Travel jitters
 

We leave on the 8th for a tour of Florence and Rome. This trip is pre-planned, and we will be part of a larger group. I am hopeful after this trip (our first to Italy, and only our second abroad) we will be able to "go it alone" in the future. Our itinerary sounds wonderful, and there is ample free time for us to explore on our own.

My jitters are about jet lag, security, packing, and now the new regs in regard to carryon luggage. My husband says I am going to ruin the trip with all my worry. HELP!! Just give me some advice on the most important things to remember, please!!!

There is a difference between "worry" and "preparation".
- Read the rules on your airline's website regarding carryon restrictions. Call them if you still have questions.
- Combat jetlag by eating light, avoiding alcohol, drinking water/juice, turning out lights and closing eyes (sleep is good but sometimes it doesn't come). We like the "No Jet Lag" product, even if it may just be due to 'suggestion'. It isn't harmful at least.
- Pack lightly (what does that mean?)...well, count the outfit you're wearing, then add 2 more pair of pants, 3 more tops/shirts, 1 light jacket, 1 other pair of shoes, small-size bathkit products... you can do it.
- Security: you have no control over this, other than to arrive EARLY and pack your carryon according to the first item above.
Once you have prepared for these things, LET IT GO and focus on something else.

Your anxiety is normal, and I always feel it myself even though I have traveled on my own many times. The key is to be organized and well-informed, and then to just relax. Sometimes it's easier said than done. A little pharmaceutical help for the flight is something to consider, with your doctor's guidance. Xanax works for me. Zzzzzz...

First, take a deep breath. If you've already been abroad, then you're familiar with how things go. As the others said, just be prepared and everything will go fine. Just go with the flow!

<b>Jet lag</b>: the other posters have given some good advice. How did you handle the time change on your first trip abroad? Everyone reacts differently to jetlag, so you have to do what's best for you. For example, my DH and I have to sleep when we arrive at our destination (I simply cannot function on little sleep), but I know others who want to stay awake as long as possible and go to bed in the evening. Try to sleep as much as you can on the plane (take earplugs, avoid alcohol).

<b>Security</b> and <b>carry-ons</b>: for this, you just have to go with the flow. Check with the airline and the departure airport about carry-on rules, and if you're transferring at another airport, check their rules as well. There's nothing more you can do if you've already complied with everything. Just be patient and you'll make it through.

<b>Packing</b>: always a fun topic! How much you pack will depend on your destination and how long you're going for. Why not do a trial run and pack your things? I did this last week for our upcoming trip on Thursday and I got a good idea of how my stuff will fit in my suitcase (it's a new suitcase, so I especially wanted to do a trial run). Make sure you have comfy walking shoes!

If you've prepared everything, then there's nothing to worry about. Take a good book with you and look forward to your trip! It sounds like it's going to be lots of fun.

The above posts give some excellent advice. My suggestion: get as much sleep and physical rest as possible before the trip. It will help your mental attitude. Listening to music always helps me, whether it's before a big trip, or on the plane itself.

I always get jitters before a big trip. Even to the point I think &quot;why did I plan this?&quot; when &quot;i coulda stayed home&quot;.

One thing I do to overcome it, which should work well for your other concers too is... start packing now. Focus on getting everything really organized. Lay things out in a separate area to sort thru. Review the new rules (they are not that hard, I have flown recently, mostly just your toiletries bag goes in checked-luggage rather than in your carry-on).

Check the dates on your passports (find them if you don't know where they are -lol!). Get your paperwork and money all tidied up. Make lists for anything you think you might forget.

Seriously, I focus on packing my one suitcase (24&quot;) almost to an obsession but I find it takes my mind off pre-trip worrying... not to mention I am always incredibly neatly packed when it's time to go!
;-)

As far as jet lag (I know people disagree with my method but it's what works best for me) I take a nap in the afternoon if I feel like it. Sometimes the first day, but more often (strangely enough) happens mid-trip that it catches up to me.

Do a search on this forum for a thread that includes people's packing lists. It's helpful. I posted my own, which includes reminders for closing up the house-- i.e. stop mail, stop paper, turn off water main, notify neighbors, etc.

Re: jetlag, I think its so individual how your body will react. When I flew to Italy from Colorado for my first visit last May, I was so excited when I arrived in Rome one morning, that I didn't feel a bit jet-lagged the whole two weeks. But when I returned home, I slept for about two days!

Then, relax and enjoy!

You've gotten great responses.

Re: jet lag. For me, I always have it for a couple days, no matter what I do to prepare. I've just learned to live with it.

Keeping busy on the day of arrival helps me: BUT I make sure I don't have to make any &quot;dangerous&quot; decisions. For example, I won't make plans to drive very far, or drive at night on the first day or make plans to HAVE to be somewhere at a certain time.

In other words, I keep a very loose schedule with easy to enjoy activities - walk to a museum, etc, people watching at a cafe, etc..

Most of all, relax and enjoy!

bsweet, like you, I am going through the jitters about my upcoming trip to Italy for 20 days. This is my very first time to fly so far (from Australia, time zone changes, security worries, where to &quot;hide&quot; my valuables and I am taking my 16 yr old daughter,so I am also concerned for her wellfare. I leave on 28th September, so am really into countdown now. Last week I organised the new ATM card that my bank issues in Euro, ordered some cash Euro and a back up ATM card for my usual bank account. The bank was surprised that I was travelling in one months time - many people come in on their way to the airport apparently.!!! On the weekend I booked the last of the train trips on Trenitalia - have managed to get some very good prices and now I am going through the paperwork and making copies of essential papers to carry as a spare and leave at home for the family. I am putting out my clothes on the spare bed and will then make sure that each outfit goes with something else in the pile, so that I do not take unnecessary clothes. If the worst comes to the worse and I need more clothes I can always buy something in Italy. LOL. I have gone through in my mind how I will carry my valuables, and that issue has been resolved by reading the many posts on this site. I am finding that doing things in small bits and clearing it out of my head is helping to settle me down. I feel more organised and in control. Because above all, I will really want to enjoy this holiday and take in as much as possible while there - it has taken me more than 50 years to get to Europe and who knows when I will get to go back. I have not travelled any distance without my husband before, and he usually takes care of some of the things - like the carrying - but now it will be just me and our daughter.

8 days until London!

I'm getting jitters as well. I am following Suze's plan by packing early. I'm hoping to have clothes packed today. I have most things printed off and ready to go as well. Tomorrow I'll photocopy everything at work. That's helped a lot as I'm a terrible time phobe on travel days.

I've never had jet lag so I don't know what that will be like. I hope to be at the hotel by 1:30p, so I'm hoping to just gut it out until 7-ish and then call it an early night.

Have fun!

Thanks to everyone who replied to my case of the &quot;jitters.&quot; I actually feel better about everything this evening. Still haven't started packing, but I always do it last minute...safe travel to all!

In addition to the many fine suggestions above, some of the most important carry-on items to have with you while traveling:

1. Sense of humor
2. Appreciation of irony
3. The knowledge that glitches will occur while traveling, but that you'll have a good time if you don't obsess over them.
4. Sleep mask

bsweet,

Like you, I get the travel jitters. However, mine is over terrorists or a plane crash...especially with one child still at home. (Yes, I know the statistics say it is safer than driving.) However, this is the only way I can see the things I want to see, so I try my best to ignore it until the time comes. I always have a great time once we arrive...until about 2 days before it is time to return, and then the panic returns.

Cimbrone, You say you take Xanax. I looked it up on a website, but I am not sure I could take it due to some asthma and allergy medicine I take. Does Xanax leave you groggy for very long? Can it be taken only for flying? (I don't want it for more than the time it takes to fly.)

DOES ANYONE WITH ASTHMA HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH A MED LIKE THIS? (I WILL ASK MY DOCTOR TOO!) I have tried Atavan, but it doesn't seem to work that well for me.

P.S. We leave the last of Sept.

What works well for me is a sleep mask and Tylenol PM. The sleep mask blocks out the light in the cabin so your melatonin levels don't drop. I find that one Tylenol PM relaxes me just enough that I can fall asleep without waking up drowsy. But do try out any drugs (including herbal drugs) before you actually fly.

I travel enough that I don't get the jitters as much as I used to, although they still come the morning of departure. I'm very organized so it helps me to make &quot;to do&quot; lists a few weeks before the trip. I get great joy in crossing off each task as its completed, and it makes me feel a little more in control.

Just sit back, relax and have wonderful thoughts of Italy!

Tracy

Use your worrying time to type up the Ultimate Packing list. Several people had shared theirs on this board. Save it as a Word document on your computer so that you have it for the next trip.

Regarding security, the new regs, etc. - just leave for the airport ridiculously early. A one hour wait to check your luggage is merely boring if it's three hours before your flight; it's enough to make you ill if it's 70 minutes before your flight. When I've sailed though security and find myself with 90 minutes or so to kill, I consider it the beginning of my vacation and treat myself to a Starbucks mocha and break out my reading materials.

As far as jet lag is concerned, when I travel from the US to Europe, I don't consider it jet lag - it's really just staying up all night. I do fine as long as I have everything arranged in advance (e.g. transfer from airport to hotel.) Also, I don't drink alcohol on the flight. (I discovered this on a church choir tour when I was 4 1/2 months pregnant; on the day of arrival, I had a lot more energy than the others in our group.)

I always get stressed. Time starts running out and I still have too much to do. Also I just HATE for fly, but alas, that's my option if I want to go anywhere and I DO want to go, so I just suck it up. I get over jet lag pretty quickly..don't medicate, my body just adjusts over the first 24 hours. Coming home takes a bit longer. Anyway, I always get over everything, am so happy to be where ever it is I'm going, and it all works itself out.

bsweet- Have you considered maybe some of your anxiety is *because* you always wait to pack at the last minute? That's an easy enough problem to solve.
;-)

t.t.2.t.--I take my 2 Xanax (1 mg)right around takeoff, doze happily through my flight, and am raring to go upon landing. I'm a lot less groggy than if I had spent 9 hours staring at my watch (which is the only thing I can do when I fly). Talk to your doctor about your other meds. And definitely try it out before you fly. You don't want a bad reaction at 36,000 feet. I'm told that Xanax is okay to use as a sleeping pill, by the way, and won't become addictive if it's used only occassionally. Xanax is highly addictive if taken regularly.