20 Must-Have Travel Items (Domestic + International)

The more I travel, the more I get it down to a system- how to pack to maximize space, what the essentials are versus what I can leave behind, how to get through the airport as quickly as possible and how to be most comfortable. I narrowed my list down to the twenty things I think you need most when you travel, a lot of which you can find for cheap on Amazon. To this point, I’ve managed to get to my process down to two bags, one carry on and one personal item and I can fit all of these items plus about five or six outfits, one or two extra pairs of shoes and then underwear, swimwear and maybe an extra purse and accessories. If you want to know what all I think is essential to travel, read below.

1. Portable Charger(s)

When I started traveling this was the first thing I purchased because I never wanted to be anywhere and not be able to contact someone if I needed to. I carry two with me now so my phone has never died while I’m in the airport or out doing an activity on a trip.

2. Passport

This goes without saying because you can’t travel to most international destinations without it. If you already have your passport, then you want to make sure it’s not expired.

3. Copies of Important Documents

• Vaccination Proof

• Negative Test Proof

• Passport

• Birth Certificate

• Driver’s License

• Social Security Card

Copies are a recent addition to my essentials because I take most trips by myself. I met a woman who had lost a driver’s license right before a flight and she was explaining how much of a disaster traveling became. Having copies of all your ID either in your personal item or your luggage or even on your phone can at least help identify yourself to authorities if you ever lost your license or passport.

4. Charger Converter/Adapter and Cords

You will need these in many international destinations, so I would recommend buying this set that has the adapter plus all of the converter types you could need.

5. Currency/Credit Card(s)

• Cash for domestic travel

• The correct currency for international destination

Whether you exchange at home or once you arrive to an international destination really depends on where you’re going. Before I went to Cuba, I exchanged at home, but for Colombia and Mexico, for example, I exchanged once I arrived because I could use my regular bank card to withdraw pesos from the ATM. Regardless, you probably should have at least a few USD in case you can’t find an ATM, and it is a good idea to travel with one or two debit and/or credit cards as well.

6. Jacket/Sweatshirt

Airplanes and airports are always entirely too cold for me so a jacket or at least a long sleeve shirt or sweatshirt is an essential for me. Check out my curated collection of items for airport style!

7. Sturdy Luggage

I always only travel with one carry on and a personal item because I don’t want to have to check luggage. I have a really great carry-on from Amazon, but I also have a really great one from Away as well. For my personal item, I always carry this Marc Jacobs tote bag with me because it’s the perfect bag for anything I need to access quickly.

8. Earphones

I think I may be the only person on earth that still uses the Apple earphones with the cord because I know for sure I’m going to lose Airpods. If you have a newer phone, you’ll need the earphones with the USB-C port, but for watching movies on the plane, you’ll need the earphones with the original jack.

9. Hand Sanitizer, Travel Lysol, Travel Antibacterial Wipes

I use hand sanitizer often when I travel, obviously to clean my hands, but I also use it for things like cleaning a cut or soothing the itch of mosquito bites. I spray entire hotel rooms/airbnbs with travel lysol, and then of course I clean sinks, toilets, etc, with antibacterial wipes.

10. Electronic Devices

(Phone + one other form of communication like an iPad or laptop)- Generally, I like to travel with my phone, laptop, and camera equipment. The phone is for obvious reasons like communication and photos, but I also do quite a bit of editing on my laptop while on the go, which requires a host of other smaller electronic items you can find in my collection here.

11. Book or In-Flight Entertainment

I always travel with a book no matter what, but if i’m in the airport for a while or have a pretty long flight, then I don’t want to read the entire time, so having in-flight entertainment like a movie or game on an iPad or laptop is helpful as well. My collection called The Book Club has tons of great recommendations for good reads.

12. Sunscreen

You should wear sunscreen daily anyway, but you’ll definitely want to have it when you travel. Right now I’m going between Black Girl Sunscreen and Supergoop!.

13. TSA-Approved Toiletry Bag

In my travels, I’ve seen so many people get kicked out of line at TSA for having way too many toiletries or toiletries that are too large. It’s a good idea to designate one clear, quart-sized bag of your own to toiletries that you can get in and out of your carry-on luggage with no problem.

14. Travel Wallet

This travel wallet comes in handy, because I can put the necessities and there’s room for actual documents plus my passport. This smaller version is a nice option as well.

15. Reusable water bottle

It’s not safe to drink the water in certain countries and even if it is, you don’t always have access to bottles of water if you’re out doing an activity. I carry this filtered water bottle with me now, and it really comes in handy especially in really hot destinations.

16. Camera

I’ve been using the Sony a7iii for almost six years now, and I can’t live without it. Every picture and vlog you see are taken with that camera. The quality of the images is great, and it’s a decent size camera to travel with. Purchase it here.

17. Face Towel/Facial Wipes

These are great for refreshing the skin at any time while you travel. I always throw at least one pack of these in my bag.

18. Waterproof Phone Case

You can either go the route of buying these and putting your phone in them, or you can buy a waterproof go pro so you can capture photos in aquatic places.

19. Travel Blanket & Neck Pillow

I used to never travel with a neck pillow or blanket, but planes are often very cold, and if you’re on lengthly flights and plan to sleep for extended periods of time, then these items are definitely nice to have.

20. Socks, Slippers, and/or Comfortable Shoes

Comfortable shoes are necessary because you never know when you’ll have to get through the airport quickly or far you may have to walk from one gate to another. The right shoes are also important because there’s nothing worse than someone holding up TSA because they decided to wear combat boots that are laced 34 times and double knotted. Here are some great options that are comfortable and slip on and off: Crocs, Birkenstocks, UGG Slippers.