Travel Tips?

[evadan]

I'm away on a short business trip, staying at a hotel. My wife suggested I take advantage of having time alone away from home since we have a teenager at home. So very thoughtful of her - that's why I love her so much!

I brought a few things to lounge in. I would have liked to have packed everything needed - outfit, lingerie, shoes, wig, forms, make up - but I wasn't sure how to do it discreetly. For those of you who have traveled, how have you handled it and do you have any suggestions for future trips?

I any case, I am enjoying my evening away!

Cheers,

Eva D.

[Julie Denier]

I like to travel as light as possible. When I take my "gear" on business trips, I take one or two dresses, one pair of shoes that goes with both, plus one full set of undergarments, shapewear and hosiery, some basic jewelry, wig, makeup and nails. I put the dresses in with my sport coats in a plastic garment bag, and most of the other items are packed in individual plastic bags (with all the air squeezed out to take up less space) and tucked into pockets and pouches within my luggage.

[Kristina_nolagirl]

HI Eva!

When I travel alone, I find the best solution is to plan ahead very well to minimize what you bring. When I dress at home, I'll try on sometimes 10 different things, but I've learned when traveling, to plan very well what I'm going to wear so I don't have too much.

If you're like me and travel a decent amount, then I'm sure you hate checking bags. So I'm assuming your fear of being discrete comes in when you have to deal with security? If so, I would remind you that you'll most likely never see that person again. But, let's say that you do get your bag checked by the TSA and they open it up to find girly things in your bag. I've thought about that before and decided I would just say "can you believe my wife? she's coming to meet me in ____ and she can never fit her things in her luggage...so she takes some of the space in my suitcase." No one suspects an average joe to be a CD, we just think everyone suspects us!

Pretty much the only item that would throw that off is a wig. If you're really serious about being discrete, just ship the wig UPS to the hotel and have the UPS store print you a return label. Its weighs less than a pound and would cost less than $20 round trip. It will be at the front desk and can simply return it to the desk with the prepaid label to be shipped back to your home.

But whatever you do, be sure to do something extra nice for that lovely wife of yours to show her how much you appreciate her love and acceptance for your CDing! :)

[DeeArel]

I travel frequently and what I take depends on the length of time I will be some place, the mode of travel, and if any one else will be with me.

When I fly and decide to travel light, all goes in my one big suit case. Most of the time, I have medium bag that carries only girl clothes and occasionally spill over in to the large one with the male clothes. I am fortunate that I get 3 bags of free checked luggage most of the time.

When going by car and I am alone, I am limited to the size of the trunk.

[Barbie Anne]

If it's safe for you to do so, you could always travel en-femme and pack mostly girl clothes and just enough male clothing for your business purposes. I've travelled in girl mode before one time and it was thrilling to say the least :)

[AllieSF]

Plan ahead with what you need. Pack your female clothing on the bottom. Put your wig in a plastic bag and gently roll it up and stick it snugly at one of the ends of the bag. It will stay perfect. Put your forms in their box(es) if you have a big enough bag. If is that big just check it before flying. Best way would be to just fly en femme. Good luck and have a great trip.

[Jenniferathome]

I travel a lot. The ONLY thing that will set off a TSA bag search are breast forms made of silicone and liquids in your makeup bag. Pack your silicone forms on top. If searched, it expedites the process. They have seen it all before.

As for what to bring, depends on how many days and nights you go out. I bring something different for each night and for daytime one or two skirts and a few tops. Add in shoes, forms, wig, makeup and I have a full bag just for girl mode!

[Pixiesmate]

I have traveled with my female clothes, including a pair of killer heels in my checked luggage and it hasn't been a problem. I did, however, get pulled out of the security line for the dreaded 'bag check' when I was carrying my forms in a carry on. The search went quickly and very quietly, and there was nothing said by the TSA guy. The agent never pulled the forms from my bag, and no one else around the end of the x-ray table payed any attention to what was going on, they were all too wrapped up in getting out of the security area and on to their gate. My advice is take what you think you want to wear and enjoy the time you have to wear them. TSA (and the rest of the world) doesn't care about what kind of clothes you packed.

[Persephone]

I usually travel en femme so that keeps forms, one outfit and one pair of shoes out of the suitcases. For a week or less I typically travel with one checked bag and some stuff in a carry on.

Shoes are bulky so carry as few pair as possible. I usually wear one pair of wedge sandals or closed-toe heels about 2-1/2~3" in height and pack one pair of stilettoes if I have evening plans.

Seperates allow you more freedom than dresses so unless I'm brining a specific dress for a specific event I will generally go with a combination of 3~4 skirts and pants, maybe one dressier skirt and one denim, depending upon destination weather, shorts, capris, and at least one pair of pants.

About the same number of tops as there are days of trip, varying from casual, even t-shirts, to one or more dressier tops.

Weather will dictate carrying a swimsuit although many hotels in colder climates have indoor pools so I usually bring one. Workout gear if you work out while travelling and that may include one pair of sports shoes that can double for male casual if you bring any male garb.

A small pouch of versatile jewelry, that I've worked out over the years, that includes a watch, a couple of bracelets, a couple of necklaces (some silver, some gold), a few pair of earrings, and whatever rings you wear (femme engagement ring and wedding band if you aren't already wearing them?). If going out dressy I also carry a couple of jacket pins, they can vary a single jacket look and dress it up a bit.

My sports jacket and any other jacket typically are women's, but could effectively double as men's if I'm going to need that.

Nightgowns or pajamas if you wear them, enough bras and panties to cover the number of days plus a spare pair or two of panties, and any other underwear (slips, foundations, hosery) that you may need.

Most of my makeup is in my purse, sized to TSA requirements and packed in a sealable plastic bag. Foundation, applicators, any unusual makeup I may need, moisturizers, hairspray, curling iron, razors, etc. are in the checkable suitcase with the liquid bottles and jars sealed in plastic bags to help mitigate any leaks that could be caused by pressure changes.

Medications in both purse and suitcase, enough to cover several days if either case went missing.

If I'm taking a bulky jacket I usually carry it on and stuff it in a bin.

I think that covers pretty much all of it.

Hope it helps. Have a wonderful fun trip! Tell us all about it when you can!

Oh! And wear socks or stockings for the TSA part where your shoes have to come off.

Hugs,
Persephone.

[Beverley Sims]

Another couple of travel tips.
Do not ride in boxcars or try to travel for free.

Traveling for free can be good, you may get free accomodation after the event. :)

Definitely travel light and don't buy souvenirs that you give away to Goodwill next year.

[I Am Paula]

All good advice here. I've never tried to hide my stuff. Anybody searching my luggage is not on a panty raid.
One thing to keep in mind. Prepare for unseasonal weather anywhere you go. I've frozen in Texas, and Florida, when it should be warm. I've dashed out to the mall to buy cold weather clothing I really didn't need at home.