Flying is one of my favorite parts of traveling. I could do without some of the hassles of it, of course, but when it comes down to it I have always loved being on a plane. Watching familiar ground disappear below me knowing that when I land I’ll be somewhere new and exciting has always been a highlight of any trip!
I fly a lot but usually not for longer that 2-3 hours, and up until leaving for Bali the longest flight I had ever been on was only 7 hours long. In weeks leading up to my trip I had a lot of anxiety over how to survive a long flight. 15 hours sounded impossibly long and I was super nervous that I was going to go a little bit stir crazy. Shockingly, when the time came it actually wasn’t bad. In fact I kind of enjoyed it.
Here are my best tips for how to survive a long flight!
1. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate // in the days leading up to the flight it’s so important to drink as much water as you can! It will help with jet lag and plus you’ll avoid feeling gross at 36,000 feet for however many hours you’re stuck up there!
2. Bring a book // in case you can’t sleep and finish all the movies on the plane, a book will help you to relax and take your mind off the flight so hopefully you’ll be able to sleep a little bit better.
3. Bring some snacks // longer flights have meal services (they aren’t great but they’re edible) but the snacks are usually just peanuts or something small. It’s nice to have a granola bar or some trail mix in case you get hungry while you’re flying.
4. Get up and move around every 2 hours or so // I don’t really know what I was thinking but I made the mistake of not getting up until 9 or 10 hours into my flight and a week later my knee is still bothering me. It’s so important to get your blood circulation going: a quick walk to the bathroom will help stretch your legs and get your blood moving. You can also look at some little exercises and yoga moves you can do on the plane like these!
5. Noise canceling headphones are amazing if you can get your hands on a pair // they will help you fall asleep and stay asleep. If you don’t have a pair and don’t want to invest, ear plugs are a great alternative!
6. Don’t forget pillow/eye mask/blanket // I am not a fan of the pillow and blankets provided to you by the airport, so I like to bring my neck pillow and travel blanket to help me get comfy on the plane. An eye mask is provided by a lot of airlines but it’s great to have one in your bag in case.
7. Drink the free wine // I mean it’s free wine. Do I really need to encourage you to drink it? Just in case I do…. take advantage of free wine to help you relax and dose off a little bit.
8. If you’re traveling with a friend, pack a deck of cards // If all else fails, having a deck of cards will help keep you entertained!
9. Bring a journal // Document your flight, what you plan to do, what you want to get out of your trip. Then on the way home you can write everything down. It will be a great way for you to remember your amazing trip!
10. Don’t stress // When it comes down to it, there’s nothing you can do. Unless you’re going to take a boat, long flights are a necessary evil sometimes when you’re traveling abroad. And it will all be worth it in the end when you land wherever you are headed and start your adventure!
I’d love to hear some of your tips for how to survive a long flight?
