Lone Plane travelling
 

Has anyone got tips for travelling on a long-haul flights with stopover for when traveling alone?

My favorite time to read some really good books. Don't have to worry about keeping track of anyone else. Can sleep when I want to or watch movie if I want to. Try to look at this as a good thing. Also can go in the airport shops I like instead of having to go where husband and kids like.

When you settle in your seat if the person next to you appears to be a "chatty Cathy" type and starts to talk to you, simply shake your head no and say "glebelk? neestelenachteeno english".

Haha, cute Patrik!! I try that the next time!!!

Patrick. Would you mind giving the phonetic pronunciation to me. I would like to use that.

Unlike Patrick, I prefer honesty with &quot;Chatty Cathy&quot; seatmates. Besides, how do you give your drink order to the flight attendant?<BR><BR>Most people will get the message if you answer any question with one word, don't make eye contact, and appear to be completely immersed in your reading. If that doesn't work, you make a comment like, &quot;Sorry, I'm really not in the mood for conversation right now.&quot; OK, they'll think you're a terrible snob, but you'll never see them again anyway.<BR><BR>But I'm always open to an interesting conversation. It makes the time go much faster. I've gotten terrific restaurant recommendations from people who lived where I was going, tips on sights to see, etc. <BR><BR>One of the most unusual was when seated in first class next to a ten-or-so year old boy who was apparently bounced continually from New York to London by battling parents. Although I, a lifelong single, was dreading the situation when first seated, this young man turned out to be one of the most interesting seat-mates I've had in a long time.

I can also recommend putting on your headphones - whether or not you are really listening to the entertainment - works for me!

my favorite thing to do when traveling alone is to sit and listen to music. bring along your favorite cds or tapes, and i find it makes the time go much faster!<BR>but not all people love listening to music as much as i do.<BR><BR>oftentimes i make a &quot;mix&quot; with songs that feel like they would be in the soundtrack for a movie made about the place i'm going to. listening to it on the plane gets me totally excited about the trip.<BR><BR>my other suggestion is to pick up some kind of trashy, brainless novel to read.<BR>i always take something of literary importance i've been intending to read forever but am too distracted to concentrate and just sit there bored.<BR>a trashy mystery novel or legal thriller<BR>(think john grisham) is enough to suck you in and you don't have to feel guilty about wasting valuable time with crappy books.<BR>on my last trip to san francisco i read 2 of the harry potter books. would never read them at home but it was perfect for the trip.<BR><BR>okay that's it for now.

I use the time to read (I'll pick up a couple of new novels before the trip) and catch up on movies that I haven't seen. The headphone trick really does work well if you have a chatty seatmate that you don't want to talk to.

Hi.<BR><BR>If you're concerned about chatty seatmates I would suggest that, if politeness does not work (as it often does not with our fellow citizens), you inform your new friend that you are a convicted pedophile and that you are required by court order to give that information to any stranger who seems interested in a relationship of any kind.<BR><BR>I assure you that your new friend will no longer bother you.<BR><BR>You're welcome.

Reading definitely helps me pass the time. As others have mentioned, trashy novels are great. Also mysteries that have a bit of humor, such as those by Carl Hiaasen, Tim Cockey, Gregory Mcdonald (the Fletch books), etc. For those that do not want to talk to talkative seatmates - or talkative people in the airport terminal - books usually put out the message &quot;I'm busy.&quot; Of course, sometimes people take them as an invitation to start a conversation (about the book, the author, the book they are reading, etc.)... I always take a recent Games magazine and a mechanical pencil (since I always seem to break the lead on a regular one). Games magazine has crossword puzzles, logic puzzles, etc. - a step above the standard puzzle magazines you find at the magazine stand. They also have something called the World's Most Ornery Crossword - you can try to just use the Hard clues, which will definitely take up some of your time on the trip (or use the Easy clues if you are really stuck).

Just be sure not to play your music too loudly on your headphones - the point to headphones is so you can listen to your music without disturbing the people around you. Nothing more annoying than hearing the repetitive &quot;ts-ts-ts-ts&quot; of a drumbeat emanating from the headphones of the person sitting next to you. As maddening as car alarms or cell phones. Because of the engine noise on planes people invariably turn the volume up on the dinky headphones provided by the airlines.

Start your journal on the way over! Your trip has technically begun, so the flight deserves to be Page One! How are you feeling to finally be on your way? What expectations to you have about the days to come? What are you most nervous about, most excited about? Enjoy : )

Thanks so much for all you useful tips.