TIPS: Smart Travel Hack: Order Groceries Before You Land for a Fresh Fridge at Home
Skip the post-vacation grocery run. Order your groceries while traveling and have them delivered to your door when you arrive home. With free WiFi on Air Canada, Porter, and WestJet, plus contactless delivery from services like Voila and Instacart, coming home has never been easier.
One of the worst parts of coming home from a trip? Opening your fridge to find empty shelves and expired milk. But there's a simple solution that more Canadian travelers are discovering: order your groceries before you even land.
Why Order Groceries While Traveling?
Instead of making that dreaded post-vacation grocery run when you're exhausted and jet-lagged, you can have fresh food waiting at your doorstep. With in-flight WiFi now available on most airlines, you can place your order from 30,000 feet and time the delivery for shortly after you arrive home.
How It Works
Most major Canadian grocery delivery services make this incredibly easy:
Services like Voila, Instacart, Uber Eats, DoorDash, Skip the Dishes, and PC Express all offer no-contact delivery options. Simply add delivery instructions noting you're traveling and would like items left at your door. Most drivers are accustomed to these requests.
Schedule Your Delivery Time
When placing your order on the plane (or before you leave), schedule the delivery window for 1-2 hours after your expected arrival time. This gives you a buffer for flight delays while ensuring your perishables don't sit outside too long.
Consider Your Climate
In Canadian winters, cold weather actually works in your favor—your groceries will stay fresh longer. In summer, time your delivery closer to your arrival or focus on non-perishables if you're worried about heat.
Pro Tips for Success
Order Prepared Meals
Many grocery stores offer ready-to-eat meals in their deli sections. Include one or two in your order so you can enjoy a home-cooked meal without the cooking when you arrive exhausted.
Stock the Essentials
Focus on breakfast items, coffee, milk, bread, and fresh produce—the things you'll need immediately and would otherwise have to shop for tired.
Use Insulated Bags
Some services provide insulated bags for perishables. You can also leave a cooler with ice packs by your door with a note for the driver.
Great news for Canadian travelers: Air Canada, Porter Airlines, and WestJet all now offer free WiFi on their flights, making it even easier to place your grocery order while in the air. Other airlines typically offer WiFi packages starting around $8-15, which is still worth it to ensure you have fresh groceries waiting at home.
The Bottom Line
This simple hack transforms your return from vacation. Instead of facing an empty fridge and another errand, you're greeted with fresh groceries and can actually relax after your journey. With Canadian grocery delivery services becoming more flexible and reliable, there's no reason to let post-vacation grocery shopping ruin your travel afterglow.
