I love to travel, both with and without my kids. I think travel is so important for everyone who is able to do it. I wish I had traveled more in my earlier 20s but I am so grateful that as an adult I am able to do the travel I can do and also grateful that I can take my kids on trips. I do want to share some things to do before and after a trip so traveling is as seamless as possible and you don’t come back from a trip stressed out.
Things To Do Before And After A Trip
Things to do before a trip:
There are a lot of things I like to do before a trip to both prep for the actual trip and also have my house in order so I don’t come back to a mess. I remember in my early 20’s when I lived alone, I left for a week-long trip and came back to my tornado of an apartment because I didn’t clean before. It was a late-night flight and NOTHING is worse than coming home from a trip to a mess. So here is what I do before I leave:
Change everyone’s sheets
Do all laundry and towels
Empty the fridge of anything that may spoil
Run the dishwasher
Empty all the trash
Dust and vacuum
Put things in their place (kids toys, our stuff etc)
Ask a friend or neighbor to grab mail and packages
Get ahead on any work/blog posts so that I have nothing hanging over me when I get back
Put a travel alert on my credit card
Things to do after a trip:
When I get home from a trip I am someone that likes to hit the ground running. Recently we came back from Florida and a 12+ hour car ride and I could not wait to get home, get groceries, and get everything in order.
Unpack ASAP (don’t let it wait)
Get things back where they go
Do laundry from the trip if you have it (If there is an option to do laundry when we travel we always do)
Grocery shop
Make a green smoothie (start detoxing your body from all the indulgences)
Get back on schedule ASAP
Do a workout (get your body moving from being sedentary (flight or long car trip)
Take a LONG shower (do all the shower things, face mask, deep cleanse etc)
Get a good night’s sleep!
I find that the quicker I get back into a routine the better. I know some people like to give themselves a day or two and that’s totally a personal preference thing. Recently I did a poll on my Instagram stories about this and it was so interesting to hear what people are like before and after travel and how different people are.
I would love to know what you do before and after travel and what kind of traveler you are!
Hello friend!
You have chosen an excellent topic for writing. I think everyone loves to travel and explore new places, and your post may be beneficial for those planning a trip. I read your entire post and found it very informative.
I will definitely consider all your points on my trip.
Thank you so much for sharing.
This is a great guide and some great ideas! Coming home to a clean house is the best idea when ever going on a vacation. The last thing we want to worry about on top of the laundry and unpacking is cleaning the house.
Those are all great tips. I always clean my kitchen. I hate getting home to a dirty kitchen. I also plan my food situation as well, so I eat anything that may spoil before I leave.
This is exactly what we do when we travel! I can’t leave the house a mess, it just means even more work when we get home. And I always unpack as soon as I can, usually that day unless we get home really late.
My husband always looks at me crazy when we get home from traveling and i want to unpack immediately. I hate living out of suit case and for me to get back in the routine of our daily life, i have to unpack the suitcase as soon as we get home.
The before the trip list is so good! I try to make my house look and feel as nice as I can before leaving. It always helps my mentality when coming home to a clean house rather than a bunch of stuff to do.
Your list reminds me of exactly how I handle the before and after a trip! You definitely have it down! It’s been so long since I’ve traveled (thanks ‘rona) but I look forward to doing so again soon!
Very useful set of tips before leaving for a trip. Usually, I only make a checklist of what to bring on a trip and normally would forget about what I should do first at home to make sure I leave it safe and orderly. Now, I will follow these advices you wrote.
I also keep everything checked before i leave my house to travel somewhere else.. Especially the electicity and make sure all appliances were turned off.. I do the same thing with the fridge too cause i don’t want to go back from travel and then open my fridge and be surprised by a foul smell
Thank you for sharing these useful travel tips
Hello friend!
You have chosen an excellent topic for writing. I think everyone loves to travel and explore new places, and your post may be beneficial for those planning a trip. I read your entire post and found it very informative.
I will definitely consider all your points on my trip.
Thank you so much for sharing.
I always try to get all the domestic scene sorted before leaving for a trip as I hate to come back to chores. Easier said than done though!
This is a great guide and some great ideas! Coming home to a clean house is the best idea when ever going on a vacation. The last thing we want to worry about on top of the laundry and unpacking is cleaning the house.
Those are all great tips. I always clean my kitchen. I hate getting home to a dirty kitchen. I also plan my food situation as well, so I eat anything that may spoil before I leave.
That truly is a helpful list! I especially love the point with unpacking right away. Goodness, I hate doing that but it makes a huge difference.
This is exactly what we do when we travel! I can’t leave the house a mess, it just means even more work when we get home. And I always unpack as soon as I can, usually that day unless we get home really late.
My husband always looks at me crazy when we get home from traveling and i want to unpack immediately. I hate living out of suit case and for me to get back in the routine of our daily life, i have to unpack the suitcase as soon as we get home.
The before the trip list is so good! I try to make my house look and feel as nice as I can before leaving. It always helps my mentality when coming home to a clean house rather than a bunch of stuff to do.
I love to travel as well! The only thing on these lists that I do not do is unpack right away. I’m terrible about unpacking!
I ALWAYS wait too long to unpack and then it just becomes a chore. That and any laundry is just left until it smells. Call it my lazy brain.
Your list reminds me of exactly how I handle the before and after a trip! You definitely have it down! It’s been so long since I’ve traveled (thanks ‘rona) but I look forward to doing so again soon!
changing the sheets beforehand is such a great idea! I had never thought of that bit but it definitely makes sense!
Great advice! Preparing for a trip, especially for those of us with kids can be a stressful time.
Nice post. I always find myself happy at past me for cleaning up the house before I go on a trip. Makes life so much less stressful
Emptying the trash is very important before going on a trip. Emptying the fridge too. Or just general cleaning.
I find it hard sometimes to unpack right after the trip especially when I`m tired. But the sooner you do it, the better it feels
Going on a trip can be stressful, especially with the kids and family. But these tips are really helpful
Great tips, we have our travel soon and these will come in handy.
I love the idea of making green smoothies to detox. I will give it a try not only after trips
Very useful set of tips before leaving for a trip. Usually, I only make a checklist of what to bring on a trip and normally would forget about what I should do first at home to make sure I leave it safe and orderly. Now, I will follow these advices you wrote.
I also keep everything checked before i leave my house to travel somewhere else.. Especially the electicity and make sure all appliances were turned off.. I do the same thing with the fridge too cause i don’t want to go back from travel and then open my fridge and be surprised by a foul smell
Thank you for sharing these useful travel tips
These are great tips! I must admit, I don’t do as much prep, but I can only imagine how much more important it is when you add kids to the mix!
These are such great tips! I ALWAYS clean my house before I travel because I LOVE coming home to a clean home with fresh sheets!