Traveling International Tips and Tricks

As a first time international traveler, I had a lot to learn before hopping on my flight to Europe. I'm used to 2-4 hour flights, not 10 hour ones. Luckily, on my flight to London we took the red eye and I was able to get 4 hours of sleep since the plane was dark and quiet. But, even if you have a flight during the middle of the day, I am here to offer you some tips and tricks I learned from my recent trip abroad!

International Travel Tips

Try to Connect Flights in the U.S.

We thought connecting in London would be "cool" and "exciting" but it turned out to be "awful" and "I wanted to die." Aside from the fact that we only had 45 minutes to catch our plane from London to Paris (when British Airways said you needed at least 60 -- thanks a lot CostCo Travel), we wound up missing our first flight because Heathrow Airport is a monstrosity and about 0 people were helpful. For an outside opinion, even USA Today says "London Heathrow crops up on almost everyone's 'avoid if at all possible' hub airport lists" and I now understand why. Thankfully on our flight home to Denver we had many friends on our plane catching the same connecting flight and we were awarded "express passes" to make sure we made it. One option we had when booking was to connect through Minneapolis and I wish that's what we had done. Connecting in a not-so-big airport is good in itself, but honestly just being around fellow Americans is comforting when you have no idea what you're doing and you know they won't resent you because they didn't lose the Revolutionary War.

Buy a Sheet Mask (or 4)

I may have looked like Hannibal Lecter to the other passengers, but using my moisturizing sheet mask was the perfect accessory to my long flight. Airplanes are known for drying out your skin, and there's nothing worse than finally arriving to your destination with a giant zit on your chin. My favorites are by Tony Moly (check out this coconut one I used for my flight), but you can find a ton online that best fit your needs. Just be sure to rub in the excess product afterwards so it can really soak into your skin!

Pack Light

Chances are you are going to want to bring back a lot with you (French wine amiright?) and if your suitcase is full from the get-go then you won't have much room for anything else. We decided to pay for an extra bag, but even so we still had plenty of room in our bags for goodies (and in that I mean macarons). The general rule is bring about 3 tops for every pair of pants, that way if you're staying a week than you need 2 pairs of pants and 6 tops (and an outfit for the airport). I brought about 3 pairs of shoes with me and that was even too many. I wound up reaching for my sneakers more than anything because the French are huge fans of walking and it saves you money in the long run. Bring the stilettos only if you know for sure you'll wear them!

Think Outside the Tourist Traps

While it's obvious you should hit up the big landmarks (can you imagine if I didn't go to the Eiffel Tower?) try not to eat so close to them. I noticed that while the food still looked yummy, the prices were always higher the closer we were to the tourist attractions. Another problem is the food is not always as authentic -- crêpes made under the eiffel tower are store-bought and not fresh, whereas if you walk a few blocks down toward the metro there are plenty of cafés that make their crêpes from scratch. It's just little things like that can build up and ruin your trip (and budget). Plus, pickpockets and scammers love to hang out by the landmarks so beware. Hold your purse close and make sure your pockets are empty, and don't talk to anyone that comes up to you with a clipboard!

Bring Your Own Medicine

The French are not believers in NyQuil or DayQuil (at least that's what the airport clerk made it out to be) so when I caught a nasty cold the day before my flight home, I was miserable. We of course packed our vitamins and some ibuprofen, but the thought of bringing cough drops or DayQuil never crossed our minds. It's better to be safe than sorry, so bringing a mini-medicine cabinet with you will save you trouble in the long run. This is especially helpful if you are visiting a country where English is not the native language. As much as I know French, when it came to reading labels I felt like an idiot (I couldn't even find makeup remover???). Don't forget the bandaids and Neosporin either -- blisters are inevitable, ladies!




Let me know what international trips you'll be taking this year!


Until next time my loves x.