Travel, at its very heart, is both a longing and a letting go. We step out of the familiar and into the unknown, carrying with us our hopes, our dreams, and—too often—our stress. The airports, the queues, the shifting time zones, the endless hum of announcements in languages we only half recognize… these can easily steal the magic of movement.
And yet, through years of wandering, I’ve discovered that there is one golden rule I always follow to make international travel less stressful. It is simple, almost deceptively so, and yet it transforms the way a journey unfolds:
Always give yourself more time than you think you’ll need.
It sounds ordinary. But within this simple act lies the difference between travel that feels heavy and hurried, and travel that feels like a graceful unfolding of moments. Let me take you deeper into this philosophy, and show you how one small adjustment in the way you hold time can ripple out into every corner of your voyage.
The Whisper of Time: Why This Tip Matters
Airports and train stations are liminal spaces—thresholds between worlds. They are places where time can bend: a short line suddenly becomes a long wait; a smooth check-in turns into a maze of security; a connection that seemed manageable evaporates in the face of delays.
Most travelers calculate their journeys to the minute. They book tight connections, they plan arrivals close to boarding, they move with a clock ticking urgently in their ear. This is where stress is born.
But when you gift yourself time, you no longer move as if chased. You move as if invited.
That extra hour at the airport is not wasted—it is a cushion. It is a chance to sip coffee slowly instead of running breathless to the gate. It is a chance to breathe deeply, to notice the way the light falls across the terminal windows, to watch the swirl of humanity moving in patterns of departure and arrival.
Travel begins not when you land at your destination, but the moment you step out of your front door. And if you begin rushed, the energy lingers. If you begin spacious, the whole journey softens.
Packing Time into Your Suitcase
How do you practice this tip in real, tangible ways? Here are some gentle, soulful approaches I follow on every journey:
1. Arrive at the Airport Early—Not Just “On Time”
If the airline recommends arriving two hours before a flight, I arrive three. For international flights, sometimes even more. The hour I “lose” is actually the hour that saves me from frayed nerves and panicked dashes.
Instead of being one more weary traveler dragging a suitcase in frustration, I sit with a cup of tea, journal in hand, and let anticipation build softly.
2. Leave for the Station Before Rush Hour Swallows You
Whether it’s an airport shuttle, a metro ride, or a taxi through traffic, I leave earlier than logic dictates. Time has a way of slipping through fingers in big cities, and nothing eats at peace more than watching the minutes dissolve in gridlock.
3. Create Breathing Space in Connections
When booking flights or trains, I avoid razor-thin connections. A layover that feels “long” to some feels like freedom to me. I can wander the airport bookstore, stretch, eat without gulping, or simply sit by a window watching planes rise like silver birds into the sky.
4. Start Packing Earlier Than You Think
Packing at midnight for a dawn flight? A recipe for chaos. Instead, I begin days before, laying things out slowly. This creates not only organization but also joy—choosing clothes, imagining the days to come, folding anticipation into fabric.
The Deeper Meaning: Time as a Travel Companion
This practice is not just about logistics—it is about soul.
When we rush, we carry tension. Our shoulders tighten, our minds whirl, our breath shortens. We miss the beauty of the liminal moments: the kindness of a stranger at security, the glimmer of another language floating through the air, the simple miracle of movement itself.
But when we allow time to stretch, the journey shifts. Waiting becomes witnessing. Transit becomes transformation. We are no longer scrambling through the world; we are gliding, open-eyed, open-hearted.
A Tale from the Road
I remember once, in Rome, a long layover I had deliberately chosen. Friends had teased me: “You’ll be bored out of your mind.”
But as I wandered through Fiumicino Airport, I stumbled upon a quiet wine bar tucked between bustling gates. I sat there, sipping a glass of Italian red, watching the silhouettes of planes against a setting sun. A couple nearby was whispering excitedly about their honeymoon in Florence. A businessman was phoning home in a language I didn’t understand but felt familiar in tone.
Had I rushed, I would have missed this small symphony of humanity. Instead, it is etched in my memory like a painting. That is the gift of time.
The Stress-Resistant Mindset
By giving yourself time, you’re not just reducing stress—you’re cultivating a mindset that can weather the unpredictable storms of travel.
Flights delayed? You have room to adapt.
Security long? You’re still breathing.
Connection tight? You already planned space for it.
Stress thrives in scarcity. Peace thrives in abundance. Abundant time is the most precious currency a traveler can carry.
Extending the Rule Beyond Airports
This golden rule is not only for international flights—it seeps beautifully into all corners of travel.
- Museums: Arrive early so you can wander through quiet halls before the crowds arrive.
- Restaurants: Book tables before peak hours so meals unfold unhurried.
- City Explorations: Begin your day earlier than most tourists, so you meet the city in its morning hush.
Time, once gifted, keeps on giving.
Travel as a Ritual, Not a Race
We often treat travel like a series of hurdles: get through security, get on the plane, get to the hotel. But travel is not a checklist—it is a ritual. And rituals demand presence, not speed.
Think of monks walking slowly with candles in a dim-lit chapel. Think of a tea ceremony where every gesture is deliberate. What if we treated travel the same way? Giving time to each step, allowing reverence to infuse what is so often rushed?
Practical Tips to Weave in Time
If you wish to embody this rule more deeply, here are some practical suggestions to soften the edges of travel stress:
- Set Two Alarms – One to wake you, one as a gentle buffer.
- Use Digital Boarding Passes – Save minutes fumbling for papers.
- Keep Essentials Handy – Passport, wallet, charger—always in a dedicated pocket.
- Download Maps Offline – Give yourself time even when Wi-Fi disappears.
- Shift Your Mindset – See waiting not as wasted, but as woven into the journey.
The Ripple Effect
The beauty of this tip is that it ripples outward. By giving yourself time, you become more patient with others. You smile more at weary airport staff. You hold doors for fellow travelers. Your calm presence shifts the energy around you.
Travel then becomes not just about reaching a place, but about becoming a place of calm yourself. You carry serenity across borders, offering it like a gift to those you meet.
Returning Home
At the end of each journey, when I return home, I unpack not only clothes but also the rhythm of the road. And the truth is always the same: the journeys where I carried time like a companion were the journeys where I soared most freely.
So when people ask me, “What’s one tip you always follow to make international travel less stressful?” I smile gently and answer:
Give yourself more time than you think you’ll need.
Because within that time lies space.
Within that space lies calm.
And within that calm lies the truest joy of travel.
Closing Reflection
International travel will always hold its surprises—delays, detours, unexpected turns. But when you choose to walk with time at your side, those surprises become stories, not stresses.
The world unfolds slowly, sweetly, waiting for you not to rush through it, but to breathe it in.
And so, may your next journey be not hurried, but spacious. May your airports feel like gateways, not battlegrounds. And may you always remember: time is not a thief of your hours, but the truest friend of your soul.
