Practice your money-changing skills by purchasing about fifty dollars’ worth of the currency of the first country you will visit. That way you can skip the line at the airport change counter in Europe and avoid its lousy exchange rate; it’s also a good backup should you turn up and find everything closed. Just like in Europe, try a major bank first. As a last resort, try the change booth at your home airport. You may not know this, but airport food is expensive poison, designed to weaken your system so the dreaded airline food can finish you off. Bring your own food with you, and you’ll eat much belter and much cheaper.

On long flights, especially long night flights, airplane cabins can get cold enough to grow icicles off your nose. Veteran travelers usually carry an extra pair of socks. For keeping the rest of you warm and comfortable, I recommend traveling in sweats, especially on long flights.

The air you breathe while on an airplane is drier than any air found naturally anywhere on earth. As a result, it is very easy to become dehydrated on long flights, which can cause headaches, nausea, and other discomforts. Bring a big bottle of water with you, and drink it all during the flight. You’ll need it. It’s also a good idea to steer clear of alcohol and carbonated drinks. If you wear contacts, take them out for your transatlantic flight. The dry air I mentioned previously will suck the life out of your contacts, and they will feel like sandpaper after a few hours. Falling asleep with them on is even worse. (Thanks to Demse Reich, who wrote after her vision had returned.)

When flying into London Heathrow, if you can, sit on the right (starboard) side of the plane, for a great view of the center of London when you land.

In most European airports, notably Heathrow, you cannot simply go to your departure gate on a connecting flight, even if you have tickets in hand. Even though you are already past security and so
forth, you must check in at the “further clearance” or “further travel” desk, which may be difficult to find.