Travel

Best Celebrity Travel Hacks Of 2024

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17 hours ago

December 27, 2024

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Leave it to Andrew Zimmern to find underrated cuisine in New York City.

Catskill Cuisine

Over the course of the past 12 months, we’ve had the pleasure of interviewing some of the biggest names in the worlds of cuisine, sports and pop culture. These familiar faces have opened up to us about their new projects, but they’ve also shared some of their best travel tips and tricks.

We collected these jet-setters’ advice on everything from how to pack a carry-on to where to go in their home cities.

“Toronto has five Chinatowns, Las Vegas is now coming up, and then there are all the actual Asian capitals. But you can make an argument that one of the top three places in the world to eat Chinese food is in Queens. The Greek food in Queens is epic and famous. The Thai food in Queens is epic. For people who’ve not gone there, they don’t understand the quality, depth and breadth of that borough.”

“When it comes to packing, my top tip is to start preparing days in advance — procrastination is not cute! Lay out each outfit, including accessories, and snap photos to create a visual inventory on your phone. This makes it a breeze to grab the right look once you reach your destination. Utilize packing cubes to keep your outfits organized and wrinkle-free. I recommend dedicating one cube to essentials like chargers, vitamins and sleep aids, along with a Care.e.on En Route Essentials kit that is always in your suitcase. By having these essentials pre-packed, you’ll streamline your packing process and minimize leaving the important items behind. And don’t forget to leave some space in your suitcase for souvenirs and shopping scores — it’s the perfect way to bring a piece of your trip back home with you.”

“For one, you got to check out a Bills game. Or you can go show love to the [NHL Buffalo] Sabres. If you want some wings, you can hit a Bar-Bill. If you want some [elevated] food, Buffalo Chophouse. Some nice food in there. They have a few different restaurants [in Buffalo], but I’m not much of an eat-out type of guy. Oh, but one more: Swan Street Diner.”

“My local hack [involves] Cafe Du Monde beignets that you would normally be getting in the French Quarter. You can go to City Park 10 minutes from downtown. Beautiful park. They have a hidden Cafe Du Monde that’s in the center of the park. And it is the best Cafe Du Monde location. The line is never crazy. There’s a guy playing a trumpet, and it’s great. And it’s right by the New Orleans Museum of Art. They take credit cards. So, if you don’t have cash on you, that is the spot to go.”

Chew on these eating tips from chef Robert Irvine.

Ian Spanier

“I don’t believe in strict diets…I think if you have a healthy eating plan and you eat moderately most things, you will maintain whatever you’re trying to build. So, for me, I don’t mind going out and having a couple of drinks and having dinner with friends. But the rest of the week, I’m focused on my six or seven meals a day. Obviously, on a plane, it’s a little different. If I’ve got a 17-hour flight, you can [maintain your eating plan] for one or two meals, but then you’re picking and choosing what you eat on a plane.”

“If you like to go on hikes for a change the scenery, Discovery Park is really great. There’s so many different sceneries there. There’s the water. There’s the green. The hikes are really good, and it’s easy. But the scenery! When you get to the top, it’s unbelievable. The view is remarkable. I usually go there and walk my dogs. They love it. Dogs just want to be out in the open anyway.”

“The best place for a shot of adrenaline remains the Deep South, the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean, with its long swells, powerful winds and long days alone in the world, with no other boat on the horizon. But it’s not really for beginners. To start, Brittany, France, is perfect. This is where you learn the most about currents and tides, where you have all the ‘options.’”

“There’s this really great place in San Gabriel that’s known for Peking duck, Ji Rong. That is my favorite Chinese restaurant that I found out here. My son and I go to this little sushi place called Wa Sushi. It’s just a little neighborhood spot. You know when you go to a place where they just know what you want because you come there so often? It’s like that. Mozza is always delicious — anything [chef] Nancy Silverton does is great. Playa Provisions by Brooke Williamson is yummy.”

Ludacris raps about an underrated Caribbean culinary destination.

Stella Artois

“If you’re going to talk about cuisine, seasonings and spices, Haiti. They put so much love and affection in Haitian food. And it’s like, the way that they do it is with such unorthodox practices because they had so little and had to be so creative. I think it shows in their food.”

“Bring the grandparents. We love to travel with Magna-Tiles because you’re in a hotel room and there’s nothing to play with. They’re great. I made my daughter this Lego book that I saw online somewhere for the flight. It’s a binder and you have the Lego base board in the book and a little baggie with her Legos. She’s into that. Have new toys for the plane, something they haven’t seen before so that they’re really engaged and interested. Oh, and snacks all the time. Make sure you’re fully stocked.”

“I think it all starts with the destination itself. Nice, warm weather with plenty of sunshine and good courses are a must. Accommodations and amenities are also critically important, as you want to be comfortable and well-rested during your trip. Lastly, it’s always nice to have some great dinner options, as there’s no better way to end the day than sharing a great meal and some nice wine with friends.”

“I’m religious about it. I pack healthy stuff in my suitcase. When I get [to a destination], my first trip is to get some healthy snacks for the room, so I don’t tempt myself. I find a way to work out. I got a trainer who says there’s always time in the day. It just means you got to get up an hour earlier or go to bed an hour later. I’ve adapted that mantra, man. And I finally learned that it’s not torture to do this stuff.”

Wilson scores with the Vegas insight.

NBA Photos/Getty Images

“They have this drive-in movie theater West Wind. They have different screens, you change your radio station to it and then you can hear the movie inside your car. I popped the hood off of my Jeep, and I’m just sitting there. It was just so nostalgic. And then also there is Soul Food Cafe. It’s a little ways off the Strip. But that’s how you know it’s fire because you gotta make that trip. Soul Food Cafe has my heart.”

“Dirty clothes. I know it sounds insane, but I travel so often and prefer to only take a carry-on to hustle through the airport and avoid lines. My trick is to take clothes that I don’t need to worry about getting crumpled and wrinkled and have everything laundered and pressed at the hotel when I get to my destination. Obviously, that’s not something I do when I’m with my family, but it is kind of genius for business travel.”