9: Tips for Long Hauls so You Won't Hit the Wall
IN THIS EPISODE…
Carson and Nicole give you all the tools you need to survive 12-hour plane rides, overnight trains and ferries, whole days in the car, lengthy layovers, and jet lag.
SHOW NOTES:
Here are the websites and articles mentioned in this week’s episode:
Travel + Leisure: 33 Helpful Tips for Long Flights
TAKEAWAYS:
Plan ahead and be aware of your surroundings. You can eliminate a lot of potential mishaps!
Bring plenty to do—long transit times are an excuse to do things you normally wouldn’t, like play video games!
Keep anything you would want to have if your luggage got lost—valuables, change of clothes, swimsuit—in your carry-on and personal item.
Have a small bag with essentials that you can use to freshen up during your ride. A quick visit to the restroom to brush your teeth, wipe down with a baby wipe, and touch up your deodorant can make you feel a lot better.
Be considerate of other travelers. Transportation can be cramped and uncomfortable, so be polite to others and follow basic etiquette to make everyone’s ride more enjoyable.
Whatever you do, remain calm! Panicking won’t get you anywhere, and often you don’t have much control over delays and missed connections, so there’s no point in worrying about it. There is always a way to get where you’re going, and you will get there in the end, even if it turns out to be a longer or more difficult journey than you expected.
If you have many connections, we recommend spreading them out over a few days. It’s much less stressful to just complete one leg of the journey at a time, and then reward yourself with a quiet room, comfortable bed, and hot meal. Plus, you can use it as an opportunity to see more places!
Make sure to stand up and move about whenever you can, eat healthy and filling food, and stay hydrated. Layovers are a great opportunity to do all of these things and start the next leg of your journey refreshed.
You can ease jet lag by shifting your sleep schedule by a couple hours ahead of time, and thinking in terms of the time at your destination as soon as you get on the plane—if it’s daylight where you're going, don’t let yourself sleep, but if it’s nighttime, make sure you shut your eyes and rest even if you don’t manage to fall asleep.