Each time I travel, I pack a few of my favorite things in my carry-on bag that I think are essential for travel. I think all of us have our favorite things for travel, and your list may be different than mine. Once you’ve taken a look at my list, I encourage you to let me know what your favorite travel things are
Noise Cancelling Headphones are my number one favorite thing for any long travel day! Of course they are most commonly used on flights, but I have used them on bus rides, and long car rides. The noise cancelling feature is great on flights because it drowns out that monotonous hum on the airplane. While many people think it is engine noise, it’s actually wind noise from the air going across the outside of the airplane at a high rate of speed. Of course if you are lucky like me and get seated near that screaming child (non-stop for 15 hours no less!), they do help to dull it just a bit. You can also use them with entertainment systems on flights, or with your personal entertainment device instead of using the earbuds some of the airlines provide. There are many good brands across a variety of price points, I personally own the Bose Quiet Comfort headphones and love them!
A scarf or wrap is another item that is a must-have for me on flights! I tend to get cold on longer flights and I’m not a fan of wearing multiple layers if I can avoid it. The seats get even smaller when you are bundled up for winter weather! If you don’t need it for warmth, you can also bunch it up and use it for a pillow. Many US Domestic flights do not provide pillows, and even if they do, do you really want to put your head on that pillow they provide? If nothing else, you can use the pillow or wrap as a pillow cover. They are also great for making that outlook that you are wearing for the second time look completely different! (Okay, so this is mostly a gal thing!)
Resealable Plastic Bags is something I carry in multiple sizes. Everyone knows you can use a 1 qt size bag for your liquids, fluids, and gels’ going through airport security, but not everyone thinks of the other potential uses during travel. They are great for organizing, snacks, left overs, or damp items. Did you take a long flight and want to freshen up before landing? Take a washcloth in a bag and you’ll have a way to keep it separate from everything else in your carry-on. As a note, washcloths are not common throughout many countries in Europe; taking your own is a sure way to have one! Do you want to go swimming the evening before an early departure? Put that swimsuit in a resealable bag, and you won’t have to worry about it making all of your other clothes damp.
Over the counter medicines is another thing I don’t leave home without. I actually tend to take things that we don’t normally take at home. For example, I always take some sort of allergy pills, pain reliever, cold medicine, diarrhea pills, and anti-nausea medication. If you are traveling domestically, you can probably take a couple of these off your list. I take all of these (and more!) when traveling internationally. When you are on a tropical island or in a foreign country, it isn’t always easy to get some of the things we take for granted. Some friends of mine can tell you about the challenge I had finding cold medicine in The Netherlands a couple of years ago.
Antibacterial Wipes are essential! I use them to clean the tray table on flights, counters and light switches in hotel rooms and cruise cabins, remote controls, and seats in public restrooms if no toilet paper to put down just to name a few. (Oh, and before you, yes, when traveling to some areas, I do also bring toilet paper with me.) You can get convenient travel packs of antibacterial wipes, I travel with one in my carry-on and additional in my checked bag.
This certainly isn’t my complete list, because of course I always take a book, sunglasses, sunscreen (even took it to Ireland on the edge of optimism!), hand sanitizer, a collapsible tote or backpack, multi-plug adapter (never enough outlets where I need them!), and snacks.
While this may not be the type of favorites list you were expecting, I hope it gives you some good ideas of what to throw in your travel bags for your next trip. If you have any must-have favorites, please reach out and share them with me!
Happy Travels,
Kelley