15 ideas to make travel easier
I’m working on a longer piece, but didn’t get it ready in time for this week. So in lieu of that, here are a few more travel thoughts.
Last week, an Aspirations of Excellence reader asked me to share a favorite travel hack. Naturally, after sharing 1, a bunch of other stuff came to mind.
So - if you are out and about this summer, here are a few things I’ve learned to make travel easier.
Keep a second set of toiletries fully stocked, at all times. You don’t want to be remembering if you have toothpaste in your bag.
Carry on only. Does this even need to be said? If you are out for longer than a week or have specialized gear, then maybe you should check. Otherwise, carry on and do some sink laundry if need be.
Always, always bring workout clothes. Health is super important on the road, make it a default to hit the gym each morning.
Same place, every place. When you get in your hotel room, keep your stuff in roughly the same spot every time. It makes it a lot easier to repack and ensure you haven’t left anything behind.
One time zone. As best you can, stay on your home time zone. It just makes the back and forth a lot easier.
Use a hanger to close the curtains. If you can’t get the blackout curtains to close all the way, grab one of the hangers with clips and use the clips to pin the curtains together.
Two drinks max. Whether on the plane or at dinner, over indulging makes for an uncomfortable next day, especially assuming you aren’t going to sleep as well as normal from being in a different place.
Noise canceling headphones and sunglasses. Whether AirPods Pro or something else, good headphones make a huge difference. Combine with sunglasses when you need to enter ‘nap mode’ on a flight.
Hotels points aren’t worth a darn. Airlines miles are worth pursuing, but hotel points are generally worth less (0.5c per point vs. an airlines at >1c). Choose the right hotel regardless of your brand loyalty IMO.
Multi-port USB-C charger. Get a charger that can handle multiple USB-C devices at the same time. It dramatically reduces the number of cords you need to carry.
Clear is amazing, when you really need it. Probably not worth the cost if you aren’t traveling a lot, but on peak travel days around holidays, spring break, etc - it’s worth it.
TSA shouldn’t be a surprise for you. Baring a random screening, you should approach TSA like the wind passing through a tree - quickly, quietly, without impact. For example, I have 1 belt that I know triggers certain airport scanners (but not my home) - so I preemptively remove the belt, rather than risking it, just to make the whole process easier.
Pick the same seat. Aim to sit in the same row, same seat every time if you can.
The Flighty app is great. - hat tip to ML for intro’ing me to it -
Reserve critical Ubers early. I’ve had good success pre-booking Ubers in the app. For critical times/places, it is easy and worth the incremental booking fee.
I’m sure there are others, but those are a few that came to mind. Safe travels this summer!