If you haven’t heard, we are about to leave for our big summer vacation – and if you’ve followed along here for a while you know we tend to travel pretty often. So, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite travel tips and products.
Hopefully these can be useful for your trips now or later. Enjoy!
1. Pack Your Own Pillow
I know this may sound crazy to some people, and may be inconvenient if you’re flying to your destination. But traveling with your own pillow is a total game changer and the key to getting a good night’s sleep! Obviously, if you have the space I recommend putting your pillow in a suitcase so you don’t have to lug it around. However, if you’re flying and can’t waste the space in luggage of any kind, feel free to carry your pillow on the plane with you. I put two pillowcases on my pillow when I travel with it (I put them on opposite ways to ensure the pillow itself isn’t exposed, if that makes sense), and then I pack a fresh pillowcase in my suitcase to switch out when I get there. We don’t need those airport germs on our pillows!
2. Use White Noise
Another travel tip is to use white noise while sleeping. If you’re like me and can seem to hear everything that is within earshot at night, using a noise machine of some kind can be a huge help. You can technically play it on your phone via an app or even YouTube, but we recently bought this small one from Amazon that has worked great and is rechargeable.
3. Invest in TSA PreCheck
A few years ago, we finally bit the bullet and got TSA PreCheck. Let me tell you – it has been worth every penny! It’s something I will definitely renew once ours expires in a few years. If you aren’t familiar with TSA PreCheck, it is a service you need to apply/pay for ($78 for 5 years) – you typically have to make an appointment online and go to your local airport to get some paperwork done. But after that, any time you’re flying domestically in the U.S. you’ll get in a faster line for TSA. Plus, you don’t have to take off your shoes, belt, take out electronics, etc. This has saved us sooooo much time (especially in MCO) and a lot of stress. I highly recommend it – even if you only fly once or twice a year.
4. Utilize Instacart or Grocery Stores
When we travel, we like to be smart on what we pack vs. what we purchase upon arrival. Some things we will typically purchase instead of pack are mouth wash (it ALWAYS leaks), liquid hand soap (I hate the bar soap hotels typically provide), and we get some items that would be impractical/impossible to bring on a plane, like protein shakes for breakfast and water bottles to stay hydrated. If we have a car with us, we’ll just run to the grocery store (or do a pick up order as to not waste time) or we will just pay a little extra to get things brought to us via Instacart if we don’t have a vehicle.
5. Pack A Loofah
I know some people are totally against loofahs, but there is nothing I hate more than scrubbing my body with a washcloth at a hotel. And sometimes hotels can be extremely stingy about towels and it can be a pain to get more. I typically pack one for the trip, and just toss it before we leave the hotel. If you use loofahs, I recommend getting a pack of them somewhere like T.J. Maxx, where they are typically less than a dollar each.
6. Bring A Charging Station
With everyone having different chargers anymore, it can be chaotic to make sure you have the correct cords, blocks, etc. I recommend packing some sort of charging station, whether it’s a cordless one or not. This way you can create more plugs for your party and their devices (hotel rooms never seem to have enough), and make sure you have the correct pieces to keep your devices charged. We typically pack something like this.
7. Pack A Refillable Water Bottle
The worst feeling is being dehydrated while traveling! When we travel to Disney, I always end up purchasing a refillable drink cup that gets me unlimited soft drinks, coffee, and tea during my stay. But of course you can also use it for water! So now, any time I travel I bring a reusable cup or water bottle. That way I can fill it up throughout the day when I need it, or at night to keep in the room if we don’t have access to plastic water bottles. Plus, you can use it in the airport as well once you pass through TSA!
8. Keep Things Easily Accessible
This may be so silly, but some people need to hear it! When traveling, set yourself up for success and ensure you know exactly where your necessities are in your bag: wallet, phone, passport, chargers, hand sanitizer/wipes, etc. Don’t be the person that holds up the line – and don’t be the one that feels panicked when they can’t find what they’re looking for! I always like to keep a smaller pouch in my carry-on bag with all of my essentials so there is no room for confusion.
9. Use A Digital Boarding Pass & Tickets
I know not everyone has a desire to go 100% digital with things – me included. However, there is something so convenient and mind-settling by using digital boarding passes and tickets. Maybe this rule does not apply to you if you are bad at keeping your phone charged – but if that’s not you, I highly recommend going digital! I know where everything is, things don’t get destroyed in my bag, and it’s just an overall more seamless experience. Don’t forget to save your tickets to your Apple Wallet when possible – don’t just keep them in a browser or on another app!
10. Track Your Bags with AirTags
This is a safety precaution that is new to us, so we’re excited to test it out. I know a lot have people have started using AirTags to track their luggage and I totally understand why. AirTags can be a great investment because you don’t have to just use it in one spot. You can use it in your suitcase while traveling, but then move it to your purse or elsewhere when you’re home. We have a few layovers on our upcoming trip, so this will allow us to make sure our luggage is where it is supposed to be. Plus, when we’re at Disneyland I think I’ll pop one in my backpack during the day. I’ve even seen people use them for their kids when they’re in a busy or unfamiliar place – just a good extra layer of precaution!
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I hope you all enjoyed these 10 travel tips! Traveling can be stressful, so hopefully some of these things can help to put your mind at ease. I’m not sure if I’ll be posting while I’m out of town, but if not I’ll see you over on Instagram!
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