Holidays: How to breeze through the airport
Since the Easter holidays have arrived in Denmark, the UK and much of Europe, the time has come to relax, put your feet up, or vacate the country for a while: which is why I thought a travel-related post would be of great use to anyone going far (or not so far) afield. No matter what, flying is one of those experiences that never seems to get old. Although however exciting travelling may be, organising all your things into essentials for the trip and little extras that you miigghhtt perhaps need, is definitely tricky. I've put together a few of the things I do when going on holiday or back to England on a visit that always help make the journey that little bit better, for wherever you are off to this Easter.
(No worrying, buckets of time to plan the wonders of a beach holiday in the sun, or which day to meet your nearest and dearest for brunch back home - assured!)
Breeze through the airport and...
1. Jot your most important belongings you're taking down.
On your phone, a notepad, whatever: you can eliminate that feeling of having forgotten something on the return trip home through this simple, 30-second trick. I find writing down the whole contents of my suitcase too hard to keep track of, since I change my mind a lot about what to bring - so I just stick to this, having left my charger at home in England a few too many times...
Do this the night before you leave too. Things like your toothbrush and pyjamas you can only pack the day of the flight, so to make sure you remember to put these in the suitcase when you wake up, note them down so you can simply check!
2. Check luggage/airline conditions
Taking the time to read over the weight limit on your case could save you an extra £50 fine, used on just 1kg more luggage! Airlines are super picky about these sorts of things, and DO check - so take no chances and weigh your suitcase beforehand. Make sure that you have no more suitcases than allowed, so there are no unwelcome surprises to greet you at the gate.
Check the liquid guidelines too, and remember to put them all in resealable clear bags that fit the right measurements. Don't worry if you realise you have a really important cream or cleanser you want to take with you that's over 100ml, as you can recycle any small old tubs you might have and pour the right amount in.
(This really saved me on my last trip to England, as I had some super important skin products that were over 100ml that I desperately needed with me! Problem solved)
3. Only pack what you really, really need
Laptops (rather heavy) four different books to keep you going (bulky!) and shoes for all weathers... Can you live without them? Yes, you can!
This is the question you might benefit from asking yourself, much more than once whilst packing. For a short trip I would recommend taking no more than two pairs of shoes, some strong sturdy trainers and depending on the season, a light pair of flipflops or your favourite sandals too.
Unless you know for certain that everyday toiletries aren't available on the other end, don't bother taking shampoo, suncream, and towels from home - just think of all the space you're saving for all the souvenirs, clothes, or ornamets you might purchase from the vibrant, culture-bursting market streets your destination tempts you with! Always leave a little room in your case for bringing back holiday buys.
Some of you might prefer to pack far in advance, but what works for me is laying out organised piles of clothes and what I'm planning on packing on a chest of drawers and adding to it as the week goes by, instead of putting it directly into my suitcase. This way, if you need something you're taking, it's right there and requires no rummaging!
(Tip: to avoid your clothes creasing and consuming space, a great trick is to roll and wrap your clothes around eachother as you would a towel)
4. Leave with plenty of time to spare
There's nothing worse than rushing to catch your flight - most of us have been there, I know I have!
It's much better to get up earlier and have time to kill browsing through the airport shops or catching a breakfast at one of their restaurants - I would recommend getting to the airport minimum 2.5 hours before your flight is scheduled to leave. The gate opens about half an hour before take off, so in reality you're giving yourself a 2 hour gap to pass security and baggage drop. If you know you're going to be hitting the motorway at rush hour, outsmart traffic-jams and leave an extra 30 minutes beforehand.
Remember:
Wearing jewellery or buckled shoes might get you checked at security, and you're often asked to remove lace up boots and belts when passing through: sticking to trainers and minimal jewellery can prevent delays here.
Plug sockets vary from country to country - the UK uses a different one from Europe so to be sure you can charge phones, ipads, and laptops, buy an adapter if needed.
When making plans, remember to consider time differences.
Exchanging currency at an airport often means you will get less back than you should: instead go to a local bank for a much better rate.
Many airlines let you take a medium sized bag (rucksack, or handbag etc) with you on the plane. I always pack my essentials in this for the flight, like boarding passes, passports, phone, earphones, books and so on, so you're not spending ages looking through your suitcase.
Sometimes, things are just bound to go wrong! In this case, don't stress too much and know that this happens to everyone at times - the main point is that you get there safe and well.
What works for you?
When going to England, my sister and I always love stopping off at Pret-A-Manger in the airport lounge for breakfast before the early flight, and find this puts a relaxing break into the stop, start and Go! morning. Find what you enjoy amongst all the bustle, and try to fit it in! We always want to be prepared for the worst on the other side when packing up our belongings and taking to the airport, and I hope these must-do's and tips I use make all your journeys from A to B a whole lot less stressful, and much more enjoyable.
Happy Easter!