Unpacking gets travelers in a spin

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Written by Linda Hohnholz

When it comes to what really annoys us on holidays, tipping troubles and rude locals don’t push Australian travelers’ buttons quite as much as unpacking and doing the laundry when we get home.

When it comes to what really annoys us on holidays, tipping troubles and rude locals don’t push Australian travelers’ buttons quite as much as unpacking and doing the laundry when we get home.

That’s the finding from the How are you travelling? survey by Australia’s favorite online travel destination Wotif.com, which surveyed more than 6,900 Australians.

Wotif.com spokesperson Kirsty La Bruniy said coming back from holidays to domestic chores was an annoying reality check, with more than one in four travelers revealing that emptying the suitcase and doing the laundry was their top travel gripe.

“Often the most annoying part of going on a holiday isn’t the delays and travel mishaps you may encounter along the way, but returning and spending the day unpacking and doing loads of washing,” Ms. La Bruniy said.

“Doing the laundry was higher on the travel annoyance radar than having to tip (12.8%), rude locals (10.9%), paying to use toilets (10.5%) and language barriers (5.2%).

“When I’m on holidays things don’t get to me anywhere near as much as when I’m at home, and this seems to be true for a lot of Australian travelers, with 21.8% of people saying nothing annoys them while travelling.”

Ms. La Bruniy said returning travelers could use a few coming home tactics to combat the post-holiday blues and help make getting back into the daily grind more bearable.

“When I get back I’m always thinking about what’s next, so a good tip is to book a weekend away before you leave for your holiday so you have something to look forward to when you return.

“To make the holiday feeling last longer I also try and cook some of my favorite holiday dishes and also change the wines I drink to the selection I discovered on my adventures.

“And if you really want to avoid getting into a spin with the post-holiday laundry, it can pay to take advantage of the hotel’s laundry service before you return.”

You could get over your post-holiday blues and plan another trip or weekend away.

Top post-holiday tips:

1. Post-holiday trip: There’s nothing like finishing a holiday and coming home to have another mini-break to look forward to. Even if it’s just a weekend away, it’ll soften the journey back to reality.

2. Relive your holiday: Settle down with your favorite holiday dish or cocktail and download your holiday snaps. Once you’ve picked your top selection, take your friends through the slideshow.

3. Local tourist: While you’re planning your next trip away, practice being a tourist by seeing what’s on in your own city or squeeze in a few day trips by exploring the surrounding regions you’ve always wanted to visit.

4. Plan ahead: Forget spending your first day back in your laundry room. On your last few days on holidays drop your clothes off to a nearby launderette or take advantage of the hotel’s laundry service. You’ll come back with a suitcase full of clean clothes and can spend the day relaxing rather than remembering you forgot to top up the laundry powder before you went away.

Top travel annoyances

Having to unpack and do the laundry when I get back – 27.3%
Nothing annoys me when I’m travelling – 21.8%
Having to tip – 12.8%
Rude locals – 10.9%
Having to pay for toilets – 10.5%
Language barrier – 5.2%
Not being able to find my favorite foods – 1.5%

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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