* We’re sending lots of love to everyone in Boston — our cousins were at the marathon and are thankfully safe.
Until last year we wouldn’t have called ourselves frequent travelers. We used to fly only once every few years (our honeymoon to Alaska in 2007, then not again until a family trip to Hawaii in 2012). But a long book tour changed that: we took dozens of flights in a short span and learned a lot along the way. Below are practical tips we picked up about flying, packing, and staying in hotels that can make travel smoother and less stressful.
#1. If the airline gate-checks bags, board toward the end of boarding (even if you’re invited to board early). On smaller planes where suitcases and duffels are tagged at the gate and stored beneath the aircraft, the last bags on are often the first off. If you have a tight connection or simply don’t want to wait at the baggage carousel, avoid boarding first. Aim to board with middle zones so your bag isn’t buried at the bottom. Note: this works best when your only other carry-ons will fit under the seat in front of you, since overhead bins fill quickly.
#2. Call the hotel if you arrive before check-in time. Many flights arrive well before the typical 3 pm check-in. Instead of assuming you’ll have hours to kill, call the hotel ahead to request an early check-in. We often called once before boarding and again after landing. In most cases a room was ready at no extra charge. It’s not guaranteed, but a quick call can save you a long wait.
#3. Be friendly at the front desk. Hotel staff deal with a lot of stressed or rude guests. Being courteous, smiling, and polite can go a long way — we’ve even received spontaneous room upgrades simply by being kind and appreciative.
#4. If you can’t reserve seats together, choose seats that make switching easier. When seats aren’t available together, consider booking an aisle seat and a window seat that are one row apart. Once on board, politely ask the other passenger to swap to the adjacent row before they get settled. It doesn’t always work, but people are often willing to move when asked politely.
#5. Pack light and carry on whenever possible. During our tour we avoided checked baggage and never lost a bag. Travel light by choosing versatile clothing pieces that mix and match — a few pairs of jeans, interchangeable tops, one extra pair of shoes, and the essentials. For longer family trips we add one small rolling suitcase for a child’s clothes and comfort items, but we still keep the number of checked bags to a minimum so we can rely on carry-on convenience.
#6. Keep your toiletries in an easy-to-reach clear plastic bag. Security lines are stricter than ever about liquids. Storing your contact solution, travel shampoo, and other small bottles in a clear bag in a backpack front pocket will save time and avoid frantic digging during security checks. And yes — fancy sodas rarely make it through security.
#7. Create a one-page travel document as your quick-reference itinerary. Compile flight times, confirmation numbers, hotel addresses, and reservation numbers on a single printed or digital page. It’s handy to have during travel and simple to share with a family member in case of emergency.
#8. Do a night-before check on flights and confirm hotel reservations. Check your flight status the evening before and consider printing boarding passes at home to save time. Also confirm your hotel reservation — we once arrived to discover our room had been reserved for the following night and had to wait while it was fixed. A little double-checking prevents that kind of stress.
#9. Everything takes longer than you think—build in extra time. Allow plenty of buffer time for deplaning, taxis or rideshares, hotel check-in, and dining. Early on we underestimated how long transitions would take and ended up exhausted and behind schedule. Planning for “fuzzy” time makes each day more manageable and reduces stress.
#10. Bring a little entertainment to make hotel stays feel more comfortable. After many nights away, hotel TVs and programming can feel limiting. Streaming services on a laptop or tablet make it easy to watch familiar shows and unwind in the evenings. A small comfort like that can make an unfamiliar room feel more like home.
Travel becomes easier the more you practice these small habits: packing smart, preparing ahead, and treating people with kindness. If you have other tips—especially for long tours or traveling with kids—we’d love to hear them. Travel brain is real, and sharing ideas helps everyone have smoother trips.
Psst — if you’re traveling with a toddler, there are additional tips that can help make that journey easier.