My husband and I travel about three times a year on business and twice a year for pleasure. We’ve learned that whether you travel near home, fly to an exotic locale, or go on a cruise, there are a few items that make traveling a little more comfortable. Some I have learned by experience and some items I’ve picked up from other travelers on website reviews.
1. Leave all non-essential membership, discount, credit, ATM, library, etc. cards at home. There’s no reason to carry cards that you won’t need and won’t have to replace if your wallet or purse is stolen.
2. The same goes for keys: don’t carry any keys you don’t need, like work keys or the key to a padlock somewhere. Your home and car (if you leave it parked in the airport or elsewhere) keys are all that you need.
3. Place underwear, small items, accessories, etc. in gallon zipper plastic bags. This allows security checks without having a strange person touch your lingerie or scatter small items.
4. We always travel with an extension cord that has a multiple plug at the end. There are never enough outlets for recharging personal electronics like cell phones, laptops, MP3 players, portable DVD players, etc. Some people travel with a power strip, but with weight and baggage restrictions nowadays, I find them too bulky and prefer the cord.
5. Carrying along a handful of sandwich-size zippered bags come in handy for leftover food, small souvenirs like seashells, pill dosages, etc.
6. A couple of clothespins come in handy for closing the gap in draperies when you want to sleep in.
7. I hate ironing, so I always carry a bottle of Downy Wrinkle Releaser. I spray clothing the night before and in the morning, voila, no ironing.
8. You can’t carry this item in your carry-on, but if you have a larger bag to check, you can carry one of those pocket knifes with the multiple heads. It has come in handy quite often for fixing small items that have broken, such a screw that comes loose.
