7 Things I Love for Traveling
7 of My Travel Must Haves
My random travels these past few years have taught me a few lessons (i.e. a $7 local mocha shaved-ice at the Maui flea market tastes way better than the overpriced $7 Figi water in the airport) on how to travel more and travel smarter while getting the best bang for my buck. And yes, I'm always looking for a deal because I have an enormous travel bucket list to conquer before I die. In no particular order, here are some of my favorite travel go-to's that always make it into my luggage.
1. Vapur Water Bottle. Forget the $7 water in the airport! This baby is my all-time favorite source for travels. It's extremely lightweight, rolls up to a super small size when empty, and has a clip to attach to your suitcase. I got the 1-Liter Size and filled it up in airports, artisan wells and hotels. It's completely reasonable in price, durable and easy to clean. It also holds an impressive amount of wine, not that I've tried or anything...
2. Bedtime Bliss Sleep Mask. Contoured to your face so it's not smushed against your eyes, this is the best eye mask I've tried for traveling. There's enough space that it doesn't mess up your makeup if you're taking an afternoon cat nap and don't want to redo your makeup afterwards. I've worn this mask in planes, trains and cars and it's like instant lights out - perfect for a light sleeper like myself. Excellent in helping with jetlag when you need the rest, but the rising sun is messing with your eyes. Bonus, it came in a pouch for easy and small storage and included a pair of ear plugs! Shoutout to my fellow B-School Babe Davina for killing it with this awesome design!
3. Inflatable Neck Pillow. Okay so we all know how much it sucks trying to sleep comfortable on a plane or train, right? Neck pillows are awesome for helping with this by supporting your neck so you're not at a constant slump. Only thing is, if you're anything like me and travel with a very full suitcase, a pillow is just one more annoying thing to try packing in when you're not using it. Bam, insert the inflatable neck pillow invention! This little game changer made my day when it came in the mail in a pouch smaller than the size of my hand and easily blew up in less than 10 seconds to a velvet cushiony dream piece (don't ask where I come up with this sh*t).
4. Skyscanner.com. Okay this isn't a product, but I completely love this site for accessing the best months to travel on a budget. If you're wondering how people insist it's easy to travel on a budget, here's a couple of insider tips (disclaimer - this definitely doesn't work as well if you don't have a major airport to fly from and flexibility is key). First of all, always search your flights from a private tab. Airlines can track how many people are researching for certain flights and can raise the prices if it seems to be a popular ticket. For me, in my Google Chrome tab, I just go to file and click on "New Incognito Window".
Next, head on over to https://www.skyscanner.com/ where you can select your departure airport. From here - if you're flexible, you can usually go somewhere within your budget. On the "To" tab, select Flexible. On the Dates tab, click Whole month and then Cheapest Month. Hit Go. The most inexpensive tickets all around the world available to you will be shown. Cool, right?! Of course if you know you want to fly to Ireland, but you're flexible with dates, you can put that in the "To" and still select Flexible dates. This will show you the current cheapest months to fly to your destination. For me, it looks like I can get from Seattle to Milan for around $540 in May, which must be the cheapest month to travel there.
5. Colgate Wisp Brushes. Mini freaking toothbrushes, no toothpaste needed. I can't tell you how many times these little guys have come in handy while traveling! Waking up from a snooze over a 6 hour flight, drinking a coffee and downing those delicious Delta Biscoff cookies (I always ask for double) always leave my mouth feeling gross. A quick scrub down with these disposable brushes are a life saver.
6. Packing Cubes. If you're anything like the old me and use the method of literally throwing everything into the suitcase, zipping it shut, and opening it up at my destination to a total tornado - you're going to love packing cubes. Now I haven't tried the exact brand listed over to the side here (mine are from Ikea), but I swear these help me pack more and stay better organized. All shirts that need to be laid flat go in the big ones, small wrinkle-free items get rolled super small and zipped into the smaller sizes, while shoes get their own to keep dirt off the clothes. The mini ones are great for storing all your toiletries. It's SO much easier finding my stuff when I arrive and helps protect the nicer items in my suitcase.
7. Cleansing Wipes. Last but not least, I always carry cleansing wipes of some sort for my face. I'm not a total germaphobe, but there is something about the gross circulating air out of those airplane/train vents that makes me feel dirty. It's not uncommon for me to refresh my face after a flight or use Thieves antibacterial wipes to wipe down my tray table in flight. I sure used quite a few wipes to clean up the restroom counters and wipe down the seats I was creating my bed on when I took the 26hour train from ND to WA last spring!
There you have it! 8 of my favorite travel go-to's that come with me on just about every long distance flight or train ride. Travel more and travel smarter. Happy Explorations! XOXO
Just an FYI and to make your day easier - you can click directly on these Amazon Buy Links and purchase right from there! Being an affiliate, I may get a small gift card from them if you do - so thank you in advance for your support! Don't feel pressured though, feel free to shop around and find your own favorites. I just wanted to give you an opportunity to try my personal faves!