I am thrilled to feature my friend and world traveler, Amanda Workman, from the Cultural Concierge as today's guest blogger, sharing her top travel tips. Enjoy!
I love to travel. In fact, my friends accuse me of having a wee addiction; but I keep hopping on planes to avoid their intervention efforts. If I do not have a ticket (or three) in my travel queue on my American Airlines phone app, I feel lost and hopeless - this is sadly not an exaggeration. I was thrilled when Rhonda asked me to share some of my top tips for a successful trip with her readers! I’ve put together the top 5 things I share when people ask for travel advice; I hope they help your next adventure! Happy Traveling!
Get to the airport in plenty of time. The stress of being late for your flight while in the security line stresses out the rest of the day and can set the tone for the trip if you are not careful. I recommend getting to the airport as early as an hour and half before a domestic flight and two and half hours before a international one. Even if you clear security quickly you can take time to chill and people watch in a relaxed manner rather than feeling rushed and anxious. Get there early the people watching is worth it - I promise!
Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. I believe in looking nice when I travel. While we are long past the days when people dressed up in their finest “Sunday” clothes to board a plane, it is still appropriate to look your best. A plane is not a place for pajamas or swimsuits and cutoffs (and yes I’ve seen both on the same flight…both time paired with UGG boots!! But I digress!) A little known fact about airlines is they have the right to to deny boarding to anyone wearing "lewd, obscene or patently offensive" clothing. While I have little doubt the fashionable readers of this blog would find themselves in that situation, my recommendation is to have a go to travel outfit: Jeans, a cute shirt, a warm wrap (you always want layers!), and cute booties. I had Rhonda put together the perfect outfit for me, and I wear it almost every time I fly! Easy, stylish and comfortable.
Eat well - Fly well. It is vacation time and all of us make our vacation excuses when it comes to eating. (Crepes and coffee several times a day in Paris anyone? I vote - YES!) I am all about eating delicious things on vacation, but am always careful what I eat and drink before or during flight. “Jet bloat” is a real thing, and can happen even on short flights. Who wants to feel gross on a plane or for hours after you land? Not me! Rather than salty or fatty snacks and meals before I fly, I try to eat something light and healthy like a large salad or a smoothie. I also keep a couple of protein bars in my bag for a healthy snack on short flights, and in case of flight delays. I also drink a lot of water before, during, and after a flight. Lack of humidity in the cabin (only about 10 to 20 percent - think desert like conditions) can cause dehydration even on short flights. Wait till after you land to load up on those vacation indulgences!
Don’t over pack. I know, I know! We ladies want OPTIONS! I get it! The very 1st time I went to India on a 10-day business trip I took two LARGE suitcases, a small rolling carry on, and a stuff backpack. The last time I went on a 15-day business trip to India, I took a small rolling carry on and a backpack! I learned my lesson quickly. The truth is options actually add more stress than we think it will on the trip, and as much as you think to yourself that THIS is the time you’ll wear that shirt that you never wear at home….you won’t. When we are traveling we are already in new places and our senses our over stimulated (in a good way) by new things, when it comes to getting dressed we need easy, comfortable, and one less thing to think about. My travel blogger friend, Jennifer, has some great tips for chronic over packers here. But the general rules - stick to the basics, if you don’t wear it at home you won’t wear it traveling, and most importantly - be comfortable!
HAVE FUN! One of the best pieces of advice I was ever given was “ Do not treat this as a once in a lifetime trip.” This was given to me just before my first trip to Paris. My friend who was a seasoned traveler told me “Amanda, Paris will always be there. It is accessible. You will go again and again. Don’t try to see everything in the short time you are there, pick a couple of things, and then just walk around and let the city introduce itself to you.” I did just that and it was a life changing trip! He was right - I’ve been back several times since then. I then took this same advice and applied it to every new city I have encountered….San Francisco, New York, London, Cape Town. So often when we plan a trip we get caught up in planning the “perfect" itinerary, packing the “perfect" outfit, making sure we are not “missing out” on every single thing a city has to offer; we get so caught up in making a perfect Instagram moment that we miss the beauty of the journey itself! Flights are going to be delayed. You are going to forget to pack something. You will get lost in strange cities. But that is where the memories are made. Keeping your sense of humor is the key to success for every trip. Realizing that the plane will eventually take off, you can buy what you forgot (or you can manage just fine without it), and you will not be lost forever helps keep in perspective the adventure of the moment. So I encourage you, put down your phone, stop and breathe in your surroundings, talk to the locals, try new things, get lost in amazing places & then find yourself in them.
Follow these simple rules and you’ll have the greatest adventures and memories to last you a lifetime, and maybe become a travel addict like me!