What is an essential travel accessory?

[Cumberlover76]

I'm looking for a gift for a male work colleague who is leaving and planning to go travelling around Europe for a while. I'd like to get him a useful present so please tell me your most essential travel accessories. We're already getting him a travel pillow. He's in his 50s and travelling by train.

Thanks

[mencken]

having been on long holidays (=travelling), there's a lot of suckerbait being suggested here!

travel washing line = expensive piece of string. Just use a twisted piece of string.
wire net for backpack = loads of extra weight that just shouts 'I'm a silly gappie that has left all my valuables in here'
door wedge = not usable in dorms. Not needed in private rooms
packing cubes = if you must, get from Poundland not Amazon, same thing at considerably less. But again, pointless extra weight.

maglite torch - good idea.

[Cumberlover76]

Some great suggestions, thanks. I'm not sure what he's got already but will look into these.

[BuzzShitbagBobbly]

• Travel washing line

- Door stop (with or without alarm)
I - f he's going proper backpacking to less than salubrious areas, you can buy wire mesh things that prevent bags being knifed open to steal stuff.
- Similar vein, secure personal money belt
- mini maglite torch
- multi USB travel charger

[wowfudge]

Fab ideas on this thread. You can get foldaway shopping bags that can be opened as a rucksack or a shopper. Handy for a food shopping trip without taking a big travelling rucksack.

[Thesuzle]

Swiss Army Knife , the one with scissors

[msmith501]

Solar powered charger. Best thing for sunny hols - in the shape of a flower with petals and stick it in the sand.

[muddledmidget]

My favourite travelling items are a Turkish Hammam towel, dries in no time, great as a beach towel, blanket on train/ferry/plane and large enough to cover me if using shared bathroom facilities to get back to my room. Power pack, strong but light case for sunglasses, travel wallet to keep documents and tickets in, Dr beckmann travel wash, a few pegs

[runoutofnamechanges]

Packing cubes, universal adaptor (the kind that has retractable pins to make it fit different plug sockets) and power packs. A travel towel is handy if he might be staying somewhere that won't have towels/taking sleeper trains. A luggage alarm is also useful on sleeper trains.

[Synecdoche]

Luggage tag

[MoltoAgitato]

Chargers and travel packing cubes.

[Rosere]

Noise cancelling headphones.

[Neptunesgiraffe]

I was also going to say a power pack. I have one but I'd like two especially when travelling.

[PurpleDaisies]

Power pack for phone charging.