One of the awesome things about living in Europe is that there are tons of awesome places closeby to travel to. E and I have been able to travel to a lot of really great places the last few years, and sometimes I forget how lucky we are to be able to do that.
I've been talking to my cousin, S, recently because her husband and son are going on a sports-related trip to Europe. Their family doesn't travel much at all, and certainly not internationally. She's been asking me tons of questions, most of which are at the novice traveler level. I'm so happy I've been able to help her. It's also been a real eye-opener to me because it's made me realize that we really do travel a lot! Today she told me, "Wow, you're so well-traveled, you should start a blog about it!" I don't really think I am that well-traveled, but I have certainly traveled more than a lot of other people.
So, I've decided to start trying to dedicate some blog entries to travel tips so that I can help other people who are novice travelers.
Today's Travel Tips - Transatlantic Flights 101
1. Dress comfortably when you fly. There's nothing worse then squirming around trying to get comfy in your jeans on an 8-hour flight. Wear comfy pants (sweatpants, yoga pants, warm-up pants, etc.), a t-shirt, and a long-sleeved t-shirt or zip-up. Avoid hoodies, because they interfere with the neck pillows when you're trying to sleep (see #2).
2. It is crucial to sleep on the plane if you're traveling on an overnight eastbound flight. Get yourself some earplugs, an eye mask, an inflatable neck pillow (the non-inflatable ones take up precious room in your baggage!), and Benadryl or something similar to make you sleepy. Take the Benadryl when you get on the plane, because if you take it too late you'll be tired once you arrive at your destination. Inflate your neck pillow, put your eye mask on and your earplugs in, and go to sleep! Don't be tempted by the in-flight entertainment, trust me. You'll thank me the next day.
3. If you travel a lot, invest in some noise-canceling headphones. They are expensive, but well worh the money if you are going to use them a lot. E and I both have Bose headphones, and we use them all the time. They're great.
4. Melatonin is the only thing scientifically proven to help with jetlag. There was even a New England Journal of Medicine (very prestigious medical journal) article published about it. For adults, take 3mg daily at bedtime in your new time zone. I take it when I get on the plane for an eastbound red-eye overnight flight, and then every night for a few days. I also take it at bedtime for a few days when I travel westbound. It doesn't really make you tired, but it helps reset your circadian clock faster.
5. Get to the airport early. At least 2 hours for any international flight. You never know how long it's going to take to get through security. And go through security right away. Worst case? You've got time to spare, so what? E always likes to say that there are 2 types of people in any airport: 1) the people who have plenty of time to spare, so they're walking through the airport at a leisurely pace or eating a snack. And 2) the people who might miss their flight, so they're running like maniacs towards their gate. Don't be #2, it's not fun.
6. Bring lots of stuff to entertain yourself. Bring books, some music to listen to, a Sudoku book, a magazine, etc. You never know if your flight might get delayed. Being bored is no fun!
7. Pack heavy stuff in your carry-on. Nowadays, most airlines only let you bring one piece of checked baggage, even on long flights. This is a problem, since often, when you're going on a long flight, you're going to be gone for a long time and therefore need to pack a lot of stuff. By packing heavy stuff, like shoes, in your carry-on, you leave more room in your checked baggage for other stuff. (Bonus: stuff your shoes with socks to save even more room!)
8. Bring an empty water bottle in your carry-on. Then, after you go through security, you can fill it up with water and bring it on the plane. That way, you don't have to buy the super-expensive water they sell after the security checkpoints, but you'll still have something to drink on the plane.
9. Always bring an extra pair of underwear in your carry-on. If you miss your connecting flight or your baggage gets lost, at least you won't have to wear dirty underwear. I usually pack a pair of underwear, a shirt, and a pair of socks in my carry-on. Also, bring your toothbrush and a travel-size toothpaste so you can brush your teeth after your long flight.
10. Figure out ahead of time what your game plan is for getting from the airport to your destination. After a long flight (especially if it's overnight), the last thing you want to do is stand there thinking, ok, now what? Even if you don't decide what you're going to do, it's good if you've at least discussed it.
I've been talking to my cousin, S, recently because her husband and son are going on a sports-related trip to Europe. Their family doesn't travel much at all, and certainly not internationally. She's been asking me tons of questions, most of which are at the novice traveler level. I'm so happy I've been able to help her. It's also been a real eye-opener to me because it's made me realize that we really do travel a lot! Today she told me, "Wow, you're so well-traveled, you should start a blog about it!" I don't really think I am that well-traveled, but I have certainly traveled more than a lot of other people.
So, I've decided to start trying to dedicate some blog entries to travel tips so that I can help other people who are novice travelers.
Today's Travel Tips - Transatlantic Flights 101
1. Dress comfortably when you fly. There's nothing worse then squirming around trying to get comfy in your jeans on an 8-hour flight. Wear comfy pants (sweatpants, yoga pants, warm-up pants, etc.), a t-shirt, and a long-sleeved t-shirt or zip-up. Avoid hoodies, because they interfere with the neck pillows when you're trying to sleep (see #2).
2. It is crucial to sleep on the plane if you're traveling on an overnight eastbound flight. Get yourself some earplugs, an eye mask, an inflatable neck pillow (the non-inflatable ones take up precious room in your baggage!), and Benadryl or something similar to make you sleepy. Take the Benadryl when you get on the plane, because if you take it too late you'll be tired once you arrive at your destination. Inflate your neck pillow, put your eye mask on and your earplugs in, and go to sleep! Don't be tempted by the in-flight entertainment, trust me. You'll thank me the next day.
3. If you travel a lot, invest in some noise-canceling headphones. They are expensive, but well worh the money if you are going to use them a lot. E and I both have Bose headphones, and we use them all the time. They're great.
4. Melatonin is the only thing scientifically proven to help with jetlag. There was even a New England Journal of Medicine (very prestigious medical journal) article published about it. For adults, take 3mg daily at bedtime in your new time zone. I take it when I get on the plane for an eastbound red-eye overnight flight, and then every night for a few days. I also take it at bedtime for a few days when I travel westbound. It doesn't really make you tired, but it helps reset your circadian clock faster.
5. Get to the airport early. At least 2 hours for any international flight. You never know how long it's going to take to get through security. And go through security right away. Worst case? You've got time to spare, so what? E always likes to say that there are 2 types of people in any airport: 1) the people who have plenty of time to spare, so they're walking through the airport at a leisurely pace or eating a snack. And 2) the people who might miss their flight, so they're running like maniacs towards their gate. Don't be #2, it's not fun.
6. Bring lots of stuff to entertain yourself. Bring books, some music to listen to, a Sudoku book, a magazine, etc. You never know if your flight might get delayed. Being bored is no fun!
7. Pack heavy stuff in your carry-on. Nowadays, most airlines only let you bring one piece of checked baggage, even on long flights. This is a problem, since often, when you're going on a long flight, you're going to be gone for a long time and therefore need to pack a lot of stuff. By packing heavy stuff, like shoes, in your carry-on, you leave more room in your checked baggage for other stuff. (Bonus: stuff your shoes with socks to save even more room!)
8. Bring an empty water bottle in your carry-on. Then, after you go through security, you can fill it up with water and bring it on the plane. That way, you don't have to buy the super-expensive water they sell after the security checkpoints, but you'll still have something to drink on the plane.
9. Always bring an extra pair of underwear in your carry-on. If you miss your connecting flight or your baggage gets lost, at least you won't have to wear dirty underwear. I usually pack a pair of underwear, a shirt, and a pair of socks in my carry-on. Also, bring your toothbrush and a travel-size toothpaste so you can brush your teeth after your long flight.
10. Figure out ahead of time what your game plan is for getting from the airport to your destination. After a long flight (especially if it's overnight), the last thing you want to do is stand there thinking, ok, now what? Even if you don't decide what you're going to do, it's good if you've at least discussed it.
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