re hungry too? Feeling hangry and tired can be a lethal combination and make you want to return home before you’ve even enjoyed a trip.

So, beat that possibility now. Investing in a good travel pillow will be worth its weight in gold, especially on longer journeys. Get one that actually works for you – some people spend years using those U-shaped ones that are designed to protect your head if it bobs forward, not back, before finding out they sleep better with a rectangular memory foam pillow. Pack a light blanket too, because planes and trains are always either too hot or too cold, never just right. An eye mask can help if you’re sensitive to light. If you have all this gear on, however, just make sure you have somewhere near you to nudge you when your stop arrives.

Noise Cancelling Headphones

These aren’t just luxury items anymore, you can get them for a relatively affordable price, and when you’re in the same carriage or flight as a screaming child they can be savers. Better yet you can wear them on any commute, such as on planes, trains, busy streets, or when you just need a moment of peace in your hotel room.

To make use of them in the best way, we’d recommend you take some time to load up your phone with familiar music or podcasts (or at least save them to your phone through the offline service of Spotify, YouTube or whatever service you utilize, because sometimes hearing a favorite tune while walking through a strange city or dealing with a flight delay makes everything feel more manageable.

Pay For Early Hotel Check-Ins

This one’s worth every penny if you’ve been on a long flight. Nothing’s worse than arriving exhausted at 9 AM and finding out you can’t get into your room until 3 PM. This is standard practice for most places as they have to let the previous guest leave and clean the space within a reasonable amount of time.

But if you’re willing to pay more, you can save some time by booking that early check-in. Having a place to shower, nap, and put down your bags can help you immediately deal with any jet lag you have, especially if you’ve spent a long time arriving here. You might spend a bit more, but starting your trip tired and cranky costs more in wasted time and energy.

Prepare For Jet Lag Recovery

We mentioned jet lag above, but not everyone really knows how to deal with it, outside of the “scrunch your toes on the carpet” trick most people learned from the movie Die Hard. It’s important to remember that jet lag hits everyone differently, but it helps to plan for it. The best thing you can do is give yourself an easy first day, maybe just explore near your hotel and find a good coffee shop.

Your body clock will be confused enough without pushing it too hard. Some people swear by staying up until local bedtime, but you might find that short naps help if you set an alarm. Just listen to what your body needs rather than forcing yourself to power through, and when you feel refreshed, get at it. If you’re travelling quite far for the first time in a while, you might set one of your days for comfort and recovery before you do all the rest of it.

Have A Day-On, Day-Off Itinerary

Many people like to go all out when on vacation, having something planned for every moment, and if that’s you then that’s great! But if you don’t quite have that constitution, as we assume if you clicked on this post, it’s best to mix busy days with quieter ones.

You might spend one day hitting all the large tourist sights, then use the next for sleeping in, reading in cafes, or just wandering around without a plan. This balance helps prevent burnout and gives you time to actually enjoy where you are. You’re not being lazy on those off days don’t worry, as some of your favorite travel memories come from those quiet days when you’re not trying to tick boxes off a tourist checklist.

Budget Enough For Free Food Choice

Being stuck eating whatever’s cheapest adds stress you don’t need especially if you have to worry about where to go or how to cook back at your accommodation. Our travel advice isn’t necessarily “just eat where you want and where you want!” as this can differ depending on where you are and the price of the restaurants nearby.

Yet if you budget enough that you can eat what appeals to you, within reason, then you don’t have to worry about this section of your spending money. It can make daily comfort much more relaxing instead of making the whole trip into an administration session. Sometimes that means trying local specialities, other times it means finding familiar comfort food. There’s no shame in ducking into a chain restaurant you recognize when everything feels too foreign.

Have All Your Medication To Hand

Even if you don’t necessarily struggle with your medical issue or concern often, having all your recuperative products to hand, even just cream for eczema and other conditions such as that, will matter.

We’d recommend that you pack more medication than you think you’ll need, allowing for the restrictions of airlines and other transport conditions. That’s because getting prescriptions filled abroad is complicated, and even finding familiar over-the-counter medicines can be tricky. Little aids can also help, such as taking time to bring motion sickness tablets even if you don’t usually need them, as different vehicles and roads might affect you differently. From that point on you can leave important meds in your carry-on, and bring copies of prescriptions just in case.

With this advice, we hope you can avoid feeling uncomfortable yourself and enjoy travel, even if you’re usually a homebody.