Road Warrior's travel tips

I recently read this article on Road Warrior’s Tips for Smooth Travel  and thought why not ask everyone here for their own tips. What do you do to make travel smoother. (And did you notice someone in the article said, “one bag only.” Hmm….I wonder where I’ve heard that before?)

(Frank II)

Comments

[Paula S]

Good one!

1. I wear my most comfortable clothes and footwear.

2. I take a list of alternatives for travel (especially trains & buses), hotels in the same area as the one I've booked, contact numbers in case of being stranded. Spontaneity is good but so is not worrying if and when cancellations/strikes arise......I don't ever want to have to sleep at an airport .....I'm getting too old for that!

3. Travel light and as hands free as possible.

4. Always have my hair cut and permed for the trip. (I like to feel good, look good and travel low maintenance).

5. I like to pre-pay as much as possible before the trip. Nothing worse than returning home to massive bills.

[Heather]

I have a small packing cube with the following: earplugs, earbuds, comb, eyedrops, chewing gum, wet wipes, Kleenex, hand sanitizer, roasted almonds, Pepto-Bismol, Sudafed, Tylenol, and a paperback novel. With this, my cellphone, and a bottle of water, I figure I can handle almost anything.

[Heather]

My husband adds: know how to order a cup of coffee in the local language.

[Monte L. Steiger]

Take your patience, and keep it in good repair.

[Frank II--Editor]

Monte, I couldn't agree more. To that I will add "flexibility." It seems no matter how much we plan our travels, at some point, changes will need to be made--and not always to our liking.

"The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry."---Robert Burns

[Robert]

Don't forget your sense of humor.

[DannH]

I try to leave my wife at home!

OK, not really (usually) but a great trip can be easily ruined by wimpy, whining travel companions (who without exception travel with 2 large cargo suitcases, a carry-on and a personal bag).

[Doug K.]

Maybe I've had a charmed life, but pretty much the only trouble I ever have while traveling is going through the accursed security line at the airport. The way I minimize the annoyance--for myself, anyway--is by putting EVERYTHING I normally carry in my pockets or on my person in a ziploc bag, which I place inside my carry-on BEFORE I even get to the airport. The only thing in my shirt pocket is my passport. It should also go without saying that I don't wear a belt or anything else metallic (and slip on shoes as the fellow in the original article astutely pointed out). If I feel like it, I pull the bag out and put everything where it normally belongs WELL after clearing security.

There's nothing more ridiculous than being stuck behind someone else as they wobble around on one foot trying to unlace knee-high boots at the same time they're removing five or ten pounds of superfluous jewelry. I just struggle to believe that travelers that ignorant still exist...

[Eric]

Two things:

1) get to the airport early. As a frequent business traveler (I fly every week), it's not always possible to get there 1.5 hours early. But it usually is. Relax, take your time going through security, then have a cup of coffee while waiting for the flight, maybe open your laptop and get some work done. I recommend getting a membership at the frequent flyer club for the airline you fly the most. It can make a delay much more pleasant.

2) Wear a jacket or sportcoat. When you are in the security line, empty your pockets, watch, cell phones, etc into the jacket pockets. Then put the jacket through the x-ray machine and you'll fly through the checkpoint with no worries. One the other side, just put your jacket back on, grab your bag, and off you go. You can recombobulate yourself at the gate or on the train.