Tips for the First Time Traveler

This post is dedicated to my little sister, Stephanie, who is coming all the way to England to see me. It's her first time traveling alone and since I feel like I know a plane better than I know a car these days I thought I would write a post to help her getting ready and flying alone for the first time.

Packing

1.) Check the baggage requirements and allowances- Before you do anything, even book the tickets in my case, I check how much luggage the airline allows me for free or how much it would cost for extra. Most international flights allow a checked bag, a carry-on and a personal item (purse or laptop bag) so we'll work with this.

2.) Plan out your clothing- Check the weather, think about what you'll be doing, and plan outfits ahead of time. If you're only going for a week you want to think strategically about what you want to bring so you're not lugging around a bunch of unnecessary stuff. Always bring a few extra pieces though in case anything gets dirty or you just want to wear something different.

3.) Roll your clothes- My sister is actually much better at this than I am so I really don't have to tell her but if you roll your clothes instead of folding them you'll save a ton of room in your bag. You can also stack the rolls on top of one another doubling your space.

4.) Weigh your bags- There's a funny story to go along with this that involves me being sure that my bag was under the weight limit, letting my dad drop me off, and then having to call him 5 minutes later to come take stuff as I frantically rummaged through my bag trying to get rid of stuff but I won't go into details. The point is know how much the airline lets you take and don't go over it! If you do you'll be looking at a huge extra fee that's just not worth it. Weigh them at home so you know before you go if you need to get rid of stuff or not. Otherwise you'll have a lot of people laughing at you at the airport.

5.) Use your carry-on and personal item to your advantage- Coming abroad I knew I was looking at 5 months without going home to get things and I needed to use up all my space wisely. Enter in your carry-on and personal item. For a carry-on go with one as big as you can, usually a small rolling suitcase. I know businessmen who can fit a whole weeks worth of clothes into these (don't ask me how) but obviously that means you can fit a lot in them. Also, instead of a purse, I often bring a backpack or tote as my personal item and stuff my purse inside this way I can fit more things.

At the Airport

 

1.) Print out your itinerary- I would always recommend printing out your itinerary or at the very least having it saved to your phone so you can easily access it. This way you know where to go and you have your flight details in front of you in case you don't know where to go and need to ask for help.

2.) Use the Check-In Kiosks- Personally, I love using these little kiosks because there's hardly ever a line and if you're even a little tech savvy you should be able to use them. Some airlines, *hem United *hem, don't really make this any better because they still make you wait in line with everyone else to check your bags but most other airlines will have a quicker line to just drop off your bags if you already checked in yourself. Saves you tons of time and waiting!

3.) Security- People always say that going through security is so hard but it really isn't. Maybe for families with little kids or older people but if you're traveling alone and able it should be no big deal. Just follow the basic rules: no liquids above 3 oz and put all your liquids into a little ziplock back, take out all your electronics from bags and take off any shoes, jewelry and jackets before you go through the metal detector. And please don't be the person who argues about taking out your things or who tries to sneak through a drink. It just holds up the line for everyone.

4.) Wear appropriate clothing- This is a two-fold advice. First, wear clothing that is appropriate for both where you are coming from and where you are going. I've traveled from the Northeast in the winter to Florida so I know this can be difficult, but try to find something you can wear at both places without freezing or dying of a heat stroke. Next, wear clothing that is easy to get through security with. You're going to have to take off your shoes, belts, jackets, sweatshirts, etc. so make sure that they're easy to remove so you're not hopping around on one foot as you try to unlace your knee-high converse.

5.) Bring snacks and magazines with you- The only thing you should buy in the airport are any drinks you want to take on the plane and any hot food you may want to eat before you leave. Other than that, bring the snacks and any magazines or books with you otherwise you'll be paying a fortune on stuff you could get for half the price outside the airport.

Flying

 

This is probably the scariest part for someone who hasn't traveled by themselves before but it's really not that bad. Whenever I sit down on a plane I like to make sure I'm comfortable and ready to sit still for a while. I put my carry-on in the overhead bin and keep my personal item with me.  I then unload everything I'm going to need such as my book/magazine, headphones, water bottle and pillow. Anything I'm not using at the moment I put in the pocket on the chair in front of me and put my bag underneath the seat. Then just sit back and enjoy the ride. These days most planes have individual TV's, radio, and movies so there's plenty to keep you entertained. Or just put on an eye mask and take a nap and before you know it you'll be on the ground again.

I hope this helped my sister and any other first time travelers. If you have any other questions leave them in the comments below and I'll get back to you! Good luck!