‘Headphones make food taste better!’: 10 readers’ tips for a better holiday

From wearing an ‘airport shirt’ to travelling solo, our tipsters share their secrets for easier, stress-free breaks

Noise-cancelling headphones are my most cherished luggage. On busy trains, planes and ferries they block out the thrum of engines, the cries of babies and the sounds leaking from other people’s headsets. They allow me to be entertained by music, podcasts or audiobooks when turbulence, bumpy tracks or heavy swell make reading impossible. Most importantly, they make food taste better! Taste is affected by hearing, and the background engine drone is one reason aeroplane food tastes so bland. I pop on my headphones and, if not haute cuisine, the food does develop taste.
Debbie Rolls