1. Change of/emergency clothes in your hand luggage
Ever since my first trip I’ve always had the fear of my luggage going missing or being delayed etc. And for this reason I always advise people to ensure that they have a back up outfit (including underwear and few toiletries) in their hand luggage, that will cover them in the unfortunate event of their luggage arriving later than their flight. Now if you’re only travelling with hand luggage then you have nothing to worry about, as everything will be kept on your person so obviously has to arrive with you.
2. Medication
I don’t know if this is the mum in me (I’m not even a mum) but regardless of the trip I always ensure that I pack some sort of medication just to be on the safe side! I usually pack painkillers for every trip and then for beach holidays; allergy tablets, anti-sickness and camomile lotion or aloe vera gel. This may seem a bit excessive but honestly you just never know what could happen whilst on holiday. I’ve been unlucky and experienced different types of sickness and reactions so it always puts me at ease knowing I have my own stash of remedies incase anything does happen. Despite pharmacies abroad generally being ok, it saves you the trouble of one - having to find the local pharmacy, and two - being able to communicate what prescription you require.
3. Adapters
Although most hotels claim to have adapters available to borrow from their reception, I relied on this once and well I ended up having to go to a local store and purchase my own. So for that reason I just always ensure that I have my own with me. I only ever pay £1 for mine (Poundland, 99p store etc.) don’t go spending £8 at the airport or boots guys! Also, if you’re like me and tend to travel with several electrical devices invest in a cordless extension cord. That way you’ll only need to use one adapter and be able to charge/use at least three electricals at once.
4. TRAVEL INSURANCE (this probably should’ve been #1)
This isn’t something that you need to physically pack but it’s something I would advise everyone to have purchased prior to travelling. I cannot stress the importance of travel insurance, regardless of the type of trip you are embarking on. A lot of people only take interest in travel insurance when it comes to adventurous trips where they’ll be involved in physical activities like water sports etc. Travel insurance doesn’t only cover our health costs, but it also protects us from flight cancellations, delays in some cases, property loss etc. You can purchase travel insurance for as little as £10 on money supermarket / comparethemarket. However, please be mindful when choosing your travel insurance and check what exactly the insurance is covering, that it’s suitable for your specific trip and the fees etc. as there are some companies that do not cover everything, and have ridiculously high access fees (I learnt the hard way after being stranded in Croatia lol). As I like to travel a lot I purchase annual insurance to save money and also save me the stress of having to look for new cover every time I plan a trip. My current insurance is with “Superior Annual” with Asda (bought via compare the market) which was just under £60 and is worldwide. I would recommend this travel insurance as it covers pretty much everything and has low access fees.
5. Camera
I thought I’d end on a more simple and lighthearted note. Always, always, always ensure that you have some sort of camera with you to document your travels. Call me sad but I thoroughly enjoy looking back at all my travel photos and videos, and remembering each moment. It’s also lovely to have memories to share with your children in the future! I will be taking all 3 of my cameras (Go Pro, Sony A5000 & Polaroid) on my next trip, as well as my iPhone 8 so expect to see lots of footage. Oh and I have decided to vlog, eeeeek!
Until next time,
xo
