* We’re sending lots of love to everyone in Boston (our cousins were at the marathon but are thankfully safe).

Back in October we wouldn’t have called ourselves travel experts. We used to fly only once every few years: honeymoon to Alaska in 2007, then not again until a family trip to Hawaii in 2012. But a long book tour changed that — we ended up on a lot of planes. After 29 flights in four months, we still don’t claim to be pros, but we picked up a lot of practical tips for flying and staying in hotels. Here are the things that made the experience easier and less stressful for us.

#1. If your airline is gate-checking bags, board toward the end of the line (even if you’re invited to board early). On smaller aircraft where suitcases and duffels are tagged at the gate and stowed under the plane, the last bags loaded are often the first ones unloaded. If you have a tight connection or dislike waiting at baggage claim, don’t rush to be the first on. Aim to board with later zones rather than the earliest group. Try not to be the very last person, but boarding with Zone 4–5 instead of Zone 1–2 can get your bag off sooner. Note: this works best when your only other carry-ons fit under the seat in front of you, since overhead bins fill up while you wait to board.

#2. If you arrive before hotel check-in time, call ahead. Flights often bring us into a city well before the typical 3 pm check-in. Instead of killing time, call the hotel. We usually phoned before boarding to request an early check-in, then called again on arrival to see if a room was ready. This only failed once for us out of about a dozen early arrivals. Most of the time a room was waiting with no extra charge.

#3. Be pleasant to the front desk staff. Hotel employees face difficult guests all day. Being friendly, smiling, and engaging can earn good karma — and sometimes upgrades. We scored a few unexpected room upgrades simply by being polite and appreciative at check-in.

#4. If you can’t reserve seats together, book seats next to each other in adjacent rows. Many of our flights were booked last-minute by our publisher, so seats together weren’t always available. When we couldn’t sit side-by-side, we booked an aisle seat in one row and a window seat in the next row. Once on board, before the person we hoped to swap with settled in, we asked if they would mind moving one row up. Often people were happy to help. It’s not guaranteed, but it’s a reasonable tactic to try.

#5. Whenever possible, pack light and carry on. Across 29 flights we never lost a bag because we carried everything on. I carried a purse with camera, phones, tickets, snacks, and our itinerary. John carried a backpack with books and a laptop, plus a carry-on rolling suitcase with clothes. Even for week-long trips this minimal setup worked well. Pack versatile wardrobe staples that mix and match, a couple of pairs of jeans, tops that go with multiple outfits, one extra pair of shoes each, and essentials like underwear. When traveling with a child we add one more rolling suitcase for their clothes and comfort items, but since most airlines allow one checked bag and one carry-on per person, we still avoid checked baggage when possible.

#6. Keep toiletries in an accessible plastic bag for security. Many airports require you to remove liquid toiletries during screening, and digging through a suitcase wastes time. Keep liquids like contact solution and travel-sized toiletries in a clear plastic bag in the front pocket of your backpack so you can pull them out in seconds. And be prepared — security will often confiscate large or disallowed drinks.

#7. Create a single travel document with your itinerary. Put hotel details, flight confirmation numbers, and departure/check-in dates on one sheet of paper and print it before you leave. It’s a fast-reference itinerary that’s useful to copy for a family member or to hand to someone who needs to find you in an emergency.

#8. Check your flight and hotel the night before, and print tickets if possible. A little prep goes a long way. Confirm flights the night before to watch for delays or cancellations, print boarding passes at home when you can, and double-check hotel reservations. We learned the hard way when one hotel had our reservation for the wrong night and we had to wait while it was sorted out.

#9. Everything takes longer than you think. Allow extra time for flights, taxis, check-ins, and any transitions. Early in our tour we tried to cram too much into tight windows and paid for it with late-night work and poor rest. Deplaning, waiting for a cab, and dining can add unexpected minutes and hours, so build in “fuzzy” time to avoid stress.

#10. Hotel TV can be disappointing — bring entertainment that feels like home. When you travel frequently, simple comforts like your favorite shows help you relax. In the last month of our tour we used a streaming service trial to watch familiar shows on our computer in hotels. That small touch made nights away feel more like home and helped us unwind after long days.

Those are ten practical tips that made our travel more manageable, comfortable, and enjoyable. We’re sure there are more tricks out there — feel free to share any favorites you’ve discovered. Travel brain is real, and swapping tips makes every trip a little easier.

Psst — we also wrote a post about traveling with a toddler that might be helpful if that’s in your plans.