Best Travel Tips Ever!

Anyone who knows me knows I love to travel.  As a child, my parents were the ultimate road trippers.  We would drive to EVERY vacation spot we visited.  In college, I road tripped with my line sisters and friends.  Now, I have eased up on the road tripping (although you can catch me ready for one any time, seemingly), but now travel by plane.  Either way, I am traveling.

Flying, unlike traveling by car/bus, requires patience and practice in order to execute it flawlessly.  It also requires one to follow strict rules.  Whenever I know I have a flight coming up, I typically do the following things to make sure I am ready and down for whatever.  Here are some of the best travel tips ever!

Click the jump to read more.

1. Study the trip itinerary.  It is important for me to know where I am flying into and what weather conditions that location may be facing.  It helps me dress accordingly and have a readiness for whatever may come – rain, sleet, hail or snow.  It also allows for me to mentally prepare for any layovers I may face, help me plan my meals, and know when to sprint to the next flight! (It has happened, trust)
2. Check-in online when I can.  I hate having to go to the kiosk to check-in.  I normally get stuck behind a person with a massive problem or the machine is down (just my luck). I’d much rather check in online and print off my tickets and itinerary.
3. Wear comfortable clothes.  I cannot stress this enough – remember, you will be on a flight that may take up to 3+ hours depending on where you are going in the US.  On the plane, my feet tend to get cold.  I either will wear socks with closed toe shoes or, if in the summer, bring socks for my toesies.  It’s nothing more uncomfortable than cold feet.  Not only should your clothes be comfortable, but they should also be easy to remove if necessary.  I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been behind someone struggling to remove their shoes, belt, earrings, and/or jacket/coat.  Do us all a favor and wear something that requires no more than two buttons to get off.
4. Pack smart. – Make sure your ID in easy grasp, you only have one carry-on and personal item for visits of up to 5 days, and you’re not too bulky with papers (i.e. magazines, newspapers, books, etc.).  I use my iPad for magazines and books instead of all that paper.  I’ll go into depth about smart packing in a later post.
5. Look at a map of the terminal I’m flying into.  Being lost is the worst feeling, but being lost with limited time is even more nerve wrecking.  I like to take a peek at the map of the terminal before I fly into it.  I do this so that if I need to sprint or find food services, I will know exactly my next concourse is or exactly where Pizza Hut may be.  It saves a headache for something more important.
6. Make sure all electronics are completely charged.  Okay, so I am guilty of breaking this rule sometime, but having a fully charged phone will make it easier if you need to make emergency phone calls.  And since I like to read/play games on the flight, having my iPad die is not an option.  If my electronics happen to be on their last bar of energy, I will find a place in the terminal that will allow for quick juicing.