Vacation Soundproofing Tips

There’s nothing worse than arriving at your destination after a long day’s travel only to be greeted by loud traffic and noisy neighbors.

Hotels, Airbnb’s or Couchsurfing – no matter where you choose to stay, you’re likely to encounter one irritating noise or another.

Be prepared with these on-the-go vacation soundproofing tips and enjoy the sweet sound of silence on your next trip.

Can’t Sleep on Vacation? Soundproof While you Travel!

There’s no need to pack a soundproof curtain with you every time you take a trip, soundproofing on the go can be much easier. Rather than get disturbed by any annoying neighbors or traffic noise, we have some easy and convenient tips to help you relax and sleep better on vacation.

Block it Out While You Sleep

If your family is like mine, you’re all sharing one hotel room with two queen-beds. Chances are, you’re stuck with a snoring family member who doesn’t usually sleep right next to you.

If this situation sound familiar, you need to invest in some quality noise canceling headphones. A good pair of noise-canceling headphones are the smartest investment for regular travelers as they block out most outside noise and leave you in your own quiet world.

If you don’t want to spend the money, your usual earbuds and a Spotify white-noise playlist are your next best bet. Fall asleep to the soothing sound of ocean waves instead of your next-door neighbors bringing the after party back to their room.

Another cheaper option are good old fashion earplugs. Just pop ’em in and block it out. While earplugs can’t block out the same amount of noise as noise-canceling headphones, they muffle enough sound to help you get to sleep.

Ask for Help When You Travel

With Airbnb and Couchsurfing, you usually get what you pay for and will have to make due with the space you’re given. Hotels, however, tend to be more accommodating for their guests if they have a large amount of rooms available. Before arrival, call and request a room farthest away from the nearest roadway. You also want to ask to be placed away from elevators and other high-traffic areas.

Expert Tip: Ask for a room on a higher floor away from lobby commotion, or for a corner room, which will have less direct neighbor noise for your best chance at a quiet stay.

Also: Check with your provider if soundproof curtains are available in the location, especially if double-pane windows are not already installed.

If Airbnb is your go-to, do some research before booking. Check out the area on Google Maps and look for availabilities in less-busy locations. If you want to spend your time in the city, try to book a place on the outskirts, which tend to be more peaceful.

Get Creative with your Soundproofing

If you’ve done all you can and there’s still too much noise, get creative! Look around your room and see what materials you have to work with.

Roll up a bath towel or two and shove them against cracks at the bottom of doors to stop sound from seeping in.

If the room comes with a fan, turn it on for some easy sound masking. Many hotels have fans available at the front desk if you ask.

For actual white noise, you can purchase a travel size white noise machine to take with you on trips. It plugs into the wall, so no need to worry about forgetting new batteries in case it dies.

Benefits of Vacation Soundproofing

If you follow some or all of these tips, you’ll most likely enjoy yourself more than if you hadn’t. No one wants to experience the annoyance of loud neighbors on vacation, that’s probably why you took one in the first place!

Whether you’re on vacation, traveling for work or visiting family, you deserve some peace and quiet. Don’t forget your soundproof vacation essentials:

• Sound canceling headphones
• Earplugs
• Portable white noise machine
• A phone call to your hotel requesting a quiet room

Remember these tips next time you can’t find any quiet on the road – you’ll be happy you did.