travel accessories you could not travel without
will be first time traveling to europe.
family of four (twin boys 11). what travel accessories would you say is important and i should purchase before i leave.
i think we are already going to get a travel pillow and blanket for the plane, but what else helped you out?
al
pottstown, pa us 7/3/09
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Ziploc bags in various sizes, You will use them for lots of things -- packing damp laundry or dirty clothes, keeping ticket stubs or other small souvenirs together, getting all of that Euro change out of your pockets, keeping open snacks fresh, etc. I also use the 2 gallon size for "vacuum packing" underwear and socks, or outfits for the kids. If your bag is searched, the TSA can see everything without touching everything. In a pinch, I have also inflated one and used it as a pillow when sleeping in an airport.
Small sewing "kit". I have fixed everything from hems and rips to umbrellas and day bags. Hand wipes and stain wipes- obvious uses. Second on the ziplocs- quart and gallon sizes and some twist ties, plastic forks, spoons and knives, paper napkins (grab these when you stop in McDonald's for an afternoon drink) and maybe small paper plates. Individual sized drink mixes (like Crystal Light) to add to bottled water.
Virtually everything suggested can be purchased in Europe if the need arises. Why burden yourselves with stuff? You are travelling to Europe, not Uzebikestan.
We just returned from a fabulous trip to Europe. Each of us had our own ipod with Rick's free tours on them, books, and favorite music. Some type of Gameboy will save your sanity on layovers. You probably already have some of these electronics. Just make sure you have some new and interesting stuff on them when you leave. Also, can you have a "kids' camera?" Your boys will have a blast taking goofy pictures and showing them to each other. I always travel with an ibupropen and lip balm in my pocket where I can easily reach them. Have a great time!
Look through the "General Europe" header. There is a lot of discussions about this subject and Ricks books have some of the same.
Here are some ideas for starters: passports, money belt or similar item for safe storage, guide books or pages from them, camera(s)(if desired) and accessories , credit & debit cards, binoculars, small first aid kit, converters and adapters as necessary for any electronics/electrical items.
There will be more ideas to come from other people.
Yes, you can buy many of these things in Europe, but some take longer to find then others! I would take small roll of duct tape. I really needed it in France and no one knew what I was asking for. And, the shops were closed on the day I needed it. So, I now carry it. I would pick up a couple of decks of cards. I know that would keep my nephews busy while waiting for adults or for rain to stop...Pam
Money. Anything you have sensitivities or allergies to. Anything else can be purchased in Europe. Grin. :)
But seriously those items follow by: Guide Book: Small roll of duct tape, assorted Plastic bags, some kind of cutting utensil, and MOLESKIN. Moleskin can be a godsend if you get a blister or a sore spot.
A crumple-able cloth shopping bag is nice too, and a handkercheif can make a nice picnic blanket.
I'm on the side of buy it in Europe. I got a really large blister on my heel during a walking trip in Italy. Stopped in a small pharmacy & mimed sore heel. I was directed to what I thought was bandaids (which I knew would just rub off). I bought what he showed me. Turned out to be a new (to me, 7 yrs ago) bandaid that once put on, stayed on for days until the blister healed. I could walk without pain soon as I put it on. Blister healed in just a few days. When I returned home, I looked for them but didn't find them for a few yrs. I wouldn't have known about them if I had brought my own stuff.
My favourite items are a universal sink plug ( because it is not usually supplied),soap tablets, and a short line or even dental floss. I put them in one ziploc bag as my laundry pack which lets me do laundry overnight. Handy packs of Kleenex and Wet ones are also high on my list.
The one item I really don't want to forget is my camera and the adapter so I can recharge the battery. If you're travelling in less touristy places it may take quite some time to hunt down a place that sells them.
Woolite makes small, single-use packets of laundry detergent. Great for in-sink washing. I'm sure you're only taking fast-drying clothes ;)
And a small roll of duct tape, of course!
We used 2 gallon zipper bags for undies and socks, and I used a marker to write "clean" on one and "dirty" on another. Sure, you could use the sniff test, but I preferred this way.
I'm afraid to ask, but why duct tape?
Duct tape and a small keychain flashlight. You never know when you need a light.
I took a small pencil and wound some duct tape around it to create a small spool that I could use when necessary. It is great for fixing any holes on bags that might form unexpectedly. Can also be a short-term solution for holes in shoes, until you can get out to get a replacement.
Duct tape can mend tears in duffle bags; Duct tape can be used to hold things together that fall apart; And so on. Pam
Duct tape is best solution if a blister on the heel is starting... too late if its already broken.
Duct tape fixes all, even clothes. Another suggestion: a small compass to help get your bearings when you come up from subway.
Duct tape--one of the greatest inventions of mankind!! It now comes in small travel sized rolls.
And in honor of the late, great Karl Malden let me say..."Don't leave home without it."
I also take one or two things that for me make travel life a little more enjoyable. I'm one of those people who like a cup of coffee or tea upon waking up. So, I travel with a small immersion heater. It doesn't stop me from going out for coffee or tea later, it just helps me to get my eyes open.
Yup--Duct tape, because, as Frank II says, it's one of humankind's greatest inventions and also because I'm a guy. Lots of uses. My travel pillow is inflatable, so packs tiny. Some other items on my list: A cord for clothesline. Small journal to record each day's activities--I can't remember them all after weeks away--and other notes, like addresses of people I meet. A folder of photocopied information I need--lodging reservations, guidebook pages, etc. which I discard as no longer needed. Compact binoculars. A few safety pins.
I knew someone who always took a small bottle of Tabasco Sauce to spice up bland foods.
Yup I always take some duct tape wrapped around a pencil. Also take a four packet of one use Superglue. Four CHEAP wire hangers (good for steaming out wrinkles in the shower or drying tops), some cloths line and a handful of clothespins (can be used to pin closed drapes as well). Don't forget a picnic kit! I do buy paper plates, a roll of paper towels etc. over there but I chuck into my suitcase a knife, fork and spoon for each person (got four very different looking sets at garage sale so everyone knows who's fork is who's), one sturdy plastic plate (for cutting stuff up) and finally, yes, a small bottle of Tabasco! None of this stuff weighs much or takes up any space. Oh yes, and I do take a small selection of ziplock bags and fabric softner sheets (place half a sheet in each sneaker at night to eliminate order - can be used over and over).
After 5 trips to Italy in four years and being die hard one baggers here's my personal list of extras. Some assorted ziplock bags, Advil LIQUIGELS, Dove Body Spray either citrus or the cucumber. It's 3oz, a light refreshing scent that's perfect in concert with my other favorite wet ones (one pack of aloe vera and one pack of the antibacterial) for a little freshening break. I also fill an empty dove spray bottle with some febreeze which is nice for freshening shoes and clothes along the way. A tide stain pen, a small roll of ducttape, a tiny sewing kit (which I've never used but still recommend)a small first aid kit that has a few bandages and a little tube of neosporin to which I've added a few Imodium tabs, and a few antacid tabs and a couple of decongestant tabs--- just enough to hold us until we get to a pharmacy. Adaptors for our camera chargers. A small stick of spf 50 sunscreen and some Burt's bees tinted lip balm. This last trip I also brought some of the single serve Crystal light packs which I would definitely do again. Two large trashbags one for dirty laundry and the other for transporting clean laundry from the lavendria a cheap watch that converts to military time and has an alarm.
For the boys you might consider a couple of new games for their gameboys or new books, or puzzle books if they like reading.
We ditched the travel pillows after the first trip. They take up too much room and we didn't find them that helpful.
Besides the duct tape...I like to take along:
Spork (spoon on one end, fork/knife on the other. Made of lexan plastic and easier than carrying individual utensils.)
Compass/thermometer/magnifier--all-in-one attaches to daybag
Insoles/Odor Eaters--one pair, pre-cut, per week. I only travel with one pair of shoes and these help to keep them fresh and add just a bit of cushion
tiny flashlight
Eye Shades
ear plugs
Inflatable Hangers--I found a new design by Travelon. They inflate but look more like pants hangers with hooks on the bottom. Two or three of these and I may not need a clothesline. They should arrive soon and I'll try them out once they do. Should be able to hang a shirt, a couple of pairs of undies, and a pair of socks or two from one hanger.
If you are in the habit of using washcloths, be sure to take them as most places in Europe do not provide them. Yes, you can buy most of these things in Europe, but it may take time in a strange place to find where to purchase what you need. Personally I'd rather use that time in a better way on my vacation.
duct tape?
seriously.. i would never have thought of this
Money belt, iPod, my Eagle Creek inflatable pillow (to actually get some sleep on the plane without my head bobbing continuously! :), earplugs, my RS French, Italian & German phrasebook
Camera and LOTS of data cards, a mini LED flashlight (walked the walls of Rothenburg at night with it!) and a comfortable day bag.
I don't travel without my sunglasses, cell phone, and plenty of 50 cent coins for the crapper.
Toilet paper, I unroll it then fold it flat and put it in a zip lock baggie and compress it by squeezing the air out and throw it in my day bag. I was grateful I did it too, there were a lot of WC I went into that were without toilet paper.
You can find rolls of Charmin To Go in the sample/travel area of Target or Walmart. I never travel without that in my day bag.
Flip-flops. Never, ever, leave home with out flip-flops. I always take them in my carry-on so that I can wear them in the air craft and they are great around the hotel or in hot weather or in the shower.
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