Travel Tips when flying long distance (Travel Tips in General)

Member Name: 2Quizzy

Product:	Travel Tips in General
Date:	08/11/03 (2420 review reads)
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The first time I flew long-distance I discovered something very important. Tell people you are a first-time flyer and they pour out their hints and advice. Nearly everyone had some tip and every one of them proved useful. So I thought I?d pass them on.

Before you leave - check everything. Check the numbers on your tickets match your travel documents and double check the details. It's rare, but errors do happen and you don't want to find out when you're standing in a foreign country that you've got a ticket with the wrong flight numbers.

Get your bank to give you smallish change in currencies of countries whose airports you have to spend time in. There is nothing more miserable than being stuck in a foreign airport for hours and having no way to buy a snack or drink.

If you have special food requirements such as allergies or you're a vegetarian ? tell the travel agency and the air company you are flying with. Many do offer special meals if they know in advance. If you want a specific seat such as aisle or window don't forget to make sure they know you do. For a first-time flyer you really should get a window seat to get the experience of seeing as much as possible. There's nothing quite like watching the sunrise from above the clouds.

Aisle seats are better for getting in and out of, but then you have to get up every time the people in the other seats want to get out and so you?re disturbed more often. A window seat might mean you're stuck, but then there is no one bothering you once you want to relax. Also you have the plane wall to lean your head on if you want to snooze. This can be quite an added "luxury" on long flights!

When packing ? if you are going to a country with crime problems, always pack anything of value into your carry-on bag where you can be with it and watch over it. There are far too many ways a bag in cargo can be tampered with. Small items such as jewellery
, cameras and electrical goods like shavers are easy to steal quickly.

Also be careful what you pack to go into the hold. Cases and boxes are just thrown in and items can easily get broken. I had a photo album in one case that came out dented! All I had with it were soft things so it must have been whacked against something hard. If you have bottles/glass items wrap them very carefully and if they are boxed make sure the box is marked fragile etc. You can protect small items like glass bottles containing make-up by wrapping them in plastic and then sticking them inside shoes for added protection. I stuck all my "bits" into my shoes ? make-up, jewellery, medicines.

Pack clothes in plastic, squeeze the air out and tie tightly and they?ll take up less space in your case.

Pack extra plastic packets/bags ? they can be used to hold dirty clothing, makeup that suddenly decides to leak/break etc. the zip-top bags are really useful too. I kept a small wet cloth in a zip top bag in my handbag to use as a hand-wiper/wash cloth. I also kept a small toothbrush in my handbag as it was easier than having to get my carry-on bag out of the locker in the mornings.

They tell you to carry your money/travel cheques etc in a bag on your body, but the ones they sell in the travel shops are stiff and scratchy so rather make your own. I put my cash into the cut-off toe of pantyhose/tights and pinned it inside my bra. It was far more comfortable than a wide belt digging into your middle and it didn?t even show up through my T shirt. Trick is to make sure you use good safety pins that won?t open up accidentally and skewer you! A male friend stuck his money in a sock and sewed it onto a loop of cord which he wore around his neck under his shirt. Try a few things out at home beforehand and see what feels comfy for you.

Pack an extra set of clothes in your carry-on luggage for emergencies. A man across the aisle from me managed to knock
a full beer over himself on one trip. He had to travel the whole way home sticky and smelling like a bar. Also, if the worst happens and they "lose" your luggage at least you have a change of clothes.

Pack a few Band-Aid plasters and pain killers. I got a whopping headache once on a trip and although I did finally find a shop that sold pain-killers at the airport they were three times as expensive as buying them elsewhere which hurt almost as bad as the headache.

If you are on any medication remember to pack it in your carry on luggage and it might be better to tell airports you have it on you than to have them want to check it out if they search and find it. One friend had problems with a foreign airport getting uptight over her asthma pump, so rather declare what you have on you and tell them too much than say nothing and have them think you?re smuggling something "weird" in.

Wear comfy clothes ? remember you will be sitting and sleeping in these clothes! Wear loose clothing and preferably elasticised waistlines. Long flights are an endurance even. Jewellery can get lost or damaged too. My one friend lost her favourite pendant on a long flight. She thinks the clasp must have snapped whilst she was sleeping and she never noticed until she was off the plane and it was too late. Don?t wear jewellery of value that could fall off or get entangled and break while you are sleeping.

Don?t forget comfy shoes! ? Some people find their feet swell during long flights. I've had this happen once. One poor woman woke up in the morning and couldn?t get her shoes on at all, so remember this and choose shoes such as lace-ups that can be adjusted. Loosen shoes when you go to sleep or even take them off. Some airlines give you little socks to wear at night, but it?s easy enough to have a pair of your own socks stuffed in a pocket of a bag or jacket for this purpose if you prefer.

Never be afraid to ask ? ask di
rections, ask advice, ask for better service. In the mad busy world of airports you only get help if you ask and keep asking. Some people are grumpy and unhelpful, but there?s always someone ready to help. On the whole other passengers are more helpful than airport staff. Airport staff are usually overworked and even the most friendly were never as helpful as fellow passengers. I had one sweet lady actually take me all the way to my booking in window simply because I asked the direction. Airports and long trips are lonely and it makes people quicker to be friendly, especially on foreign flights. Listen out for your language or an accent you recognise and I guarantee that in most cases these people will be friendly. There?s an instant bonding thing about finding someone from your country in a foreign land/airport.

Drink lots of liquids - Yes, this does mean more loo trips but that in itself forces you to walk and exercise your legs. Dehydration is one of the biggest causes of jet-lag symptoms and lack of water plus lack of exercise can cause deep vein thrombosis. Buy bottled water or take your own and sip regularly.

On the other hand don't drink too much alcohol ? Alcohol dehydrates you and can make you feel worse. I have a friend who swears that the only way he can get any sleep on a plane is by basically bombing himself with booze, but he's been the exception of everyone I've met so far. If they offer you free small bottles of wine, take them with you and enjoy them later.

Go for big breakfasts and light suppers ? smaller suppers help you rest easier during the night flights.

Most planes give you little sachets with scented moist clothes after each meal for cleaning your hands. Save them! These are fantastic for freshening up on long trips. After a hot 12 hour flight a wipe over with a nice cool scented cloth is WONDERFUL. Keep them in your handbag or wallet and you'll never regret it. I also kept them for my
holiday travel itself. I managed to step in dog pooh in a spot where I had nowhere to get cleaned up. Without my tissues and those sachets I?d have been walking about mucky and revolting until I got to the next water supply. In this case that was at the end of a 1 hour drive so you can imagine how grateful I was to have them!!

Exercise ? wiggle your toes, bend your knees and ankles. Stick your feet out under the seat in front of you and turn your feet in little circles. Get up and walk if/when you can, even stand a bit. I stood for quite a while on my last long flight. As long as you pick a spot out of the way of the cabin crew they don?t mind if you stand all night. If you get claustrophobic like I do a bit of a walkabout helps a lot.

Don't wait till late in the morning to go wash and brush your teeth - Get up early, even around 4:00 am. The plain truth is you are in an enclosed room with lots of people and maybe four teeny-weeny loos. By the end of a long flight morning that loo with have been used MANY times. If you?re the last the chances are good that the toilet paper and towels will all be used up and the sink etc pretty well "worn" and gross. It's worth getting up early to get a cleaner loo!

Write your plane flight numbers on your hand - That way you don?t have to keep taking your tickets out to check which flight you?re supposed to be catching next. You really don?t want to constantly be taking tickets out and risk losing them in some way.

In airports always be aware. Even in places with the best security there is always the possibility of theft. Rather keep your suitcases touching you and keep the handles attached to you if you can by putting your foot through straps of bags by your feet or put them on a seat next to you and put your arm through the straps. Keep alert and if you do feel tired rather pick a seat against a wall looking out at the room. That way no one can sneak up from behind and snatch
anything.

If you are travelling with someone you can take turns watching luggage whilst you use the toilets, but if you travel alone this can be tricky. Don?t leave cases unattended, even inside the toilets. Rather go into the disabled toilet as they?re big enough to take you and your cases and they?re ideal if you want to change clothes in private.

And most of all - have a great trip and have fun. :)

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