My Top 10 Travel Essentials

Lest I Forget

Have you ever had the recurring nightmare of forgetting your passport? Worse still, have you ever forgotten your passport? To ensure that I remember the essentials, I am a list maker. I never feel prepared for a trip until I have packed and ticked off every item on the travel list. I was recently thinking about an upcoming visit to France. As I started to write the list, I realized that the items fall into different categories. Some, to me at least, were essentials. Others were nice to have. So here, for the benefit (or maybe the amusement) of fellow travelers and readers, is my list of essentials, followed by a few 'nice to haves'.

The Essentials

1. Passport and Any Visas
2. Print Outs of Travel Documents
3. Travel Insurance
4. Cash and Cards
5. Smartphone and Charger
6. Travel Plug Adapters
7. Power Bank
8. Medication
9. Camera and Charger
10. Glasses, Contact Lenses, and Sunglasses

1. Passport and Any Visas

My passport is always top of the list. Without it, I will not make it into departures, let alone leave the country. After check-in, keeping it in a safe place is key to a successful trip. Stories of hapless travelers who mislay passports between check-in and boarding gates fill me with horror. Visas, where applicable, also fall into this category.

It seems that from mid-2025, UK citizens will require an ETIAS, (European Travel Information and Authorization System). It is described as a visa waiver to travel to countries in the European Union for less than 90 days. The start date has already been postponed several times. It was originally due to be launched in 2021, postponed to November 2023 and now further delayed.

2. Print Outs of Travel Documents

Call me old-fashioned, but there is something reassuring about having a printout of a boarding pass in my hand. I know that travel documentation is easily downloaded onto smartphones. But how many times have you been held up, while a fellow traveler desperately scrolls through the files on their phone in search of the relevant documents? It seems to happen most times I travel and frequently they are ahead of me in the queue.

Hard copies of hotel booking confirmations are also useful. We arrived early one morning at a hotel in Turkey after a much-delayed flight and a long transfer. Having lost a night's sleep, the last thing we needed was to wait at check-in while the guest in front desperately searched for the hotel voucher on her smartphone.

I tend to feel sympathy for the poor people, who get hot and flustered, as they trawl through the archives on their phone, or worse still, whose phone batteries have died. I could so easily be in their position with my smartphone. Hence the hard copies.

3. Travel Insurance

On a scale of 1-10, 1 being risk averse, 10 being a big risk taker, I would probably be off the scale in the minus figures. I have read too many horror stories of uninsured travelers having accidents abroad and running up huge bills. I have even got the insurance details out to check I am covered before getting on a jet ski or going paragliding. I would not like to calculate how much we have spent on insurance policies over the years. Peace of mind counts for a lot.

4. Cash and Cards

At the risk of sounding old-fashioned, these are key items for me. I know that many now use payment apps on smartphones, but not everywhere accepts payment by phone. If you lose the phone or the battery fails, you could be stuck. Post-Covid, I expected cash to go out of fashion. But I have been surprised on recent trips to Portugal and Turkey by how much cash is still in demand. Often the cheapest tourist menus on the Algarve are cash only.

The bottom line for me is that, as long as you have a reliable payment method, you can often purchase items you have forgotten to pack. Without cash or cards, you could be completely stuck.

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5. Smartphone and Charger

Maybe I am not so old-fashioned after all. I used to leave my mobile phone at home to avoid work and take an old basic one away for emergencies. But times have changed and my smartphone has become essential. Most hotels offer free wifi at least in the public areas, if not in all the guest rooms. A smartphone allows me to access information about the local area. I can book trips, make travel plans and so much more. The camera also comes in handy. If I need to I can keep in touch with family too, often making calls over wifi.

6. Travel Plug Adapters

The observant readers will have noticed that my smartphone charging cable is designed for a UK plug socket. Adapters are essential if you visit countries with different sockets to your own. We take a few because you can guarantee that several electrical devices often need charging at the same time. It has been pointed out to me that hotels sometimes have spares, but this is not guaranteed. For peace of mind, I class plug adapters as essential.

7. Power Bank

Since receiving one as a free gift many years ago, I rarely go out without a power bank, let alone away. As long as I remember to keep it charged up, my Anker power bank ensures that I am never stuck when my smartphone battery dies. It has come to my rescue on many occasions. Small enough to be easily portable, yet powerful enough to charge a smartphone.

8. Medication

Years ago I used to listen to older people discussing their prescription medication and comparing the number of tablets they took. Time has flown and I now find myself and my friends doing similar. Even if you are young enough or fortunate enough not to have prescribed meds, I would advise taking a few just-in-case remedies. If you are prone to headaches or at risk of an upset stomach while abroad, it is easier to have your usual remedy with you than trying to explain it to a pharmacist in a foreign language.

9. Camera and Charger

This item probably also shows my age and yes, I did say that a smartphone is a useful camera. But, having had a dedicated camera for more years than I care to remember, old habits die hard. However, since my children dragged me into the digital age by buying me a digital camera, I have at least retired my old SLR film camera.

I prefer the extra features of the camera over the smartphone. The biggest plus is the wrist strap. As long as it is attached to my wrist, the camera is going nowhere without me. Contrast that with the risk of dropping my smartphone over the balcony, into the sea, or from a great height (the risks are endless). Given the importance of my smartphone, the risk is not worth it.

Leaving nothing to chance, I also carry spare batteries, a memory card for my camera, and a charger.

10. Glasses, Contact Lenses and Sunglasses

Vision correction has been a necessary part of my life since childhood. Alarm bells rang for my parents when they went for an eye test themselves, and my 7-year-old self informed them that I could not read the letters on the wall. I soon had an optician's appointment, and glasses were prescribed. Without some form of vision correction, be it glasses or contact lenses, life would be a blur for me.

Even if you are in the fortunate position of not requiring glasses, sunglasses are a must-have to protect your eyes from bright sunlight.

Travel Essentials

Nice to Haves

These are the items on my list that I could get away without, but which make life a little easier. Some of them could be purchased in an airport shop, but it saves time and hassle if I already have them. After check-in and security, the last thing I want is a frantic shopping trip airside for all the items I have forgotten.

Moneybelt

It pays to look after cash and cards. A good moneybelt is a secure location. I replaced mine a few months ago with an eBuyGB one from Amazon. The elasticated adjustable strap fits comfortably around the waist. The zip openings offer plenty of secure storage for cash and cards. The belt can be discreetly worn under clothing, keeping valuables safe from pickpockets.

Hand Sanitizer

A small container of hand sanitizing gel has been ever-present in my carry-on luggage for many years pre-dating COVID-19. I guess I was brought up by an ex-nurse to be acutely aware of the risks posed by eating without washing my hands. When I want to eat something, but I am wedged in a seat by the window on a plane, this saves disturbing my neighbors and queuing for the washroom. Since Covid, I rarely go anywhere without hand sanitizer in my handbag or pocket.

Boiled Sweets

Call me ancient, but I can recall boiled sweets being handed out by cabin crew on the first flight I took as a child. The act of swallowing helps to avoid the unpleasant sensation and earache as planes climb after take-off or descend rapidly before landing. Other remedies such as chewing gum or giving a young child a drink can also work. Boiled sweets are my preferred solution. Picking them up in a supermarket near home is cheaper than a shop in departures.

Suitcase Weigher

Low-cost Airlines in Europe tend to follow weight restrictions rigorously. We have observed what we call the 'Ryanair jig', as passengers, relieved that their cases have come in at the correct weight, do a little dance to celebrate. We have also seen people with open cases at check-in desperately trying to repack to avoid punitive excess baggage costs. To save the public display and stress, we invested in a luggage weigher. On one occasion, when traveling with family, thanks to the weigher I managed to get 6 cases to weigh exactly 15kg each. It has been a very worthwhile investment. It takes just a few seconds to clip the belt to a baggage handle and get an accurate reading of the weight.

Guidebooks

This is another choice that shows my age. I like to read up before I travel. I find it handy to have a guidebook in my bag when sightseeing. I know that most information can be found on the Internet these days. But, relying on the Internet has its disadvantages. Sometimes the signal is not great and roaming charges abroad can be expensive. There is something reassuring about a guidebook in my hand with a map for reference. It is good also to have a break from a digital screen which might not show up well in bright sunlight.

Notepad and Pen

As a writer, specializing in travel, I never go anywhere without a notepad and pen. This is my chosen note-taking medium. I know I can make notes on my phone, but I find it much quicker to grab a notebook and quickly scribble down a few notes. It helps when I come later to get my thoughts together, especially as my memory is not what it was a few years ago.

Preparing to Go

Ready to Go

So, there you have it, my list of travel essentials and 'nice-to-haves'. I hope this has been helpful or at least amusing for you. Maybe some items resonate with you. Whatever the case I wish you well on your next trip. Don't forget your passport and other holiday essentials.

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This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2023 Liz Westwood