How to Survive a Long Travel Day

If you’re not used to long travel days, they can really creep up on you and take a toll not only on your physical health but also jet lag can start to mess with your sleep schedule, your mood, and honestly your whole vibe for the first few days of your trip.

But here’s the good news: with a little pre-planning and some smart strategies, you can survive, and even thrive, during those marathon travel days!

We’ve unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) had some pretty brutal travel days over the past few years. I’m talking 26-32 hours of total travel time each way, with multiple connecting flights, long haul flights (12+ hours), and layovers where you’re just desperately trying to stay awake or find a comfortable spot to nap. When you live abroad or travel internationally frequently, these exhausting travel days just come with the territory. So we’ve learned a thing or two about how to make them more bearable.

Here’s everything we’ve discovered about surviving a long travel day without completely destroying yourself in the process.

Before You Go: Set Yourself Up for Success

The key to surviving a long travel day actually starts before you even leave your house. A little preparation goes such a long way.

Start Adjusting Your Sleep Schedule Early

One of the biggest mistakes people make is not thinking about jet lag until they’re already exhausted and disoriented in a new time zone. We wrote a whole article about how to avoid jet lag because it deserves its own deep dive, but here’s the quick version: start shifting your schedule a few days before you leave.

Depending on how long the time change is between where you are and your destination, try to gradually adjust when you go to bed and wake up. If you’re heading east, start going to bed earlier. Heading west? Stay up a bit later than normal. We tend to shift our schedule as soon as it’s feasible so we’re not completely blindsided by the time change when we arrive. Even just staying up later or going to bed earlier by an hour or two can make a noticeable difference.

Another strategy we use: we try to set our watches to the new time zone as soon as we get on the plane. This mental shift helps us start thinking in terms of our destination time, which makes it easier to force ourselves to sleep (or stay awake) when we need to.

Pack a Carry-On That Actually Helps

This sounds obvious, but I cannot tell you how many times I’ve seen people struggling because they didn’t pack the right things in their carry-on. Your carry-on backpack or personal item needs to have everything you might need during a long day of travel. Checked bags do you zero good when you’re stuck in an airport for 8 hours.

Here’s what we always pack in our carry-on:

Comfort Items:

• Small neck pillow or travel pillow (the inflatable ones save so much space)
• Light blanket or large scarf that can double as a blanket
• Eye mask for sleeping in bright airports or on planes
• Ear plugs (trust me on this – crying babies and loud passengers are inevitable)
• Your own headphones for movies and music
• Change of clothes or at least a fresh shirt (flight delays and spills happen)

Essentials:

• All medications you take regularly, plus basics like ibuprofen
• Snacks that won’t get confiscated (more on this below)
• Empty water bottle to fill after security
• Gum to help with ear pressure during takeoff and landing
• Glasses case if you wear contacts (your eyes will thank you for switching to glasses mid-flight)
• Phone chargers and a portable battery pack
• Important documents easily accessible: passport, boarding passes, travel insurance info, hotel confirmations

Personal Care:

• Travel-size toothbrush and toothpaste
• Face wipes or cleansing cloths
• Moisturizer (airplane air is so drying)
• Lip balm
• Deodorant (the small solid kind that’s TSA-approved)
• Hand sanitizer

The goal is to have everything you need to feel somewhat human even after 20+ hours of travel. This might seem like a lot, but it all fits in a small backpack that easily slides under the seat in front of you.

One pro tip: keep your phone chargers, contact info for your accommodations, and any important screenshots or confirmation numbers easily accessible. We’ve been in too many situations where we arrive exhausted and just need to quickly access information without digging through our entire bag.

Dress for Comfort, Not Style

I used to try to look cute at the airport. Then I got stuck in skinny jeans on a 14-hour flight and learned my lesson real fast.

Wear layers: airports and planes are unpredictable temperature-wise. We usually wear comfortable pants (joggers, leggings, or stretchy jeans), a t-shirt, and a zip-up hoodie or cardigan. Compression socks are a game-changer for long flights to prevent swelling. And please, PLEASE wear shoes that are easy to take on and off for security. You’ll be taking them off multiple times, so skip the complicated laces.

Also, consider wearing your bulkiest items on the plane rather than packing them. This saves luggage space and keeps you warm in over-air-conditioned airports.

Fuel Your Body Right Before You Leave

Don’t show up to the airport starving or overly full. We try to eat a solid, balanced meal a few hours before we leave home, something with protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats that’ll keep us satisfied without making us feel sluggish.

Skip anything too heavy, greasy, or likely to upset your stomach. Long travel days are not the time to experiment with that questionable leftover curry in your fridge. Trust me, throwing up on the airplane is not something I want to relive. 

 

During Travel: Strategies That Actually Work

Once you’re in full travel mode, these strategies will help you stay comfortable and maintain your sanity.

Hydration is Everything

I’m going to sound like your mom here, but drink water. So much water. During travel, one of the most important things is to stay hydrated, and most people don’t drink nearly enough.

We avoid excessive caffeine and alcohol on travel days. I know it’s tempting to have a few airport beers or multiple coffees to stay awake, but both dehydrate you and mess with your sleep schedule. Many airlines provide free beverages, but honestly, it’s often not worth feeling crappy for a free drink.

Bring an empty reusable water bottle through security and fill it up immediately at a water fountain. Most airports have bottle filling stations now. Then keep refilling throughout your journey. On the plane, ask the flight attendants for water as often as you need. Don’t be shy about it.

A good rule of thumb: if you’re not peeing regularly, you’re not drinking enough water.

Smart Snacking Saves the Day

Airport and airplane food is expensive, often not that good, and may not be available when you need it. We always bring our own snacks.

Good travel snacks:

• Trail mix or mixed nuts
• Protein bars or granola bars
• Dried fruit
• Crackers or pretzels
• Jerky (if you eat meat)
• Dark chocolate (because sometimes you just need chocolate)

We avoid anything too messy, smelly, or likely to melt. Nobody wants to be the person eating tuna salad in a confined airplane cabin.

Having snacks means you can eat on your own schedule, which is especially helpful when flights get delayed or you’re stuck in weird time zones where your body thinks it’s dinner time but it’s actually 3am local time.

Move Your Body Whenever Possible

Sitting for extended periods is terrible for circulation and just makes you feel more sluggish. During layovers, resist the urge to just collapse at your gate. Walk around the airport. Do some stretches. We’ve definitely gotten some weird looks doing calf raises and arm circles in airport terminals, but honestly, who cares? You’ll feel so much better.

On the plane, get up and walk the aisle every couple of hours if you can. Do ankle circles, shoulder rolls, and seated stretches. Standing and stretching there for a minute or two makes a big difference.

Master the Art of Airplane Sleep

This is tricky because airplane sleep is never truly great, but you can make it better:

If you need to sleep:

• Put on your eye mask and ear plugs (or noise-cancelling headphones)
• Use your neck pillow and blanket
• Recline your seat as much as possible (but be considerate of the person behind you)
• Try to time your sleep with your destination’s night time
• Avoid screens for at least 30 minutes before trying to sleep (reading always helps us fall asleep)
• Some people swear by melatonin, we’ve used it occasionally with mixed results, but it might work for you

If you need to stay awake:

• Watch movies or shows on the entertainment system
• Read or play games on your device
• Chat with your travel companion
• Get up and move around
• Drink water and have a small snack
• Do a puzzle or play brain games on your phone

The key is being intentional about your sleep strategy based on your arrival time and destination time zone.

Entertainment is Essential

Download everything before you leave: movies, TV shows, books, podcasts, music, games, whatever keeps you entertained. Don’t rely on airplane WiFi or entertainment systems. We’ve been on too many flights where the entertainment didn’t work or the WiFi was spotty.

Bring your own headphones. The ones airlines provide are usually terrible, and you’ll be much more comfortable with your own.

A Kindle or e-reader is worth its weight in gold for long travel days. Books are heavy; a Kindle loaded with dozens of books weighs nothing.

Take Care of Your Skin and Body

Airplane air is incredibly drying. We bring face wipes to freshen up mid-flight, moisturizer for our skin, and lip balm because chapped lips on a long flight are miserable.

If it’s a really long flight, we’ll sometimes brush our teeth in the airplane bathroom. It sounds extra, but feeling fresh makes such a difference in your overall comfort level.

Keep your hands clean! Airplanes and airports are germ factories. Use hand sanitizer or wash your hands frequently.

Be Smart About Connecting Flights

If you booked your flights with connections, make sure you have realistic layover times. We’ve learned the hard way that 45-minute connections might look good on paper, but they’re a recipe for stress and missed flights.

For international connections, we prefer at least 2-3 hours to account for customs, security, and the inevitability of delays. For domestic connections, 90 minutes minimum.

During layovers:

• Check the departure boards regularly for gate changes
• Find your gate first, then explore
• Set an alarm on your phone so you don’t lose track of time
• Use the bathroom before boarding (plane bathrooms are the worst)
• Refill your water bottle
• Walk around to stretch your legs

If you have a really long layover (4+ hours), some airports have lounges you can pay to access, even without a membership. Sometimes it’s worth it for the comfortable seating, food, showers, and WiFi. We’ve also seen airport hotels or sleep pods in some international airports which are great for really long connections.

Stay Flexible and Patient

This is maybe the most important tip: things will go wrong. Flights get delayed. You’ll have to deal with rude passengers or unhelpful airline staff. Your luggage might not make the connection. The person in front of you will recline their seat all the way back right into your knees.

The only thing you can control is your reaction. Getting angry or stressed doesn’t make time move faster or fix problems. We try to mentally prepare ourselves that something will probably go sideways, so when it does, we’re not completely thrown off.

Bring a good attitude, practice patience with yourself and others, and remember that you’ll eventually get where you’re going.

After You Land: Don’t Waste Your Success

You made it! But you’re not quite done yet. How you handle the first few hours after landing can make or break your adjustment to your destination.

Navigate Arrival Like a Pro

Before you even land, have your arrival plan sorted:

• Screenshot or write down how to get from the airport to your accommodation
• Have your eSIM or local SIM card ready to activate (we always use Airalo)
• Know what transportation options exist (taxi, Uber, metro, bus)
• Have your accommodation address and contact info easily accessible

We’ve been exhausted and disoriented too many times to wing it anymore. Having this information ready means you can operate on autopilot when your brain is mush.

Power Through or Sleep Immediately?

This is the eternal debate. The general rule: try to stay awake until a reasonable bedtime in your new time zone, even if you’re exhausted. This helps reset your body clock faster.

Do whatever works for you, but try not to sleep through the entire first day or you’ll be messed up for days.

Hydrate and Eat Strategically

As soon as possible after landing, drink a ton of water. You’re more dehydrated than you think.

For food, try to eat according to the local schedule, even if your body thinks it’s a weird time. This helps adjust your system to the new time zone. Choose healthy, light meals rather than heavy, greasy food that’ll make you feel even more sluggish.

Get Outside and Move

If you can, get outside in natural sunlight. This is one of the best ways to reset your circadian rhythm. Take a walk around the neighborhood, sit in a park, or just stand outside your hotel for a bit. The fresh air and sunlight will help wake you up and start adjusting your body to the new environment.

Final Thoughts

Long travel days are exhausting, there’s no way around it. But with the right preparation and strategies, you can minimize the suffering and maximize your ability to actually enjoy your trip once you arrive.

The key things that have made the biggest difference for us:

• Starting sleep schedule adjustment before we leave
• Packing a well-stocked carry-on with comfort items
• Staying hydrated throughout the journey
• Moving our bodies regularly
• Being strategic about sleep on the plane
• Having a solid arrival plan

Remember, even experienced travelers have rough travel days. The goal isn’t to arrive completely fresh and energized (that’s basically impossible on a 20+ hour journey). The goal is to arrive in decent enough shape that you can recover quickly and start enjoying your destination.

You’ve got this! And once you’re sipping coffee in a café in Oman or watching the sunrise over a beach in Thailand, all those hours of travel will feel worth it.

Safe travels, and may all your flights be on time and your middle seats be empty!