If you are lucky enough to be able to travel this holiday season, whether to visit family and friends or take a little tropical break, today at Amintro we thought we’d share a few tried and true travel tips that just might help speed your trip through airport security. We’re not a travel blog but we’ve travelled around a bit ourselves so we hope you find these tips helpful.

Let’s talk first about travelling for the holidays:

  • Tempting as it is, resist the urge to wrap all your gifts in beautiful bows and paper. Clearing through security checkpoints at just about any major airport around the world will go a whole lot smoother if you’re transparent about what is in your luggage. The reality is, gifts travel better when they are unwrapped anyway. So too does your paper and bags. Store everything at the bottom of your suitcase and take some tape with you. If you think you might need scissors, make sure they are not in your carry on luggage!
  • Lots (and lots, and lots) of people travel during the holidays. That means go early to the airport and by early, we mean at least 3 hours for an international flight. It goes without saying to pack some patience too.
  • Our Amintronian friends are all 50+ – it’s one of the benefits of being a member! That might mean however that you’re on medications. If you are, make sure those are stored in your in your carry on luggage. You can buy more clothes at your destination but replacing meds might be difficult.
  • If you can book your flights outside of peak times you’ll avoid the additional hassle of extra long line-ups that include business commuters. It might be worth it to book a flight a little later in the day or if you’re headed to Europe, an overnighter so you can sleep!

Luggage phone passport

General Travel Tips applicable anytime:

  • Carry on luggage for shorter trips will help you to avoid long lines in baggage claim. If you can get it all in for a short haul flight and short vacation it’s one less thing to worry about. The trick? Roll your clothes. Yup – roll them! You can pack a whole lot more into a case when clothes are rolled.
  • Heading for Europe or somewhere on the cooler end of the spectrum? Remember layers are best. Carrying a large, puffy winter coat can be a hassle. Consider taking a waterproof, thicker rain jacket and several warmer sweaters that can be paired together on cooler days. Women have the advantage of being able to take a scarf or pashmina that can be wrapped for extra warmth. Gloves and hats, thankfully, are easy to pack.
  • Pack a small portable umbrella. Trust us. Bringing one with you is WAY cheaper than buying one on the streets of a foreign city in the middle of a rainstorm.
  • Trying to maximize your clothing options while travelling light? Monochromatic, black, white and grey will pair with anything. A snazzy scarf or earrings can add the pop of colour you seek.
  • Heading to a tropical destination? Make sure your carry on luggage has a bathing suit, small tube of sunscreen, a change of clothes and some beach shoes. If everything else goes missing you can still hit the beach and have a change of outfit for dinner!

 

At Amintro we might not be travel pros but these tips should help get you where you’re going with ease. What are we the experts at?  Helping you make new friends, perhaps even a new companion to travel with. Sign up with Amintro and learn how easy it is to meet someone new, around the corner or around the world, or someone to travel around the world with! Amintro – we’re a community of friends.

Written by Sheralyn Roman