My key phrase is “there are stores everywhere” and honestly packing sucks but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Here are some essential travel items for a short break that keep me feeling organized and make my whole process run smooth as it can be.

  1. Empty water bottle, almost every airport now has a “hydration station” or water fountain. Save spending on expensive bottled water when you can ease through security and “fill up on the inside.”
  2. Extra-long phone charger, you never know whether your final destination will have a convenient or difficult to reach outlet?
  3. Wrap or scarf I always think the cabins on airplanes are a bit chilly so I like to take a stylish large scarf that can do double duty as a blanket or an added extra layer.
  4. Head set preferably the plug-in type as you can never be sure of the Wi-Fi capability of the plane. If there is no tv or it’s not working, then you can always fall back on the trusty music channel.
  5. Fanny pack or small purse for the important things like passport, cash, travel documents I don’t like to add the stress of digging through large bags looking for any items. “Everything has a place” is another motto of mine.
  6. Reading material, once your Captain says switch off your electronics on to airplane mode it’s manual time and once again if your plane has connectivity issues or anything malfunctioning or broken you are thankful you thought to bring along your favorite book or magazine, I always pass off mine to cabin crew on exiting the aircraft and every time they are super thankful.
  7. Flip flops and not just for the hotter climes, these beauties come in handy for showers, early morning coffee runs and mostly if you have a heavy walking itinerary and just need a “feet break”
  8. Lip Balm can’t leave home without it, favorites are Burt’s Bees mint and cucumber and also the tinted variety, use as a lipstick too.
  9. Hanging toiletries bag is a great space saver and more hygienic in general, the larger the better for more storage.
  10. Revlon one-step hairdryer and volumizer, this is a hairbrush, dryer and styler all combined into one and is a complete game changer. You will never go back to bringing every hair appliance and accessories you own after using this genius product.
  11. USB portable charger because you always need the extra charging capabilities.
  12. Luggage Trackers I use them with all of my bags even the small carry-on cases, I attach it to my bag and if it ever gets lost, I will activate the code on the website and start to track it, most bags are recovered within 24 hours.

Being prepared means I also save money when I travel, this list shares my unique must haves to make for much smoother travelling, what are some of yours? I’d love to hear what everyone else can’t live without.