Travel Fatigue – it’s the name for that really tired and burned out feeling you get after traveling (usually by plane) for consecutive days or weeks in a row.

Let’s set the scene: you’ve finally splurged on that big vacation, planned everything to a tee, only to feel completely wiped for the first 48 hours of the trip. It happens to the best of us, but there are ways to proactively combat the effects of travel fatigue.

Don’t let exhaustion ruin long-awaited vacations ever again!

My boyfriend Jonnie is actually the person that turned me on to being proactive when it comes to fighting travel fatigue. On our trip to Vegas he had a backpack full of supplements, toiletries, and more – all for the sole purpose of maximizing comfort and minimizing crashing during our travel day. At first, I thought it could be overkill… but he proved me wrong!

These 10 tips, inspired by Jonnie, will help you feel more refreshed, positive, and ready to take on your first day of vacay (or work) like a champ!

So you can feel like this when you land 🙂

This post is all about the best practices for avoiding Travel Fatigue!

10 Tips for Avoiding Travel Fatigue

1. Get a Good Night’s Sleep (Maybe)

This tip is, unsurprisingly, the most important when it comes to avoiding travel fatigue. A good night’s sleep before a big travel day is the number one way to feel your best.

Although it may be tough to get to bed with the excitement of the next day looming, do what you need to do to get to bed early the night before. Have some tea, meditate, do yoga, workout really hard.. whatever works for you! You (and your travel partners) will be happier you did. Travel fatigue will have a harder time stepping in if you are fully charged from the night before.

The one caveat to this tip is.. if you are traveling to a different time zone and plan to sleep on the plane to avoid jet lag, adjust your sleep accordingly. Sleeping all night long in your time zone may not set you up for success if you’re flying to the other side of the world.

Check out tip #8 for how to get good sleep on the plane!

2. Skip Alcohol

While you may be inclined to start the party the night before your big vacay (or the minute to step on to the plane), think twice when ordering that mimosa!

Everyone has already heard this over and over but it never hurts to reiterate: alcohol messes with your sleep!! The night before you travel, skip any and all alcohol to ensure that you are getting in as many “z”s as possible before the big travel day.

You should also skip the morning cocktails and glass of wine on the plane. While it may feel like you’re kicking off your vacation in style, you’ll come down from that buzz quickly and be left with the remainder of your travel day, most likely fighting your brain to take a much-needed nap.

To avoid travel fatigue, I suggest flying alcohol-free and even waiting until dinner to have that first cocktail. Any residual tiredness from a day full of travel will only be exacerbated by adding alcohol. The longer you wait for that first glass (and the closer to bedtime), the better!

3. Be Strategic with Caffeine Intake

I am a huge coffee drinker – the first thing I think about when I wake up is a warm cup of joe.

When you are getting up at the crack of dawn (or even earlier) to drive to the airport and get on a plane, the first thing you’ll probably want to do is get your coffee on. However, having coffee at 3am is going to set you up for a crash later in the morning and leave you feeling blah. Although this will be tough… save your first cup of Starbucks (or Dunkin) for when you are ready to be awake. This could be right before a short flight, half way through, or right when you land at your destination.

This tip really saved me from travel fatigue on our last trip. I was always the person having coffee in the car on the way to the airport, no matter the time. But now, I will always hold off! When I waited until we landed at our destination, I got the burst of caffeine I needed at an appropriate time and didn’t find myself crashing early in the day. Pro tip right here!

4. Avoid Being Late or Rushed

A big catalyst for travel fatigue is stress. It’s no secret that traveling can, and usually does, cause stress. However, anything that you can do to minimize unneeded worry will greatly reduce travel fatigue.

The best way I suggest getting ahead of any travel stress is to avoid feeling rushed. Because I am my father’s daughter, I am a huge proponent of getting to the airport 2.5 hours before. I know… this is a little much. But I’d say, get there at least 2 hours before to reduce any and all stress when checking in, getting through security, etc.

You just never know how long security lines will be or what unplanned mishaps will occur! Like the time a lady left her credit card in the kiosk I was using (so we had to wait in the check-in line again to return the card and re-charge mine) OR the time I put the wrong birth year for Jonnie on his boarding pass so we had to wait in the security line twice… LOL oops!

Layovers are also a huge stressor. Everyone has been there – your flight is delayed and you are watching the minutes tick by, closer and closer to the next flight you have to catch. Here is my rule of thumb when booking flights with layovers:

Domestic Flights – Give yourself an hour and a half at least. I know this seems like a lot, but there is nothing worse than missing a connecting flight. Yes, they will assign you a new one but it’s possible it could the next day! Grab lunch or a snack and leisurely wait for that next flight.

International Flights – This advice could vary depending on airport, but I’d say at least 3 hours. Just do it. Even tack on an additional 30 minutes, just to be safe.

There’s no way to avoid every little thing that could happen while traveling, but adding on an extra half hour just to make sure you don’t feel rushed will do wonders for avoiding travel fatigue.

5. Eat Healthy Options

Another great way to feel your best and avoid travel fatigue is fueling yourself with healthy food!

I’m not naive to the fact that airports aren’t teeming with the healthiest options, but choosing wisely will always pay off. Fast food will leave you feeling sluggish and (if you’re anything like me) will leave your digestive tract… struggling. Choosing a protein bowl over a cheeseburger, or a salad with chicken over nuggets and fries will leave your belly and overall self feeling better.

Your gut has a huge pull on whether you feel refreshed or sluggish, so feed it good food!!

6. Stay Hydrated

Getting enough water intake every day is probably the most important thing you can do for yourself to feel your best! And when you are up at the crack of dawn, or spending long layovers in unfamiliar cities, it’s easy to forget!

I think the best way to stay hydrated while you are traveling (and enjoying your destination) is by bringing a refillable water bottle. It’s a great reminder to keep it full and continue drinking from it!

Almost all airports have water bottle fill-up stations. You can also order waters free of charge from Starbucks and fill them up over and over! It’s a HUGE money saver – airport water bottles are ridiculously expensive.

Another great way to stay hydrated is putting these NatureWorks HydroMate Electrolyte Drink Mix powder packs in your water. They offer 465mg of electrolytes and 1000mg of vitamin C. They are a great way to get and stay hydrated, with fewer sugars than most other brands. HydroMate is also cheaper than the competitor, especially if you buy the 30 pack.

Jonnie and I swear by chugging one of these as soon as we land. They give you a burst of energy and will rehydrate you before a day of fun! We feel a noticeable difference when we take one of these. Buy yours on Amazon here!

7. Curb Motion Sickness

My boyfriend is very susceptible to motion sickness – cars, planes, boats, you name it. He’s not doubling over sick, but he gets an uneasy stomach and a headache that absolutely increases his travel fatigue like no other.

If you suffer from motion sickness (or even just get an unsettled stomach in the car or plane), Dramamine products are amazing!!

I suffer from slight car sickness once and while, so recently while we’ve been traveling I have popped these Drowsy-Free Dramamine Ginger Chews. It was amazing how much better I felt!! Travel fatigue can absolutely be exacerbated by motion sickness, so be proactive by using Dramamine products – you will not be disappointed.

Check out the drowsy-free Dramamine Ginger Chews on Amazon here, OR try the Original Dramamine pills here that will cause drowsiness if you are trying to sleep on the plane!!

8. Sleep on the Plane

The art of sleeping on a plane is definitely something few have mastered.

I usually find myself with no trouble falling asleep before take-off but staying asleep is the tough part. Whether it’s the cramped seats, an uncomfortable neck, and or the constant humming of the plane, sleep is difficult.

Here are some products that help me fall and stay asleep on a plane!

– This Comfy Lounge Set, found on Lulus! There are soo many cute matching loungewear sets out there. I purchased this one recently and it is the best! So comfy and stretchy, perfect for a plane (and affordable!). Layer with this set so if you get warm, you can take off the sweater.

– This super cushy sleep mask from Amazon. Jonnie swears by sleep masks, especially while on a plane. This one is super padded and cups your eyes, while blocking out all light. 

Here’s Jonnie wearing said eye mask. Also, snag his super cool Adidas lounge set here! Comfort and style!

This new and improved plane pillow on Amazon – it has 28k reviews and a total rating of 4.5/5 stars. Save your neck (and the shoulder of the person sitting next to you) and try this for your next long flight!

Melatonin is a great sleep supplement to try that is not as abrasive as a sleeping pill. Melatonin is a hormone in the body that reacts to darkness, aka causes you to go to sleep! The brand I use is ZzzQuil Melatonin. Take it 30 minutes prior to any flight that is 6 hours or longer! That’s how long it will stay in your system, so don’t try it for quick naps or you will be dragging even more.

9. Take Vitamins + Supplements After Traveling

Taking vitamins and supplements is a great way to keep yourself healthy and feeling great while traveling. Be sure to bring along some immune support and your daily multivitamins but don’t take them until you are ready to be awake!

Supplements like vitamin C will give you a burst of energy, which is not conducive to getting some shut eye on the plane! Pop your supplements once you’ve landed to keep travel fatigue at bay.

Here are the supplements I take when traveling: 

Women’s One a Day Multi-Vitamin (every day, whether I’m traveling or not!)

Align Women’s Dual Biotic – These have been life savers for my digestive health! Everyone knows that traveling can seriously mess up your digestion, causing issues for your entire trip! Grab a Pre/ProBiotic and you will be saved. I take these every day to regulate my gut but they are extra important for combatting travel fatigue.

Voost Vitamin C Packs – These are great for protecting against sickness while on a plane. These will also give you a great burst of energy once you are ready to start your vacay! (Also no added sugar in these ones 🙂 )

Also the NatureWorks HydroMate Electrolyte Drink Mix powder packs I mentioned before under staying hydrated (but no need to take both the Voost and the NatureWorks… they both have similar ingredients!)

10. Freshen Up After Traveling

You’ve finally landed, gotten off the plane and are ready to take on the day! But first, make a pit stop at the bathroom and freshen up a bit. After being around so many people in a tight space, it’s amazing how much better you will feel after a quick reapply of some deodorant, a face wash, and some touch up makeup and hair!

These TSA Approved Silicon Travel Containers on Amazon are  fantastic for filling with any product you need! Use it for face wash, lotions, sunscreens, even shower products! They are also dishwasher safe so you can reuse them again and again with ease. I recently purchased these for my last trip and it’s such a great money saver when it comes to packing carry-on bags. No need to buy smaller versions of products you already have ever again!!

And there you have the 10 best practices that will help you avoid travel fatigue and feel your best on your travel day. Even implementing just a few of these tips will reduce stress and anxiety, leaving you with more energy and a positive mindset when starting your next adventure. As always, stay fancy!