layover
active family travel,  Travel

Six Tips to Conquer the Layover #Travel

layover
Unexpected layovers can be a traveller’s nightmare. These tips can help.

Layover. If you travel by plane at all, that word strikes fear into your heart. The literal definition of layover is waiting at the airport for the next plane. The effective definition of layover is the 10th circle of Hell, where you wait in a seemingly endless purgatory.

How to Conquer a Layover

A layover is the bane of every air traveler’s existence. You have at least an hour if not more of just sitting around. It can be a torturous nightmare. But it doesn’t have to be. There are ways to make a layover more fun and less, “OMG! ARGH!”

[tweetthis]A traveller’s nightmare? A layover can be a royal pain in the butt for any traveller. These tips can help. #travel[/tweetthis]

Keep Your Portable Charger on Your Person

At all times! A layover can be an hour or eight hours, so keep your portable charger on hands at all times. That way, you’ll always have access to social media, productivity apps, and most importantly, Angry Birds or Dragon City.

[tweetthis]Keep your tech close at hand when you #travel in event you have a layover.[/tweetthis]

Apps for Work and Play

Apps are a great way to kill time or get some work done during  a layover. For work time, you can get all kinds of great productivity apps across all devices on the Windows Store, iTunes, and Google Play. You can also find tons of great time-killing apps like Fruit Ninja, cut the rope, Gummy Drop and – for you super gamers, or teenagers out there – emulators that allow you to play games from systems like Nintendo all they way up to Playstation.

Snacks – Don’t be Hangry

If you have a bag, keep plenty of non-perishable snacks on hand for layovers and flying in general. The snacks you bring will be far more substantial and far less costly than anything you order either on the plane or from the food court at the airport. In addition to being cheaper, packing your own snacks allows you to keep healthy options available at all times.

[tweetthis]Great tips from @inkscrblr if you encounter a sudden layover #travel[/tweetthis]

Money

Keep your purse or wallet on you at all times. If you experience an unexpected overnight layover, you could need that cash for a room if there’s a hotel nearby, or just food. The snacks won’t last long on a 12 hour layover.

Medical Supplies, Medicine, Prescriptions

I have talked about this many a time. I often travel with kids who have medicines and I myself carry prescriptions such as migraine medication. Special needs travel is different. You need to be prepared. Just as you would when flying with a baby. YOU never ever want to be caught without something important to your health. Always keep your medication, and your family prescriptions close at hand. That might be allergy medication to help your child breathe better during a long flight, or it might be an epipen, or an inhaler. Doesn’t matter what the medication or prescription – don’t be caught so that a short layover turns into a medical emergency. Always carry these close at hand. (same thing goes for sanitary napkins, tampons and diapers) Keep these in your purse, laptop bag, diaper bag, or carryon.

Patience

Last but not least, is the one thing that you absolutely must have on any layover. Patience. Patience is the key to surviving any layover with your sanity intact. With patience, a semi-uncomfortable layover can be sailed through easily. Without patience, that same layover will suck you down into a quagmire of misery and take everyone in your area with you.

Conquer the Layover. Don’t Let it Conquer You

If you fly, a layover or three is just an unfortunate fact of life. How you handle said layover is what makes or breaks your trip. If you keep yourself in snacks, apps, power, and positivity, you can conquer the layover instead of the layover conquering you.

Mom of two beautiful active girls, traveller, fitness junkie, social media consultant, and keeper of the sanity.

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