Traveling the world is one of the greatest luxuries of life, but we all know that the time spent journeying between destinations can be somewhat tedious.
The hours that flew by whilst you were discovering new locations become never-ending. You sit staring out of the plane window at the cloud-covered land below longing for your feet to touch the ground once again.
Despite your previous experiences, long journeys don’t have to be painful. The most important thing to do to make long-haul travel bearable is to plan in advance. Follow these five tips to help you survive:
Here are five tips to help you survive long travel journeys:
1. Prepare a noise-canceling headphone
No-one wants to listen to a crying baby, moaning teenager or the wailing person who’s afraid of flying. A good book can make time fly by but, to avoid distractions, you’ll need to bring along some earplugs. Alternatively, invest in some decent noise-canceling headphones. Shut off from the outside world as you watch your favorite blockbuster movies – you can get through several on a long-haul flight! Downloading a season of your favorite TV show before you travel will provide another great way to kill a few hours. Alternatively, close your eyes, lie back and relax as you listen to a podcast or audiobook.
Read more: From Travel Experts: 5 Things We Can’t Travel Without
Photo by Malte Wingen on Unsplash
2. Look after your body
You might not be active during your journey but your body still requires adequate nutrition. Airport and service station refreshments are notoriously expensive with inflated prices, so eat a good meal before you travel and pack some light and healthy snacks. Filling your body with sugary foods will ultimately leave you feeling lethargic.
You’ll need to stay hydrated, particularly if you’re traveling in a stuffy vehicle, so drink plenty of water and ensure you have enough to last through your journey. It’s a good idea to have headache pills with you and if you’re flying you may also want sleeping tablets.
Read more: 12 Ways to Survive Long-Haul Flights
3. Plan your outfit
This isn’t about airport chic, it’s about being comfortable! There’s nothing worse than sitting for hours on end in an itchy jumper or with a waistband that’s digging in. The best options are loose items of clothing made from breathable fabrics. It’s also important to wear layers, as temperatures can vary greatly with air conditioning.
Even if you’re traveling to the Caribbean, dressing for the weather may mean that you’re shivering on the plane. You can always layer joggers and a cozy sweater over your shorts and t-shirt, then pop them in your carry-on bag before stepping out into the heat.
Read more: Tips For Staying Stylish While Traveling
4. Take toiletries
If you’ve been traveling for several hours, you’re probably going to want to freshen up before you arrive at your destination. Wet wipes, deodorant, a toothbrush, and toothpaste are all advisable to include. You may also want to pack make-up – redoing it is another great way to pass time.
Read more: 10 Tips for Roadtripping with Children
5. Keep the children occupied
If you’ve got kids, you’ll already know that keeping them quiet for hours on end is no easy task. Make sure that they have plenty to do. Colouring books provide a great alternative to an entire journey spent on the iPad. Traditional travel games, such as the license plate game, and travel-sized board games such as Scrabble are also helpful sources of entertainment. Every little thing helps!
Read more: Tips for Traveling with an Infant Alone
How do you make long travel journeys bearable?
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Really good tips! I always take a few things to keep me entertained and feeling fresh.
These points are bang on-I liketo be comfy while traveling. So wearing something easy is important to me !
I don’t really fly that often, but when I do I will For sure use your great tips.
These are some great tips for long trips. Thank you for sharing.
We travel to India often with kids and its more than a 24 hr journey door to door. I can vouch for each and every one of these!
I definitely saved this link. I haven’t did much traveling, but when I do I will know what to do. Thanks for sharing!
I totally agree with all these. I also follow these tips whenever I am travelling for long haul even short ones too.
For me, being comfortable is more important than being stylish. When I go on a long trip, I just settle with sweats and a t-shirt.
These are all important things for anyone to know before going on a long flight or just journey in general!
I usually keep books and download movies offline. It helps me to spend time without getting bored. These are great tips!
As a mother of two kids, I fully subscribe to these tips. I always carry a travel pack of Draughts and Dominoes to play on the plane.
May I add, bring a book or a crossword puzzle. 🙂
I am probably one of the few people who prefer having stopovers over having straight flights when it’s long-haul. I can’t stand to be in the plane for more than 5 hours at most. I have been through longer flights in the past, and the tips you share here are very useful. I especially like to keep toileteries with me at all time to stay fresh 🙂
On long flights, I like to try to exercise as much as I can in my seat. Not always the easiest thing to do, but you have to be open-minded and a little bit creative. Everything from legs to utilizing the armrests for dips (as long as I am not in the middle and know the person to the left or right of me ?. Noise canceling headphones as suggested are an absolute must! That droning engine sound has to go!!! ?
We are in Hawaii and tip 1 and 5 got us through the flight with little to no pain. Thanks!
Great ideas!!! I listen to podcasts to keep me going haha
Great list of tips! I agree staying comfortable on a long flight is important.
I definitely agree with this list. I’ve only been on a plane one time (well, twice if you consider it was a round trip), and I saw a woman wearing little kitten heels as she was boarding the plane. She seemed really uncomfortable on that 7+ hour flight, so shoes are important too! Bring some comfy shoes and just change into the heels when you land!
I always bring stuff for children to keep occupied. I also bring chewing gum to avoid ear ache.
Layers are everything! I’ve died a few small deaths without it – never again!
Your topics and in-depth details are always thoughtful and informative, and I love all the travel details you provided.
Really good tips! I always take a few things to keep me entertained and feeling fresh.