International travel is more popular than ever! There are so many pieces that go into planning an international trip: flights, destination, hotel, activities, itinerary planning, what to wear, and what to pack. I have traveled all over the world including England, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Belgium, Greece, France, and most recently, Egypt! I am currently packing for an Amsterdam trip as I work on this blog post! I am sharing all of my favorite travel items that I bring with me for long flights as well as for when I arrive and travel internationally. All items listed below are items I use and pack for every trip that I take. I am not a light packer and prefer to have everything to make sure I’m comfortable and well-prepared for my trip.
Below you’ll find a list of my favorite items that you may want or need when taking your next international (or even domestic!) vacation! Click on each title to be directed to my personal favorites of each category:
This is most important to have to keep your passport safe and protected from getting bent or town. I also take my baggage claim tickets for each bag and store them in the pocket of my holder so that way I know where those tags are in the event my bags are lost and need to refer to the numbers. I also take a picture of these numbers before storing them so that way I have them stored in multiple locations.
I break these out as soon as I get to my seat on the plane before touching anything! I wipe down the seat, seatbelt, tray table, and TV screen. The amount of germs on planes is gross, so I do what I can to help lower the germ count around me. Some people look at me as crazy while I do this, but I don’t care! Most people look at me and think what a great idea it is and then I end up giving out wipes to share so they can do the same. It makes your space feel clean, which is a nice feeling, especially if you’re about to be on the plane for the next 9 hours.
Are you surprised I included this? Right after I wipe down my seat, I break out my sanitizer to clean my hands. This is great to have for when you’re on the plane and then while traveling. When you are eating on the plane, the odds are you have not just come back from the bathroom and had the chance to wash your hands. Being able to quickly use your sanitizer is better than nothing before eating anything.
I only wear a little mascara when I fly. I don’t wear any face makeup because I don’t want anything on my skin overnight for long flights. If you are planning to wear makeup through the airport, you should try and remove your makeup once onboard your long flight. Pack makeup wipes to use so that way you have a clean face before you take off. I also use these wipes right before I land to “wash” my face for a little refresh (what else I do right below!)
Travel Toothbrush/Toothpaste/Deodorant
Right when you are about to land before the seatbelt sign comes on, I take an “airplane shower.” I “wash” my face with a face wipe and put on my travel moisturizer, go to the bathroom and brush my teeth, and then use my deodorant. Depending on how long the flight was, I may change my clothes just for a quick refresh. It’s been a long night on a plane and this way I feel like I’m tricking my body into thinking it’s really the morning and won’t suffer from jetlag as much. I have been doing this the past few trips and it has helped me! I also use my eye patches to help with puffiness and dark circles that I’ll put under my eyes at the end of my routine so I can sit in my seat with them on. I have no shame in this lol!
These are my favorite to travel with and are also a bestseller on Amazon. They come in a box with packs of 2 patches, so it makes it super easy to grab a few packs and put them in your bag to take on the plane. They have no problem going through security and are super lightweight, making them easy to carry. They help with dark circles and puffiness under your eyes and are a great way to feel a little better after a long flight.
I LOVE my silk eye mask. I wear this when I’m trying to trick my body into sleeping for a while on the plane overnight. This is a great way to help get some sleep and to combat jet lag once you land at your destination. It is super comfortable on your face, doesn’t make line creases on your face or hair, and is lightweight. I love it.
If you are an Apple user, these are great to throw in your suitcases, especially if you are checking your bag. With so many flight delays and cancellations, sometimes your bag won’t make the connecting flight and you could end up with lost luggage for days (sometimes weeks like what happened to my client!) Using Airtags keeps you from having to rely on the airline to find your bags. As long as Bluetooth is turned on near your bag with the tag inside, you will likely be able to locate your bag. Google users (like me) aren’t as lucky right now and don’t have anything available, but there are some alternative options for Samsung/Android users).
Water can be expensive in an airport! I never board a plane without a big bottle of water. I don’t want to have to rely on a flight attendant to get me a drink, and you never know if your flight will be sitting on the runway for hours due to a weather delay. This way you’re able to keep yourself hydrated while you fly. Reusable water bottles are great because most airports have filtered water fountains you can use to fill your bottle. Keep in mind you have to go through security with an empty bottle and then fill it up once you are through. I personally don’t like the water fountain water and just deal with paying for a bit bottle of water at the airport, but have used this water bottle for many other occasions.
For international flights, most airlines will give out blankets and small pillows. I like to be comfortable and don’t want to use the ones from the airline, so I bring my own. That way I have it for the flight and at the hotel. I like having my own personal blanket knowing it’s never been used by anyone else before.
I LOVE this backpack! I have other agents I work with that also travel a lot and swear by this backpack as well. It has multiple compartments and holds a lot. There is also a small compartment with a USB cord for you to be able to pull out and use to charge your phone with the backpack on. I really love this one!
This is my absolute favorite purchase that I have ever made. This fan comes on all of my trips (including to the theme parks) and I’ll take it places with me in Orlando. It can be hot on planes and in airports, so it’s nice to have while traveling, but even nicer in Europe when it’s hot if you’re visiting the Mediterranean or Europe during the summer. This is the best purchase I have ever made. It charges on a portable battery charger, so it’s great to have on the go.
I don’t like selfie sticks and I don’t trust giving my phone to strangers or setting my phone on a tripod. There are too many stories of pickpockets or “grab and dash” so I do the old-school selfie. The pop sockets are great for holding your phone without worrying it will fall as well as keeping it stable while you are filming videos.
We have had this portable charger for a few years and it’s amazing. It can charge my phone twice, so it holds a great charge, charges fast, and isn’t terribly heavy. You pay a little more, but it’s great quality.
I like bringing a book on the plane with me so that way I can read a little to get my eyes heavy and help me fall asleep for the night on the plane. Time also goes fast while reading, so that helps too. I have a great book list for some fun beach reads if you’re looking for a light reading on your trip. All books on my recommended list are the ones that I have read and enjoyed.
I love having my own headphones and not the ones that airlines give out. This helps with the quality, noise canceling, and higher volume that you can hear.
Wireless Audio Headphone Transmitter
This is awesome! If the pesky wire bothers you for your headphones, you can bring your Bluetooth nonwired headphones, plug this into the audio jack of the airplane screen, and then you can use your wireless headphones to connect to the airplane TV! That way you can watch their movies/tv shows and don’t have to rely on your phone/tablet for entertainment.
I just used this in Egypt and it’s amazing. With it being so hot and full sun with a high UV index, I opened this up and it helped with the heat and blocking the sun. It’s a great product to have when you know you’ll be outside for long periods of time walking around without much shade. These would be great for theme parks and Europe (think visiting the Acropolis in Greece) in the summer!
Travel Adapter International Plug
The quality of these plugs is great. They work with all of our USB drives and make charging our electronics super easy.
Travel Voltage Step Down Converter
We used this step-down converter for the first time in Egypt. I was a little nervous to plug my American curling iron into the converter (I was waiting for it to smoke and overheat) but it never happen! I plugged in this converter to the outlet, then plugged my curling iron into this and it worked just fine! I also did this with my American phone charger cord and had no issues either. It was great!
Hotel mirrors and lighting can sometimes be horrible. I love this mirror so I can do my makeup anywhere and have great light no matter where I am. I have used this mirror everywhere. It is light and compact, so I carry it in my backpack onto the plane to avoid it breaking in my suitcase but you could pack it there too.
If you’re traveling on a cruise and can’t pack a portable steamer, this is a great alternative. We would spray our wrinkled clothes the night before and then again in the morning before we wore them and it really did work to get the wrinkles out of our clothes!
I swear by these Keds. These are the most comfortable sneakers I have ever worn. I have worn them around Paris, Germany, England, and Egypt and have never had complaints with them on. They are so comfortable that I bought another pair in case they stop making these shoes and I’ll have a backup pair!
I wore this hat for the first time in Egypt and loved it! It kept me cool, kept the sun off my face, and is so light it doesn’t feel heavy on my head. This is my new favorite travel hat!
I don’t travel with my full-size pillowcase anymore, but I do bring this to have when I get to the hotel so that way I can put it on the hotel pillow and make it feel more like home. You know how much I like being comfortable when I’m away from home!
Always check the weather before visiting your destination. Even if it only shows the sun, I would bring a raincoat as a backup because you never know if you’ll need it!
Always wear sunscreen, even if it’s cloudy outside!
When flying, you can get dehydrated very quickly. These packets are great, aren’t pumped with a ton of crap chemicals, and are great to have after a hot day walking around. They are a little salty, but not too salty to drink. I really like these.
Looking for more recommendations on what to purchase based on your travel destination?
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Love and Travel Dust,
Molly
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