Traveling to a domestic destination and traveling to an international destination are two different types of travel. When traveling domestically you might not have to pack as much and if you forgot something you can easily go get it at a store close by. When you travel internationally you might be bringing more than you usually do and your flight is going to be pretty long. So here are 10 tips for making your international trip easier!
1. Bring a carry-on that's a good size.
Sometimes it's hard to find a good carry on, but what I figured out is my backpack has been the best carry-on. There's plenty of pockets to put things in, it's easy to carry and it fits under the airplane seat.
2. Make sure your suitcase doesn't go over the weight limit.
If you're traveling for a while it can be hard to decide what clothes/shoes you want to bring with you, but you also have to remember the weight limit is 50 pounds. Try to check when you're still at home to get an estimate of how much your suitcase weighs. If it's close to the limit you can always put some things in your carry-on or if you're traveling with someone you can put some small items in their bag.
3. Have a sweater or jacket in your carry-on.
Even if you might be traveling in the summer it's better to have some type of jacket just in case it gets cold on the plane, make sure it's in your carry-on so you can grab it easily.
4. Bring an extra pair of clothes in your carry-on.
You never know when you might make it to your destination, but your suitcase doesn't. My family and I have all experienced this and we were all lucky we had an extra pair of clothing in our carry-ons. One time we didn't get our luggage till two days after we were already where we were supposed to be. Also, make sure you bring clothes you'll actually want to wear and that are comfortable because you never know how long you'll have to wear them for.
5. Have you Passport in an easy place to access.
You're going to be needing your passport a couple times throughout the airport, so make sure you aren't the one holding up the line and have it in an easy, but safe spot to get too.
6. Have all your music downloaded on your phone.
If you're traveling internationally most likely you'll turn your data off so you don't get charged by your phone company. If that's the case you need to make sure all the music you want to listen to on the flight is downloaded to your phone, otherwise you'll have to wait for Wifi to download it all.
7. Bring a book or watch movies on the plane.
An eight or more hour flight can feel like a lifetime if you just sit there and stare at nothing, so make sure you have something to entertain yourself with during the flight. Usually, I'll bring a book to read, listen to music and watch one or two movies on the plane, it helps the flight go by faster.
8. Try to sleep on the plane.
Whatever international place you're flying too a lot of the times you'll get there when it's the morning and since you're still on your time zone, you're going to feel exhausted. I know sleeping on a plane isn't the comfiest circumstance, but even if you get a couple hours of sleep it's going to make a difference when you finally get to your destination.
9. Try to fight the jet lag.
You're going to get to your destination and the first thing you're going to want to do is take a good long nap. However, that's the worst thing you can do to yourself. I know your hotel bed looks really comfy to jump into and take a long nap after a long flight, but if you do that you'll never adjust to the time zone you're actually in. Try to go out and explore to get your mind off sleeping and don't try to go to bed till 9:30 p.m. or so.
10. Bring comfotable shoes to walk in.
Good chance you'll be doing a lot of walking around when you're traveling, so make sure the shoes you are wearing feel like you're walking on clouds. They can still be cute and comfortable, I've found plenty of cute comfy sandals to walk around in.
