It’s travel season in Modern Mrs Darcy land. Several members of our team are embarking on big trips this spring; my own family is embarking on a modest little adventure soon (while planning something kind of major for down the road). Many of you are on spring break right this minute! No wonder I have travel on the brain.
Will and I got to talking this week about our best travel tips. Mine were about planning and packing, but his were a lot more fun—and so I’m going to borrow them for this post about “my” best travel tip.
When I asked Will for his best tip, the first thing he said was, “if you have the chance to get all-you-can-eat gelato, take it!”
Many years ago—when the kids were much younger—my family of six took a family trip to the Florida panhandle with my parents. We stumbled into a gelato shop on their all-you-can-eat night: it was obviously more expensive than a two-scoop serving, but we adored the idea of getting to try any flavor we wanted, so we went for it. And friends, I’m not sure I can adequately convey just how much fun it is—whether you’re five or sixty-five—to get to try any flavor you want to in the gelato shop. Nearly ten years later, we’re still talking about that night.
Of course, the important thing here isn’t the gelato, but the principle of the thing: go a little wild and enjoy an experience you’ll remember forever.
Will says another travel tip he now relies on is to plan on visiting the marquis sites: the Biltmore mansion, the Empire State Building, the top of the Eiffel Tower (the latter an experience neither of us has had but would very much like to). This may sound obvious, but an area’s big destinations—or “signature experiences”—often come with a big price tag that can be hard to swallow. Not always, but often. In those moments, Will says it’s again helpful to remember that life is a series of experiences, and even though our splurges may not come cheap, the memories are priceless.
Will’s tips were about gelato, so what were mine about? Logistics. Which sounds boring, but I can be an anxious traveler—and it helps me to pretend I’m leaving a day before my actual departure, so I’m not rushing around tying up loose ends at the last minute. I cannot confirm this anywhere on the internet, but I’m pretty sure I read this tip in a paperback Rick Steves travel guide, when I was fourteen years old and my parents were planning to take my brother and me to Germany for the first time.
Another thing I swear by, that Will hasn’t yet embraced: packing cubes. I first used these for my 2018 book tour and have been a packing cube evangelist ever since. I can fit so much more in my suitcase (or duffel) this way; in fact, with the cubes the limiting factor isn’t how much stuff I can pack, but how heavy my bag becomes with so much packed inside. (I have a Calpak 5-piece set; a similar version is available at Nordstrom Rack for less.)
Do YOU have travel on the brain? What’s your best travel tip? Tell us the travel advice you swear by in the comments section.
P.S. Try the Bakewell tart, and other rules I’m learning to live by, plus our literary tourism series.
82 comments
I travel weekly for work, and I think it makes me a bit lackadaisical about planning and perhaps a bit impatient for those in my household who are a bit more anxious.
My travel tip is controversial but if you’re travelling with kids, check your luggage… it’s so much easier to navigate the airport with just a backpack, holding the kid’s hand than with a suitcase. My 5 year old can manage his own things but I just want to be unencumbered, especially when travelling in Europe where you have to climb the steps to the plane.
I agree. I don’t have small kids anymore, but I still check my bag. It’s so much less stressful to not have to tote it through the airport, into restrooms, and jockey for overhead space. Once it’s checked, I can relax and let the vacation start.
I always check my bag. It’s too stressful for me otherwise. On this one you have to weigh your personal anxieties about the varying considerations.
I also love packing cubes as everything stays organized.
I have a kindle carrying case, which also holds all my charging cords.
I started putting my vitamins and supplements in those plastic daily pill containers for vacation but now I use them daily as I bought enough for a month (4) and then you don’t have to bring/open a bunch of bottles.
I always travel with backpack (keep purse inside it) and carry on roller bag – makes traveling so much easier. I also always bring a few tea bags in a ziploc. Happy travels my reading friends!
My tip for when you’re a family of 4-6 and you have some short children who can’t help but kick the seat in front of them due to their short legs:
Sit the kicky ones in the row behind their taller siblings/parent in that row. That way, kids are kicking their own family rather than a stranger.
Also helps for passing things back and forth. Harder when you’re across the aisle.
I also swear by packing cubes, lots of lists and checking them off, and traveling with a sharpie, pen, and scissors (if checking luggage or driving)
I travel a lot. Packing cubes do not save space. If space is premium, roll your clothes.
What packing cubes are great for is undergarments and socks.
If you have children and sharing one suitcase the cube is great for organizing everyone’s clothes. Each person gets their own cube.
I have to disagree about the travel cubes not saving space. I travel a lot for work as well (usually for a week or longer), and I’ve learned from experience that I can pack quite a bit more using a packing cube that compresses down, especially when it comes to larger items like jeans, dresses and light sweaters – those items make for bulky roll-ups. Plus it helps when I can divide outfits into packing cubes based on daily use.
Even better-roll your clothes IN the packing cubes! You get the benefits of both. 😊
That’s exactly what I do!
Can you explain the scissors? What do you do with them?
I second the scissors. I cannot tell you how many times this would have come in handy. Cutting tags off purchased items, cutting off airline tags. Very useful item to have. Doesn’t have to be a big pair. Small pair will do just fine. Check in your bag. I keep a pair in my car always.
My husband and I have taken lots of long road trips over the past 5 years. Here are a few things we recommend:
📍Clean and check your vehicle before you leave and during the trip.
📍Loved using the Roadtrippers App and HearHere App for trip planning and points of interest along our route.
📍Plan a variety of entertainment ahead of time. Download audiobooks, podcasts, and/or a few playlists for variety.
📍Be friendly!
📍Be flexible.
📍Take the scenic route.
📍Go off the beaten path and enjoy the small towns.
📍Speak with locals, park rangers, forest rangers, and welcome/visitor center staff for recommendations and tips. They are an amazing resource for helpful information and hidden gems!
📍Some national parks, museums, and attractions require reservations. Plan ahead.
📍Check days and hours of attractions.
📍If you plan to visit a museum, beware of arriving on a Monday. Nine times out of ten, it will be closed.
📍For the desert, bring eye drops and moisturizer. Don’t forget sunscreen, sunglasses, hats, and LOTS of water!
📍Always bring window cleaner and paper towels!
📍Packing Cubes! I’ve been using them for 5 years and can’t imagine traveling without them. They keep me organized and save so much time!
📍If you like coffee, bring some with you in a travel friendly form. Note: Most Las Vegas hotels do not have coffee makers in the room, and it’s a long walk and a long line at the nearest coffee shop. Plan accordingly! I have a small travel tea kettle and bring a quality instant coffee – just in case!
Air Travel:
📍Put an Air Tag in each checked bag.
📍Put together a small bag of flight essentials such as earbuds, chargers, mints, snacks, chapstick, books, kindle, etc. for easy access.
Gosh, you could write a book. Great ideas. I would add plan not arrive in a small town on a Sunday when everything is closed, including restaurants, and gas stations.
I also swear by Air Tags especially currently with excess lost luggage and delays.
For a long flight, I download ahead of time a movie or two on my iPad from Amazon prime video or my local library because you never know if you’re going to have a functioning video screen at your seat. When we flew to Ireland in September, one of our traveling companions had nothing to watch for the entire eight hours because his screen wasn’t working and there was no place the flight attendant could move him to.
Not relying solely on the seatback video screen is a great tip! My husband & I were in that situation a few years ago on a 10-hour flight (mine worked, his didn’t). I happily traded seats with him, though, since long flights are one of my favorite opportunities to read. I also make sure to bring a paperback in reserve and not just rely on my Kindle/phone (I think I started doing this after an episode of Modern Family in which somebody sits on Jay’s e-reader and breaks it just as they’re about to board the plane to Hawaii!).
These are such great suggestions!!!
The air tag is a great tip and helps with peace of mind.
Can you share your travel tea kettle?
I’ve travelled with my children alone without a second adult to help since they were preschoolers. I never check my bags because that means waiting for bags to come down to the baggage area at the end of a long trip. We’ve only ever travelled with three carry-ons. I don’t own a full size luggage. We only travel in the summer because I’m a schoolteacher so the clothes we travel with are easy to pack, no extra shoes. To avoid luggage fees here in Canada we take our bags with us right to the gate so if the plane is too full and they insist we check our bags, then we’re checking them at the airplane door not in the airport terminal where they are more likely to be lost AND they don’t charge us the bag fees. Last Christmas, Apple AirTags were a game-changer.
Our biggest tip for traveling is what is unique about the place we’re in – it helps reduce decision fatigue about where to go and what to eat. We also love repeating things to make it memorable. Last year in Portugal we had a cafe we went to for almost daily coffees and we had gelato a few times a week. That ritual made the time memorable and it wasn’t a big splash of a thing.
Yes to packing cubes! They are lifechanging.
Something I’ve been doing lately is changing the sheets on my bed at hom before we leave on a trip. Yes, it takes a little extra time on an already busy day but it is SO nice to come home to fresh sheets. The best feeling.
I’m the opposite. I feel so grubby and washing my hair at night is a hassle so I sleep in my old sheets on the night we return. Next day is a nice hot shower in the morning and putting clean sheets on the bed. :#)
Totally agree about the clean sheets on arrival from trip!
I travel to quilting retreats several times a year, often just long enough in between trips to forget an item or two that I would usually bring along. I typed up a Packing List and keep it on my computer, ready to print out when a retreat is on the horizon! I keep it updated, each time writing in anything new and dropping something I no longer use. All of my friends have asked me to forward The List to them and I’m still often asked for The List! It includes all of my personal items, with a section at the bottom for my sewing items. There’s even a section for the items I need when our Rocky Cat comes along!
And I have to ask – how does anyone find their socks or underwear if they don’t use packing cubes?????
I do the same thing but in a digital format! I have lists for different types of trips (beach, camping, winter etc) on my phone and just turn items on and off as I’m preparing for a trip. I’ve done this since my kids were born so my list still includes all the baby stuff and it’s both happy and sad when I don’t add any of those items to my lists anymore!
I just started using cubes last Christmas because a few came with a new luggage I bought. Until then I was using large Ziploc bags which are way easier to get the air out of then the cubes (think vacuum seal). And you can reuse them over and over again. One bag for socks, one bag for underwear, one bag for T-shirts.
I too use the extra large zip locks. They are so convenient and easy to take in and out of bags. I always put an extra in for dirty laundry.
I think packing cubes should be mesh/lightweight/see thru fabric so you know what’s in each cube.
I agree with gate checking – after having had my luggage not delivered to my destination. Also, I drove a couple hours to pick up a traveler during that miserable holiday fiasco of delays/cancelations. So great to have his bag with him so he could blow off that last connection.
Pick a color scheme so that you can mix and match rather than plan for certain “outfits.”
I also pack corded headphones rather than rely on bluetooth/chargeable.
I also love my kindle, but I also find using a large rubber band is the best way to keep my place in a book or magazine.
Lastly, I rarely stop for coffee but I love having money on my coffee shop cards for snacks at the airport.
I can’t wrap my head around how packing cubes help you fit more in your bag.
Yes! I need a tutorial or something.
I don’t think I’m using packing cubes to their full potential, but here is how they help me: 1) Putting one together for the night before a trip OR the night before going home (especially if we’re staying near an airport) – so it just has pajamas and the next day’s clothes, so we don’t have to mess with the suitcase. 2) Using them for specialty outfits – I’ll pack one for Swimming – bathing suit, coverups, sunscreen, etc. or Special Occasion – my outfit and accessories for a wedding or other event. 3) Using as a laundry bag after a few days.
I’d love to hear what other people do to make them work so well!
There are 2 types of packing cubes. Regular and compression. The compression cubes definitely allow me to bring that extra pair of jeans or jacket or…. Always carryon and can travel for weeks. Eagle Creek cubes are great. Be sure to get compression cubes that fully open.
For me, I use compression packing cubes & that allows me to bring items for sunny days or rainy days in France whether in Paris or Nice (at the beach). As I’ve gotten older, when unpacking, I write on a notecard what was in each packing cube so it’s easier to pack next time. Larger one holds two medium shaker stitch sweaters- compressed. When I had children 0-10 years old, I put each outfit in a gallon size bag for each of them. As a university student, one of mine prefers to roll her clothes around and squish in balls of socks and underwear- I’m impressed with how much she brings! But me, I like my clothes more organized.
I don’t think they do either, they just help keep your stuff organized. Ziploc bags that you can squeeze the air out of have always been my go to. I reuse these bags over and over and over again.
Would love to know the name of the gelato place. I’m pretty much stuck on that right now.
Me too!!!
I have my toiletry kit fully packed
at all times. I have duplicates of everything I use, toothbrush, toothpaste, makeup, styling brushes, hairdryer. All my shampoo, conditioner, styling products are in 3.5 oz containers. And I refill them upon my return from a trip. I have an electronics in an organized as well, with duplicates of each of the chargers I use (iWatch, iPhone, kindle) plus a charging block. The toiletry bag and electronics bag stay fully packed in my carryon, all the time, since everything in them are duplicates of what I use daily. This system saves me much effort and anxiety when I’m packing.
We just returned from Italy and my first time using an AirTag. We put one in my husband’s backpack so we could find him as he tends to walk slower and wander. We’ve also learned to fly in a day earlier than a tour starts in case air travel gets delayed. It is less stressful and we can acclimate to/explore the city before joining the tour. We just did this in Venice and it was well worth it as we had time then to go to one of the other islands. We’ve also learned to sit at the bar when we eat meals because that’s where you are more likely to talk to locals and receive fabulous tips for touring and eating. Along those same lines, I often search the internet for ‘where do the locals eat’ and often receive wonderful results off the beaten path. I used vacuum bags ( the ones that don’t need a pump) rather than packing cubes, but might give the cubes a try also.
Airtags to keep track of husbands…great idea! 🙂
Get a credit card that comes with travel insurance. If your flight is canceled or seriously delayed for bad weather or if your bags are lost or show up three days later, you won’t be out any money since insurance will reimburse for any necessary purchases. I still buy medical travel insurance for overseas trips, but otherwise, my credit card has really good coverage which, to me, fully justifies the $95/year fee.
Only once have I had to use it (so far!) when bad weather caused my flight to be canceled, and the airline couldn’t get me on another flight until the next morning. Airlines don’t pay for a hotel when weather is the cause.
Yes, yes to this. I have one that I just have for travel. Yes, it has a fee, my everyday one doesn’t but the peace of mind is worth it
There are so many great tips here! I thought of a few more:
📍First aid kit
📍Laundry sheets
📍Picnic kit – includes plastic tablecloth, cutting board, knife, utensils, and corkscrew (road trip)
📍Use the ironing board in hotels for extra counter space
📍On cruises – bring magnet hooks for extra storage
Your mention of Rick Steves and gelato brought back memories of two of my favorite things in Rome. We stayed in a small, off the beaten path hotel Rick Steves mentioned in his guide book. It was close to transit and near fabulous, small, local restaurants. One nearby gelato place served as our dinner one night ( not just our treats many days). You don’t have to stay in the ritziest of places to have a fabulous trip.
My biggest tip is take very little with you. Do not overpack. You’ll make do and your back will thank you for it.
I like to make a list mentally & then actually writing down and crossing things off in the days leading up to the trip.
I basically pack over the week leading up to my departure and then I pare things down. It always feels great to be able to have the chance of removing things from my bag, while I still can.
See as many UNESCO World heritage sites as you can. They never disappoint.
Also, I know many people like to “wing it” on trips. I am the opposite. I like to research. I really enjoy the planning. It is a big part of the fun for me. I love to see everything that is around the area I’ll be visiting. Nothing worse than missing out on something.
I cannot believe I have been to London twice & not gotten to Hampton Court!
Never put off the opportunity to travel. My first big trip was to Europe with a school group when I was 14. It truly was a dream trip, a grand tour. My mother and younger brother were part of the large group. I loved it!!!
Would you believe I did not go back for 20 years. Not sure where the time went. I regret not visiting more in the in between years.
Now I have family living abroad & have gone multiple times. Travel is such a great adventure, so be sure and go for it anytime you get the chance.
When in Italy, my group had a gelato rule – anytime we saw an open gelato shop (or stand), we had gelato. It was sublime and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
I put serums and foundation in contact lens solution holders – compact and designed to hold liquids.
Do you mean contact lens holders? This is a great idea!
I want to reinforce Will’s thought on “signature moments”. I make spreadsheets for our destination vacations, and group the expenses by travel costs, hotels, food, and entertainment. Though the individual costs of entertainment may seem large, the total for that category is always smaller than any of the other costs. When you see how much you’ve spent to travel to and stay in a place, it makes no sense at all to skimp on the sights you traveled to see!
Ditto to some already mentioned: packing list, packing cubes, checking luggage (less stressful for me in the airport and on the plane). Others: mini-Febreze (to freshen stale air in accommodations or clothing); visit highlights early in your trip (we scheduled the Louvre on our last day one time and they changed thier closure day! Lesson learned. We got there a few years later).
I always have a quick photo of myself taken with our guide at the end of a tour – for any kind of tour: museum, historical, architecture, winery, brewery. Whenever one of these photos pops up on my phone or when scrolling, I’m reminded of that tour, and that vacation!
My tip is if you are dreaming of going to the top of the Eiffel Tower but holding back because you think it will be too expensive…think again! I just took my daughter to Paris for a special trip, and it was much more affordable than I had imagined, and actually cost us less than trips within the US! We went off season in November, which probably helped with cost, but our weather was perfect and crowds were minimal. Go for it!
My favorite travel tip is – go to a local grocery store for souvenirs. I love seeing the regional chips, drinks, cookies, etc. It’s a fun way to extend the trip once you get home.
I also like to group possible activities by categories like: Things to Eat/Drink, Things to See, Activities to Do. It helps mix and match activities depending on your mood/energy level, which I like better than having a set itinerary. For example, on a trip to the Everglades and Florida Keys, the objectives were: Drink Cuban coffee, try conch fritters, see manatees, and go to Mallory Square for sunset. We added in other scheduled tours and shows, but this helped make the days feel fun, while also just roaming around.
Create and use an packing list. I have developed multiple lists over the years, including general, RV trip, winter sports trip, and international travel. I keep them saved on my laptop and then edit and print one specifically for my upcoming trip. I even have a section of items ‘to do’ before I leave that includes things like ordering a mail hold, watering plants, and turning off the icemaker. I would often forget my hairbrush, but not with these lists. And, I get a better night’s sleep before a flight because I’m not worrying about what I might have forgotten.
Great ideas ♥️ My all-time favourite travel tip, however, is to READ novels before/during/after set in the places you are travelling. There is just something so wonderful about reading a book about the exact place you’re wandering… whether the Da Vinci Code while taking in Paris & the Louvre, Louise Penny while exploring Quebec… Bryson’s In a Sunburned Country while gallivanting around Aus. Those memories will stick forever!
100% agree with this. Before going to Italy last summer, I reread Dan Brown’s Angels & Demons and Inferno. He puts so much research into the books that it made the tours in Rome, Florence, and Venice that much more interesting because I was already familiar with the history of the pieces. Reading the books also just helps me get in the mood for a place – I love it!
Yes Jess! I also love the sense of nostalgia reading the books afterwards too. Such fun! I read that one too when in Rome, and later Doerr’s Four Seasons in Rome. Great memories!
I agree with visiting the local grocery store for souvenirs. It’s way more fun than grocery shopping at home!
When I worked in travel many years ago, we told people “pack half as many clothes and take twice as much money”. You can usually get by on fewer clothes, plus you save room to buy something new
All the gelato talk makes me think of the Italy episode of Somebody Feed Phil! ❤️
My tip is to buy the travel insurance as soon as you book the ticket (not just before you leave). Unfortunate things can happen while you are home (and I don’t think it costs more).
My second tip is to review your packing list when you get home and note what worked and what didn’t.
Thirdly, make the trip yours – lean into your interests. I really wanted to go to The Barnes Foundation in Philly to see the Renoir paintings in particular (I live in Australia). So I kinda planned my trip around that. Obviously I did other things as well, but people were shocked when I told them that was the basis of my trip, but for me it was perfect.
A fun thing I do and would be fun with kids if you are going to have free time is to make a scavenger hunt list of things to look for and take pictures. This is cheap entertainment and makes you more aware of your surroundings. While walking around a new place, I always look for:
*a cat in a window
*a street or business named for a family member (Sam’s Hardware, or Smith Lane)
*today’s newspaper headline
*cornerstone with a date
*flags
*local high school mascot
This is something that you can discuss on the way there. Older kids can challenge each other.
(I’m preparing for another cross-country train trip right now.)
I travel as often as family health matters allow, and I love to travel solo or with my partner (my son has his own family now.) I bring as little as I can, I use both compression packing cubes and regular ones, rolling clothes to save space. (Shoes and outerwear are the hardest parts to do well with, in my book.) I bring my phone, ipad and chargers, a journal to write in and one to sketch/watercolor in, and only, ever, use carry-on. (I dislike being separated from my things.) When my son was younger and without his own family, and we traveled, by air or by car trip, I oversaw his packing, but he carried it, he kept a diary and (working in concert with his teachers) answered questions about what he saw, what was different for him, what was fun, or scary, what he would do again or recommend for his friends to do. We’d go over where we would be that day on a map, and once he was 8 he was keeping up with us on a map, whether we were in a city, driving or taking trains, so his sense of geography developed nicely. His keepsakes were usually coins, stamps, tickets, picture post cards, pins, and the like. Now, solo or with my fellow, we focus on daily hikes, good food, and a mix of art museums, architecture, historical sites, and just being in pretty places. Tips – those cubes, bringing freezer bags, bringing a single body and shampoo bar for those few places that don’t provide a product, separate coin purses for different currencies, and a multi plug for device charging and use. Stay alert to surroundings, listen to your inner voice on security matters, have your general schedule and a copy of any reservations, flights, passport, credit cards etc with a friend or family member, and relax and enjoy!
• When you book flights, buy the travel insurance. Changing or canceling flights is a major expense.
• When you pick up a rental car, check whether your regular auto insurance will cover it before shelling out the high rental insurance.
• I, too, have a packing list on my computer which I tailor for each trip. I keep the master list on my laptop (which I usually leave at home), and the tailored one on my phone.
• I never check luggage, as it gets lost too easily and doesn’t always make it through short transfers. I’ve traveled all over the world and have learned to pack what I need for 2 weeks in a single carry on. Always one with wheels, swiveling ones even better. Your personal bag can just sit on top of it, straps draped over its handle. Really think about what you need. Overpacking is the biggest mistake people tend to make, and you want space for souvenirs if you get any.
• I do use travel cubes sometimes for things like underwear, bras, socks, and loose stuff, and only pack them once I’ve put together outfits to make sure I have enough (and appropriate) undergarments for each one. Then I’ll use packing cubes for things like “all” the t-shirts). I don’t always use them for socks and miscellany because sometimes they just fit better tucked into the sides of what would be otherwise wasted space or stuffed into a 2nd pair of shoes if you’re taking them.
• If you’re flying, don’t pack loose liquids or lotions unless they’re in your toiletry kit or plastic bag. Tighten covers. One leak and clothes are toast. Liquids and lotions max 3.5 oz. for TSA requirements.
• I try to pack clothes that go together, so I can reuse the more neutral items, thereby packing less.
• Include 1 or 2 empty plastic bag(s) for damp stuff, shoes, or laundry as you wish.
• I keep a small, always ready “go-bag” of essential toiletries and cosmetics, a hairbrush, and an extra charger that I only use on trips. My go-bag includes travel sized Tylenol and Ibuprofen, Immodium, a few bandaids, and a tiny antibiotic cream for minor needs. Any major item can be procured in the hotel or a local pharmacy.
• If planning to do lots of driving, bring a car charger.
• If heading internationally, take a universal adapter with a USB port.
• If you do check your luggage, always include the basic toiletries, and a clean shirt and underwear in your “personal” carry on, whether it’s a zip tote or backpack, to tide you over if your bag is lost, as it usually takes a day or more to locate it.
• Always put prescription meds (in a compartmentalized daily pill holder or individual tiny bags marked with the day and AM or PM if applicable) in your personal bag, NEVER in checked luggage. Don’t take full bottles unless it’s a really extended trip. Just include a couple of extra days in case your return is delayed. Copies of your actual scripts aren’t a bad idea in extreme delays so you can get partial refills, but don’t assume a pharmacy will always stock the med, and I’ve never needed the scripts for security.
• Keep a photocopy of your passport in your bag in case your passport is lost or stolen. It simplifies things at the embassy.
• Make sure your name, contact information, and itinerary of dates and hotels are also inside a checked bag in addition to the outer tag, and that TSA locks are used, rather than anything requiring a key. Air Tags are cool in theory, but can only be paired with an IPhone on a single Apple account (or multiples sharing the same account), not just anyone’s. Leave a copy of your itinerary with a friend at home.
• Clean out your wallet and only take what you’ll need. I personally use a passport holder or slim wallet with RFID protection. In crowded places that are known for pickpockets, l prefer a little wallet that can be tucked somewhere discreet, the passport left in the hotel safe. Don’t forget that in 2025 a passport ID will be required by the TSA for any domestic flights. A regular passport, of course, will still required for international travel.
• And finally, I swear by an e-reader, rather than adding a lot of weight by physical books (as I’m a prolific reader).
Put each complete kid’s outfit, including underwear, socks, and hair accessory in a gallon zip lock. Whenever it’s acceptable to the day’s activities, let the child select 1. Save bags in outer pocket of suitcase for next trip!
Wonderful information here! Thank you all!
My tip is meant to help you relive your trip when you get home. This idea came from my darling sister-in-law, JoAnne King.
In a zip lock bag, put an inexpensive 6×8 journal that opens flat, a pair of child-sized safety scissors (rounded end), a glue stick and a favorite pen. Before you go to bed each night of your travels, glue into your journal any memorabilia you have collected during your day, e.g.: receipts, a corner of a napkin with a restaurant name on it, subway tickets, ticket stubs from a theater or museum visit. You might want to cut out and glue in a picture from free advertising flyers of the places you visited. Put the date somewhere on your page, and write one or two sentences in order to trigger your memories of the day. Be sure to set aside space on your pages/s for writing. Toss all your unglued paraphernalia in the zip lock bag with your journal. As long as you have some reminders, you will be able to write more about your adventures on your trip home or when you get home. The journal is a great way to share your journey with others and of course it makes a terrific keepsake for you.
I always keep a journal when I travel. It is fun to pull them out years later and relive your adventures. I will now include scissors and a glue stick!
I also prefer to check my luggage, and have only once had a suitcase lost for a day. But, I had divided our clothes so my husband and I had outfits in each bag.
I love the idea of keeping a mini scrapbook just for the trip! I may try that next time I travel!
Hangry is not Magical. Originally for Disney but the value of a well timed snack is much more universal than that.
I buy miniatures of all my favorite cosmetics and makeup brushes, then keep a small bag with those in my purse rather than pack them in a toiletry case. That way, they’re always handy for a quick face refresh, especially on long flights, and they don’t weigh a ton.
I bought a couple different size self-folding collapsible bags that tuck into my existing luggage. It’s dedicated for any souvenirs we may buy (I’m big on collecting art as a momento). I don’t have to worry about trying to make room in my already full luggage, and I simply check it on my way home.
This wasn’t as readily available a decade ago, but if we’re on a long trip or to a foreign country, I document it with photos and commentary on an app like Polarsteps or FindPenguins. You can send friends and family a link so they can follow your trip each day. I recently used this while I walked the Camino de Santiago in Spain, and it helped reassure my mother that I was still alive each day! ;-). At the end of the trip they send a link whereby you can turn your travel diary into a very high quality bound coffee table style book.
And my pet peeve is coming home to a dirty house and lots of laundry, so I ALWAYS clean my house before I leave. I also pack a few detergent sheets in a small plastic baggy in my luggage so if possible, I do laundry while I’m away. Nothing ruins my trip more than coming home and feeling like I need another vacation from de-vacationing!
This might be more specific to solo work travel, but I’ve learned to always travel with two pouches with designated purposes: a “portable office” and a snack bag. I never know when I’m going to need scissors or a Sharpie or a Post-It. The snack bag just has single serve packs of non-crushable foods like nut mix or granola bars. This saves me when I arrive at a strange destination and don’t have the mental energy to go track down a meal, especially if I’m in a foreign city.
I should probably add that I am 100% Team Checked Bag, which is where I put the pouch containing scissors!
I just returned from 11 days in Arizona. When I was packing to leave on the trip, I kept reminding myself to pack less. I always bring home numerous items that I didn’t wear and just didn’t need. AND, I am a shopper. I know that I always like to shop at my favourite stores that we don’t have in Canada. So, following my own advise, I packed less in my regular suitcase, leaving lots of room for any shopping items I needed to bring back. And it worked!
So many good travel suggestions here already! I’m team carry-on/packing cube – I recognized years ago that I am a chronic overpacker and that my packing style could best be described as gaseous (I will pack to fill whatever space I am given – underpacking a bag is not something I know how to do), so over time I have reduced the size of my bag to minimize what I bring with me. We tend to travel in warmer times of year so that helps with minimizing bulky layers, but I’m also happy to rewear outfits and I tend to pack a capsule wardrobe. Booking Airbnbs with washer/dryers helps with the logistics of a capsule wardrobe, but I also have very fond memories of a Japanese laundromat at midnight on a very humid night, so don’t be afraid to explore the neighborhood options!
One thing I started doing before a trip to Italy last summer was to put a small bin/drop zone out to collect all the smaller things we were gathering for our trip – Euros, air tags, bra pocket for money, etc. Rather than having all those things running around, it helped my brain settle by having them all in one place to grab when packing.
If you need data access on your phone while overseas and you’re not using your regular phone plan, download the Airalo app – you can purchase esims for just about any country in the world for much cheaper than the cost of your phone plan. The app walks you through how to install them. We paid for the international plan on my phone so we had a phone number that would ring through($10/day), but purchased a 5gb esim for my husband for $20 that covered him for the whole trip. Will definitely do this again!
I’ve never heard of this app, but may check it out. We usually buy a SIM card to put into one of our phones to use when we’re traveling abroad (so far it’s corner convenience stores in our first destination city, often with a big sign that says “SIM” on it). We have to make sure the phone is unlocked before we travel, otherwise a foreign SIM won’t work. This is usually a pretty reasonable price. We only setup one of our phones this way and the other is used with ever present wifi (in major cities) and a internet based messaging and email apps.
If traveling abroad make sure to photocopy passport, drivers license and any medical insurance papers. I speak from personal experience and it was not a an experience I would recommend.
After many trips of mostly winging it or having a very loose plan, we tried making an actual itinerary by day. Rather than finding this confining, I find all sorts of freedom in it. We don’t place times on things, unless we have reservations. But we do note down what day we want to do things, and in what order it makes sense to do them. Recently we went to Belgium and the Netherlands, and I used Google maps to figure out what order to walk around the towns/cities we wanted to see, in order to see what we wanted to visit. It took several hours to plan the whole trip but it was SO worth it. I even included some restaurant options along the way, researching them in advance because we have vegetarians! When we got there, we could just walk and enjoy the sights, rather than trying to figure out what to do on the fly.
After we think we’ve packed, THEN (reasonably) follow the advice, “Take out half of your suitcase, and bring double the cash.” This has generally been true for all my family’s airplane trips (ie not a road trip), especially international ones. We tend to pack too much and assume we will spend less than we actually do. Planning for both has been good advice for our family of 5. My kids are well into adulthood now and I still remind them before they travel on their own!
Katie, this made me laugh! This is so relatable for our family of six.
It only took one international trip (our first) to believe this and take it to heart. We lugged around so much stuff while stressing out about the cost of everything. We plan better now!
So many comments so these may be covered:
* I pack one “ just in case my luggage doesn’t show up “ outfit, comfy shoes, meds for several days and super basic makeup in a small carry on.
* A silk pillowcase for the bed, a sleep mask and earplugs.
Just wanted to add one late to the game. As a semi-nervous flyer (I’m ok til there’s turbulence lol), I like to have “airport rituals”. I ALWAYS buy a Magnolia Journal and maybe another magazine at the terminal, as well as pick out gum and some fun snacks. I love the Magnolia Journal but never read it except on planes, so it’s a fun little treat to look forward to, and part of my airplane arsenal to keep me distracted. Also, I either get ginger ale or apple juice on a plane–I have positive memories of drinking either as a kid when I flew, so I go back to that now, ha!
I always bring a couple of clothes pins and binder clips. Great for the hotel drapes that don’t close all the way, the bag of exotic flavored chips you didn’t finish, the shower curtain that needs weight at the bottom so it won’t drift and stick to your skin while you’re showering. I also bring a pair of Tom’s canvas shoes that serve as slippers or back-up shoes in a pinch.
Fantastic ideas here! I just wanted to add my tip which I didn’t see.
I try to pack everything I need in my largest carryon and try not to take any other bags. I pack a second foldable bag and fill it with souvenirs for the return trip. My husband usually puts a folding duffel bag into his carryon which we can check on the return trip if needed (it usually is…)
Oh! I usually pack snacks for the plane in a grocery bag or string backpack. It can be shoved inside a carryon when empty or if the airline staff give you trouble about having too many items (usually not a problem for us since we only have one carryon per person.
Other tips for traveling with young children, get the smallest umbrella stroller you can and don’t take a car seat for the plane. It isn’t required and makes getting through airports considerably easier without having to lug a bulky item around. Many destinations have carseats you can rent in country if you will travel by car much.
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