danyadarling

“You don’t have to be rich to travel well.”  – Eugene Fodor

After wonderful years of travel, I wanted to share some of my time-tested go to must haves for long-distance plane rides:

PBA free, roll-up water bottle.  These amazing water bottles are easy to transport, take little room, and are empty when traveling through countries that require zero liquids before boarding planes.  Then, just fill up when behind security and you have plenty of water for your journey.  That is in countries where you can drink the water.  Platypus and Vapur are companies that make these water bottles.  They come in handy on day trips too.

Snacks and chocolate.  I hate to be hungry and you can never plan for unexpected delays like a mechanical delay, weather delays, etc.  I always bring nonperishable food and an extra meal just in case.  I am never without emergency food.  Peanuts and dried fruit are great.  I also like to bring my own breakfast when flying because many airlines throw processed carbohydrates that run through your system like lighter fuel on a fire and leave you hungry and with low energy.

A book on my iPad or phone.  I am a big fan of paper books but, they take up a lot of space and I cannot go on a long trip without reading material.

Charger and USB cord.  Most planes outside the U.S. offer a USB port but, you still need a charging cord.  Don’t forget one.  I also like to bring a charger just in case the plane doesn’t offer a USB port.

Other little luxuries I love to bring if I can for overnight flights:

• iPad with a keyboard which I use to journal
• My own tea.  Plane tea sucks.  Others may prefer Starbuck’s instant coffee.
• Some sort of jacket.  I try to dress in layers during long flights because you can’t control the temperature and flights can become hot or cold.  Plus, the extra layers double as a pillow if needed.
• Toothbrush and toothpaste.  Clean teeth just feel good after 8+ hours.
• Perfume or body spray.  I’ve sat next to some raunchy smelling people and this saved the day.  For overnight trips, I also bring a travel sized deodorant and I apply more in “the morning” on the plane.
• Hand sanitizer.  No explanations necessary here.
• Lotion.  Planes are air pressure controlled and I’ve always found to be dry.
• Kleenex and/or wipes.  Hello, I’m a mom of 4 but really, they do come in super handy.
• Make-up and make-up remover wipes.  I like to take off and reapply make-up before landing.
• Extra pair of panties/underwear.  You never know when your plane connection may be delayed or canceled folks.  This has happened to me more times than I like to recall and I’ve been stuck at a hotel without clean panties only once.  Ever since that experience, I always bring 1-2 extra pairs in my carry-on.

Happy travels!