As a veterinarian, lecturer, and Co-Founder of VETgirl, I travel quite a bit for business. This is an amazing part of veterinary medicine that I am fortunate to be part of – continuing education. I absolutely love meeting and interacting with engaging veterinarians across the country and across the world!

With that said…traveling can be exhausting! To make it easier, I have compiled my top 5 travel tips to make your business and pleasure travel easier and more enjoyable!

1) I hesitate to tell you because I don’t want the lines to get longer….so…SHHH! Even if you travel once each year, you should apply for TSA Precheck. If you fly international, Global Entry is the way to go! I can not imagine ever flying again without this. I will keep my shoes on! I will keep my laptop in my bag. I will speed through security! Say it with me…TSA PRECHECK!

2) I’m a very organized person – but my bag is full of wires. Presentation cables for lecturing, charging cables (iPhone, iPad, computer, camera, etc. etc), headphones, and so much more! This means I have to keep everything organized. What do I do? I have a gadget organizer inside my backpack. My gadget organizer includes my chargers. headphones, and presentation cables (amongst other miscellaneous items)

3) Speaking of wires…I don’t like wires! While I have a pair of Beats wireless headphones, my favorite travel headphones are my Apple AirPods. They are compact, have great sound, and pair flawlessly with my Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, Macbook Pro).

4) Although I carry my chargers, there are often occasions where my phone battery is running low and I can’t find an outlet. This is the reason another travel essential is a portable charger. Over the years they have become more cost-effective and more battery-charging-effective as technology has improved!

5) While you would expect me to leave the best for last…my Macbook Pro (and you would be right)…I am going to avoid the obvious. I want to have a good credit card. My credit card of choice is my American Express Platinum. I actually got this advice from one of my favorite travel websites is the The Points Guy. I recently changed banks and one of their amazing perks was that they cover my American Express membership fees. Check out their post on the American Express Platinum card which covers the many travel benefits including:
– $200 in annual Uber ride credits
– Uber VIP status
– 5x points on hotels
– Reimbursement of Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fees
– Airport lounge access
– etc

Do you have any great travel tips? Leave your tip in the comment section!

Knowledge is power! (and safe travels!)
Garret Pachtinger, VMD, DACVECC
Board Certified Emergency and Critical Care Specialist
Co-Founder, VETgirl