KEY POINTS:
Do you travel light or heavy?
I can do either. In the past when I was a fashion editor I travelled for the runway shows and it's impossible to pack light for those - you need shoes! If it's not work-related though, I'm a very restrained packer. I tried to go to Spain recently with nothing but hand luggage and was (nearly) successful.
Cattle or first class?
When I started as a feature writer on magazines in the 80s the airlines treated journalists like rock stars and we were always upgraded to business class. These days, they pretty much throw us in the cargo hold and bolt the door behind us. And while my Pony Club Secrets books are doing well, I'm not J.K. Rowling, so right now I'm in cattle with my partner Michael and our 8-year-old daughter.
I can't travel without...
A sleep-mask (I have an old one left over from the last time I flew business class). I can sleep easily if I wear it over my eyes to block out the cabin lights and take half a sleeping pill.
What type of suitcase do you carry?
I've got a silver Lojel case that I adore. My partner Michael bought it for me the last time he was in Singapore. I'm still looking for the perfect laptop bag for my Mac.
What's always in your hand luggage?
A Pony Club Secrets manuscript. I like to work while I'm on the plane.
Are you a planner or last-minute packer?
I make lists. I figure out complete outfits. I pack days in advance. I am a total geek.
What's the best thing you've brought back from a trip?
We were in Spain a couple of months ago and Michael was determined to bring back a paella pan. He made a big fuss about purchasing one, and was thrilled with his bargain because it was only $18. It was a huge faff to pack it, but he was as pleased as punch until he got back home and went to Sabato and saw them there for exactly the same price!
Favourite or most exciting airport to land in?
In terms of thrilling destinations, La Guardia at night with the New York lights below you is brilliant. Singapore has the best actual airport in terms of smart, streamlined efficiency, and Madrid's Richard Rogers-designed vast bamboo terminal is the coolest.
Best travel tip?
Don't have a huge farewell bash the night before you depart - there is nothing worse than getting on a plane with a hangover. I like to go swimming or running just before a flight so I don't feel like a giant slug sitting there for hours.
Most memorable trip?
I love the high speed AVE train between Madrid and Seville. Atocha train terminal in Madrid is the one that was blown up in 2004 and in memorial they've put in this amazing indoor garden which is staggering. Catching the AVE feels as jetset as being on a plane without any of the fuss and bother of going through customs. You just wheel your luggage on with you and it's all so swift and simple. Go business class and you get to use the posh lounge, plus the food on the train is brilliant too. My next book, Storm and the Silver Bridle, is set in Seville, and it mentions the train ride.
What do you do while on the plane?
I work - I edit manuscripts or even write the odd chapter on my laptop. I cannot stand the idea of being stuck there with all that wasted time. I work, or sleep and maybe reward myself with a movie at the very end.
Stacy Gregg is the author of the Pony Club Secrets series.
