My Top Tips For Plus Size Travellers by @Kisrtyleannetravels

Travelling while fat is something that fills a lot of us with dread.

 

What if I don’t fit into the plane seat? What if I have to ask for a seatbelt extender? What if the hotel towels don’t fit me? What if they don’t have any sunbeds strong enough?

There are so many ‘what ifs’ that run through our minds before we’ve even clicked ‘book’, let alone in the run up to going on your trip.

 

So, whether you’re heading on an all-inclusive trip with friends or you’re booking your first ever solo trip, here are some of lessons I’ve learnt as a fat person travelling:

 

One of the most important lessons I’ve learnt throughout my travels is that preparation is important. Whether this means you spend a couple of hours researching the facilities at a number of different hotels or you use Seatguru.com to check the size of the seats on the flight you’re thinking of booking, the more you plan in advance, the less anxious you’ll feel about your trip.

 

I try to look into every single eventuality so that when it comes to travelling, I already know what to expect and whether or not I’m going to be able to do something comfortably. From excursions to accommodation, I really try to dive deep into planning!

 

The most common thing I hear when it comes to travelling as a plus size person is that the main thing stopping someone from booking their dream trip is the fear of having to ask for a seatbelt extender on a flight and honestly, I get it.

 

As plus size people we’ve been made to believe that asking for an extender makes us less of a person and that it’s something we should be embarrassed about. From the bright orange belts on budget airlines to rude flight attendants, it can be incredibly overwhelming when you find yourself in that situation.

 

While it may feel like your worst nightmare, I want to remind you that asking for a seatbelt extender doesn’t make you a bad person. They’re there for your safety and should be something that you make use of, if needed.

 

Top tip: if you’re nervous about asking for an extension, ask as you board the plane and your flight attendant will be able to hand you one there and then. If you find you don’t need it, you can always hand it back when they walk up and down the aisle.

 

When it comes to asking for what you need, speaking up for yourself is important. This applies to needed bigger towels, stronger chairs and absolutely anything else that will make your trip as comfortable as it can be.

Make Use Of Travel Accessories 

Over the years I have tried and tested A LOT of products that have been designed to make travel as simple as it can possibly be. While a lot of things aren’t necessarily designed with plus size people in mind, there are certain staples that have become ‘must-packs’ on every single trip I take. Some of my favourites include:

 

Anti-chafing shorts: chub rub is the ABSOLUTE WORST, right? If you’re spending the day exploring a hot country, chances are your thighs are going to make you incredibly uncomfortable. I always make sure to pack a couple of pairs of anti-chafing shorts to wear under any dresses and skirts and honestly, they’ve saved my thighs on more than enough occasions.

 

Portable fan: if you’re travelling to a hot country and you know you’re going to find it difficult to cool yourself down, having a portable fan with you can be an absolute life saver. I tend to have a small portable fan that I can carry around in my bag at all times but if I know that it’s going to be hard to carry it around with me, I’ll take a neck fan instead. That way, I can go hands-free!

 

Packing cubes: packing as a plus size person is actually a lot more complicated than people may think and as a result, we need to ensure we’re making use of the space we have. For me, this means using packing cubes. These handy little cubes are perfect for packing away your clothes and then compressing them into small, more manageable items to pack.

  

Take ALL The Photos

 

 

I know, I know. It’s so easy to look back at a photo of yourself and pick apart absolutely everything. Believe me, I do it far more often than I’d like to admit.

 

As a result, I used to shy away from the camera and all my holiday snaps would be of the places I’d been, rather than of me. While that’s totally okay, I found myself scrolling through Instagram jealous of all the incredible travel photos people were taking. Finally, I realised that it didn’t matter what I thought of the photos, they were memories I wanted to capture.

 

Sure enough, when I look back at pictures that I used to pick apart, now all I see are the incredible memories that I made that day.

  

Don’t Let Others Opinions Stop You

 

 I don’t want to sugar coat things and say that every single person you meet while you’re travelling is going to be a bundle of joy because honestly, that’s just not true no matter the situation. As a plus size person, however, you may find that you encounter more than your fair share of rude people on your travels. While it can be disheartening and understandably a huge knock to your confidence, it’s important to remember that you absolutely deserve to travel and live your life regardless of the size of your body.

 

It’s easy to get caught up and think that you are the problem but if my travels have taught me anything it’s that I DESERVE TO TAKE UP SPACE TOO. My body size does not determine the way in which I live my life and if people have an issue with that, well, it's their problem and most certainly not mine.

 

 

So, while there are so many life lessons I can share with you about my travels, those are the five things that stick with me time and time again. The world is an incredible place and although it took me a long time to start facing my fears of travelling while fat, I am so glad that I started pushing myself to get out there and started exploring everything the world has to offer.

 

If you’d like to learn more about travelling while plus size, I also run the website www.plussizetraveltoo.com, where you will find everything you need for a comfortable, yet incredible trip! You can also follow me on Instagram, where I share what I’m learning along the way!