I live in Connecticut and have been married 30 years to an American. I come to the UK four times a year - I've got two children who live here and we used to have a house on the south coast. It means that we travel back and forward a lot and the difference shows: you get more bang for your buck in the States.
When I was growing up, America was the other side of the world, and traveling seemed the height of luxury not at all what it seems like now. As for packing I try to keep it light. I have to have a mobile phone, and there are few other essentials. But the main problem I encounter when traveling is trying to get to sleep, so I always take blindfolds and ear-plugs - they're always building a new hotel next door.
When you're flying, it's always worth trying to blag your baggage on board with you, which is easier if you travel business class: I can't travel economy my any more. The lighter you travel, the better. I don't attach much importance to toiletries and other bits, I just buy wherever I go.
And as for clothes, I'm pretty easy going now. I used to torture myself to get the right gear in New York and London but you get to an age when you look stupid in that stuff. Now I just travel with 20 black T-shirts and black pants.
You should try to carry on your guitars and instruments - you can put 'fragile' on them as much as you like, but they'll still sling them around like a sack of potatoes.
I find holidays are a nightmare. I've had about three in 30 years. I can't sit on beaches - I'm thin-skinned and go bright red, and get sunstroke in Rhyl. But I'm bored too - I just want to write songs. I've been to Bermuda but I couldn't take just sitting around. Having said that, we did have a good time in Hawaii: we saw some whales from the coastal road. All the cars stopped, people, jumped out - I thought there'd been an accident. I was totally captivated. Even so, now I've seen a whale or two, I don't get a great urge to do it again.
It was fantastic when we started Mott The Hoople. We were living in holes, and so staying in a Holiday Inn was like a palace. Also; back in the 1970s, countries still retained their identities a lot more. Now everywhere's starting to look the same. It was wonderful, until we made a few bob. Then our homes got better, and we started to enjoy not traveling.
It was always great to go to America, where Little Richard and Chuck Berry came from. I've been across America on a bus three times, and it's great with the music on. But I don't really listen to music on the move any more: it's a bit like working in an ice-cream factory for years - you get sick of the taste of ice cream. But my son's in a band called American Degenerate and I've been lis tening to his stuff.
There's always a bit of family conflict over our holidays. I've tried to tell them I'm no good at it; that holidays make me miserable. And to think I'm paying for it too! But it looks like we'll have to go to Italy next year. I guess it could be fun.
Ian Hunter's new album Rant is out tomorrow on Papillon Records Best known for being the singer in glam rock band Mott The Hoople, he has enjoyed a long solo career He is also going on tour in Britain on 3 June. Check out his tour dates at www.ianhunter.com .