Looking my best on the road

I believe in looking my best — especially when I’m on the road.

It isn’t always easy. A few years ago, I flew from Cannes, France, to Los Angeles for the American Cinematheque Awards. The trip takes almost an entire day because of all the stopovers.

I had shipped my tux to the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, because I knew it would be a close connection from the airport to the hotel to the awards. I checked in, quickly changed out of my jeans and sweater into the tuxedo, and made it to the ceremony just as everyone was starting dinner.

I was sitting next to Gillian Anderson, who was the star of “The X-Files,” one of the most popular TV shows at the time. But something didn’t seem right. I inspected myself to make sure I hadn’t overlooked anything. The shoes were polished. The tuxedo, unwrinkled.

And then I remembered: I had forgotten to shower.

My obsession with the right appearance means more than overnighting an occasional tuxedo. Often, on longer business trips, I send all of my bags by FedEx. That way, I have clean, pressed clothes waiting at my destination.

And when it comes to my carry-on suitcase, I make sure it’s always stocked with clean clothes. I’ll even ship a duplicate bag with easy-to-replace but bulky items like running shoes and toiletries to my hotel. When I’m done with one, I just leave it at the hotel and take the bag with clean items to my next stop. No point carrying around a lot of dirty laundry.

Overnighting my luggage also prevents the inevitable confusion at the luggage carousel. Many bags look the same, so the odds of someone else carrying your luggage away are pretty good. A few months ago I mistakenly grabbed someone else’s Tumi bag at Kennedy Airport and brought it home. After I discovered my mistake, I called the bag’s owner, who was identified by a tag. He hadn’t yet realized he had the wrong bag, too. He was grateful for the call but insisted that I not dip into his supply of Ambien.

Now I keep a copy of my travel itinerary inside my luggage, with my contact information, so that anyone holding my bag will know not only how to reach me, but where to find me when I’m traveling.

All right, I admit it. I like to look good even when I’m on vacation. And that means no wrinkles.

A few years ago, at the Villa D’Este, a resort at Lake Como, Italy, I tried to steam a shirt and a pair of pants in my bathroom — something I do all the time — only to have the door handle fall off after I’d closed the door.

The situation became increasingly, um, hot and steamy.

Several staff members finally managed to get the door open. I was met with disapproving looks from them, especially when they saw what I was doing in the bathroom. (Apparently, steaming clothes in bathrooms is not a local custom.)

“Sir,” one of them said in broken English, “the spa is downstairs.”

Marc Juris is the general manager of Court TV in New York.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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