Rookie Traveler Series

I recently returned from my first trip since early March. Like most travelers I have been sheltering in place and avoiding unnecessary travel for months now. However, this mandatory business trip was eye opening and there were 4 things I brought with me on this trip – and something I definitely didn’t bring enough of!

Southwest Airlines has joined the ranks of carriers requiring face coverings when traveling. The Southwest face mask policy is straightforward. We have all the details here.

The hottest new travel accessory is the face mask or face covering. Sadly, that sentence will likely be true for a while as the travel industry starts to ramp back up while still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve assembled a list of the best face masks for travel and where to buy them. We’ve also provided a few ideas should you want to make your own mask.

Is the travel thermometer the new must-have travel gadget? We’ve identified several top travel thermometers designed specifically for traveling.

Should you prepay gas for a rental car? The rental car companies certainly make it both easy and sound appealing to add this option when renting a car. Unsuspecting renters may not really understand this option and could easily find themselves signing up for something that might be a bad deal.

Your phone is disgusting. Think about everything you touch throughout the day and then how many times you touch your phone. It’s a lot, isn’t it? Here’s how to disinfect your cell phone, as well as your laptop, iPad and anything else you need to sanitize!

For many people, myself included, it’s incredibly difficult to sleep on a plane. I am a tall person and it’s hard to get truly comfortable on a plane – comfortable enough to sleep? Not likely. In most cases the best I can muster is the takeoff nap (which you can read more about here: The Takeoff Nap – my favorite business travel hack ). However, I was asked to review an interesting travel pillow a few months ago and I’ve found that I really like this fella AND it helped me actually sleep a little better on the plane.

This week’s Travel Tip Tuesday post is simple, but important: invest in good luggage; because crappy luggage gets you crappy results!