There’s never a dull moment for model and TV personality Alexa Chung: In the past few years, the überstylish Brit has collaborated with brands (including Madewell), deejayed around the globe, modeled for Maje and Stella McCartney, and hosted a fashion-focused reality show on Lifetime. Her latest gig, as one of the hosts of Fuse News, will keep her traveling throughout the year—in her first week, she’ll head to Los Angeles to cover the Grammys. Even though her hectic schedule doesn’t allow for much exploration in the cities she visits, she’s amassed tips on how to travel well—including what toiletries to bring on a plane and how to make your hotel room feel like home—which she shared with us in this week’s My Travel Routine.
What’s the first thing…
…you do at the airport: “It depends whether I’m flying first class or not; if I am, I head to the lounge, but if not I’ll head to Starbucks. There’s a bit of a difference there. [Laughs] Or I buy magazines and get water. There are a few things I try and stock up on: British Vogue, French Vogue, Italian Vogue. In America it’s W, V, Teen Vogue, which I really like—and all the trashy ones, like People.”
…you do on the flight: “Again, it depends what class I’m traveling in. If I’m in first class, I probably have a glass of champagne. If I’m not, I try and work out whether or not I have to talk to the person next to me for the flight. I take my shoes off and try to work out how uncomfortable I’m about to be.”
…you do in a new city: “I’m not very good at being comfortable—I’m quite hyperactive and usually work on adrenaline. I rarely get in and stay in; I usually try and work out what there is to do, or go to the bar to meet a friend as soon as I arrive, or scope out some local karaoke joints. If [you’re] allowed to travel, you should make the most of where you are. Most of my travel is for work so I rarely have time to explore properly.”
What’s the last thing…
…you pack: “I’m terrible at packing; I rarely manage to get everything that I’ve taken with me back. I just literally shove it in; I don’t have a method. It’s like, each man for himself, you either make it into this bag or you don’t. I don’t think I’ve ever not left something behind.”
…you do before you leave a city: "If there’s a good vintage shop nearby that I’ve missed I’ll try and do it on the way out.”
One travel lesson I learned the hard way
“For all that I travel, I’m really bad at it because I don’t make my life any easier. I don’t learn that taking moisturizer would be a good thing, or maybe some pajamas to change into. I’ll think that when I’m on the plane; like, ‘okay, always pack a hoodie, because you’ll want to wear that hood up,’ and then I never remember to. I’m usually packing in a rush, and the next thing you know you’re sitting on the plane in hot pants and sandals wondering why you’re such an idiot.”
How to feel comfortable in a hotel:
“Recently I was traveling back and forth between New York and England, and I was staying in hotels for like, a year, basically. I usually take candles with me that I like the smell of, so it smells like my house. If you’ve got pictures you can take, you can prop them up around places and make it look less depressing. I also like to unpack immediately—I really like to see my clothes hanging up, and if you scatter them around the room it looks more like your home.”
My advice for frequent fliers:
“Don’t wear makeup on the plane, or if you do, take wet wipes so you can clean your face. Make sure you have pajama bottoms and a hoodie to change into. Take your own headphones—I always forget them. Download episodes of a TV series to watch—I always forget to do that. Take a really good book with you—I always forget to do that. Have some cashmere socks to put on—I never do that, but you should. One red lipstick and a pair of sunglasses is something I do remember, because that’s good [when you] get off the plane; you can pretend you’re fancy.”
My must-see sights:
“I really loved Berlin; I was wandering around on my own, and there were a million cool cafes that were sort of half art galleries. For English people, L.A. is really cool because it just seems really American. I went to Iguazu Falls in Argentina, and that was amazing. Apparently someone who saw it said she felt sorry for Niagara Falls when she saw it. Hang on, I’m going to look up a quote for you. [She looks up 'Iguazu Falls quote'] Here we go: 'Upon seeing Iguazu, the United States First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt reportedly exclaimed, Poor Niagara!'' I love London—that’s my favorite. I live in East London, so I just love it around there.”
One food I tried that I never thought I'd eat:
“Just a classic case of snails in Paris.”