Long-haul travel… as much as we love it, we also really really hate it. So hopefully these tips can help you out as much as they’ve helped me!
? Invest in some noise cancelling headphones
Anything to drown out the sound of the roaring plane engines, or snoring travellers.
?Go for the silent carriages
Often train rides have these. Simply put it is a carriage (or carriages) that has rules saying to stay quiet, avoid phone-calls and loud conversations, and earphones kept to a minimum volume.
?Sleep when the lights are off OR get a sleeping mask
? Pre-order plane food or order the vegetarian meal
This way you will likely be served first.
? Pre-pick your seats
Sit somewhere you’d be comfortable, the last thing you’d want is to be stuck in a last minute seat in-between two strangers or next to the bathroom with endless foot traffic.
? Try not to let the little things bug you
From Singapore to Phuket I thought I had lucked out and had a whole empty row to myself. While on my laptop I had yet to take advantage of the seats except for placing my bags onto the chair beside me. Then a woman approached me
“Is anyone sitting here?”
“No”
“Do you mind if I sit here for a while?”
I said yes. I didn’t want to be rude – and I already had the extra seat that my bags where on. She said that she only wanted to stay for a while but she was there until we landed – I wondered why the crying baby in front of us didn’t deter her. It began to annoy me because I had to worry about waking her if I needed the bathroom and after a while she began to try and take over my extra seat. I really wondered what was so bad with her last seat that she would come and sit behind the sick, crying baby. It bugged me.
After a while I figured I shouldn’t let this little thing ruin my journey for me. I still had a partial half-seat and the window view.
Try not to let the little things bug you.
? Take good advice
? Consider survival gear
Neck-pillows, earplugs, eye masks, sleeping aid – the small things that your body will thank you for in the end.
? Think about travel sickness
As a child I was well known to get my share of car-sickness on long road trips. As I got older, this started to subside and now I rarely get travel sickness, though I don’t take the risk – for long trips I make sure I sort out any medication or remedies that will keep me from being sick along the way – the last thing I need is a day ruined from queasiness.
While in Phuket, another tour group had a guest feeling seasick and because they were on a larger boat, they asked my longtail boat driver to take them to shore – which I agreed to, I wasn’t going to be rude. This ended up ruining my snorkelling trip. Their English wasn’t good and they kept walking around the boat during the journey almost knocking me out of my seat – they then tried to hijack my tour guide to take them back to the mainland,
Don’t be that guy.
? Hydrate – airplanes are a low-humidity environment.
For similar reasons you should bring along things like moisturiser, chapstick, and eye drops as they can be a lifesaver in the dry cabin air.
? Prep your entertainment
Charge your devices, consider portable chargers, or figure out if your seat will have an outlet – some don’t!
? Get comfortable
Sure you looked cute waiting in the security line, but your not going to feel cute in all that nice clothing after wearing if for hours. Once the seatbelt sign is on, go to the bathroom and change into something comfortable like sweatpants – and consider bringing a scarf or something you can wrap around you if the air-conditioning is too much.
? Get out of your seat
Get your body pumping. Try take a break from your seat at least once an hour – I mean you can’t run laps around the aircraft but perhaps take a stroll towards the more open area by the bathroom and stretch your legs.
? Refresh
Pack a travel sized toothpaste and toothbrush
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