Love travel, but hate the process of getting there?
Me too! If you’re of a certain age, you remember when getting on a plane was a treat. Almost as fun as the destination.
Obviously, that’s changed, but there are things that I use to make my travel, if not fun, at least more stress-free.
My recommendations are from me personally, and I do not have any affiliate relationships with any of the vendors, so I am not being paid to promote anything. This is all a public service to you, my fellow travel lovers, to help make your trips better.
My Travel Essentials
1. Packing Cubes
I never understood what was the big deal until I tried them, and I quickly found out they are a life changer. All you do is roll up your clothes, put them in compressible packing cubes, and put them in your suitcase. Even packing them is simple because you don’t have to juggle them around like Tetris blocks to make them fit.
My preference is to pack them by item type. Pants in one, tops in another, underwear in a third, and so on. That way, when I get to my destination, I can easily find a clean pair of pants without rummaging through every cube. Other people like to pack by color so all their coordinating clothes are together. Whatever works for you is the best way.
My favorites are the ones I bought from REI. A little pricey at $44.95 for a set of three, I like them the best because they are sturdy and the compression zippers really compress no matter how much you stuff them.
I have tried other cheaper ones from numerous other vendors on Amazon, but they aren’t as well made and the zippers are not that sturdy.
For a short trip where you’re only using a roller board, the set of 3 is probably enough. But if you’re checking a bag and/or going on a longer journey, I would get at least 6.
2. Bluetooth adapter for your headphones.
After much angst over spending so much money, I finally invested about $300 in Bose over-the-ear noise-cancelling headphones. This was about 4 years ago, so the pricing may have changed. I have to admit I love them and they really do cancel a lot of noise. But, what to do if I want to watch a movie on the seatback screen?
You can always use the cheap headsets the airline gives out, but they hurt my dainty ears. (Yes, I have small ears, which is why I’m not a candidate for AirPods or similar. Anything placed in my ear channel hurts!). Plus, they don’t block out any noise. Why can’t I use my wonderful Bose headphones?
Then I discovered a miracle! The Avantree Relay is this small device that plugs into that round jack on the plane’s audio system, the same as the free and cheap headphones. But by pairing with your headphones, Bose or otherwise, you can enjoy the movie, music or whatever, using the comfortable, noise-canceling device you like. There are other brands available on Amazon, but I like the Avantree because they are simple to use, have a long battery life and let me enjoy the entertainment. As of October, 2024, they are priced at $31.99
3. Crossbody Phone lanyard
I am a fashionista and take great pride in my clothes and accessories. I don’t want to look like that unseasoned, naïve traveler they always make fun of in movies. But with all the stuff that you need to take and have readily available when you travel, I give up a little of my style for functionality in the form of a phone lanyard I can wear around my neck.
Yes, it looks a little dorky, but when I have my phone readily available, whether it’s for calls, to use the maps or to take photos and videos, the lanyard is a lifesaver. The one I’ve purchased each time I upgrade my iPhone (which of course is slightly different in size) is a faux leather (plastic) phone wallet from Bocasal. This photo is the one I bought because it lets me safely carry my phone, and a couple of credit cards and has a zipper compartment for cash or receipts. It’s reasonably sturdy and combined with a small purse or tote for sunglasses and water, I make it difficult for a pickpocket and I’m hands-free. Plus it’s only $24.99.
There are other models, including some that are RFID-protected (which is a good idea), so choose what works best for you. If you want to be more trendy, Bandolier makes beautiful real leather models for $100 plus, with the more all-function pieces topping $200.
4. Portable Waterpik
I’m terrible about flossing my teeth, and my gums reflect that. So at my dental checkup earlier this year, the hygienist recommended a Waterpik. Not wanting to do any more damage to my gums and teeth, I bought one and used it daily. Lo and behold, when I returned for a follow-up 6 months later, the hygienist was astounded at the improvement.
“But,” I told her, “I’m about to go to Europe for a month and I can’t carry this big device with me. The solution? Panasonic makes a travel-sized Waterpik which is compact, battery-operated (1 AAA battery) and worked perfectly. It’s $37.49 on, you guessed it, Amazon. It made my mouth feel much better and I didn’t have to give up this very beneficial dental routine.
5. Extra bag for your extra stuff
Even with the best intentions, sometimes it’s just hard to resist buying souvenirs even when you know you arrived with full suitcases. That bottle of wine you’ll never find at home, that handcrafted sculpture, the cool fashions that haven’t yet made it to where you live. What to do?
I just love my Baggalini, made out of indestructible nylon and it folds into a neat 8” W x 7” H X 2” D little pouch that I stash in my luggage. Then when I’m ready to return home, I put all of my dirty laundry in the Baggalini and my new treasures in my luggage. The nylon is sturdy enough to use it as a checked bag, and it’s saved me a lot of grief trying to re-pack with more than I started with.
Checking their website, this seems to be a retired style, but you may find something that works just as well. Our friends at Amazon have a number of options, and if you want to go upscale, the Longchamps classic Le Pliage, which comes in many sizes and colors, works the same as the Baggalini.
6. Small computer that fits on a tray table
What did I do before I got my Microsoft Surface laptop? I used to hate lugging my full-sized PC on flights. It was large, heavy, required clunky plugs and cables and was too big to fit on a tray table, so working on a flight was nearly impossible. So I didn’t. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t feel guilty for not using flying time to get work done so I wouldn’t need to stress about it on my trip.
Then I discovered the MS Surface. Small as an iPad, but with all the MS functionality that I use daily, it was the perfect solution. There are many versions, ranging from a few hundred dollars to just south of $2,000. I chose the skinnied-down Surface Go 3, which currently sells in the low $400’s. It’s Wi-Fi only, which is just fine with me because I can use it on a plane and then send emails or browse when I have Wi-Fi access, which is almost everywhere these days. I spent a little extra for a case with a keyboard and a mouse—because I’m just not that good with a trackpad—and I love it. It is a mirror image of everything on my home computer and I can carry it easily, even in one of my larger purses. Now, if I want to work on a plane, even in the most tightly packed economy seat, I can. And if I choose to just watch the movie, at least it’s a choice and not because I can’t access my computer.
7. Bathroom nightlight
How many times have you hit your shin on some unexpected sharp corner because you couldn’t find the bathroom in a foreign hotel? Finally, after getting too many bruised appendages, I discovered the perfect nightlight for my travels. So small, I can tuck it into my cosmetic bag, plus it even has a USB port to charge up whatever needs charging while I sleep. This one has the EU plug, perfect for me since so much of my travel is in Europe. But you could also plug it into an adapter for domestic North American travel, or to the adapter which works for wherever you are traveling.
8. Dual voltage round brush hair dryer
How many of you just love your Revlon hot air brush dryer? So much easier to use than a standard blow dryer in one hand and a brush in the other. Unless you’re a hair stylist, that’s a lot to manipulate to get your hair looking good.
The problem is, that the beloved Revlon model isn’t dual-voltage, which means it only works using 120V, the standard in the US. But you cannot simply convert it with a foreign adapter and use it in Europe or Asia or anywhere else with 240V. Not only will you blow out your hairbrush—pun intended—but you could even cause a fire. Just read the fine print on the box. It says for 120V only.
What to do. I searched far and wide for a dual-voltage version of my beloved brush. One time in Amsterdam, I even bought a European version, which was heavy and didn’t work that well. Then I discovered, via my friends at Amazon, a dual voltage version that I can use at home and anywhere I travel. All I need to remember is to bring the correct adapter to plug it into whichever plug configuration works where I am. This is the one I like, from a company called Plavogue.
At $49.99, it’s a great price and even comes with an international adapter. Has plenty of heat and I use it at home and on the road, so I don’t need to have two devices.
There you have it. These travel essentials are my favorites now. As I continue my travels, I’m sure to find other items that make travel simpler and solve that recurring question I always ask myself—“why didn’t I think of that.”
Happy travels, and subscribe to the Wine Lovers Travel newsletter so you’ll be first to know when I supplement this list of travel essentials.