My Current Travel Habits

Some routines, like travel routines, are circumstantial. They’re a series of roughly habits and guidelines I follow when the situation arises.

The utility of having a series of travel habits or rules of thumb means that it reduces decision fatigue – which leaves more energy to focus on the fun stuff. (For me, that’s looking up restaurants, mapping out the best ways to get from point A to point B, and planning what books to bring.)

Today I’m sharing some of my travel habits depending on mode of travel. I’d love to hear about any travel routines you have (especially for longer flights!).

Air travel habits

• Unless wildly more expensive or wildly more inconvenient (somewhat subjective and dependent on what’s typical for the flight I’m booking), I always fly Delta.
• I always book an aisle seat. I hate feeling trapped!
• I never buy in-flight WiFi. This is exclusively time to read, or watch a movie over a neighbor’s shoulder without any audio 😂
• If I’m flying out of an airport with a lounge that I have access to, I always get to the airport as early as possible.
• If I’m flying out of an airport that does not have a lounge that I have access to, I always get to the airport as close to departure time as possible.

Road trip travel habits

I have to admit that my habits around road trips are a little looser, mostly because having a lot more space means I don’t have to be too selective about packing.

A few things I’ve started doing:

• Fill up the gas tank the night before I plan to leave.
• Pre-pack car snacks and a few plastic trash bags to keep the car tidy.
• Pre-fill waters for the car.
• Keep a series of plastic bins with lids for stacking/organizing the car.
• Pre-planning stops where possible. With a baby in tow, we need to be a little more strategic about finding safe, spacious stops for changing and feeding the little one and giving our dog space for stretching his paws. I like to create a custom Apple Map for common routes so I can set up the destinations in advance.

Upon arrival

If I’m staying in a hotel or an Airbnb and I plan to be there for 2+ days, I like to get fully unpacked and put away my suitcase. I especially do this for toiletries, because undoubtedly I’m tired at the end of the first day!