Good Morning Loves xoxo
Holidays should be stress free and relaxing, the last thing you need is to start off your vacation with stress and worry. Here are a few of the travel tips that I have learned (the hard way).
As some of you might know I'm traveling to Las Vegas in 5 weeks (yay). When I started traveling I used to ridiculously over pack and this would lead to overweight charges at the airport, lugging around extremely heavy bags and not leaving very much space for anything that I purchased when I was away. In the past 10 years I have learned a few tricks to make traveling easier and less stressful.
Tip Number One - Don't Over pack (duh)
I'm not going to lie... this used to be me. I would pack EVERYTHING and hope for the best. I would pack loads of options for outfits without actually thinking about what I needed or what would go together. I would pack loads of shoes (just in case) and I would bring pretty much every cosmetic and makeup item I owned. One year we went away and my makeup alone was 5.5lbs.... That's just ridiculous. It's so embarrassing when you arrive to the airport with an overweight bag and you have to open it at check in and transfer stuff over to a different bag.... Not an ideal way to start your holiday.
Plan your outfits. Pack whole outfits including jewellery and shoes to match. Choose 2-3 pairs of shoes that will match most outfits and choose jewellery that, if needed, will take you from day to night. I usually pack 3-4 necklaces, a few rings some bangles and a nice watch. As for shoes I pack 2-3 flats and one pair of heels for a nice dinner and a few drinks or a show.
Tip Number 2 - Roll Your Clothes
Rolling your clothes has 2 advantages. First and foremost you will save loads of space when you roll your clothes. Roll everything neatly into little sausages and place them in your case. If you are packing bulkier items like jeans or sweaters roll them and place them around the perimeter of your case and fill in the middle with smaller, thinner items. The second advantage to rolling your clothes is that they wont crease as much as folding them, a bonus if like me you hate ironing with a passion and would rather throw a top in the bin and buy a new one rather than iron it.
Tip Number 3 - Get to the airport EARLY
It is recommended that for international flights you arrive to the airport 3 hours before your flight is due to depart, 2 hours if you are flying within Europe. We usually fly to the USA so we always, no matter what time our flight is, arrive to the airport 3 hours beforehand. There's nothing worse than arriving to an airport with an hour to spare and having to panic and run through security. We usually arrive. check our bags, go straight through security (you never know how long this is going to take) and find somewhere to have breakfast and and a coffee before our flight. This gives you time to take it easy and board your plane stress free and relaxed.
Tip Number 4 - Wear Something Comfortable and Layer up
Wear layers..... I cant stress this enough. If like me you live in a cold country (Ireland is usually always cold) you will need to bundle up for your trip to the airport especially if its early in the morning. I usually wear jeggings or leggings with a long top, a light jacket, a cozy scarf and shoes that are easy to get on and off. Security can sometimes be tedious but if you are prepared you will breeze right through. Don't wear piles of jewellery as this can take ages to take off and put back on. Wear shoes that will slip on and off easily without having to tie loads of laces or buckle straps. Try to avoid clothes with loads of metal or zips as this will set off the metal detectors and will slow you down if you are in a hurry. Wear a big scarf as this will double up as a comfy warm blanket on the plane or you can also ball it up and use it as a pillow. Try to avoid wearing a maxi dress, if you do set off the metal detector and you need to be patted down by a security officer it can be a bit uncomfortable having someone scoot up your skirt in front of everyone....
Tip Number 5 - Prepare your Liquids and Gels Before you get to the Airport
There is nothing worse than standing behind someone in the security line while they scramble to take all the gels and liquids out of their bags and delay everyone else... Don't be that person. Have everything ready to go before you arrive at the airport and you will breeze through security stress free. All liquids can be 100ml and under and must fit in a see through bag measuring approximately 20cm x 20cm. I usually carry some makeup items in my hand luggage so I can freshen up before we land. Traveling to the USA from Ireland can take quite some time especially if you have a connecting flight. You can expect to be traveling anywhere from 11 to 20+ hours depending on where you are going so a little bag with some face wipes, moisturiser and some make up will be a god send to help make you look more awake and presentable when you arrive at you destination.
Tip Number 6 - Invest In A Good Travel Wallet
I highly recommend investing in a travel wallet. I have one that I got as a gift from +M&S and it has been a lifesaver every time I travel. You can keep your passports, money, cards, a pen, travel documents, boarding passes etc all together without having to dig through your bag for everything at check in. You can find travel wallets everywhere from +eBay to +Amazon.com but I have been looking at some from a website called Lorton and Horn (pictured above) that I am considering treating myself to for my upcoming trip, I'll leave the link to the site here so you can have a look https://www.lortonandhorn.co.uk/.
Tip Number 7 - Print Off All Of Your Paperwork
I know a lot of people will use their phones to access boarding passes and travel documents but call me old fashioned when it comes to travel. I will print off everything from our ESTA'S to our car hire documents to our booking references. If you have all of your paperwork on hand there can be no delays or worries. Imagine having all of your documents on your phone and upon arriving at the airport you get out of the car and drop your phone, it smashes and then what are you left with? No paperwork for your flight and a smashed phone you cant turn on? No thank you, I'd rather have all my paperwork printed off, on hand and easily accessible whenever I need it.
Tip Number 8 - Bring a Big (not enormous) Carry on Bag
For long haul flights I usually take a slightly bigger bag (check with your airline for bag measurements). I like to pack a few things for my journey but I might do a separate blog post about what I pack in my carry on. Regardless of what bag I bring I will always pack a change of clothes and some underwear just in case.
Tip Number 9 - Pack All of Your Expensive Electrical Items In Your Carry On
This one is a no brainer.... Pack your laptop, kindle, camera, PSP and any other expensive, breakable items in your carry on. Do not leave anything to chance as your checked luggage will be tossed about and handled quite roughly so anything that is dear to your heart or costs the same as a newborn baby, pack it in your carry on for safe keeping.
Tip Number 10 - Relax
I am a nervous flier, it's no secret that I don't really like flying but if I let my fear get in the way of my plans to see the world I would never go anywhere. If you are an anxious person or really just don't like flying try your best the day before you fly to relax. Get a manicure, have a massage, go out for a nice dinner or if you have an early flight have a glass of wine and get an early night. There's no point stressing, if you are prepared and have everything ready to go there's no need to worry.
Remember, preparation is key. If you have everything prepared and ready to go a few weeks before you travel you have nothing to worry about when you do get to the airport. Vacations are about relaxing and having a good time, we don't spend a small fortune on our Holidays just to be a ball of nerves leading up to it.
On a different note before I end this post.....Happy St. Patrick's day to all of my Irish loves xx
Love
Kim xoxo
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