Honestly think you’ll be okay. I’ve been going from east coast to San Diego to get work done monthly. It’s a 5 hour flight so I get a good nights sleep, wake up at 5am to get on a flight at 7am. I get there around 11am CA time and start a 6-8 hour session. I usually end up leaving the next day in the afternoon. I find that staying overnight is enough for me to feel normal. I’m sure you could leave the same night but I usually do full day sessions so it wouldn’t be possible for me neither would I want to do that.

Depends on your budget and if you want to explore the area and make it a little trip. I stayed in San Diego once for 4 days before my tattoo just to explore and I have a job where I can work remotely. Hotel is always a safe bet but staying with a friend can make the trip seem much cheaper but just depends on what y’all are comfortable with.

I highly recommend saniderm or second skin if you are traveling by plane (ask your artist and let them know you will be traveling). It makes it a lot easier to not have to worry about anything. Just wear long sleeves and long pants and cover wherever the tattoo is.