Drinking alcohol (even just a glass of wine) and taking a sleeping pill is not something that should be recommended, encouraged, suggested, or done.

I've seen many people on this board make that same recommendation for sleeping on a plane, dealing with the fear of flying, conquering jetlag, etc. In truth, it can be a very dangerous combination.

Sorry to be a buzzkill, but I've seen that combination go wrong and it just makes me cringe to see it being suggested here time and time again.

Hi,

my tips:
#1 - plastic bag for wasted clothing (very useful especialy for longer trips)
#2 - chocolate bars (as in some coutries i´t takes some time to find a chocolate - aspecially in Vietnam :-)
#3 - check the transport in the destination (what a suurprise if there are no trains from A to B because they ceased the operations two years ago) - good (and valid) transport links are at http://www.mapsguides.com.

Pete

Saline nasal spray for moisturising and protecting on long flights.

Use hotel shampoo for washing undies in sink. Have even used three or four tiny bottles of shampoo in "pay" washing machines if they are available. Works well.

I take a soft glasses case on cord to put my glasses in while I try to sleep, so they won't get lost or damaged, and bring an eye mask, as they are not supplied much any more.

Like some others, I take clothes which I don't want to bring home, to make room for new ones. I once had to make room for an antique Persian rug I bought on impulse in a German auction, and so had to throw everything away to make room for it.

I keep a small zip lock bag of over the counter meds I might need including neosporen. This has come in handy more than once.

I keep the shower caps from hotel rooms to use on my feet when I go through security. (I rarely see the bag dispensers). Now I can wear any shoes I want and not worry about going barefooted in the airport. Yuck.

Smartest thing we ever did when travelling is to bring along a "noise machine', sort of an alarm clock that emits ambient noise...a low chirping or buzzing that blocks out city noises, snoring, etc. Helps me stay asleep, and I almost panick if I think we have forgotten it.

clarasong - can you tell me which brand or model you own? I was checking on Amazon and wow, if there aren't a lot of different ones and different opinions, for that matter! Thanks!

clarasong:
Yes, the brand would be great. Is it battery operated?

After my trip to Rome this past December I learned quite a few things about what to do and not to do...

*Travel light!!! I packed enough clothes for almost a month and I was only going to be there 8 days...I could have gotten by with a couple tops and a couple pairs of black slacks...didn't need the 8 pairs of shoes either....go figure lol.

*Bring windproof gloves with you! I could find leather gloves everywhere but none were windproof.
And they were very expensive.

*I was lucky that I brought baby wipes with me on my trip...our apartment never seemed to have hot water and in the middle of december with no heater and no hot water...sometimes you can't make yourself jump in to that cold shower no matter what.

*Bring Immodium....you never know when you might need it.

*I also made sure to bring 2 boxes of pop tarts and a good size box of granola bars with me...saved a lot of money on breakfast

*Make sure to hit the local food markets for cheap snacks

*never go to a Christmas party and have several drinks the night before your 6 a.m. flight...trust me lol

*try to find information on the internet about where public restrooms are in your destination city...then mark it on your map...this will come in handy!

*I scrapbook so I compile a list of all "must have photos" before I go and make sure to check them off as i take them so i don't miss anything.

...i'll try to think of more later...

heartofthesouth, I love your ideas - especially the pop tarts and granola bars!

FRISBEE !

I always take a small Frisbee. It is flat and easy to pack.

I turn it upside down and put it on my nightstand or hotel side table.

Makes keeping up with little things - coins, watch, pills, keys, earplugs - simple. No searching around for stuff at checkout. No forgetting things that have spread around the room.

The Frisbee also makes a good plate for picnics. And, oh yes, it is fun to toss.

TravelandNature

About 2 mos before our trip, when the tp gets low I keep them. Crush them flat, then put them under the zip lining in the suitcase between the frame. Great for kleenex too!!

Heart- 8 pairs of shoes?! oh my, I feel guilty when I bring 3 (one for casual stylish daywear, one for exercise and one for hittin' the town at night swanky). Nowadays, I eliminate the swanky one.

lol I was actually being conservative with the 8 pairs of shoes...it was probably more along the lines of 10 or 12...It was my first actual trip as an adult and I honestly had no clue what to expect....so I brought everything! Figured it was better to have too much than too little when you are that far from home :) Boy was I wrong! Out of all those shoes the one pair I forgot was my danged sneakers...the ones i needed the most! I looked all over Rome and couldn't find a single pair...the only ones I found were crystal encrusted and over 500 Euro! You couldn't have paid me to wear those things.

Since I usually wear my hiking boots on the plane (because they are bulky and heavy), I always bring a pair of lightweight travel slippers with thin rubber soles to wear on the plane. They get a lot of use..at night, at the beach, even out on the street in a pinch.

The kind with a dark color knit fabric top are the best, but you really have to keep an eye out for something that doesn't come with too thick a sole or with fake sheepskin grip.

My fetish in traveling is making sure I get some good shut eye so that we are raring to go all day.

Take my soft feather pillow with me everywhere. Can put it over my head, under my knees, curled up in my stomach, you get the picture.'

Also count us in on the "noise machine". Works wonders to blur out street noise, loud folks in the hallways, etc. but could still hear fire alarms, etc. We take the one we use at home all the time, something by SoundScape. We also take a scented travel candle (in a tin case) which takes the yuck smell out of some hotel rooms.

I always have cheap rubber flip flops (like from the pedicure) to wear on hotel carpets/floors.