Hannah Berner practically lives out of a suitcase—and even she admits her system isn’t perfect. What a relief!
Since 2019, much of her life has been on the road (or more accurately, on a plane). She’s traveled from New York City to the Hamptons to film Bravo’s Summer House, toured with her Giggly Squad co-host Paige DeSorbo, and now headlines her own standup comedy tour, None of My Business.
She recently shared her travel takeaways with Good Housekeeping, and they’re refreshingly realistic, especially for the chaotic traveler who barely makes it to their airport gate on time.
“Things are going to go wrong because we're traveling, and it's just about figuring out how to make it to the stage okay,” says Hannah.
Hannah’s Travel Hacks
Travel with a carry-on—no matter the length of the stay
Whatever she can’t fit in her suitcase, she thrifts along the way. It’s also how she discovers a city’s best food spots, by chatting with locals at thrift stores. And if she finds a new favorite clothing item, she wears it, then mails it back home for safekeeping, ensuring her carry-on stays light.
Away The Bigger Carry-On Flex Suitcase
Away The Bigger Carry-On Flex Suitcase
When she forgets to pack something, she figures it out on the fly. “I've run out of underwear [before],” says Hannah, and her solution was to Instacart new pairs from Costco. “It's chaos, but it's going into [travel] without a perfectionist mindset.” For her, less luggage means more flexibility and fewer things to stress about when plans inevitably change.
Don’t be afraid to share
It may seem counterintuitive to pack light and share what you have, but it’s how Hannah makes friends on almost every flight. “My bag is full of Emergen-C packets and under-eye patches,” says Hannah. “I love to hand them out to people. It’s like the adult version of gum. Recently, I was on a plane, and I gave [under-eye patches] to one of the stewardesses, and we were loving life.”
Her generosity has even paid off a few times by getting through TSA quickly or having something she forgot on the plane held for her at her gate—although additional perks are not her goal. It’s these small gestures that turn a long flight into something more communal.
Create a morning ritual
Travel isn’t just about packing; it’s about survival, too. Hannah never drank coffee before touring, but now, it’s one of her favorite parts of the morning. “I don't pop out of bed during tour. It's a struggle. It's a fight. It's a war.”
Now, she makes time to tuck into a local coffee shop for an iced vanilla latte. But when that option isn’t available, her go-to is a brewed coffee mixed with two Lactaid creamers: caramel and French vanilla. “I'm not drinking black coffee. I'm not like trying to be a hero,” says Hannah. This ritual, more than anything, is what sets her up for a day of success.
Stay connected to home
For Hannah, staying grounded while traveling means staying connected to home, making her Furbo her lifeline. The smart camera and feeder allow her to check in on her cat, Butter, through an app on her phone. “I'll be about to go on stage and looking at my Furbo…[saying] ‘Hi, Baby! I miss you,’” shares Hannah.
She’s also big on phone calls to her husband and friends. “I do think the road can be really lonely and sad when you're just with yourself all the time,” says Hannah. So seeing and speaking to those closest to her is a helpful tool while away.
Although Hannah has found a few tips and tricks to help with her constant life on the road, she considers herself far from a travel expert. Her imperfect system is proof that travel doesn’t have to be flawless to work—it just has to get you to the stage.
