Several people recently have asked me for travel tips since I travel a lot. I'm telling you all my secrets, so you better use them wisely! Flying info is on top, and other travel is below that.
PACKING:
· Obviously, don't check a
bag if you don't need to. If you do need to, bring all your valuables, plus a
change of undies and any medication in your carry-on.
·
I put all the big stuff,
the heavy stuff, the solid stuff, on the bottom (foot) of the bag and the light
stuff that shouldn't be crushed, on the top. I put all clothes into separate
plastic bags and push the air out. Makes more room, and separates it out
for easy finding of stuff.
·
I pick a color theme for
each trip. And no, it's not always purple. It's usually neutral bases with all
blue, or all purple, or all black, etc. Then I can mix and match as
needed.
·
Always pack layers. And
always wear your biggest and heaviest shoes and clothes on the flight, so you
don't have to pack them.
·
I don't wear a purse. If
I need to bring a purse, I take everything out and pack it in my bag. So that
my computer backpack fits under my seat as my personal item. I have shoe
bags, but plastic bags also work, and are useful for wet bathing suits or
laundry, although I also carry a laundry bag (super thin and can suck the air
out). I have nothing that requires ironing. I will roll several dresses
within each other and hope for the best.
·
Fill shoes or boots with
other stuff. Glasses, or anything that needs protection. I always leave
room in my bag for purchases on the trip. Never over stuff. Then they might
explode, especially if checked.
·
Since checked bags have
to be 50lbs or under, I put the heaviest thing in my carry-on, like books. And,
like I said, I wear the heaviest stuff too. And I weigh it before I go, again,
leaving enough wiggle room for purchases of heavier things too. Then I
won't worry.
·
I have packing lists for
every occasion. And different suitcases for every size and type of trip. The
perfect one for every occasion. They're almost all purple, of course. I have a
cool cover for my checked bags to make them hard to break into, but also easy
to spot. And for other bags, lots of fun ribbons or name tags.
AIRPLANE SEATING:
·
When I book, I pick a
row very close to the back, where there’s an empty row. Then I check the seats again
a few weeks before, a few days before, and when I check in to see if there's
still no one sitting next to me. The plane always fills in from the front to
the back, so if you sit all the way in the back (not the last row, those seats
don’t recline) then there's less chance of someone sitting next to you. And of
course, people often travel in pairs, so middle seats fill in last. So if the
plane is getting full, pick an aisle or window seat with an empty middle seat
and chances are it'll stay empty. You can also ask at the airport. And if you
want to be closer to the front to get off faster, pick the masthead. You can't
have your bag in front of you during take off and landing, but only then. The
flight attendants will move them for you and return them. And you have more
legroom, and they leave the seats there empty for wheelchairs. So if they're
not booked, they often stay empty. I just had the whole row to myself (which
happens a lot) because that's where I sat. Great view too. And it was actually
the first row behind First class, so I could even keep my bag under the seat in
front the whole time.
·
I’m right handed, so I
sit in the window with the window to my right. Then I never bump into people.
·
I'm also spoiled because
I fly Jetblue and am Mosaic, so I can upgrade to extra space with no cost. And
every time I just ask them if they can keep me away from people as much
as possible. So I get an empty row a lot. And if it's full, at least I
have an extra space seat. I have the Jetblue credit card and use it for
everything. I also have frequent flier numbers for every airline. My #2 airline
is Delta. And I have that connected to all my online purchases so I get points.
You can connect some FF to Lyft, Avis, and other things too.
FOOD:
· I have lots of food restrictions. So I don’t
always know if I’ll have access to food. So I always bring lots of food with
me. And an empty water bottle that I fill at the airport after TSA. Bring
hand cream and eye drops. Get up and walk around when you can, don't cross your
legs. I drink a ton of water before, during and after. Gotta stay
hydrated. No caffeine or alcohol. That just depletes. I put Airborne in my
water. Little extra vitamins/zinc/C
TSA and BOARDING:
· I have global entry, So I have TSA Pre-check. Totally
worth the cost.
·
I wear comfy pants and
layers. I don't put on a belt, or jacket, or carry my phone until after I
go through TSA. It's all in an outside pocket in my suitcase so I can breeze
through tsa and then put it all on.
·
I wear slip-on shoes and
bring fuzzy over-socks with me. I have a scarf that is actually made for travel
and is antibacterial. So I wear that when I get chilly and it's
supposed to give me extra protection. And I got it BEFORE covid! I also
have a blow-up neck pillow.
·
I take a decongestant
and a nasal spray before take-off. It keeps my sinuses and inner ear clear and
helps me sleep. If it’s a long flight, I’ll do nasal spray just before
landing too. I also sleep on planes.
· I board the second I can, so that I have first choice
of putting stuff in the overhead. I like being able to keep an eye on it, so I
keep it over my head. But if I really want to be smart or fast, I'll put it in
the first empty overhead closest to the exit. Then I can skooch out fast and
grab it right before deplaning when no one's crowding the aisle. And I can
also get situated before someone is next to me. Get out my headphones. Nasal spray.
Drink water. Bookmark tv/films to watch. Charge my phone, etc.
JETLAG TIPS:
· I usually go to the bathroom at about 40 minutes
before landing. That's just before descent when the seat belt sign goes on. I
brush my teeth and hair (different brush 😉) so that I feel fresh when I deplane and then I
don't need a bathroom in the airport (where the lines are so long) or on the
ride home.
· Flying West is easier. You won't have too much jetlag.
You'll just wake up earlier. The only thing to get you more into a routine is
to stay up late the first night you land and then you may be on west coast
schedule immediately. Going back east is much harder. You have to try to work your
way into the east coast schedule the last few days of being west. So keep
trying to go to bed earlier and get up earlier, which is hard if you're
working.
FOR OTHER TRAVEL:
For traveling to places I haven’t been before, I do a ton of
research ahead of time:
·
Restaurants I can eat at (bookmarked on yelp)
·
Power outlet type
·
Local transportation options
·
What currency they use
·
Will my phone work there? (I have Verizon, and a
daily international plan for when I use my phone overseas. I try to use local
wifi everywhere so that I’m not using up minutes and can make wifi calls)
·
Are there hotels where I have memberships? (M
Life, Hilton, Marriott, etc, all have their own rewards). AAA gets you a
discount in most places, also for car rental. Or AARP. Or SAG AFTRA.
Lastly, I have a complete set of toiletries/makeup/night
creams, etc. All ready to go. So I don’t need to pack that. It’s all set. If I’ve
run out of something on a trip, I refill it as soon as I get home. No full size
liquids!
Lastly,
I keep a chart like this:
|
Dates |
Place |
Plane/train/car |
Local transpo |
lodging |
Notes |
(If you can't see the chart correctly, it's DATES, PLACE, Plan/train/car, local transpo, lodging, and NOTES)
Then I can easily
keep track of everything I need. Plus a schedule. Then I keep it on my desktop.
Email it to myself, and usually print it too. Then I have it wherever I am.
That’s the scoop! Be
safe. Be considerate. Have fun.
Tamar
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