My first international flight was when I was seven and my family moved from Virginia to Singapore. My sister and I drank lots of Sprite on the flight, and our number one packing priority was our favorite Beanie Baby cats, who sat on the armrest between us the whole way. Needless to say, my priorities have changed a bit since then :) After living abroad for 11 years, I’ve acquired a few tips and tricks on making international flights/trips a little easier. I didn’t get a chance to write this post before our honeymoon, but since I know many of y’all are planning summer adventures, I hope it comes in handy!

In the Milan airport via Instagram! Sources: weekender bag, lemon purse (on sale till midnight!), shoes

1. Travel without checking a bag as often as possible. It will save so much time and hassle! If you plan your outfits strategically (see tip #2), you should be able to get at least a week’s worth of clothes into a carry on-sized suitcase or large weekender bag. If you do need to check a bag though, take pictures of your bag before you drop it off, make note of the brand, and be sure your luggage tag is up to date. And never, ever, ever check anything that is irreplaceable or particularly valuable.

2. Decide on all of your outfits ahead of time. To do this, check the weather at your destination, have an idea of what activities you’ll be doing each day, and plan accordingly. I love outfit planning, so this usually works well for me, but if you prefer to have options, stick to a style or color scheme so that you can mix and match a select few pieces, instead of bringing tons of choices. One quick tip to save some space: wear your bulkiest shoes on the plane!

3. Pack some in-flight essentials. For international plane trips, here’s what I always pack: headphones, a neck pillow (a little embarrassing, I know, but so worth it on overnight flights), an eye mask (again, worth it–these ones are so pretty!), a book, snacks (usually a big bag of trail mix and some granola bars), a water bottle, chapstick, Dramamine (just in case), socks, Crest Wisps, glasses (plus a contact case and mini solution if I’m wearing my contacts when I get on the plane), a pashmina scarf, and Caudalie Beauty Elixir (it feels heavenly after a long flight!).

4. Get some cash in your destination’s currency before you leave. There is nothing worse than being in a foreign country and realizing your credit card won’t work somewhere (let your credit card company know about your trip ahead of time to help avoid this!), your taxi only takes cash, or any other number of things that could happen. Avoid changing money at an airport if you can–they have the worst exchange rates. Inquire at your local bank a few weeks before your trip, and they’ll either be able to exchange money for you on the spot or order it in for you.

5. Print out your itinerary, all confirmation emails (flights, hotels, any tickets, etc.), maps, train schedules, etc. before you leave. Better safe than sorry! Dave did this for our honeymoon and kept everything in a manila folder in his carry-on, so we could find and reference it super easily.

Is there anything you’d add to this list? Do you have any big trips coming up? I’d love to hear!