Travel Fatigue is real and that is okay

Imagine this: it’s Sunday evening and you’re scrolling on Instagram, again. You come across accounts like mine and other travel content creators posting about their travels whether current or past and you’re wondering, “do they ever get tired?” Yes, we do. Travel fatigue is real.

There have been many times that I’ve felt exhausted during a trip or right after. This isn’t the glamorous side of travel though, so many people don’t really mention it. And I get it, if you’re selling the kind of life you can have by traveling, how can you completely contradict yourself? But I always want to keep it real with you.

My most recent travel fatigue experience was on one of my latest solo trip to Slovakia and Austria. I had been in Bratislava, Slovakia for 3 days before heading to Vienna for another 3 days. It was during my time in Vienna that I felt like I couldn’t keep going. It may have been a mix of the cold and exhaustion from walking around a lot seeing as Vienna is a huge city.

Instead of letting it ruin my trip, I knew I had to relax. I was overwhelming myself by wanting to do everything and realizing I didn’t have enough time to see it all. So one afternoon, I took a nap. And honestly, it was trip-changing. I felt so much better once I woke up. I still ended up going to bed early that night because I didn’t want to feel better only temporarily. The next day I was able to get up earlier than I had the previous days and was able to happily continue exploring Vienna. 

Tips to help with Travel Fatigue

It’s okay to take a break. Do not feel like you always have to be on the go and taking advantage of every minute of your trip. Believe me, I’ve tried doing this and I only ended up more exhausted. Listen to your body. You’ll thank yourself later.

Prioritize what you still want to see. If you get travel fatigue more towards the middle of your trip, chances are there’s still a lot you probably have on your list that you want to get to. To avoid burnout, shorten your list by prioritizing what you still have yet to see and writing at the top the ones you refuse to miss. 

Get a good night’s sleep. You may have been walking around all day and partying at night, and it has caught up to you. Getting some sleep may seem like the obvious thing to do, but sometimes we need to hear it to actually do it. 

Eat healthier. Chances are you’re probably eating something quick between visits around your destination and you aren’t being properly nourished. Your body can handle it for a while, but eventually it may just want to give out. Get a meal you’re likely to have at home which can help you feel much better. 

Do something familiar. Whether it’s talking with a friend or family, watching some Netflix, reading a book. Sometimes our bodies can feel tired because we’re throwing it off it’s regular routine. Something familiar can make you feel like yourself again in no time.

I’ve used these tips over the years and they help tremendously. Every time I experience travel fatigue is different, so something that worked last time may not work next time. So it’s good to switch it up to see what could be the real root of your fatigue. If needing human connections while traveling is important to you, check out this post I wrote about Making Friends Abroad.

Have you ever experienced travel fatigue? If so, what did you do to feel better again? Let’s talk about it in the comments!

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