When you go to Italy, from the US, most of the flights are overnight. This means that you will try, oftentimes in vain, to get a few hours of shut-eye. Below I’ve included all the things you’ll need to have the best flight possible.
CARRY ON: In addition to the necessities- wallet with euros, passport, cell phone, charger, headphones for listening to music or connect to the inflight entertainment, here are some carry on items that I bring to try to make my overnight flight as enjoyable as possible, aka- sleep as much as I can.
To start with, I need a carry-on that’s actually comfortable to carry and can fit everything I need, while still being able to fit under the seat in front of me. I’ve recently discovered the Fold-Up Bag from Paravel–$65. Look online for a promo code. I got mine 30% off. It shows up folded up and I thought, how does this turn into a duffle bag? But I unzipped it and it does! It’s awesome and can also double as a weekend bag for small side trips where you don’t want your entire suitcase with you. The picture below shows what it looks like folded up and what it looks like open.
The Travel Sleep Equation:
Travel Pillow + Eye Mask + Travel Throw + Noise Cancelling Headphones = Your Best Chance At Sleeping
Bucky 40 Winks Sleep Mask $14.99: The eye mask that comes with the GoSleep pillow is just designed to hold your head up. This sleep mask keeps all of the light out when your neighbor decides they need to watch the sunrise and shine the light directly in your eyes. It’s super comfy and blocks everything out.
Travel Throw- Jet&Bo Cashmere Travel Wrap $210: Yes, the airline will give you a blanket. But as I mentioned earlier, it’s always unnecessarily cold and if you’re a germaphobe like me, you are probably wondering how clean that blanket is. In comes, the Cashmere Travel Wrap.
Side Note- This particular travel throw was gifted to me and is quite expensive. I included it because it’s amazing and I love it! There are tons of inexpensive travel throws on amazon that you could bring.
Noise Cancelling Headphones: Whether it’s a snoring neighbor, a crying baby, or the sound of the person crumpling snack wrappers in your ear, having the ability to drown it all out is KEY to sleeping on a plane. Now there are insanely expensive noise-canceling headphones out there, but I found really good ones in the Sony Wired Noise Cancelling Headphones for a great price. Don’t forget to buy the travel case. Not only does it fit the headphones, but it has a great section for keeping track of your other electronics and extra batteries.
- Sony MDRZX110NC Noise Cancelling Headphones $39.99- www.amazon.com
- Hermitshell Travel Case Fits Sony MDRZX110NC Noise Cancelling Headphones $12.99- www.amazon.com
PLANE OUTFIT:
Your goal for your plane outfit is comfort! You’ll be sleeping in whatever you wear, so keep that in mind as you make your outfit decision. These are my “go-to” overnight plane outfits.
If I’m going in the summer and I know it’s going to be hot when I get off the plane, I wear a maxi dress, that isn’t long enough to hit the ground, with a sweater. You will need the sweater on the plane because it’s always inexplicably cold, but you’ll want to be able to remove it when you step off that plane in the heat. In the summer I always travel in my comfortable maxi. The one linked below has short sleeves so that you’re skin isn’t touching the airplane seat at any point. $29.99
If I’m traveling and not worried about the heat when I step off the plane, I go with black leggings and a basic tunic. For the overnight flight, you want high-waisted leggings that won’t dig into you while you’re trying to sleep. Try the Aerie Offline OG High-Waisted Legging for $25.99.
Email me at elisaexploresitaly@gmail.com if you have questions.
Happy travels!