Intervals of clouds and sunshine. High 87F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph..
A few clouds from time to time. Low 77F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph.
Updated: June 16, 2025 @ 1:01 am
Dr. Linda Karges-Bone
Dr. Linda Karges-Bone
I love to travel. It feeds my soul. It can also make me crazy. As a consultant who travels a great deal for work and a professor who has done a number of national and international trips taking educators on travel-study, I have learned a great deal. Often, the best lessons emerge from the biggest mistakes! Truly.
This article offers recommendations for personal and professional travel. Here are 25 tips to make your next jaunt more relaxed and comfortable. You may notice that many of the tips are useful for your daily commute or even a day trip in the region.
1. Stay plugged in. I keep a clear bag with a phone charger, car charger and a mobile power bank packed and at the ready. These are separate from my personal use chargers and stay in the bag for travel or conferences.
2. Charge devices when you can. If I am below 50 percent, I charge up while having a coffee or on the plane.
3. Apply the right travel apps and they can save you time and trouble. My current favorites? All the airlines. A flight tracker app to monitor those close connections. The MPC mobile passport app. UBER of course.
4. Make hard copies of your travel and registration confirmations and keep them in a green folder marked travel. Hard copies are easy to write on and tuck in your purse and you have them if your phone fails or is lost. Keep a reliable black or blue pen within reach. Forms require black or blue ink and nobody has pens anymore.
5. Use professional organizations such as AAA or AARP for substantial discounts on rental cars and hotels.
6. Save receipts in a small zip-lock bag in your purse or messenger bag. These are tax deductible as a professional expense, including your conference registration.
7. This sounds crazy, but do it. When you plug in your devices at the hotel room or conference center, talk to yourself out loud and say: I am plugging the phone in by the bed or wherever it is. You will remember your voice saying it! There is nothing worse than sitting on a plane frantically searching for a phone still plugged into a hotel outlet.
8. Bring a good quality water bottle and fill it up at the airport after you go through security. Dehydration is your enemy, leading to headaches and fuzzy thinking.
9. Ask for upgrades. It doesn’t hurt. Hotel, cars, even airline seats if things are slow.
10. Ask for other things too. Free breakfast? Better Wi-Fi. Snacks. Glass of wine. Ask and ye shall receive.
11. Be safe. Lock doors. Be aware of your surroundings. Keep your purse on your person, not on the back of the chair. Do not go for walks or runs alone. There is a treadmill in the hotel. Use it.
12. Consider using a cross-body purse when you travel. I like a messenger bag for documents, technology, materials and a small cross body for my money, cards, phone and such.
13. Send your itinerary to a trusted family member or friend and consider using a “Find Me” app so that someone can always see where you are.
14. Pack in one or two basic colors and add vibrant touches with accessories. I like black and gray or brown and cream and then jazz things up with scarves and inexpensive costume jewelry, which I keep in zip-lock bags for easy sight and access.
15. Notice the costume jewelry. I do not wear nor take any real jewelry. A simple wedding band only.
16. Dress in layers. Planes and conference centers are notoriously chilly. I love a denim jacket that is in good shape. It looks fun with a knit dress or slacks and is easy to stash.
17. Eat small meals, high in protein. My go to favorite is hummus with olives, pretzels, and carrots. I pack my own in a small bag and just add a cold drink.
18. I don’t like a big meal before I speak or present, so I take my own protein bars or trail mix and just add the free hotel or conference coffee.
19. Keep prescription meds in their original containers or carry paper copies of your prescriptions.
20. Bring something to read and then pass it on. I love doing this. I bring a paperback and then leave it in the hotel lobby or reading area after I finish. I have even “traded” with someone I chatted with on the plane. If you choose an e-reader, take advantage of the marvelous, free LIBBY app that delivers free e-books from the library system.
21. As far as planes or trains go, bring earplugs and headphones to watch a movie or listen to an audio book on your device. Consider investing in a decent pair of noise cancelling headphones.
22. Bring a small flashlight. Keep it in your cross body bag and by your bed at night. Believe me, one night when the fire alarm went off in the hotel and I was negotiating stairs in the dark, it was a blessing.
23. Keep your travel kit packed at all times. Use samples and travel size products of your favorites. Be sure to include a good quality antibiotic cream and a few band aids as well as headache meds and something like Dramamine or Bonine for nausea and to help you sleep.
24. It is old news now, but make sure you have a “REAL ID” to travel in the US. If you haven’t upgraded yet, you can use your passport or military ID. Also, be very mindful of the age of your passport. Travel across international borders with a passport that is within six months of expiration can be a problem.
25. Use your cell phone for more than Instagram. Take a picture of your parking spot in the giant lot. Take snaps of business cards, books in the airport shops that you want to get from the library instead of buy and even keep notes on words and ideas for new activities and events. Also, keep a password list in a secret file in case you need to do some kind of work while you are away or better still, set up a password app such as 1Password to keep your data accessible.
Learning how to travel like a pro can be a healthy part of your professional growth. As a coach and mentor, I often hear from folks who are intimidated by travel and avoid opportunities because of their fears and concerns. These strategies can coax and coach you through travel worries, so press on.
Dr. Linda Karges-Bone is a professor, author, consultant, and media influencer. Her latest book is Rich Brain-Poor Brain: Bridging Social and Synaptic Gaps in Schools. Find out more at www.educationinsite.com.
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