As holiday season rears its head, new research has revealed the top things that stress Britons out when travelling abroad, with packing at the top of the list.
Holidays are meant to be an opportunity for holidaymakers to escape the day-to-day routine, but a new survey commissioned by Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) shows that the act of going abroad can be a stressful experience.
The results found that almost a third (32%) of adults in the UK and Ireland believe packing is the most stressful aspect of going on holiday. A further 30% said that both travelling to the airport and the checking-in process were also stressful parts of heading abroad.
The airport in particular was revealed to be a stressful location, with 28% feeling most stressed when waiting for luggage on the carousel and 27% feeling the strain over airport security.
This is especially noticeable in those aged 65 and above, as more in this age group stated they're stressed by checking-in (39%), airport security (29%) and waiting for their luggage (31%); all higher than the national average.
Shockingly, over a third (38%) of people have either been late for or missed a flight. Reasons included getting the flight times wrong, becoming distracted at the airport, internal delays, traffic issues on the way to the airport and navigation issues travelling to the airport.
Participants were also asked what they do to combat travel stress, revealing the most popular method to be arriving at the airport in good time for their flight (50%). Packing suitcases well in advance prevented headaches for 36% of people and 29% found that bringing entertainment to the airport was a useful stress-buster.
Nick Caunter, Managing Director at APH said: "Holidays are meant to be a break away from anything that could cause you stress, but it’s ironic that the preparation can be the most stressful thing about them. Many of our customers tell us that the holiday feeling should start as soon as you park your car or arrive at the airport. However, and some of our respondents can attest to this, travellers can relax so much in the departure lounge that they miss their flight! Being prepared and organised is a large part of minimising potential stresses, and if for you that involves arriving at the airport the night before, or pre-booking a parking spot, then that's where we can help."
