HERE IS A VIDEO ON MY TOP 10 TRAVEL TIPS & HOW TO AVOID JET LAG!
In all the years of traveling back and forth between one side of the world and the other, I have had to figure out the best ways of getting over jet lag, and traveling as efficiently as I possibly could. I wanted to share some of the top tips I’ve learned along the way that work for me and others, so that you too can make travel an experience that is much easier, comfortable, and exhaustion-free. Enjoy and feel free to comment on the blog with additional tips that you think are important, what works for you, or anything that I may have left out!
TOP 10 TRAVEL TIPS & OVERCOMING JET LAG:
TIP #1: Eat, Drink, Sleep
Flying and traveling zaps a ton of energy from you, and requires a lot of fuel to keep you going, so make sure you are eating a lot during your trip. Snack in the airport, eat the meals on the plane, bring some addition neutron bars, and maybe a piece of fruit. Ideally eat as nutrious as you can to keep your energy level high. Also, apples are one of the best fruits to deliver water content as well as digestion comfort. Ginger Ale is also great on the plane. I know the free wine and beer on international flights can be very appealing, but honestly avoid it at all costs. It will do nothing but dehydrate you, lower your immune system, and make you even more tired. However, water, that is something you should be downing like you are trying to fill a small pool. Average humidity level on a plane is less than 10% which means you ideally should be drinking double your normal water volume in a single international flight. That works out to be about a liter (Large Smart Water Bottle Size) every 2-3 hours, or about 16 oz (regular size Aquafina bottle) every single hour. It sounds like a ton of water, and it is, but it is the most import thing you can do to avoid jet lag, decreased immune system, or discomfort in legs, body, and stomach. Actually of anything in this entire blog, the water recommendation is by far the most important. Finally, if you can, try you best to sleep on the plane. Forget you home timezone and instead get on the time zone of your arrival destination the moment you board the plane. Might consider bringing a sleep mask and some noise canceling headphones too if that helps you sleep. Do whatever you can, and sweet dreams.
TIP #2: Inflatable Travel Pillows
Whether flying, on a bus, or on a train, travel pillows for you neck and even your back can take your uncomfortable seat and turn it into a wonderful place to be. It will help support your spine, decrease pain and discomfort, and most import it will help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. All of these are important on a long travel across the globe, to insure you are both comfortable and well rested. Memory foam is great, but inflatable allows you to customize the size to your liking and usually compacts to a smaller size when it is time to put in the luggage when not using. Check out my blog about How to Pack for more details and product links.
TIP #3: Wear Comfortable and Flexible Clothes
You want to be very comfortable on the plane, and your clothes can make all the difference. Wear flexible pants, loose tops, and a soft jacket or hoodie. It is always freezing on the plane, so stay warm and save luggage space by wearing your jacket on the plane.
TIP #4: Track Your Flight on Your Phone
This tip probably won’t help with jet-lag, but it might help it jet-catching. Sometimes flights get changed last minute to a different gate, or even a different terminal, and you will want to get that update ASAP. So find an app for your phone that you can track your flights, gate info, delay updates, etc. instead of relying on the hard to read boards at the airport, which often are not updated as quickly as the apps are on the phone. I us an app called “App In The Air” and highly recommend getting this one!
TIP #5: Ask for an Upgrade Just Before you Fly
It is often the Airlines’ last opportunity to sell their first class and business class tickets, so if you ask just before a flight if there is anything available, you may luck out and get an upgrade for a pretty affordable price.
TIP #6: Keep your Chargers Accessible
The last thing you want to do is run out of juice… and I don’t mean Orange. As you travel, your devices will use a lot of power and you will want to make sure they are kept fully charged as often as you can. Most airports and planes offer usb ports or even universal outlets so you can plug in your devices and bring them back to 100%, so just make sure you can easily find and get to those chargers in your bag when you need them. I put mine in a small bag next to my liquid bag, right at the top of my luggage, so I can easily access both at the airport and flights as both are needed quickly and accessibly.
TIP #7: Use the Bathroom when No One Else Is
Of course everyone has “gotta go” when they “gotta go” and a little difficult to give any kind of advise around this topic. But if I were to attempt to say anything about this business is try to go when you know others probably are not. A lot of people try to go before boarding the plane, which means that the first 30 minutes or so you will almost have the whole place to yourself with a free skip the line pass. Next is to go before the meals are served, otherwise you are in for a long line of, well, you know what everyone is in line for. And last, just after the stewards come through to collect trash. It is usually the time they are about to dim the lights for sleeping, which means soon everyone will be trying to figure out the new inflatable pillows they just bought, and not focused on other things.
TIP #8: Move, Stretch, Run, Do Something!
At least every 2 hours get up and stretch, get the blood flowing, get the muscles moving, and insure you don’t get too used to the seat. Your ankles will swell up if you don’t move around (and drink water) and that can cause a lot of issues during your travels. So make sure to do a little yoga, or what ever you choose to entertain the surrounding passengers with. I like jumping jacks and 1000 (milli)meter sprints, however the pilot and flight crew are not as excited about these as one might hope.
TIP #9: Switch your Clock to Destination Timezone
Why start getting used to the time in Italy only when you have arrived? It will take you so much longer. Instead, start switching the moment you arrive in the departure airport, and start eating, sleeping, and thinking in that time zone. It will speed up the process of converting to a new time zone 10x easier, as you are getting a head start on it while still energized instead of hoping to switch upon arrival and completely exhausted. That also means, if you arrive in Europe anytime during the day when the sun is still up, then go outside, walk around, and stay awake. No NOT get to the hotel, see the beautiful bed and confuse it for a renaissance piece of art and wish to become one with it. Leave it alone, stay awake, go outside and see real art… it will work, trust me.
TIP #10: Get TSA preCheck or Global Access
Again, these won’t help with jet-lag but will make your travel experience that much easier, faster, and more comfortable. If you want to get either, you should plan to do so at least 6-9 months before your next trip as wait time to apply can be quite long depending on your area and conditions. Besides you will feel like James Bond, getting to go in the “special line” and not having to take your shoes off through security. It is the little things that make big differences. Enjoy your travels, and hope all this information was helpful to you.
