How to travel like a pro

“Sometimes its the journey that teaches you a lot about your destination.”  – Drake

When it comes to travelling; I do enjoy the journey.  I love getting to the airport, the feelings of excitement of where you’re going to be soon, and what you’ll see. The goings on at airports, the making yourself at home on a plane, and settling into the journey. I even enjoy the food on long haul flights (call me crazy, but those cute wee things of water delight my heart!)

There are some things however, that you need to sort out before actually travelling. Having lived in New Zealand for a considerable time, and having done a number of extremely long, long haul flights, I now travel a little differently. The way I pack, what I wear and what I bring with me, makes my journey go a lot better.

Here are some tips so that you can travel like a pro (editors note: ok, so I am not trying to be arrogant, I often slip up when I travel, like the time I brought liquids over 100ml and had to chuck them all out – baby steps traveller fail).

1.Get your wardrobe sorted

If there is one thing that sucks about travelling, it s being too uncomfortable on a flight – from being too cold, or hot, or just having an inappropriate clothing on.

With travelling long haul (or even short haul), you’ll be sat in the one space for anything from 1-15 hours (15 hours has been my longest single flight), and you want to make sure you are comfortable.

Having flown a three hour flight from Australia to New Zealand, I was wearing a pair of shorts, a little singlet top, and flip flops. Perfect for the 40 degree weather in Melbourne; not so for the plane; it was too cold.

Here is what I suggest you should wear (if you’re a girl of course) 

 

• Leggings or loose fitting pants (Harlem Pants – see the top image of my sister)
• A loose fitting top or t-shirt
• A hoodie or oversized cardigan
• Easy fitting shoes (flip flops, flats, or trainers/sneakers) – this is practical for airport security, as you are often asked to remove shoes.
• Socks (sounds silly, but they’re invaluable – trust me!)

 

2. Pack like a pro with  packing cells/cubes

When I first started travelling, I literally shoved everything into my rucksack, and it was all over the show. I could never find anything when I needed it. Over the years, I have learnt to pack differently, and travel a lot lighter. A year or so ago, I discovered the wonder of the packing cell or packing cube, from Kathmandu, and it has revolutionised my packing.

2 small light zipped bags is all I need in my travelling life, and it means I can compartmentalise my life almost. It also leads to neat looking packing, no matter what you are carrying.

They are great in a rucksack (or backpack), as if all you need to do is pull out the packing cell you need, to get a certain item. I often use one for tops/pants/dresses etc and another for underwear/swimwear and then toiletries etc.

3. Invest in a document holder

 

A little while ago, I wrote about the need for an important folder, which is basically the name that my mother used to give to the folder needed to carry around all the documents when travelling, and the term sort of stuck. Nowadays, I carry around a lot less, mainly due to having a smartphone and being able to screen shot all my reservation details, or accessing these offline, although I did previously write about my dislike for smartphones whilst travelling.

If you are flying out of your home area, you’ll likely need a few things in one place.

Recently, I have found that a clear document folder is key. On my recent trip I carried my currency, passport, visa information and my fight ticket.

A clear folder is good sometimes, as if you just need to flash someone your boarding pass, you can do so without taking it out.

Note – if you have currency, it is best to have this in a separate envelope or similar, rather than showing this off. I rarely travel with a money belt like a used to, as they are too faffy to organise yourself, and too obvious. 

Pens are often handy to have in this folder also, as you will sometimes have visa/customs/landing forms to fill in, and having your own pen will speed up this process.

4. Get on board with the best gear

 

When you are on a long flight (or even a short flight), you want to make sure you’ve got enough things on board, to make yourself comfortable, as well as entertained.

Often on short flights, I usually only take my iPod, a bottle of water and my camera, as I am often content to look out the window and listen to music.

However, on long haul flights, it is a little different. Here is what you may like to take on your hand luggage

• A bathroom bag, to make yourself feeling fresh at all times. Sometimes an airline will issue you with one of these. I have got one when I travelled from Indonesia to the UAE, and it contained flight socks, and eye mask, a refreshing towel, toothpaste and a toothbrush. However, not all airlines will give these out in economy class, so I normally bring some face wipes, moisturiser, toothpaste and a toothbrush, hand cream and lip balm. The air on a plane is harsh on your skin and it is good to be hydrated.

 

• Water. As a general rule of thumb; it is best to drink more water up in the air than you would on the ground, as you get dehydrated much quicker. The flight attendants will bring you more water around, but I usually grab a bottle after I get through security, or even bring a small bottle, which I can refill after security
• Entertainment; Some flights will have small entertainment screens on the backs of your chairs. However, if you are unlucky enough to be on a seat where the entertainment unit is not working (as happened to me on a flight from South Korea to London), then it can lead to a bit of a long and boring flight (especially if it is a daytime flight). I usually bring a laptop (A Macbook Air, which is super light, and easy to travel with), an iPod and a book.

 

By following some of these steps, it should make your travels a lot smoother, and more comfortable. What are your top tips for travelling?