Jacqui Esdaile: economy for business, business for leisure – with good reason

For leisure travel: Europe. We go to visit my husband's family in Portugal every two years. It's a great excuse really. We always tack on visits to a least two other countries such as France, Spain, Italy or Switzerland.

If I ran my own airline I would…

Offer massage, facial and manicure services in-flight.

The worst place you've been lost

Mexico, outside of Los Cabos. We ended up on a dirt road without a tourist in sight. We had hired a jeep and were trying to get to La Salina. The jeep was covered in Tourista Motor Car stickers, so we were clearly not locals. As the minutes passed, more and more cars joined us on the road but when we realised they were trucks full of guys with large artillery we decided to it was time to turn back.

Most memorable overseas dining

The south of France at Baumanière,les Baux de Provence. We stayed there last year and it is the most beautiful hotel in Les Baux-de-Provence. The restaurant is open air, has two Michelin stars and sitting out on the terrace underneath a 200-year-old tree was one of the most romantic and amazing dining experiences yet.

In the suitcase

Way too much! The art of packing is something I am still working on.

How do you make the most of a spare afternoon in a strange city?

Go for a jog – you see so much in a shorter space of time than walking, and it's nice to check out shops, cafes, galleries etc. I track my path on my iPhone so I can leave pins on the map for places I want to revisit.

Travel tips

If you are going somewhere in the peak season, a well-planned trip is the key to a stress-free holiday. When visiting off season, I would do minimal planning so you can really explore.

What technology do you use?

iPhone for pretty much everything. I do take my Olympus camera, which is great for point and shoot.

Best overseas purchase

My limited edition Chloe evening bag from the store on Avenue Montaigne in Paris. My first expensive bag purchase. I also cherish a cherry red leather overnight bag my husband bought me in Florence (he was my new boyfriend at the time).

Best tale

Getting snowed in at St Moritz. It was our first time skiing in Europe and we were on a shoestring budget. We booked two nights and on our last night, it snowed two metres – completely unprecedented. When we went to leave, the car was snowed under, as were the roads. So we waited for the roads to be cleared, which was not a quick process.

We decided to stay one more night. The sky was clear, and it dropped to below minus 35 degrees as we slept. Waking early, we attempted to drive away and managed to get about 20 kilometres, but our car died as our petrol had frozen. Not realising this, we called a tow truck. We had to spend another night in the village while they looked at our car, before telling us we should have had alpine fuel, and they had just popped our car in front of a "heater" to fix it. It ended up being a very expensive "quick ski trip"!

Best thing about travelling

The way it opens your mind. We get so bogged down in day-to-day living, and I find that travelling reminds me of just what else there is out there. I come back refreshed, with a different perspective and a new sense of creativity.

Top travel gripe

Airline food in general – rubbish! There are standout airlines that have lifted their game, but unless you're travelling business or first, it's worse than fast food.

lifeandleisure@afr.com.au