Flights to Stanford, Western Cape from NT$27,892

If you're poorly prepared, air travel can be testing. But there's no need to worry. Follow these handy hints and enjoy a pleasant start to your vacation in Stanford. What to pack in your hand luggage:

• A plane ride can be a pleasure if you bring the right gear. First of all you'll need basic toiletry items, such as toothpaste, a toothbrush and some deodorant, a spare change of clothes and a magazine or two. Next, make room in your bag for your phone, tablet and chargers, your medications and maybe a blow-up neck pillow as well. Lastly, and most importantly, don't forget to take your passport, travel docs and some money.

Do not pack the following items in your hand luggage:

• Make sure you don't have a pocket knife hiding in your hand luggage. Other restricted items include flammable or explosive goods, such as aerosol cans and bleach, and gels and liquids in containers with a volume of more than 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters).

What to wear on a flight:

• The aisles of an aircraft aren't the place for a fashion parade. Layer up with comfy clothing and choose shoes that are closed-toe, flat and easy to take on and off.
• You've probably heard about deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a blood clotting condition caused by prolonged periods of sitting. To lower your risk on board, drink lots of water, consider wearing compression tights or socks and do gentle foot and leg exercises in your seat.

Being organized before you get to the airport will make your getaway to Stanford a breeze. Read through our handy hints for a stress-free journey through security:

• Have your travel documents and ID easily accessible. They're the first items you'll be asked for by security.
• After that, both you and your carry-on luggage will be X-rayed. To speed things up, remove anything that might set the alarms off. Items like your jacket, belt and earphones need to go through the machine.
• Your electronic devices like phones and laptops will also have to go through the machine for inspection. No need to worry though, you'll be back online soon enough.
• Remove gels and liquids from your hand luggage. They often need to be sent through the X-ray scanner separately. Each product should be in a container no larger than 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) and everything must fit inside a single quart-size (one liter), clear zip-lock bag.
• It's also possible you'll be required to take your shoes off to be X-rayed, so wearing lightweight sneakers is always a smart idea.
• Airlines won't allow any pocket knives or other sharp items in your carry-on baggage. If you need to bring these kinds of items, put them in your checked baggage.