These 10 travel tips will help you stay comfortable on your next trip. My dad always said, “lessons are presented until they are learned”…..and I learned some good lessons on my recent travel to Los Angeles. Now I present 10 travel tips to you, so you don’t have to learn them yourselves! Actually, you’ll find boomer travel tips 6-10 on the next Maine Senior Guide blog, but here are the first five:
Travel has changed a lot in the last few years.
1. Airports are huge. Make sure you know what gate you’re going to, and if it seems far away, check for a shuttle. I walked around two concourses in Newark Airport last week before I discovered a shuttle that runs between the terminals at the gate entrances.
2. Wear slip-on shoes. Travelers are required to remove their shoes during the security check. I was amazed at how many people traveled in lace-up shoes that required a bench and a rest-stop to redress. This is one of the most frequently overlooked travel tips! Do pack some comfortable walking shoes, however, which will make exploring places like Huntington Gardens in Pasadena easier. (Orchids from the Garden conservatory.)
3. Remember the 3-1-1 rule. No more than 3 oz. containers of liquid, in a one quart zip-lock bag, one to a person. Baby formula and some medications can be exempted, but check with your airline BEFORE you show up. (This is for items in your carry-on. Checked bags can have full-size liquid containers.)
Travel Tips Include Pack Some Food
4. Pack some food. I didn’t get so much as a package of nuts on my trip. (When I made the same trip out west nine months ago, at least I got pretzels.) This was one of the travel tips I learned the hard way! You can buy various food items (credit cards only) and non-alcoholic drinks are free, but the lady next to me had a sandwhich and a salad from home. If you have the room and the time, you can bring non-liquid food, have something good to eat, and save a bundle.
5. Think twice about your carry on. Since they started charging for luggage, everyone on every flight has a gigantic carry-on plus a huge handbag. If you’re one of the last groups into the plane, it’s possible the overhead bins will be full, and you’ll be hefting your carry-on overhead several times, trying to find a place where it will fit in. You might consider the $25 bag check fee money well spent. And secondarily, make sure your luggage, carry-on or otherwise, has wheels. Borrow a wheeled bag if you don’t travel often. Believe me, the airports have gotten larger, gates are further apart, and flights are closer together. When you’re rushing from point to point, you simply must have wheels. You can’t count on getting a luggage cart. I have the last carry-on bag in America without wheels, and it’s being retired because of my experiences on this trip.