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After years of family travel—crisscrossing time zones, navigating airports, and hopping from country to country —I can confidently say that we’ve become experts at packing wisely and choosing only the best travel essentials. One thing we learned the hard way is that less is more when traveling internationally, especially when only taking a carry-on. (Our favorite way to go)
Over the years, we’ve narrowed our list down to our true travel essentials. These are the items we always bring to keep things organized and ensure our trips run smoothly and stress-free. Many of these items, especially, come in handy during long-haul flights.
Whether it’s a European adventure or a family trip to Japan, here is our tried and true list of carry-on travel must-haves.
✈️ Smart Packing and Travel Essentials
- These are a game changer!
- They help fit so much more into our suitcases while keeping everything organized.
- I always bring an extra one folded at the bottom of my suitcase.
- It weighs next to nothing and is perfect for souvenirs and gifts.
- It’s stylish and super functional.
- I wear mine while sightseeing.
- It keeps everything close and easily accessible.
- Ideal for day trips, hikes, or long travel days.
- We love one with lots of compartments and water bottle holders.
- These lightweight clips come in handy on long flights.
- They allow me to attach some of my essentials to the seat-back pouch, making my stuff easily accessible.
- I love this magnetic hat clip attached to my backpack.
- It keeps my hat secure without a clip pinching down and damaging it.
- Perfect for breezing through TSA and airport security.
- Plus, they make it easy to find what you packed.
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It’s ideal for international travel. When you’re carrying your passport, travel documents, or larger sums of cash, it’s a smart way to keep them protected and organized.
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It gives you pickpocket protection and is especially helpful in busy tourist spots where pickpocketing can be common (train stations, street markets, public transit).
🎧 Comfort & Convenience
- Reusable and eco-friendly.
- Airport security-friendly when empty.
- We fill up after clearing security and stay hydrated all day.
- Long-haul flights are so much more bearable when you can actually sleep.
- I love my TRTL neck pillow.
- It’s soft, lightweight, and hardly takes up any space in my backpack.
- For boats, buses, or bumpy roads—we always keep it on hand.
- For our family this especially important since half of us experience motion sickness.
- Game-changer for flights.
- The noise cancelling drowns out engine noise.
- Crying babies fade away: we’ve been there and get it.
- Bonus: it is a good “not up for talking” signal to the chatty person next to you.
📱 Tech & Organization Travel Essentials
This section may seem lengthy, but with four of us each having our own devices, all this gear is utilized at various points during our travels.
Travel is a lot more fun when you’re not battling tangled cords, dead batteries, or mystery outlet situations. These essentials help keep everything charged, organized, and running smoothly, so you can focus on the good stuff like relaxing, snacking, and maybe even sneaking in a nap.
eSIM (for International Data)
- We seriously saved hundreds of dollars by getting an ESIM from Airalo.
- The first year we traveled abroad, we used our local carrier’s data plan and paid approximately $14 a day.
- On our next trip, we used the ESIM and paid about $25 for the entire trip.
- It is easy to use and incredibly convenient.
- When you are heading south and you see your bags are heading north, you’ll be glad you have these.
- We toss these in our luggage, backpacks, and even the kids’ coats.
- It gives us major peace of mind.
Below are some items you’ll want tucked into your suitcase, ready to make life easier once you’ve arrived at your destination.
- Hotel outlets are never where you need them, or there are never enough of them.
- This charging station lets you power up everything from one spot, including your laptop, phone, and tablet.
- It’s ideal for creating a central charging hub wherever you’re staying, without needing to pack multiple chargers.
- Charging can become a logistical puzzle when traveling with family or juggling multiple devices.
- This one charger handles it all.
- It’s especially helpful in hotel rooms when everyone’s electronics need to recharge simultaneously.
- If you travel with a phone, watch, and wireless earbuds, this folds down flat in your luggage and sets up easily on a nightstand.
- The stand is magnetic, so you can rotate your phone if desired.
- It cuts the cord clutter and keeps all your essentials charged in one spot.
Below are the tools you’ll want within arm’s reach—ready for long flights, layovers, or just staying connected on the go.
- No matter how many times you’ve packed a plug adapter, it’s the one thing that always seems to get forgotten or buried.
- Keeping this in your carry-on means you can plug in as soon as you land.
- It supports over 150 countries and has fast-charging ports, making it your go-to power solution when you’re off the plane.
- Compact but capable, this small charger can charge your laptop, tablet, and phone simultaneously.
- It’s a great option for airport charging stations or during layovers when you need to power up multiple devices in limited time and space.
- This one attaches directly to your phone and charges wirelessly—no cords necessary.
- It’s great for airport browsing, in-flight movies, or navigating new cities all day long.
- The fold-out stand is a clever bonus that makes hands-free use easy on cramped tray tables.
- This is the largest battery you’re allowed to bring on a plane, and it earns its spot in your carry-on.
- With enough power to charge a laptop or phone several times over, it’s a lifesaver during long-haul flights or unexpected delays.
- The digital display lets you know exactly how much charge is left.
🧴 Health & Personal Care Travel Essentials
- This may sound a little “extra,” but it’s a total lifesaver.
- We label everything ahead of time—vitamins, meds, and even allergy remedies.
- It seems unnecessary until it isn’t.
- We keep it light, but always include the basics: band-aids, antiseptic wipes, pain relievers, and motion sickness meds.
- Yes, still. Always. Especially with kids.
- We especially used the wipes to clean our section as soon as we get on the plane.
- No need to let a random germ ruin a trip.
- These sheets are perfect for travel—they take up almost no space and don’t leak.
- I used them to wash clothes in the sink during our travels.
- Stain emergencies happen.
- This little pen has saved more outfits than I can count, especially since I love wearing white all summer.
- This spray came in so handy—a quick spritz, and the wrinkles disappeared.
- It also helped to refresh some garments in between washes.
- Airplane air is brutal.
- We keep these handy to stay hydrated and fresh.
- A must for international flights.
- They help with circulation and reduce that post-flight puffiness.
- Dries fast and folds tiny.
- Great for beach days, hikes, or staying somewhere without extras provided.
- I can’t tell you how many time my little towel has come in handy.
An Extra Bonus Essential
Travel Insurance
- Not technically in your bag, but it’s a must before any big trip.
- It’s one of those things you hope you never need but are so grateful for if you do.
- In the past, we’ve had good luck and found reasonable rates with TravelEX.
When you travel as a family, you learn fast what matters and what you really need. Every item on this list has earned a space in our suitcases. These travel essentials help us feel prepared, comfortable, and ready for our next adventure.
Do you have a favorite travel essential that’s not on our list? Please share it in the comments—we love discovering new game-changers!
Mom of two and seeking sanity in the everyday. Let’s chat about family, school struggles, travel, and living our best life. Located in the San Francisco Bay area.
