Ideally, your checked bag will arrive with you at the same time at your destination but you never know if something happens and it gets lost or delayed.
I usually overpack my carry-on but these are my must have items I always take with me:
All Documents
IDs: you might think because you will be in a foreign country you won’t need them but you don’t know what situations you will encounter that might require you to show more than one identification.
Passport: keep it preferably with no covers. I’ve been there, bought the cutest passport cover to realize it can be a pain in the neck every time you are being asked by the officer to remove it while in the customs line and dealing with the rest of your belongings.
Visas: keep it with you at all times with your passport.
Travel Insurance: it is just as important as the rest of your documents. Better have it and not need it than need it and don’t have it. I use Allianz for all my travel needs; to get a free quote or guidance click here.
A Full Change of Clothes
In case you need it in or out of the airport. Many situations can happen:
- You lose the flight and have to wait hours for the next one. You can refresh with new clothes in the meantime.
- You have an accident that get your clothes dirty: food spills, you trip and roll into something, someone throw something on you, you never know.
- Your checked luggage gets lost; if you have a change of clothes it will give you time to get to the hotel, refresh and go shopping for whatever you need.
Toiletries
Anything you can take with you to keep you fresh on the go:
- Toothpaste and toothbrush
- Deodorant
- Feminine products
- Wet wipes
- Hand moisturizer
Cash or Equivalents
Whenever possible, I order local currency at my local bank before traveling. This will make things so much easier for your arrival.
Take more than one credit card with you. Worst case scenario, your card can get lost or stuck in an ATM; if anything like this happen you will want to have a backup credit card.
These are my favorite travel credit cards to collect points and to avoid foreign transaction fees:
Capital One Venture Credit Card
Even at the airport, about to leave, things can happen. You don’t want to be dealing with any inconvenience right before departing given the time constraint.
Gadgets
Anything to keep your phone working. Your cellphone can be so helpful in so many ways: to request a ride, to make calls, to look at directions, to look up places, for an emergency.
- Chargers: self explanatory. I would just suggest to have an additional charger as a backup.
- Power Banks: make sure to try them before traveling. Some of them don’t last too long as promised, you want something reliable. And most importantly, make sure it’s fully charged before leaving.
- Adapters: if you are traveling internationally, you may need a power adapter for your electronics depending on the country you are visiting. Basically, there are several types of plugs and outlets worldwide and they are categorized into different types. To make your life so much easier, you can buy an universal power adapter like for 20 bucks in Amazon. These come with so many options so you don’t have to carry multiple travel adapters and you can also use it to charge several things at the same time without having to rotate them. The Ceptics universal travel adapter is a great option. In some cases you will need a plug adapter, a voltage converter or both. Always do your research to find out the specific plug types and voltage requirements for the country you’re visiting. Also, always check the voltage compatibility of your device before plugging them into an outlet to avoid damage.
I’ve had two instances in which I had to wait for my luggage and a connection flight changed to a few hours later the same day and being prepared with everything I needed in my carry-on has allowed me to take things easy, refresh, go out of the airport to explore a little and come back to continue my journey.
Be sure to like, comment and subscribe to the blog for more travel content just like this one!
