What’s your best travel tip and travel accessory?

[boomoperator]

Random question but given I’ve had to cancel my trip to New York for a third time, I’m consoling myself by looking at travel accessories on Amazon and reading loads of trip reports on TripAdvisor. What’s yours?

Which packing cubes do you recommend?

If you’re checking in a bag, always put all your important documents, plus any medication, plus at least one change of clothes in your hand luggage. I learned this the hard way when I had to spend the first afternoon of my holiday at a Wal-Mart near Dulles airport buying clothes & toiletries because mine were still at LHR...

Never go anywhere without a few feet of gaffer tape wrapped around an old credit card!

It will fix almost anything!

I travel a lot with work so my list is a bit different.

I take sanitising spray for door handles etc, use the shower cap to put around the tv remote. An alarmed door wedge (I'm always alone) a first aid kit containing a torch a whistle and a small bagged smoke hood which I keep by my bedside.

Always slippers, never understand why people walk around hotel rooms barefoot. I decant all of my toiletries and perfumes. A kaftan to waft about in when I'm too lazy to get dressed after a shower.

I stopped packing a week before I leave because under a bit of pressure I pack less and mostly what I need.

Silicone ear plugs - they make life on the plane soo much better, and useful in a loud hotel room
Really good eye mask, pref contoured
Large scarf/pashmina thing in black/navy - dark so any spills don't show, use as a pillow, wrap in the evening, blanket on the plane
Click shut small plastic box with dividers (sold for beading or fly fishing) - your jewellery is all divided up so it doesn't tangle, you can find everything, and I keep hair clips/bands/safety pins and mini sewing kit in mine too.
Zip lock plastic bags - for wet swimming kit, to seal larger toiletries in, for anything smelly, even to put food in when away if you pick something up.
Drawstring bag. All my dirty laundry goes in it and is squished down, then taken straight to the machine when I get home. Particularly useful if you are moving hotels when away
The next days clothing and emergency toiletries in my hand luggage - or at least an outfit that will work if it has to. At the very minimum, knickers, socks/tights, deodorant, wipes, toothbrush/toothpaste tablet, moisturiser. The minimum lives permanently in my work travel bag.
Microtowel which folds into a little pouch - its teeny, but I have rolled into a hotel very late before and not realised that there was no towel until I'm in the shower at 6am. Also useful if I have a chance for an impromptu paddle
Decathlon packable backpack. Is folded up vvv small, not stylish, but has been very useful when I have an opportunity for a long walk during a trip, but don't need a proper bag the rest of the time
Contigo thermal cup. I can take a coffee from breakfast and drink it later, get an iced coffee at the airport and wake up from an overnight flight to decent coffee, have cold water when out and about etc
Blister plasters
Lancane gel - rub it on your feet and between your toes to stop blisters esp if walking in hot weather, also stops thigh chafing

Have clean knickers, top, toothbrush and sandwhiches on you. You never know when you’ll have an emergency lay over.

Best gadget - kIndle or haman towel.

In any European city there's always a "free" walking tour. Usually a couple of hours. I always try and do those on my first day there. It gives a good overview of the city and then I go back myself later to anything that particularly interests me.
I say "free" as that's how they advertise but the idea is you tip the walking leader tour person at the end , it's well worth a good tip usually, in my experience.
This is how we found the place in Berlin where Berlinners take their dogs to shit ...it's now a carpark but used to be of some importance to Hitler. Also how we found out about Prague underground and those shoes in Budapest.
That's my tip. Find a walking tour and learn a lot quickly. Then ask the tour guide where the best bars are and get drunk 😂

Also Atrixo hand cream in the yellow tub. Works brilliantly on body and face too.
Craghoppers kiwi pro shorts/capris/trousers (I think you can get zip off ones too), depending on climate

Yes to recognisable luggage.Ours are currently black and white cow print! In a sea of greys,navy's and blacks it's a godsend.

@MintyGreenDream

Yes to recognisable luggage.Ours are currently black and white cow print! In a sea of greys,navy's and blacks it's a godsend.

I bought a yellow North Face duffle bag for this reason. The first time I used it there were 2 others on the carousel 🤦, but I havn’t seen another since.

If going on a winter city break, wear your warm coat travelling and pack different scarves, hats and gloves. Your outfit, even though it's the same coat, will look totally different in photos.

@Justmuddlingalong

If going on a winter city break, wear your warm coat travelling and pack different scarves, hats and gloves. Your outfit, even though it's the same coat, will look totally different in photos.

I saw that tip on a New York Facebook group I’m on and will definitely take a few options when we go late March/early April.

I always read carefully what services and facilities are available at my hotel, sometimes I call. That way I know if I have to pack a hairdryer, a travel iron (for business trips) etc. If I can book a hotel/accommodation with a washing machine I then pack very light as I know I will wash my clothes and will not need to pack many. I make sure to bring a small pot with washing powder and portable line/pegs.
I always bring a metal food container (as it’s light and I tend to stay away from plastic) that is super useful to bring my own snacks on the plane and then, on holiday, to bring food to the beach etc. I also always bring a water bottle that I refill at airports or hotels. I take a super small, light but sturdy reusable bag with me everywhere. It gets used as laundry bag, dirty shoes bag, to bring home wet costumes from the beach, to carry supermarket shopping and much more. But I also always pack to mesh bags to be used as laundry bags.
I bring solid toiletries (shampoo, dentabs, etc) as they take less space and there is no risk of them spilling over the rest of my suitcase content. But if I am staying a hotel I don’t buy soap/shower gel as it’s normally provided.
I take a photo of our passports, driving licenses, documents so that if I lose them or need their details in a hurry I know they are on my phone.
I bring a very small facecloth to remove my make up (that I quickly wash every night) and don’t stain the normally immaculate white hotel towels with it!
Best gadgets bought recently are a small first aid bag (empty) that I filled with essentials and a ‘cable’ bag where I put all my charging cables, traverl adapters, etc vs having them in a million different places.
I always bring my kindle fire as I use it for reading books, watching movies, reading emails or surf the internet. I make sure it’s fully charged before flying and that I have downloaded 1-2 books or magazines, plus something for my son (few episodes of Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig etc). This way I don’t depend on the internet for some few hours of entertainment.

Placemarking for tips!

@CustardyCreams

- Download Inkitt or Libby apps, and take free downloaded books on hols for the long journey.

• pack bits and bobs in Take away plastic containers, you can then use these out and about to hold snacks, first aid kit, etc.

• always, always put essentials and a change of clothes in your carry on (learned that one the hard way when all our luggage didn’t join my extended family and kids on a two week vacation due to a computer malfunction at Heathrow, the plane flew with no luggage and they only told us as we were landing - cue sobbing lady a few rows ahead, as she packed all her medication in her suitcase).

Love the take away container tip! Away at the moment and could really do with some...

I use bigger packing cubes for my suitcase, and the smaller zippy bags that come with them to sort everything in my hand luggage. (1 for anything edible like sweets for take off, 1 for medication etc)

I have also just bought a cable pouch on Amazon for all cables, chargers, mini speakers & mifi so they aren't getting tangled in my bag.

If we are taking a wheelie case as carry on I do the 3 bag thing-
Bag 1 is the wheelie case with 24 hours of clothes in case hold bag is delayed, and valuables. Then on top inside the case is bag 2:

Bag 2 is a lightweight over the shoulder bag for the plane itself with magazine/kindle/snacks etc. Inside bag 2 is 'bag' 3:

Bag 3: Pouch with passports, tickets, vaccine certificates etc.

Walking through airport I have bag 2 on shoulder, ready to get bag 3 out. But if challenged about too many bags, I can pop bag 2 into suitcase.

For DDs and I: 10 day dresses, 10 evening dresses each (adjust depending on number of nights you're staying)

@cricketmum84

Take a 4 plug extension to plug into a travel adapter. Then you have 4 uk plug points out of one adapter :)

Does this not risk over heating the adapter? If it doesn't, it's a genius idea that I'm stealing!!

As nobody has mentioned it yet, don't forget to stuff your knickers and socks into your shoes when packing. Saves loads of space.

Does this not risk over heating the adapter? If it doesn't, it's a genius idea that I'm stealing!!

Cheap adapters can be a bit dodgy but if you have a good quality one and you are not running several microwaves and a welding set through it, you should be OK.

As an alternative, you could put a local plug on a UK extension lead. I don’t like using adapters so that is what I have done. I also have local leads for my laptop and USB charging blocks.