‘Back to slug life’: Why is travel so tiring, and what can we do about it?

When a holiday is on the horizon, it can be hard to look beyond it. But after - or even during - the excitement of an adventure abroad, many travellers have reported feeling wiped out.

So what can you do to fend off travel fatigue? That’s the question Reddit’s travel community has been grappling with, after one user posted about their post-travel experience. 

“I used to travel a lot when younger - I'm now in my 30s. Took a round trip this week for work, first time travelling solo in almost 20 years,” they wrote yesterday.

“Dang! Since coming back all I want to do is sleep, lounge, watch shows, but even my body hurts/throat is sore/head aches a bit almost like I'm sick. It's day two of this after being back now! Is this normal???”

Reddit users were quick to reassure the original poster that they’ve experienced the same.

“It's normal. I find moving hotels constantly really takes it out of me more than slower holidays these days,” replied a fellow thirty-something traveller.

“Went on an 18-day trip across western Europe… by the time we got back to Paris for our final three days, we didn't want to go anywhere,” confessed another.

Is travel tiring or energising?

For some frequent travellers, the trip itself is a source of energy and stimulation, with tiredness only kicking in once it's over.

“Oddly enough, I feel energised when I travel and exhausted when I’m back home,” wrote one. 

“I can pull 20,000 steps and a day’s worth of attractions no problem, going on for two weeks. But as soon as I’m home, it’s back to slug life. Might be the stimulation and adrenaline/excitement pushing me through when I travel. I just love it.”

A few people on Reddit pointed out that travel energy (or lack thereof) doesn’t appear in a vacuum - but is of course related to a traveller’s general energy and fitness levels. 

What’s age got to do with it?

As is often the way, the reply with the most ‘upvotes’ was on the funny side: “I'm 40 and I'm exhausted every time I have to leave my house, so yah,” wrote one user. 

But a more serious response argued that the poster should not be feeling so weary at such a sprightly age. 

Sharing their own experience, one 44-year-old said they are still backpacking and staying in hostels and getting 25,000-40,000 steps per day in their travels. “My primary enabler is averaging 10,000 steps per day all year in my daily life,” they added. “It keeps me spry.”

Others were concerned that the poster’s symptoms do indeed point to an actual illness.

“Just saying, it’s possible that you are sick,” says one comment, with more than 100 upvotes. “Normal to feel exhausted especially if it was a busy trip, but sore throat, body aches and headache is not necessarily normal.”

“Travelling can involve being exposed to a lot of illnesses,” stressed another. “You need a lot of rest afterward.”

Plan ahead - but not too much. Top tips for avoiding travel fatigue

While it can be hard to dodge a cold, especially in December, frequent travellers were full of advice for avoiding travel fatigue. 

One 35-year-old emphasised the importance of planning ahead, so you’re not overloading yourself in the precious present.

“I usually plan my vacations eight to 10 days. I’ve never felt wiped out yet. My feet hurt a lot after a while on vacation cause I never know where to stop, I spend my whole day doing things. But I find that pain sweet,” they wrote.

“I think not having a plan might cause this,” they suggested, regarding the original poster’s predicament. “I usually have detailed day-to-day plans so it motivates me. I don’t know if I would be this determined if somebody would leave me somewhere I didn't do research and expect me to have it as vacation. 

“Planning takes time and my vacation time is for vacationing, not for planning.”

Well said. And echoed by another poster: “Most people try to cram way too much stuff into your schedule every day. Have longer breaks in between attractions where you just roam around or where you sit down at a cafe. It's a vacation not a job, you're not there to ‘complete’ the vacation. You are there to enjoy it.”

Listening to your body about when to “let up” is key, said another Reddit user, who also advised taking immune-boosting supplements while travelling. 

Self-knowledge, and not pushing yourself too far, are common themes of other advice pages. Expert traveller Louisa Rodgers’s first tip is to “know your enemy”. Are crowds or traffic triggers for your tiredness, for example? Strategise around that.

At the end of the (holi)day, it can be hard to avoid the fact that travelling around can be physically draining. But the beauty of experiencing new places is that it invariably leaves us feeling mentally refreshed.