Back in February, I took a trip to Australia to visit family and vacation. It was amazing! The sandy beaches, warm weather, and family time was so nice. What wasn’t so nice? The long flight there and back. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not someone who hates flying by any means, but when the flight is anything over 10 hours, that’s when it gets a little rough. It’s always SO worth it, though! If you have a long-haul flight in your future, I put together my best tips to make it a little more enjoyable.

Noise-canceling headphones are your friend

Flights typically come with a lot of different noises, whether that be from people or the plane. I wanted to relax on my flight to Australia and be in my own little movies and snacks bubble, so I brought along noise-canceling headphones. I can’t even tell you how much of a difference they made! Next time you’re on a flight, try them out and see how much more enjoyable a flight can be.

Pack a sleep mask

I’m not usually a sleep mask person on the plane, but when you’re traveling 12+ hours, you’ll need to get some rest.

Have your entertainment ready

Download TV shows and movies onto your tablet, phone, or laptop. I downloaded a whole season of my favorite show that I was able to watch even with my iPad in airplane mode. I also added some new book options to my Kindle to make sure I was stocked up. Having plenty of entertainment ready to go will make the flight go by much faster!

Create a small pouch of essentials for freshening up

When we traveled to Australia, we were on the plane for over 20 hours, so freshening up was a must. I packed a small pouch with a toothbrush, toothpaste, moisturizer, wipes, mouthwash, and hand cream. It helped me feel a little cleaner overall and was great once we did finally get off the plane, too.

Hydrate

I drank as much water as I could. I brought my reusable water bottle on the plane, but they were also quite generous with giving out bottled water. I also used Liquid IV to get those extra electrolytes! Trust me, you’ll feel so much better physically during and after the flight if you’re hydrated.

Make sure all of your electronics are fully charged

And make sure to bring portable chargers! There is nothing worse than your electronics dying and being stuck without entertainment on a long flight.

Get up and walk around the cabin regularly

It’s important to stretch and move your body. On a long flight, everyone will be doing this, so don’t feel bad for taking up a little space for a few minutes.

Wear a comfortable outfit

I wore a matching pullover and sweats set with a white T-shirt underneath, and it was perfect! Also, consider packing an extra outfit and getting changed when you finally land. When we got off of our 20+ hour flight, I knew I was ready to change my clothes!