Elizabeth Banks on Her Tips for Packing Light, the Destination That ‘Blew Her Mind,’ and Her Biggest Airplane Pet Peeve

Elizabeth Banks is a carry-on-only traveler. The actress, director, producer, and entrepreneur says she does not check a bag when she flies, even for long-haul trips, unless she absolutely has to. “I’ve done three weeks in Italy with one bag. Just bring those dresses that can roll up multiple times, and you get a couple of great bathing suits, a couple great sandals, and one pair of sneakers to hike or work out in. Otherwise, I pack very light,” she told Travel + Leisure recently. 

Besides rolling up your non-bulky items, she says the other key is to make sure wherever you are going has a steamer. But if they don’t, you can be sure she has a great travel steamer. 

Though she does tend to pack light so she doesn’t have to check a bag, she will make an exception on the way home if she goes shopping in her destination. “I’m also someone who will happily shop for things wherever I am,” she said. One of her favorite places she has traveled to was Istanbul, which she said had incredible shopping. 

A travel photo of Elizabeth in Istanbul.

Elizabeth Banks

“It blew my mind how incredible that place is. You can do a lot of shopping. So we ended up buying extra bags and shopping and bringing back stuff with us, because we had also gone there with just a carry-on bag. I always think on the way home, if it takes a little while for my luggage to get there, it’s not gonna be the end of the world, right? So, I’m happy to buy things when I’m on my way home.”

Banks, who recently starred in The Better Sister miniseries with Jessica Biel, may even start shopping right when she arrives in a new city, especially if she is trying to adjust to another time zone and beat jet lag. She tries to get out of the hotel almost immediately after checking in. 

“If it’s light out and I can be outside in the city, wherever I’ve landed, I do that immediately. I never spend time in the hotel. I immediately get outside! Being outdoors wakes you up—you get the sunlight, which tells your body what the time is. So walking around outside, for me, is number one. I immediately go, I drop my bags, and I leave the room.”

Banks tries to sleep as much as she can on the plane so she is able to get up and go when she arrives, and she’s all about moisturizing while in-flight.  “I find planes very drying, so I’ve got hand creams, I’ve got lip creams, I’ve got face creams. I mean, name it. I’m creaming myself up on that plane.” She draws the line at wearing a full face mask, though. 

With Elizabeth Banks

Go-to drink order on a plane? 

Skyhigh Spritz. Our bubbly is fantastic, but on JetBlue, we also have our sauvignon blanc, our rosé, and our malbec, which is a great red, and they’re all delicious. They just make it so easy to have a little cocktail on hand and sort of settle into what hopefully is going to be a really fun trip.

Favorite hotel in the world?

I’m gonna say The Lutetia in Paris. It’s an amazing hotel. I love staying there. They have an incredible hammam spa. It’s on the Left Bank, which I love. I’m a Saint-Germain-des-Prés girl in Paris. You can walk to so many amazing things from it. 

Go-to room service order?

Maybe burger and fries?

Weirdest item in your carry-on bag? 

I recently had my kids’ stress ball thing, where you squeeze and then the eyeballs pop out, or whatever that thing is. It looks like a little child’s toy. I ended up traveling with that. It was in the bottom of my bag forever, and I would just take it out and squeeze it.

Best celebrity travel companion?

I flew once with Woody Harrelson (her co-star in The Hunger Games films), and we had a real delightful time flying together. He’s just a really easy, fun person to be around. He’s got so many great stories. He knows everybody in our business. He’s done everything. He’s a particular person, too, and I find him fascinating to fly with.

When it comes to her favorite destinations, Banks has a love for wide-open spaces, like the fjords of Norway. She went there for a job recently and said it blew her mind.  “There were endless waterfalls, and the water was just incredible. I just really thought that place was so beautiful.” 

She’s also a fan of the American West, including Telluride, Colorado, and Wyoming. “I think that we have such an incredible gift here in the United States of the West, and I include California in that,” she said. “I love Big Sur, for instance. I remember the first time I went up there, driving on Highway 1, and just thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, this makes me feel like God exists.’ ​​I do think it’s important to highlight just how gorgeous America is, and why it’s really important to be preserving all that land, keeping it public and making sure that all the generations beyond us get to continue to enjoy it.”

In her years of traveling all over the world for work and leisure, Banks has seen it all. “I’ve had everything happen to me [while traveling],” she told T+L, mentioning that once, her plane was even struck by lightning. But the one thing that really upsets her on a plane? “Bare feet, 100 percent. Just why? Why aren’t you wearing socks? No one needs to see anyone’s feet. I have beautiful feet, and no one needs to see them.”

Thankfully, Banks has teamed up with JetBlue to make your next flight a little better, even if you do find yourself confronting a pair of bare feet. Banks is co-owner and chief creative officer of Archer Roose Wines, which has been served on JetBlue since 2019, including the label’s bubbly, sauvignon blanc, rosé, and malbec. And now, you can order the brand’s first signature cocktail, the Skyhigh Spritz, made with the bubbly and a splash of cranberry juice, on your next JetBlue flight. 

The Skyhigh Spritz from Archer Roose Wines and JetBlue.

Archer Roose Wines

Banks said this is an upgrade to their partnership with JetBlue.  “It was really being able to highlight what we believe is a great amenity that JetBlue wants to offer, which is delicious wine in a really cool format. And also, an awesome experience for their travelers.”  Now JetBlue passengers can even watch Banks explain how to channel your inner mixologist, no cocktail shaker required, in a funny new video streaming on the plane.