‘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.

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