Be comfortable and stay healthy

Take a roll of toilet paper, pull out an arm’s length and tear off. Repeat until the roll is done. Then roll each segment, which will be about the size of a cigarette. Stuff the little rolls in a sandwich bag in your carry-on. Whenever you are touring or exploring, take three or four with you.

Meg Coulter

Los Feliz

For comfort, take an egg crate mattress. We stuff a queen-size egg crate into a duffel bag because we don’t find other beds comfortable. We do have to pay for an extra bag. The first time I brought along the egg crate my wife laughed at me. Not anymore.

Orrin Turbow

Oxnard

Always carry a variety of your favorite tea bags (in foil packets) in your carry-on bag and/or purse. If you arrive at your hotel and realize you are coming down with sniffles, you will be eternally grateful to have a comfort beverage at hand.

Catherine Cate

Santa Ana

Take along three or four battery-operated tea lights.

When staying somewhere new, turn on a few of them when you go to bed and place them on a path to the bathroom. They last and last.

Bev Feldman

La Cañada Flintridge

Don’t try to cram too much into limited travel time, especially if you’re going many time zones away. Rested travel is better. Seek quality over quantity, and prioritize pleasurable experiences over completing some checklist.

Harry and Jean Pope

Long Beach

Pack disposable masks for your protection and the protection of others when you’re on a plane, train, bus or in any crowded place. Get a pack or two at the 99-cent store.

Meg Coulter

Los Feliz

Take a saline nasal spray and moisturizing eye drops for you eyes (especially if you wear contacts or plan to sleep). That’s

because airplane air is dry.

Jo-Anne Collins

Fountain Valley

Carry a broad-spectrum antibiotic and something for diarrhea. Better safe than sorry. Dick Barnes and

Diane Bever

Long Beach

Wear a MedicAlert ID chain if you have medical issues.

Shirley J. L ane

Santa Monica

Get the name of a doctor or clinic that’s likely to treat Americans. Have someone write it down for you so you can just show a taxi driver if need be. [Editor’s note: One organization that maintains lists of English-speaking doctors is the nonprofit International Assn. for Medical Assistance to Travelers. Membership is free for one year; a donation is requested after that. Info: (716) 754 4883, www.iamat.org.]

Deirdre Michalski

Irvine